Friday, July 03, 2009

Hunt Bros. Circus 1963 #8


scan0010, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

Posted by Buckles at 7/03/2009 06:12:00 AM

11 comments:

Jim A said...

Did Walt King's father purchase this act in 1964? I think Bobby Gibbs was working four of these horses on King Amusements shopping center unit when I first met him in April 1965. Bobby had the horses, his dwarf zebu act, a little dog act, and an elephant (Wanda).

03 July, 2009 06:38
Jimmy Cole said...

I believe that this act ended up on Ringling Red in 1970 and was presented by Mary-Ruth Herriott as part of a 3 ring display.

03 July, 2009 07:29
johnny herriott said...

I started these horses in training and got alot of the act accomplished in a Fall Winter training in the years60-61. After I left Paul Nelson would finish their btrainjing and worked them on the Hunt Show or a couple of seasons and then Jack Joyce bought them for Ringling and worked them there until I and Mary Ruth joined Ringling and then Mary Ruth worked them on Ringling. Jack laughed when he turned them over to me as it was the old Cole Show routine that Jack, Paul and myself were so familiar with. On Ringling they were always referred to as the "Hunt horses". When I transferred to the Blue Show I taught Billy Baker to work them and then I felt sad tha they broke up the act and used some of them for the Bulgarian Cossack tyle act. They were half Arab and half quarter horse and the pride of Marsha Hunt. When I trained them the lead horse was a Pure bred Arab "hadjean". He also did long line routine and Marsha kept him and replaced him in the act. So here is the history of an American Circus liberty act.

03 July, 2009 08:51
johnny said...

P.S. I think Matt worked them on Hunt after Paul. All of our careers would get intertwined over the years. My cup runneth over.

03 July, 2009 09:08
GaryHill said...

Col Herriott, were two of the horses named Sultan and Semi?

03 July, 2009 11:56
Mike Naughton said...

Johnny,

To complete my education in this American circus act, what was the exact routine, or highlights, of the legendary Cole Show liberty horse routine?

I have seen the act several times never realizing until this morning that they were the same horses but with different trainers/presenters.

03 July, 2009 12:30
johnny said...

Mary Ruth and I were chatting about them today and the lead horse was Sultan, another named Rooz and number six was Jake. We cannot recall the others.

03 July, 2009 15:50
johnny said...

To Mike, Pretty basic with change, two up, four or whatever, single out, cut off, half one way anbd stop spread out on both sides of ring curb, back aroun and cut back in place to immediate spread our wheel with half on one side directly opposite. Single out, walk ring curb. Single waltz, three times into full wheel, single out, line up and rear three times. I always liked to incorporate each one turning out for a finale and the "sugar trick" where the last horse sneaks around for anotger sugar lump. This nroutine with variances has served me well and I would say it is the basic for complete liberty horse training. If they csan do all this well the skys the limit. This routine is from Cristiansen, Delbosq, Jack Joyce, Merrit Belue, Nelson, Milt Herriott and I am proud to have it in my basic repetroire. If I have past it balong to others I am pkeased. It has served all of my daughters well over the years. Thanks, Mike

03 July, 2009 16:32
Mike Naughton said...

No, Johnny, thank YOU.

03 July, 2009 20:13
Marsha said...

They were Sultan, Simmi (Kismet), Abbi ( Abdulah), Red, Rooz and Jake who Paul Nelson named afrer Jake Mills All except Jake were from the Al Marah Arabian Stud in Bethesda, MD. Trevor Bale picked them out when they were less than 2years old. When Hajiim was taken out of the act Jake (quarter horse ) became #6.
They always worked good until Matt Larish, and it took me 3 months turn it back into a workable act before we would let Jack cone to see them.

10 January, 2013 22:30
Chic Silber said...


Hi Marsha it's nice to hear from you

That Al Marah farm was owned by the

mother of Mark Miller of the Arabian

Night's show in Kissimmee & after

she sold it they built a whole mess

of tract mansions on the property

The stone entry still has a horse

head logo & the name Al Marah

10 January, 2013 23:57

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