Wednesday, March 07, 2012

From Wayne Jackson

circus%20world by bucklesw1
circus%20world, a photo by bucklesw1 on Flickr.

G’day Buckles,

I received the attached post card from Toby Styles recently that he picked up a number of years ago at Circus World. I believe the attractive “young lady” is Barbara, who is the Elephant and any idea what year? Toby also sent me a card with Ursula Bottcher’s Polar bear act, any idea if this was at Circus World or on a the road?

Happy Days

Wayne

Posted by Buckles at 3/07/2012 11:33:00 AM

7 comments:

Chic Silber said...

So did both Hugo & Sophie do the

1 foot stand & how long was the

training for each of them

07 March, 2012 11:55
Chic Silber said...

Have all your elephants been

right footed or is this just

a coincedence

07 March, 2012 12:09
GaryHill said...

Chic, always working from the left side of the animal it makes it so the Capt could encourage the left foot up along with the hinds..

07 March, 2012 21:59
Wade G. Burck said...

Chic,
Ahem. Buckles and other folks probably thought you were goofing so they didn't respond. I know you and I also know you are serious as as pissing blood when asking this.
Follow along. You train an elephant, all animal for that matter on the left side. If you are on the left of the elephant which front leg would it be easier to lift and which back leg to push. With an assistant helping you on the right or "off side" which leg would he lift to have the elephant on one front foot? When it is trained and you are on your own standing on the left side, which three legs would it be easier to get in the air?

Buckles,
Here's where I need your input. I have seen a number of one foot stands, worked a duo one foot stand in an act for a number of years. I don't ever recall seeing a one foot stand on the left foot. Do you know of one, or have you ever seen one?

Wade Burck

07 March, 2012 22:02
Buckles said...

First one foot stand I ever saw was presented by Hugo schmitt on the Ringling Show in 1948. I was amazed.
However the first elephant trained to do this in USA was "Jessie" in 1953 owned by John Cuneo.
I remember seeing an ad in Circus Report with a picture of "Jessie" and her trainer Joe Frisco Sr. and
I clearly remember she was balancing on her left foot. In fact the last time I was at the Club I asked John if that was the case and he looked at me like I had grown another head.
So the picture must have been flopped.

07 March, 2012 23:12
Chic Silber said...

Thanks Gentlemen & yes Wade I

was asking seriously & it sounds

like you've had a stone or 2

I only had 1 & it was the worst

day of my life to date

Wonder if training from the left

& mounting a horse the same has

any commonality

08 March, 2012 09:19
Wade G. Burck said...

Chic,
It's all relevant. When man first domesticated a horse, he was already a proficient warrior and carried and used his weapon with his right hand. Historically there were few left handed people and the few unfortunate to be left handed were shunned by society and said to be possessed. Later as society "advanced" left handed people were often locked in insane asylum's. As the weapon was carried in the right hand the left hand was used to assist in mounting. Mahout's didn't fight but only commanded the war elephant, but they still had to mount with the left hand and the ankus in the right. Some warrior clans developed a dangerous practice of dismounting from the right by throwing their left leg over the horses head. The allowed them to dismount quickly and immediately use their weapon for ground or hand to hand combat. It became the norm for mounting or working with an animal to stand on it's near or left side with few exceptions, one being roping horse's. The roper mounts from the left and dismounts from the right, so he doesn't have to duck under the rope to throw the calf, which is again normally done on the left side of the calf so he can gather the legs with the left hand and wrap the piggin string with the right. There are a few Champion left handed ropers and they do it the opposite way.

Wade Burck

08 March, 2012 21:08

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