More on Exotic Animal Acts!

This is John's mixed act on the Gil Gray show in the 1950's. He told me an amusing story about the time he was training another act like this at Baraboo. The closing trick was supposed to be the two camels cushed down as seen above, while a guanaco circled the ring and leaped over them. However  after getting up a head of steam, the guanaco, at the last second, would drop down like a runner sliding into home plate and assume the cushed position beside the two camels. In frustration John ordered one of his grooms, an older gentleman, to lay on his back close to the camel and hold up a whip. "But Mr. Herriott, I'm afraid he might step on me!....."No damn it, lay down there, he won't step on you!. Around the ring he goes again and this time dives right on top of the groom and won't budge........pandemonium strikes the practice ring....camels bawling.....guanocos spitting.....the groom yelling in agony while Johnny and Frankie Braun try to drag the guanoco off the top of him! Later after picking him up and brushing him off Jonn said those immortal words so often used by animal trainers, "See if you had done what I told you in the first place, this wouldn't have happened!"