Saturday, July 24, 2010

Equestrians! #6


SAVE0698, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

Milt Herriott, Dorothy Herbert and Johnny Herriott with
King Bros. Circus.

Posted by Buckles at 7/24/2010 06:12:00 AM

9 comments:

john herriott said...

Buc kles what a fine tribute to the great horsetrainers. I am humbled to be included. I was able to know so many and off course I am aquite aware of all their accomplishments. I knew Heyer, Konyot, Nelsons,certainly my wonderful father and inspiration to achieve and the great Jorgen Cristiansen who was a long time friend in his late years and I believe the best of them all with liberty horses. Thnks.

24 July, 2010 07:13
Anonymous said...

Where Did Milton Herriott get his start in the business?

26 July, 2010 11:43
john herriott said...

He was an only child and parents were hotel, diningb room operators, and bfather was also a meat cutter and chef. Yhet operated hotels,etc. in Boom towns in thev southwest, namel Hot Sorings, Ark. Globe Ariz. etc. They divorced while in Globe, Ariz. and she remarried a hotel resident, U.S. Marshal, John Grimes and he was adopted by Grim,es with that name. Living as an only child in a hotel, he had no playmates and hence he acquired animals, dogs, etc. and eventually pony and Mex. Burro. Put in Military school he ran off and joined Jones Bros. and Wilson Circu8s as a dog boy and pony punk.EArly years as Milton Grimes and in1927 he found his blind father, maried my mother, nee Viloa Engesser, and as a married man in a family situatuion he legally changed his name back to Herriott. It is a nice story in his years of becomming a recognized trainer and showman. He learned alot on Christy Bros. from Merrit Belue and John Hoffman. He was skillee with leopards, bears, seals, apes, elephants, but guess he was best with horses. HW, Barnes Floto, Mighty Haag along the way, and later Seils Sterling and the Enesser family Schell and Zellmar Bros. He was a fine nan and a great father and excellent showman. I have a sister, now deceased. I am quite proud of my family. AS a young fellow he trained an eight pony drill for Honest Bill on that circus. It is a cute story being around Honest and Lucky Bill. He told me alot, but only in conversation so there is only a chronology hat I have tried to put together of those early years. 1917 plus.

26 July, 2010 21:51
Anonymous said...

Such an incredible family history.The best part to see how much a son loved his dad.Memories to cherish forever.It doesnt get better than that!!

27 July, 2010 08:43
john herriott said...

On second thoughts it occurs to me that my father was an all around animal man and I ave early photos of him with bears, leopard, seals that he trained or presented. He was given a job at tghe National Zoo in Washington by director Dr, William Mann where we spent two years. [mother hated D.C.], plus prior to that in early thirties was Supt. Longfellow Zoo in Minneapolis. At home in Minn. he had Bantam Chickens as a hobby of sorts. It appears that he as a young first of may got caught up in this nomadic life, started reading the Billboard [chump educator] and being foot loose started floating around from shw to show learning along the way. Seemslike Bill Woodcock and others of that generation were similar. I know that Bill and my dad were friends before their days on Cole Bros. and it seems my dad told me about being a hand under elephant trainer Bert Noyes around 1923 on HW and Buckles said his dad was there about the same time. I believe my dad in wanting to be a trainer=presenter would work around a big show as a hand or asst. and then go to a smaller show where he could do his own thing. That seems to have been a pattern. And eventually he made the reputation of being very capable, He and Terrel Jacobs were young guys together on the Christy show and both got involved with cats and domestic animals. Christy was a predominent animal show and Christy would let young wannbabees take their best hold. When he met my mother he settled into a family situation with responsibili,ties. I rcall in my youth being on Mills Bros., Kelly Miller [elephants, horses, dogs and ponies] and later e would bring me with him to. Cole Bros. H e liked ZackTerrel and he in turn likjed my dad. In 45 the seal trainer blew early in the season and he took that over along with his horse training duties and also during war time "pushed Punks" on the teAr down. War time and everyone pitched in. He was always a "with it and for it" showman. He onl had an eighth grade ed. but was very well read, intelligent and became involved in management. I believe you would find alot of guys o.ut of that same mold. Incidentally he also did PUNCH AND jUDY AND THE SWORD BOX AND AS eQUES. dIRECTOR would sing the aerial web or ladder. In those days "Let me call you sweetheart" and could make the "Casey Candy Co, Mrs. Murrays Milk and Honey dainties" with the best of them. I learned that pitch and the Concert Ann. as well. So thats kind of the evolution of an All American circus family from dog boy and pony punk to the GSOE. I am proud to be an extended part of it and my family as well. Hope this hasn"t been too boring, but its a great story I believe. Thanks. SAdly he had a heart attack and stroke and died at 60 yrs. old.

27 July, 2010 09:06
J C Hall said...

Wow ! Ok Herriott for this once I will concede you have stood on holly ground.

27 July, 2010 09:29
Wade G. Burck said...

J. C. Hall,
Impressive alright, but where did he say his father worked at the Vatican?
Wade Burck

27 July, 2010 21:03
Anonymous said...

Truly those were the days.I in many ways envy what you were able to capture in memory.Certainly I am not alone in saying "thank you!!!"

27 July, 2010 21:33
Buckles said...

I remember on the Cole Show Milt worked a large pony that had a folded hoop skirt attached to her girth strap.
The dress would come down when she waltzed on her hind legs.
Very effective.

28 July, 2010 07:21

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