Thursday, October 12, 2006

Pat Anthony #5


"February 1981: Dave Hoover had just purchased some cats from Pat Anthony and we see both trainers in the arena practicing the barrell."

Posted by Buckles at 10/12/2006 05:53:00 AM

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

The tiger is "PB" (Pain in the Butt) and the lioness is "Shorty." PB did a rolling globe too, but it wasn't presented too often by Hoover - the globe weighed a ton and created several transport/storage obstacles. Pat Anthony was a compelling and dynamic trainer - these were two GREAT cats.
Cindy Potter

12 October, 2006 10:34
Anonymous said...

I WAS IN THE CRISTIANI WALLACE WINTER QUARTERS IN 1961, PETE CRISTIANI HAD BEEN WAITING FOR A CAT TRAINER WHO NEVER SHOWED UP, TO TRAIN 3 LIONS. THEY HAD BEEN CAGED UP ALL WINTER. HE DECIDED THAT HE COULD DO THE JOB HIMSELF. WE PUT UP THE STEEL ARENA BUT IT HAD A TINY GAP BETWEEN 2 SECTIONS, WHEN THEY LET THE LIONS OUT THEY WERE RUNNING IN CIRCLES LIKE CRAZY, PETE WAS SNAPPING A WHIP WHEN ONE OF THE LIONS CRASHED AGAINST THE GAP AND ESCAPED. WE CHASED THAT LION AROUND WINTER QUARTERS FOR 2 HOURS...THE POLICE ARRIVED OUTSIDE THE GATE WITH SHOTGUNS AND SAID IF IT GOT OUT THEY WOULD SHOOT IT. AFTER A LONG DANGEROUS AND FRUSTRATING CHASE, PETE HAD NORMA CALL PAT ANTHONY WHO LIVED NEARBY, (WE WERE IN RIVERVIEW, FLORIDA). PAT ARRIVED AND WITHIN TEN MINUTES HE HAD THE CAT BACK IN THE CAGE. WHAT AN AMAZING PERSON.

12 October, 2006 12:11
Anonymous said...

Also present for these sessions were Ned and Cindy Potter, Bill Johnston and myself. We had gone to Riverview to load out the cats and props Hoover bought from Pat only a day or two before. We had just come in from the disastrous 1980 Winter Tour, and cookhouse boasted 12 ounces rice and beans, period, twice a day. No coffee, no salt and pepper, no tabasco, no bread. So one highlight of going to Pat's that day was the stop at McDonald's, where Hoover sprung. We were trembling with hunger. We each had 2 Big Macs, big fries, big milkshakes, and more Big Macs to go. The workingmen nearly starved that winter. When we opened at the Airport lot on March 15th, we stormed Cookhouse and ate everything but the tablecloths.

12 October, 2006 15:20
Anonymous said...

Yeah, I remember that "starving" winter - red beans & rice! Not only was that right after the disasterous Winter Dates, but also, right after Johnny Pugh took over the ownership of CBCBC from FSU after McClosky passed away. There were PAGES and PAGES of debts owed all over the country, at the time Johnny took over. But, you got to hand it to Johnny Pugh....we may have starved that winter, but we all still had jobs the next season and they are STILL rollin'!
:-)
Cindy Potter

13 October, 2006 11:31

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