From time to time, someone will mention Blanche, the
leader of the Cole Bros. herd who was trained to unroll the canvas. (Someone once told me that she could also
roll it back up again.) I think Smokey
once told me that she was not trained to perform and was only used as a work
bull.
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Sunday, September 02, 2012
1946 Cole Bros. #9
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8 comments:
Actually the leader was "Ranch Babe" as seen in picture #4.
The show carried 13 elephants but only 10 performed (four in the center and three in each end), "Trilby" and "Katie" were only work elephants as well.
The herd marched as six teams with "Blanche" bringing up the rear.
Pity the poor hand who had to walk on the march to and from beside Ranch Herd Louie. She wouls spit black slime all over the hand. Riding in the stock car would do the same. Nice elephant was Big Nellie and also Tessie. Both Big Babe and Little Babe were good solid.Bill Woodcock worked a team on the lot, Troby and Katie, both nice big elephants and they could really "move it". Katie was the only real tough one in the herd.johnny
In more recent times since the 60s
what was the largest number used in
each ring & on which American show
Was it Blanche who could roll canvas?
She sure did but more remarkably without being told, if the bale drifted to the right or left she would step to the side and kick it back in line.
It's already been established that I'm slipping, and in addition my computer's acting up badly.
If I had just seen the picture and read the caption, my question would not have been necessary.
I think the expression called for here is "Duhhh."
That really is remarkable! I don't know if I've missed it, but was she at one time trained to do that, and then continued to on her own, or did she teach herself to do it? She was bigger than average; was her brain also bigger and more capable? I'd love to hear anything anyone remembers or knows about this elephant; she sounds pretty special...
I once worked an elephant that pulled stakes by means of collar chain.
She would give it a tug and if it was buried pretty good she would put her foot against it and give it a shove or two to loosen a bit before pulling it up.
Like Blanche, something she no doubt taught herself.
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