Voice from the Past

I have been enthralled by your Blog – I found it by “accident” the other day and unfortunately have not gotten any work done, since!! Let me take you back, I mean WAY back to the summer of 1974. You hired a “GIRL” for the elephant crew at RBB&B Circus World Showcase – A sheer act of desperation, since you were short handed and the guys hadn’t had a day off in weeks. Well, that was me! I was Cindy Weidley at the time and absolutely enamored by the elephants (Always have been)! I remember Chappy Fox in the elephant barn the first day I worked…he kept trying to get me to go to the Big Top and sell hot dogs...I told him I could do that kind of work at McDonalds! I worked pretty hard that summer! Scott Riddle was appalled that you stooped so low (to hire a GIRL). I learned sooo much from you and Barbara and still have awesome memories of that short “season.” I remember leaving because I had been offered a position in one of the (few) Dinner Theatres in Orlando, where I worked as a stage manager until 1977 when the Theatre closed. In January 1978 I was looking for a job and in the Classified I read “CIRCUS-SEE THE COUNTRY-MARKETING DIRECTORS WANTED-WILL TRAIN” So, of course I answered the call. To make a long story short (or maybe even longer!!!) I joined the Clyde Beatty-Cole Bros. Circus as a Marketing Director that season (1978). I worked for Tim Stinson (#%&$@#!). Well, he fired me that summer, Johnny Pugh hired me back, then fired Tim a year later! (what a shame…!) I worked two more seasons in advertising & billposting of all things, then married Dave Hoovers head cage man, Ned Potter. I worked with the big cats for two seasons (1981 & 82) living in the cat sleeper. (I remember a story you told me once, about living in the elephant sleeper one winter – it was so cold that the water in the dog’s bowl froze and you & Barbara huddled under a great big fur coat!) I even did swinging ladders in the aerial ballet 150 pounds ago! My daughter Cassidy was born in New Orleans, LA – (a month early in Oct. 1983, or we would have been in Quarters!) and she saw 5 states by the time she was 3 weeks old! Ora Logan was her first babysitter! I worked in the show office as a ticket agent, administrative assistant, payroll bookkeeper, you name it… for the next few years, even driving show trucks when necessary to get them to the lot! Ned came down with Adult Onset Diabetes and it really took a toll on his health. He had worked his way up to prop boss and assistant manager, but in 1987 we had to “retire” from the show for his health reasons. I went back in 1998 & 1999 when one of the Marketing Directors was killed in a car accident, as a Marketing Director, again. I loved every minute of it! The Herriotts were our “next door neighbors” the first year I was on the show and I still say, I learned my “best shots” from Mary Ruth! They sure were a class act! I was crushed when I heard of Mary Ruth’s accident. My husband & I worked for Robert Baudy in the winter of 1980-81 (when the Beatty Show did their “indoor” fiasco) We went back on the show in ’81 for the regular season. Roger Smith and Larry Allen Dean were on the cat act that season, too. Anyway, looking through your blog and the archives, I have been flooded with those memories of Circus World, the Calliope on the Merry-Go-Round’s rendition of “You’re a Grand Old Fag” (hee hee!) and walking the herd of 19 elephants (I used to be able to name every one of them!) across US 27 to the truck stop to weigh them! Let’s see – you had a Martingale on Hugo and he was chained to Anna May for the trip! I had the shovel and the wheelbarrow, under Scott’s direction! From what I can remember the crew consisted of Scott Riddle, Blackie, Gordon, Rusty, Wayne and Billy Bouthalere (sp?) Gordon used to say “You wanna know how to piss off Buckles??? Hide his elephants!!!) That following December I went with you to help handle Nirvana at the Showfolks Circus (I remember it was your anniversary – You couldn’t remember if it was 15 years on the 14th or 14 years on the 15th!) I hope you are all doing well. It’s interesting how people make an impact on your life. You and Barbara made such a great impact on mine, and I just don’t know how to tell you how much I appreciate those few months in the summer of 1974! I still keep in contact with a few folks on the Beatty Show, and Heidi Herriott Koch lives here in West Orlando. We keep meaning to get together! Now, I am the Community Relations Manager for the ABC Network in Orlando – WFTV Channel 9) I manage the Community Program: WFTV 9 Family Connection. I still get an odd look from people when I tell them I was an elephant handler for Ringling Bros. Circus one summer…it tends to lead to interesting conversation! I think you told me once that I was the FIRST girl in the History of the Ringling show to be an elephant handler, and I KNOW I was the first girl that Hoover hired on his cat act! (I used to smoke cigarettes that looked like little cigars to tease Hoover!) We just attended his funeral a few months ago. Lois looked great. She was always a rock. What I didn’t learn from Mary Ruth I got from Lois! They are good people! I would love to stay in touch, that is… if you even remember who I am! It WAS a long time ago! (Shannon was 5 and I think Delilah was 3!) Warmest regards, Cindy Weidley Potter