Tuesday, June 05, 2012

Hugo Schmitt #11

06-04-2012 04;47;34PM by bucklesw1
06-04-2012 04;47;34PM, a photo by bucklesw1 on Flickr.

Posted by Buckles at 6/05/2012 05:40:00 AM

5 comments:

John Herriott said...

I enjoy this blog today on Hugo Schmidt. It seems like yesterday that he was active but time goes by and am sure at this time alot of interested people know little about Hugo. I am pleased to have worked with him and also to have been a good friend. I think in some cases he has been maligned [hope this is the right word] as to being inhumane and rough cut in general. Too bad as he was an excellent trainer with knowledge of elephants from his many years in Europe with Hagebback especially. For so many years his offerings of production with elephants, ala Ringling style were always a highlight of the GSOE. He was not the suave handsome guy so his appearance would not be his best point, but his acts and presentations would speak for themselves. He was a square shooting gentleman and very gracious and charming. When Feld brought Gunther over and the brouha and gaga over him was enormous it put other trainers in his shadow and especially Hugo and later his asst. Axel Gautier. The press went overrboard for Gunther. Evan Irvin Feld especially showed his favoritism for his personally acquired GGW. You must recall that Feld inherited Hugo in his acquisition of the GSOE.

Hugo was not a jealous natured person and he respected all of us other animal trainers and very sociable around us. He did not have a same relationship with Charley Baumann however even tho he respected his ability with the tigers. Charley had very little charm and he was very aggresive in wanting more powr and authrity so that he rubbed Hugo the wrong way and Hugo did not disguise his likes and dislikes using a favorite expression quote, "you edioott". WArdrobe designer Don Foote went GaGa over GGW and his beautiful wife and created beautiful costumes for them as he did for the Woodcocks when they replaced the Hugo era. How do you make rolly polly hugo look good with those god awful hairpieces. Hugo did personally admire GGW and his flambouyant presence. Incidentally in Europe Hugo had been recognized as a fine wild animal-tiger trainer as well and after his retirement from Ringling he trained a tiger and a rhino for his son plus a team of zebras pulling a chariot. On Ringling he always had an exotic act of elephant, zebra, llama, pony that was excellent in training but poorly presented. During his time in America and away from Ringling he had a Chimpanzee act of two tough chimps. So we must admire his abilities with animals and especially his marvelous elephant training accomplishments.

So I am pleased that Buckles has put this nice tribute to Hugo on his blog and that I can hang some paper for my old friend Hugo Schmidt. He had three fine sons and a very lovely and very nice wife Jenny. Iam very pleased that my career included a relationship with an all time great, Hugo. He should be in the CHOF and the Ring of Fame, but it seems there are some who have other thoughts about him and his career. Too bad.john herriott

05 June, 2012 09:10
Chic Silber said...

Wasn't this "Carnaby Street"

05 June, 2012 09:52
Sue Lenz said...

Shelagh Sloan riding the elephant.

05 June, 2012 19:40
Roger Smith said...

When I first saw Hugo, I noticed his whip work. He had the usual twisted willow whipstock, but I never got a good look at his lash, the part town-monkies call a thong. He threw the lash back for the swing-and-cut action, but his forward motion was more like throwing than cutting. The lash flung straight ahead and the popper spun as if unwinding a figure 8. It gave a resounding crack, about a foot off the ground. Hugo did it with such professional aplomb, but it took me a week of practice to figure out how to work his special action.

06 June, 2012 02:31
Darryl said...

Learn this whip routine from Axel during my years with him. the elephant is Siam.

06 June, 2012 18:41

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