Saturday, September 25, 2010
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Contributors
Recent Comments
Retirement Fund
Favorite Links
- Circus Historical Society
- Circus News
- Circus Fans Association of America
- Showfolks of Sarasota
- Arkansas Elephant Sanctuary
- Jim's "All My Days are Circus Days"
- Pat Cashin's Clown Alley
- Bill Strong's Yesterday's Towns
- Circus Links
- Circus Model Builders
- Magic Gallery
- Tim Perkins Blog
- Trumble's Carson & Barnes Blog
- Dick Dykes
- Wade G Burck
- Chuck Mayo
- The Circus Blog
- Jackie LeClaire
Subscribe
Blog Archive
- March 2023 (15)
- February 2022 (5)
- November 2021 (33)
- October 2021 (3)
- September 2021 (61)
- August 2021 (37)
- May 2021 (39)
- April 2021 (10)
- March 2021 (17)
- February 2021 (103)
- January 2021 (137)
- December 2020 (21)
- November 2020 (76)
- October 2020 (151)
- September 2020 (73)
- August 2020 (65)
- July 2020 (181)
- June 2020 (174)
- May 2020 (225)
- April 2020 (181)
- March 2020 (124)
- February 2020 (221)
- December 2019 (36)
- November 2019 (77)
- October 2019 (166)
- September 2019 (146)
- August 2019 (62)
- July 2019 (250)
- June 2019 (238)
- May 2019 (311)
- April 2019 (355)
- March 2019 (367)
- February 2019 (313)
- January 2019 (373)
- December 2018 (377)
- November 2018 (348)
- October 2018 (378)
- September 2018 (381)
- August 2018 (542)
- July 2018 (514)
- June 2018 (153)
- May 2018 (4)
- April 2018 (3)
- March 2018 (110)
- February 2018 (296)
- January 2018 (590)
- December 2017 (569)
- November 2017 (587)
- October 2017 (565)
- September 2017 (405)
- August 2017 (509)
- July 2017 (575)
- June 2017 (558)
- May 2017 (653)
- April 2017 (562)
- March 2017 (507)
- February 2017 (451)
- January 2017 (516)
- December 2016 (367)
- November 2016 (479)
- October 2016 (449)
- September 2016 (517)
- August 2016 (427)
- July 2016 (400)
- June 2016 (360)
- May 2016 (272)
- April 2016 (374)
- March 2016 (481)
- February 2016 (405)
- January 2016 (429)
- December 2015 (240)
- November 2015 (381)
- October 2015 (477)
- September 2015 (461)
- August 2015 (427)
- July 2015 (463)
- June 2015 (421)
- May 2015 (350)
- April 2015 (416)
- March 2015 (467)
- February 2015 (441)
- January 2015 (460)
- December 2014 (408)
- November 2014 (379)
- October 2014 (416)
- September 2014 (378)
- August 2014 (413)
- July 2014 (414)
- June 2014 (482)
- May 2014 (429)
- April 2014 (367)
- March 2014 (458)
- February 2014 (406)
- January 2014 (390)
- December 2013 (508)
- November 2013 (353)
- October 2013 (423)
- September 2013 (468)
- August 2013 (536)
- July 2013 (490)
- June 2013 (447)
- May 2013 (411)
- April 2013 (401)
- March 2013 (407)
- February 2013 (372)
- January 2013 (432)
- December 2012 (413)
- November 2012 (388)
- October 2012 (398)
- September 2012 (376)
- August 2012 (387)
- July 2012 (382)
- June 2012 (351)
- May 2012 (356)
- April 2012 (367)
- March 2012 (351)
- February 2012 (336)
- January 2012 (410)
- December 2011 (393)
- November 2011 (283)
- October 2011 (333)
- September 2011 (363)
- August 2011 (356)
- July 2011 (336)
- June 2011 (363)
- May 2011 (351)
- April 2011 (324)
- March 2011 (327)
- February 2011 (253)
- January 2011 (368)
- December 2010 (359)
- November 2010 (315)
- October 2010 (342)
- September 2010 (345)
- August 2010 (352)
- July 2010 (344)
- June 2010 (335)
- May 2010 (338)
- April 2010 (321)
- March 2010 (369)
- February 2010 (318)
- January 2010 (338)
- December 2009 (358)
- November 2009 (338)
- October 2009 (354)
- September 2009 (368)
- August 2009 (354)
- July 2009 (401)
- June 2009 (403)
- May 2009 (375)
- April 2009 (346)
- March 2009 (406)
- February 2009 (341)
- January 2009 (353)
- December 2008 (351)
- November 2008 (362)
- October 2008 (391)
- September 2008 (375)
- August 2008 (382)
- July 2008 (324)
- June 2008 (349)
- May 2008 (375)
- April 2008 (383)
- March 2008 (369)
- February 2008 (426)
- January 2008 (457)
- December 2007 (360)
- November 2007 (369)
- October 2007 (359)
- September 2007 (361)
- August 2007 (370)
- July 2007 (341)
- June 2007 (307)
- May 2007 (298)
- April 2007 (391)
- March 2007 (374)
- February 2007 (326)
- January 2007 (385)
- December 2006 (343)
- November 2006 (252)
- October 2006 (213)
- September 2006 (174)
- August 2006 (180)
- July 2006 (176)
- June 2006 (155)
- May 2006 (178)
- April 2006 (170)
- March 2006 (149)
- February 2006 (134)
- January 2006 (154)
- December 2005 (135)
- November 2005 (137)
- October 2005 (113)
- September 2005 (100)
- August 2005 (102)
- July 2005 (103)
- June 2005 (43)
12 comments:
This shows a perfect photo of a ring being too big. It seems, and Chappie had it in some of his books, that the diameter of a circus ring should be 42 ft.according to noted historians. This is not the case generally and I have found 34 to 36 ft. to be the practical size and is the size on most shows. Seems that I recall RBBB at center ring 40 ft. aqnd end rings 35 ft. Certainly a big 12 liberty act could use 40. I note the ring mat that Howard Suesz had that he bought from Poodles Hanneford that Poodles used when playing vaudeville was 32 ft. and he did a great riding act in it. That would be about the footage that would fit in theater stages, so if you needed bigger too bad Jose. tanglefoot herriott
The first time I believe I have heard anyone mention a circus ring to large for liberty horses however the rings Gil used at the Texas State fair were 38ft Center and ends at 36ft. Two feet can mean a lot though.
Johnny, While I have you here, regarding last week's question about you having ever worked the 12 pony act at CWM with no harness in the show? I called our qualified expert, Frankie Braun, who said he remembers it well. Seems we had to load out right away after the last show to go do a fair date. Everything was loaded, and the ponies went right from the ring into the semi.
Regarding today's photo, I'm sure you are right, but the picture was taken with a wide angle lense, which does tend to make thing look bigger.
Remember also, that these were POA's not full size horses. Big ponies, if you will, but worked like the "big guys" and took up less space in the ring, and especially the truck!
Pete, the Baraboobian!
During many of my years with RB
only ring 2 was reliougsly kept
at 40ft due to the mesh arena
& rings 1 & 3 were set at between
35ft & 38ft mostly according to
the position of the floor points
& the overall size of the floor
I believe that the European rings
are a bit larger than ours
Perhaps Henry Schroer might help
& by the way sure hope he's doing
well with his recovery
To Jimmy Cole;
Damn man, you forgot to ask Frankie Braun if they used any Fog and if so what color.
Now that you have established that the fog was not in your head.
To the Baraboobian,
Twelve head of any size equine is a lot and I have been told the smaller they are the more they are up to make sure you are earning your pay.
1 of the tightest floors I recall
was the Cumberland County Arena
in Fayetteville N C (Ft Bragg)
Really tight turns on the track
for the wagons & floats so the
rings 1 & 3 were smaller
To JC Hall:
Have to agree with your statement about the 12 head of equines, although as we count in this picture there were only 6, and POA's at that.
Equines being the animals they are certainly do have a tendancy (in my small 20 yr experience) of trying to take advantage of any little thing they might think you didn't catch. In short they're "dishonest", and seems to be the smaller they are the more dishonest they are, right down to the anklebiter minis.
But then again, I have limited experience, unlike most commenting here. No dig intended!
Pete, the Baraboobian!
I learn something NEW every day!
Forgot to ask/confirm: Wasn't the reason, as I recall from my circus history info, for the 42' ring because of Phillip Ashley standing on top of his horse at a full gallop, at Ricketts Circus in Philadelphia, way back when, making it a comfort/workable speed/angle? Please correct if this/I am wrong!
Pete, the Baraboobian!
John Milton,
You are correct in that the larger the ring the more difficult it is to keep a liberty act "tight" and not strung out. It's a major difficulty with the National Show Horse liberty act in Wis. that we are both familiar with.
Wade Burck
To The Baraboobian
Ditto on the POA's. My mind was on the 12 act earlier mentioned. Sorry about that.
Glad you mentioned the 42ft ring historical daily pitch you made.
I am sure it was so written; However I feel Herriott has a point,besides the reason given on the 42ft ring, sounds more like the "Iggy and Squiggy" the two headed piggy pitch.
Not that they would come up with any thing like that way back when.
I can just imagine in 100 years or so, what technical reason will be given for the horse shoe half-witted partial "Circus Maximus Hippodrome" track RBBB has recently put into use.
Post a Comment