Buckles Blog: CATS #12

Friday, August 17, 2018

CATS #12

12 comments:

Roger Smith said...: Andre Skarbecki.; 17 August, 2018 03:55
Wade G. Burck said...: Andre was a unique character, and he and I became good friends over the years. Early on in my career he was instrumental in teaching this townie to never, ever trust anyone in show business. Lou Regab, my mentor was one of those people who was always going to leave the show. Every couple of weeks he would get angry and rant around exclaiming "that's it, I'm gone like a big bird, I'm out of here!!!!!" only to calm down the next day and everything was fine. At the end of my second year working for him, when we got to winterquarter's in Edmond, Okla. he told me he was going home for the winter and didn't know if he was coming back or not. A month later Howard Suese(sp) the owner of the show and Andrew Kirby the manager came to me and told me that Lou had quite the show and as we were opening in Tampa in a month did I think I could present the elephant and tiger act. I gulped hard, and told them I would try my best. Andrew told Suese(sp) that because I was still a minor the show insurance would not cover me for any injury, Suese(sp) always the gambler(if you knew him) said that wasn't important, the act's had to make Tampa.

End of Part one

Wade Burck; 17 August, 2018 07:42
Wade G. Burck said...: I was scared to death, and it wasn't an easy lift, but both act's were ready to go when it was time to leave for Tampa. Side note, my father bought and send me a 38 Smith and Wesson police special with a 4 in barrel because he grew up in the Beatty era, and just assumed it was standard equipment for a lion trainer, and he wanted me to be safe. I wore it strapped on my hip, for the whole month of practice, empty, because I didn't know what to put in it for shells. But I felt safer and authentic none the less.

We loaded up and went to Tampa, and low and behold, who should be waiting there when we arrived, Lou Regan. He had changed his mind about "being gone like a big bird." Andrew pulled me aside and told me not to tell Lou about myself practicing the act's. I didn't but I felt terrible not telling him. By the time the date was over a week later, word had gotten out to Lou and after the last show he caught a plane back to Texas(I didn't see him again for 6 years until he came to work at Hawthorn.) We had two weeks off after Tampa before we had to open in Atlanta, Ga. Andrew told me to load up the animals and gave me directions to Tarzan Zerbini's place in Sarasota where we were to lay off. He told me to get up immediately and get ready to practice the elephants and tigers again. I asked about insurance and he told me not to worry they had some type of deal arranged. We got in late that night, got a ring curb set up for the elephants and the tiger cage set up just behind Tarzans cat barn.

End of Part two

Wade Burck; 17 August, 2018 07:44
Wade G. Burck said...: Andrew told me to start with the elephant's but to wait for a day or two with the tigers, because he had arranged for the Asst. Veterinarian from Ringling to help shift the tigers for me as I was the groom and didn't have a groom to assist. When i finished practicing the elephants that afternoon, I noticed a little, short bald headed man standing under the tree's talking to Andrew. I put the elephants away and walked over to them and was introduced to HUGO SCHMITT!!!! Wow! What a thrill. He commended me with the elephants and told me I had done a good job. The next day a big, blonde haired German man came and I was introduced to Andre Skarbecki. I introduced him to the tiger's, how I needed them shifted in, and how grateful I was for his help, and got started again. We practiced 3 times a day and things went real well. Jocquin Ronrita's wife(they did a wheel act on the show) ran to K-Mart(there were no Walmarts or they would have probably gone to the better place) and bought me a pair of white pant's and a blue polyester shirt, sewed some sequins down the legs and I got ready to fulfill my dream. I thanked Andre again and headed for Atlanta. The next day the show arrived and guess who was riding in Andrew's car with he and his wife. Andre! That's right, Andre. They decided again I wasn't old enough. When I questioned why they asked me to practice at Tarzan's place, because I hadn't gotten any older, they told me because they needed someone to show Andre what the tiger act did!! That knocked the wind out of and I was devastated, but they assured me that I could still present the elephants. Ironically, during my maiden performance with the elephants, I had publicity pictures taken, knowing I was not going to be around this show much loner.

Roger, you have the floor you can continue the story from here.........

Wade Burck; 17 August, 2018 07:45
Tony Greiner said...: Great Story Wade.; 17 August, 2018 14:32
GaryHill said...: Andre used to come hang around Circus World with Jewell New...he was working horses somewhere in Georgia he said?; 17 August, 2018 17:54
Chic Silber said...: I belive Andre started with Big Bertha

as an assistant to Doc "JY" Henderson

He had been trained as a veterinarian

in Poland but credentials didn't transfer; 17 August, 2018 21:24
Wade G. Burck said...: Poland? I had just always assumed German as he supposedly worked closely with Hugo and GGW. But it does make sense. To follow up on Gary's'response, yes he worked with and was very knowledgeable about Arabian horses and the breed which kind of bonded he and I as I also love the breed and have trained a great many of them as saddle horses. He did non surgical veterinarian work for a number of farms here i the US. Being Polish may be correct as he told me he worked at one of the most famous Arabian farms in the world, the historic Polish State Stud in Janów Podlaski, Poland. He had many, many details and intimate insight about the Stud that only someone who had worked there would know, example being a horse named Pepton I was involved with in the early 80's who had been purchased for 2 million dollars from Janou Podlski Stud. In speaking with Andre at the time, he knew everything about the horse's father/mother, grandfather/grandmother, brothers/ and sisters. An amazing encyclopedia of Polish Arabian pedigrees.

Wade Burck; 17 August, 2018 22:30
Wade G. Burck said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 17 August, 2018 22:43
Wade G. Burck said...: Sorry, this link may or may not work:

The Circus "NO SPIN ZONE": Andre Skarbecki; 17 August, 2018 22:46
Roger Smith said...: In Reply to WADE: I had left the Castle show at the end of '73. My adoptive mother had died, and my dad pled for my help to keep his pipeline business afloat. Once the Castle show had opened for '74, my dad told me he was selling out, leaving me with nothing, something he had long planned out of spite for my circus career. Deeply embittered, I barely eked out a living, until mid-'75, when Andre called. His story was that his girlfriend had been badly injured in a car wreck in Ft. Myers, and he had to leave. He needed me to come take over the tigers. I told him I could, and he then added that the contract included working the 3 elephants, also. I said this is a problem, as I was not an elephant man, and the elephants would know it. He said he'd show me about them, that they were good girls, used to changes of presenters, and reasonable in temperament. Andrew Kirby came on the line to make the money deal, including my plane tickets. I joined out on June 20, in Kearney, Nebraska. By the night show of my 2nd day, I took over the tigers, and tried to stay out of the elephants' way while they worked the act with me trying to look involved. All I had was my fighting act whites for wardrobe, but no one cared as long as the tigers were seen. Andre left, telling me that Rajah tigress had to be left in the truck for being too tough. That made a 6-tiger act until I told the boys to bring Rajah to the cage, so I could feel her out. She offered little more than a snarl, and Kirby was aghast that I put her back in. The tour went well, and I was grateful to count the Ronritas among my new friends over there. When we closed in Hammond, Indiana, on November 30, Suesz sidled up to me asking why I didn't want to take the 14 winter weeks with the tigers on Circus Vargas. I knew Cliff well enough not to like the man, and knew he reveled in firing cat acts, so I had no interest. WADE, I never knew how badly you had been treated by Kirby and Suesz, but I was glad you returned when I was departing. I helped Mimi Zerbini get her brand new pick-up and trailer, which we had bought from Ivan Henry, in Wichita, Kansas, back to Sarasota, then soon left there, too--another long story. After taking a breath, I'll recount how that 7-act developed from the 4 we had in Thousand Oaks, which Suesz bought to go with the 3 he brought up from Mexico. Briefly, Dick McGraw and I both had time in on the 4, which he had scouted and trucked back from Las Vegas. They were still in early kindergarten when they were sold, and they departed for Edmond just before Jungleland closed in '69. I visited the show in 1970, and saw Lou Regan working them. I had no idea I'd see them again, much less work them, some 5 years later.

PS: WADE, I'm in Yuma. Months ago, after a circus had gone, my son told me that one had been here, featuring Adam Burke, and did I know him? I didn't, but knew he was out with tigers, and I told him of knowing Adam's father. I regret missing this chance to meet him.; 18 August, 2018 07:06
Wade G. Burck said...: There you go folk's, that's a by God history lesson. I am sorry you didn't get to see Adam, Roger. That would have been a real treat for him. I suspect he would have pissed down his leg like I did when Jose Barrada came to see the Ringling show in Oklahoma City.

Wade Burck; 18 August, 2018 08:18

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