Sunday, February 24, 2008

World's Greatest Trainer? #2


scan0060, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

Posted by Buckles at 2/24/2008 03:50:00 PM

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

In all fairness to Wade, I have seen what he can produce as far as tiger acts go, and he has put together some very impressive routines. And I should know, after all I am the World's greatest arm-chair tiger trainer...just ask Josip, Trudy, Sue, Pat or Tammy.

This photo is from an article about young Mr. Burck in a 1986 issue of Sports Illustrated. The photo was paired up with one of Gunther with a leopard over his shoulders, to which Wade was paying tribute to.

What, no Evansville in 2008? This was the year I was going to try to make that date!

Jimmy Cole

24 February, 2008 16:56
Anonymous said...

Jimmy,
Thank for the photo. It makes a great point. I had a tiger neck carry out of the cage when I went on the GSOE. Week one, Irvin asked me not to do it any more. Safety I innocently asked. No, was the reply, the Greatest in the world carry's a leopard. I didn't ask more, as it was self explanatory.
Alway's being one to take it to "serious", Dan Geringer who did the article asked if I had something I could carry like Gunther. I suggested we stop at FO Schwartz, on our way to the CATS photo shoot. Why didn't I ever resent Mr. GGW, you might ask.
Because I can't resent greatness, and what I gained from him and other's far outweight, the petty publicity nonsense. Quite a jerk, right.
Wade Burck

24 February, 2008 17:55
Anonymous said...

I guess in this last comment that you answered your own question: That being, why did you not have something in your repitore thyat woulde be better and more impressive?. To copy someone is not the road to fame. I think you are a fine wild animal trainer but would suggjest that for immortal greatness you have to do that little extra. Also like GGW {30 yrs] and Beatty [42 yrs] you have to do it every day, no matter what.

24 February, 2008 19:39
Anonymous said...

To Wade; To any trainer with desire to train and not just put a nice act together and present it means that he is constantly trying to figure out something different and unique because of the competitive nature of training and trying to be as good or even better than those who are or have been in similar endeavors. I always like that as I have always been competitive and aware of and very respectful of those I become aware of being "great". Not because of their press or PR push, but as a trainer I realize when a great accomplishment has been done far beyond the call of duty. You, myself and all the others have sat around hay pile and those topics are brought up.

So did GGW bring the general stuff to the GSOE? Yes he did but he also brought that extra I refer to, such as the "jumps and rolls" with three tigers. What a trick and so very well done. It could certainly be the "copy cat trick" for other trainers, but to my knowledge nobody has done it. WHY? Have other trainers tried it and failed? I don't know, but to me that is one of the different things he did. Also the awesome two elephants a tiger and then three tigers, two horses and the elephant, putting horses in with elephants, and the swing pull up with him and two tigers. So obviously something was always churning in his brain on something new and different.

I only use him as an example as he is so obvious, but there are others. Buckles fantastic work with Anna Mae and other of his elephants as well. Great stuff with alot of difficult training. Rex brought us te "pyramid" to America and the "Patty cake". I have had success with three different horses doing a call out to me and "capriole" at liberty that I don't see other liberty acts doing. And the list can go on and on, but my point is just because a guy carried a cat on his shoulders doesn't mean you have to.

When I came to Baraboo to train the three elephants plus other stuff. Jenda had been there with Bertha owned by businessman Wilbur Deppe. Jenda wanted a revolving tub for Berthya to do a hand stand on. Deppe hd the work shop and he was a very intelligent builder and came up with the prop. Jenda trained Bertha to do it and the nrest is history. Now thye second day I was nthere here come Deppes men with the prototype revoving pedestal that Jenda had trained on. I had them put it in a corner of te ring barn and never looked at it and Deppe never mentioned it to me and finally it was hauled away. My point is; I was not about to copy any unique trick. I would do my own thing and have ried to do that in my lengthy career. More or better are not the same as different. I am certainly not the second coming of the guy or head down Harry for that matter. When I saw you with the great Cuneo five act, the fine tiger act and the riding tiger I was really impressed and have admired your work over the years. You are a fine horseman as well and can envision you with tigers and horses.

25 February, 2008 09:45
Anonymous said...

Col.,
I guess I hit a wrong button. I ran my response to you on the Gilbert Houcke Kiss O Death picture. I was excited as I had never seen that trick before, sorry. I carried the tiger because I could, like Wolfgang with his lion, Josip with tiger's, and many other's with lion's tiger's and leopard's. It is a crowd pleasing trick. Yes, I carried it out of the cage, and around the track, because I had only seen it done by one person.
Ringling's ceiling frame made hanging the swing easier then rigging it in a building on a Shrine date. Col., that was about the cheeziest trick he ever did. A no brainer, not much different then riding an elephant. But a great shot in a two page spread as it featured the man and tiger's looking in the same direction. Being's I'm a tiger trainer, my vote goes to the tiger's holding the fire stick.
I asked him about the 3 tiger monkey roll(that's what it was called when I was coaching football). As Casey mentioned in another poste, pretty rare in the tape, video, and film archives. Kind of like a unicorn. Nobody has really found one, but everybody know's what it looks like. I talked to him about it(truth be known, I was interested in copying it). His word's without the accent "It just happened one day at practice, and that gave me the idea. I didn't do it very long because it was inconsistent. The public didn't like for it, and it was difficult." I said, "I'll bet it was hard to roll different direction's when you can only go one, Boss?" He said, "exactly, young man. Impossible."
I too like a pickout horse Col., and I have seen it done a number of time's by clown's who must have copied you. Capriole? Personal preference? The few that were really, really, impressive were longlined. I'll tip my hat to Henry, but I didn't think you were talking about donkey's.LOL
Here's the challenge Col. If I can teach a tiger to do a horse trick, which requires long lines and numerous assistant's alone, I will give you an easy one. Get a horse to jump 7' off of 7' tall pedestals through a fire hoop. No assistance please. Impossible? That's what was said about the tiger corbett. Let me know when it is done. We'll work together on the horse neck carry. Should be great, I've never seen it before.
Thank's Col. Is isn't as much fun as sitting at showfolk's with you, but it isn't bad.
Wade Burck

25 February, 2008 11:42
Anonymous said...

When in Japan on the first Gold unit tour, Col. Herriot had a horse called Jr. ,I believe,that did a capriole at liberty. Another one of the great photos I've seen of circus animal acts was Johnny, in tails, doing a deep knee compliment to the horse with the horse full collected,fully extended, and level as a pool table over the Col.'s head ! what a shot !
I got to watch it every show as I backed up the ring for his daughter Cindy's white pony act.
Have you got that photo, Johnny ?
I'd sure like to see it here

25 February, 2008 16:42
Anonymous said...

Pst, Pst, LAD,
Fully collected, and fully extended is an oxymoron. The horse in the photo you mention isn't collected, he is checked up.
Wade Burck

25 February, 2008 19:07
Anonymous said...

I have seen most of the Lippizan Caprioles in this country including the real ones from Austria during their American tour and was on the Lashinsky Show when it was BIG. Every American high school act was there, Ostermair, Bale, Smaha, Skelton, Gaylord was just beginning and with Benny Cristiani did a hilarious parody with three white mules of the Lip Drill and "Airs". Young Dino Cristiani was there showing Hunters. Sixteen piece orchestra and they packed them in. I had closed with the Blue Show and contracted to do a principle high school with my Saddle Bred "American Anthem" and can proudly say I held my own and went over big. In Miami Beach my horse went lame [navicular foot dessease] and I just could not see keeping the poor guy on "Bute", and Gary Lashinsky relucktingly let me out of my contract and soon I was in Cow pies in Miami training the six Hoxie young elephants, but that is ano0ther tail. I had to ride in the four man and eight man as part of my contract. Smaha did the "airs" including Courbette and Capriole. Also I spent a winter at Arabian Nights doing training and replacing those on their days off and again did the two man, four man and eight. Gaylord and others did the "Capriole" and the point I want to make was they were all "checked up" including "over check". When I really learned big liberty acts in Peru [bunker Hill] with my father and John Smith in the twelve palominos my dad had a call out horse that came to him as the others circled and did a capriole, however the fancy name was not that familiar in those days and so it was referred to as a "Buck Jump". I had Mary Ruth do the same on Mills Bros. when we both presented a 12 horse with a buckskin named Bucky and again called it a buck jump.

Yes Larry, Junior was exceptional and as you recall he would be so exuberment that he would do half ones until I got him standing right. On Ringling Charly Baumann backed up the ring for me and I had a nice Arab Stud named Tunis, one night I called him and looked at Charly and with my back to the horse raised and cracked the whip and he did na great capriole. These are trainers tricks and both Charly and I enjoyed it. Just like one show when Gunther had a front leg tiger and then a back leg one all done in the fast paced Gunther style and he looked at me and did both at the same time. After the act we both enjoyed what he had done and it remained in the act. Lots of fun training animals and finding out so many things they can show us. Believe me I miss it and love the comraderie on this blog. You are all grat and I respect you all.

27 February, 2008 08:59

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