Buckles Blog: Blue Show 1978 #12

Wednesday, January 07, 2009

Scan11163, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

"Carmen", "Peggy", "Gilda", "Zina", "George", "Hugo", and "Anna May".
We had a total of 22 that season.

Ryan Easley said...: Buckles,
When were the Billy Smart elephants acquired and which elephants came in the herd?; 09 June, 2011 11:20
Buckles said...: They arrived in Venice early in 1972.
1. Manja
2. Peggy
3. Rosie
4. Olga
5. Joan
6. Christine
7. Suzie
8. Rebecca
9. Seina (Zina)
10. Gilda
11. Chi Chi (Changed to Mudu)
12. Carmen

They were accompanied by seven untrained baby elephants.; 09 June, 2011 11:49
Ryan Easley said...: Thank you Buckles. Were the babies "straight from the jungle, wild-caught killers" or already on a show in Europe as well?; 09 June, 2011 13:19
Buckles said...: When we pulled out of Ruskin that Spring bound for Miller-Johnson Circus in Calif. at our first truck stop I noticed a picture in the newspaper of a young elephant affixed to the manure truck by it's front leg chain bound for the Venice Qtrs.
The title read, "Elephants being delivered to Ringling Circus".
I gathered that they had been brought from the boat in old elephant cars to Venice and each one walked in this manner to the barn.
I was later told that there were 12 originally delivered to the Smarts in England and they picked out the best five and sent the rest to Ringling.
This of course is a ridiculous statement, once trained the ugliest, wildest of the bunch might turn out to be the smartest and best performer.; 09 June, 2011 13:56

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