Fredy Knie in 1932. Note the "high whites" on this "old type" Arabian. The color is know as Sabino, and it occurs now and then in the Arabian breed. Fredy Knie was born May 20, 1920 and died October 8, 2003.
Fredy Knie was Europe's foremost trainer of circus horses; he also taught a galaxy of talented performers to train and present animals correctly and humanely.
Sixty-five years ago, Knie blazed a trail by throwing open his daily training sessions to the public, so people could see that cruelty had no place in animal schooling. It is a practice that the Swiss National Circus Knie has kept up, with regular demonstrations of animal husbandry and training.
Away from the big top, Knie shared his expertise with successive Swiss national dressage teams, and with Alois Podhansky, director of the Spanish Riding School in Vienna.
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6 comments:
Wade,
I've heard he was really great. True?
Didn't he have an act with a bed in the middle of the ring curb and the horse would lay down on it?
Jody,
There is not a horse act that the Knie family has not done, and done the best. His son Fredy Knie, Jr. has one of the best liberty act's in the world today, with Frisians, Palominos, and grey Arabians, and all top quality animals.
Wade
Jody,
If there is a better word for really great, Fredy Knie was it.
Wade
I have the greatest admiration for Fred Knie and all of his wonderful horse acts, but vam amazed that this photo is in circulation, as it is the worst photo of a rider doing a rear that I can recall seeing. I* have had some bad days and photos as well, so I should not be critical, but this is not Equestrian Elegance. A good description would be "hang on".
John Milton,
Cut him some slack, he's only 12 years old. He actually did much better as he got older.
How come we have to go back 50 years to reference good high school acts in the circus, unless we reference what is in Europe today?
Wade
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