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Monday, January 22, 2007
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9 comments:
BEAUTIFUL
What did I just post earlier in the morning!!!!!! Bare horses and Wardrobe to overwelhm on humans. Makes my heart happy to see someone else thinks like this. Thank you.
With all the people in the ring it doesn't leave much room for a routine of changes, voltes, waltzes, wheel, etc. Wonder how they worked around that.
Working without harness can cover up a multitude of little sins in that you do not have to do an exact precision routine that liberty horse acts are known for. Horses can get out of place at various times and then get back without being noticeable or one can drop out of a wheel. The best advantage is to do an oblique because you don't have to stop and undo the checks. I have done both and prefer the precision with nice harness and plumes. Another advantage of the no harness is that you don't have to invest in expensive trappings and high priced ostrich plumes, sometimes costing more than the horse is worth. Many years ago my dad trained an eight liberty pony act as a young wanna be trainer for Honest Bill Newton who advised my dad that they would do something different and work them without harness. Then my dad realized he was too cheap to buy harness, but he did buy my dad a used tuxedo to work them in. Thats Show Biz.
This act was perfectly routined in all the classics of the liberty repertory, and balanced with the coreography of peoples. Is not a casualty if it got a Golden Clown (and Jasmine Smart was in the jury). I can post many other pictures of it. Off course, they wasn't there all the time.
Work without harness have been done in the last two decades with perfect and complete results by Knie, Gruss, Christel Sembach-Krone, Jasmine Smart or Sacha Houcke.
The liberty without harnesses is today done with precision at his best by the two men that I consider to be the best living liberty horse trainers in the world today: Alexis Gruss jun. and Fredy Knie jun.
The great horse trainer and one of my mentors told me that in 1923, I believe, John Ringling bought a 16 black stallion liberty act from the Polish Circus Markofski and hired the trainer, Jorgen to come to America with it. As happens so many times with Ringling things got dicombobulated and when they arrived in Bridgeport the show was already on the road, so he would stay in quarters and ride out the season. Incidentally the owners son would make the trip with him and remain for a short time to see America. Later years he would return as the great trainer Charly Moroski, but that another story. Now there was going to be some huge entertainment extravaganza to be held outdoors in a big football stadium in Los Angeles and Ringling wanted to be represented, so he sent Jorgen and the horses via baggage car from Bridgeport clear to L.A. Now Jorgen was new to this great land and had only worked previously in one ring European Shows. In L. A. he noted the ring set up right in the middle of the field and didn't think much about it. When it came his time and the act was introduced as directly from RBBB through the good graces of John Ringling and the horses were turned in the ring, they promptly jumped out of the ring and had a high old time of kicking, jumping and fighting and it was some time before they could be caught up, much to the embarrasement of Ringling and Jorgen, But he told me he learned a great lesson on circus liberty acts in America.
Now during this time in Bridgeport he bought a car and with his wife would drive around and see the sites. He noted that a circus called Sparks had paper up and they went to see it. During the performance they were surprised to see a 16 horse liberty act perform and his wife said to him," If you are going to be the big horse act with the GSOE you have to do better than this smaller circus". So he convinced Ringling Buy Eight more black stallions and in 1924 he did present 24 in the middle, with twelve in each end ring and six on each stage in between the rings. One of the presenters of six was Mabel Stark. Jorgen would go on from there and train a tableau like wedding cake of some 72 animals, mostly horses and ponies, plus camels and zebras, but it would only work in the Garden, as prop boss Mickey Graves told Ringling that he couldn't handle the heavy oak tiers on the road.
Jorgen would once again produce a 24 palomino act for Cole Bros. in 1939 to appear with Cole on an indoor date in New York, plus going on the road tour. He had a great career in America and am proud to have had him as a wonderful friend and advisor for so many yeaRS. i WOULD SUGGEST HE WAS ONE OF THE GREATEST HORSE TRAINERS OF ALL TIME. Hope you all enjoyed this little story.
I am so sorry. In reviewing I did not mention that his full name was JORGEN M. CRISTIANSEN.
Now this is what debates are all about. Learned individuals tossing around fine points. I agree with Mr. de ritis, on the statement about Fredy Knie. Greatness all around, training presentation, horses, etc. I can't speak to Mr. Gruss as I have never seen his work.
I also agree whole heartedly with Johnny. I have never seen a free liberty act, that lookes as good as one checked up, and collected. Given time they will all work without harness, like the nonsense of a bridleless horse. Johnny know's of my passion for Arabian horses, but when they are free, with their heads thrown outside, they look like Cecil, the sea serpant, from the Beany and Cecil cartoons. He is also dead on about the ease of working in a one ring situation, as opposed to an open ring in a coliseum or rodeo ground. Having your horses, scared into the ring, makes life much easier. A ring 3 foot full of mixed dirt and shavings, helps also. Much better than a 1/4 inch carpet , that's necessary, because it matches the Potentate's underwear. Wade Burck
Johnny, on a similiar note, one of the most remarkable Haute Ecole horses, I have ever seen, is a Red Fresian, named Fire Magic, performing at Dana's horse theatre, in Lake Geneva. One of Dana's children asked me who trained that horse for their mother, "you or Johnny Herriott." Because you weren't there, I took credit for it. I'm telling you this, because I hope you will cover me, if you ever run into Dianne Olds Rossi. Wade Burck
I am quite certain I would have been greatly impressed with the afore mentioned and pictured act had I been in the audience. Wade is quite right that any liberty act that works good can easily go thru the routine without harness. For many years to just exercise I have had them turned in without harness, including groups of twelve. Except for slipping a muzzle on some of the stallions. Its nice because you can allow them to play and lay down and roll. etc. In fact my training periods always end with walking them cool in place and then lining up and pulling all the harness so they can play and roll. Its fun to watch a group of twelve all rolling at the same time. They also find unconsciously that the ring is not such a bad place to be.
I do have videos of Monte Carlo a year or two back of Mr. Knie and, or Gruss working what I would call a "free style" with some three gorgeous Freisions and some beautiful white horses together, all completely free and the work is magnificent to say the least. Even some ponies are part of it. No bridles, no muzzles. I do note that in this photo I see side ring bits hanging and also the hint of a simple muzzle around some noses.But I am sure it was very fine I would not suggest any thing else. If they got a Gold Clown they would have to be good. Where does the trainer come from? I am not familiar with the name.
I can't say about the rest of the European Circuses, but I don't think the expense was as much of a problem on Krone as they carry a complete Saddlery, & make their own harness.
I was amazed at the details, an example, the studs on the traditional Krone crown on the metal Elephant headpieces were carriage bolt heads, cut off & welded to the plates.
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