What a show, and what an era. Three rings of 20 liberty horses, 3 rings of elephants with the trainers on horse back, 3 rings of dogs, large tiger act. The best show in Europe in essence tripled. Thank you who ever sent this. Casey, watch for the roll overs. This was after I lost Ika, my other roll over tiger.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hjydFD1Zss
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Vintage Circus Vargas 1981
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Wade G. Burck
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8 comments:
For any Europeans, the gentleman with the camels in the quick shot who was a friend, is Henri Wagner who was in charge of the horses/camels/hoof stock. He was only in America for a year. He just didn't like it, and went back to France. Regardless of what you may have heard about America and the American Circus, there are two sides. Some hate it and leave soon as Henri and his family did. Some hate it enough to stay 15 or more years to line their pockets before they go. The American word for them is "Carpetbaggers" and some like GGW and others love it enough to become American citizens. I have found that the ones who hate America and the American Circus the most, because "Cirque in Europe is so much better", are the one's crawling up each other's backs in the Green Card line, and it is usually the discovery of 24 hour conveniences that sends them rushing for the above mentioned line. LOL
Wade Burck
Wade, this is great video. Are there any which show longer segments of your act?
Mary Ann
Mary Ann,
How do I know? I was working not standing out side filming. LOL
I did have a specially filmed video of the act on the Texas Dates in 1980, when it was 17, with the shoulder carry out of the cage, 8 roll overs, double leap frogs, and forward, back ward, and side way around hind leg walks, backward shoulder stand, double shoulder stand with Ika and Ari. When Ika, as "taken" from me, I gave it to a wonderful Circus fan in Arizona named Joe Rettinger. I didn't want to see what it had been, ever again and just continued on the journey.
Wade
When you were 17?//// WHERE DID YOU START AND AT WHAT AGE. Obviously you were in US Army terminology, A ninety day wonder. I always was under the impression that it took alot of time and dedication to become a great wild animal trainer and presenter. I can well imagine Mr. Wagner not being happy with Vargas. Who could when he went on his tangents on a daily basis. I was there and blew after six months. I assume everyone needed a job awful bad. No awnings up, no outdoor furniture, no parties, no grey water. lousy gypsy box and if you were spotted around the corner in the mall forget lights and water. Alot of people hang paper about Circus Vargas and his performance even being remotely close to RBBB. Are you kidding. Home made Hedy Starr, Milly Ward wardrobe compared to Don Foote, Brooks Van Horn. I don't think so. I recall many weeks when I was asked to take half salary and they would catch up. The did after repeated inquiries and then paid me as if I were A person with an attitude. I did produce three rings of a nice liberty display with no help from bosses or management. That is the most unpleasant circus I was ever with. Everyone was afraid to leave their trailers for fear the stool pigeons would report abd the wrath of Vargas would come down.
Mr. Herriot,
I think he means 17, as in 17 tigers. Like it reads...
You're welcome
Herriott,
You ignoramous!!!!!! You who are such a "renowned Historian" can't be found when you are asked a question, but when you want to piss on something, you saddle up and ride at midnight. Read the damn statement before you start puking on the world. I have to go for a moment, so I hope nobdody gets here first to "school" you again. Looks like Casey beat me, but I want to make sure you understand, and out of respect for my predecessors I have been very patient with you. But I have grown weary of patching to guests that the "steaming pile of crap" on the living room carpet is from Rover. I am just going to be honest from here on in, and tell them it was our dear old lovable predecessor/what come before us elder what shit on the floor.
Here bonehead, reread it, and then I will explain in case Casey didn't do it right. Maybe that's why you don't answer questions, you truly don't have a clue.
"I did have a specially filmed video of the act on the Texas Dates in 1980, when it was 17,"
Now what that means, numbnuts, is that in 1980 when the "First and Only White Tiger Act in the World" had "17"/seventeen/one seven, tigers in it,(those are the big things with strips, not the thing with no strips that you mistook for a tiger on a insightful white tiger thread) CASE CLOSED, SCHMUCK, we made a video of the act just before we went on Circus Vargas for the 1981 season. Did I go to fast. If so ask somebody on the "History Channel" they can probably help. I won't vouch for the accuracy, but they may tell you what you want to hear.
As for "ninety day wonder" you decide, moron. At 17 I graduated from high school(I did that a year early, is that all right) and by the time I was 18-19 I had discovered the wonders of exotic animals at Jungle Larry African Safari. By the time I was 19-20 I had joined the circus to learn to be an animal trainer. The man who told me I was like a son to him, "blew" also like, as he was fond of saying, a "big bird" and left me stranded. I still named my first son after him, hurting my 1000 times nobler father very much. I picked up "when he blew" where he left off, and in quick succession, got a couple of those wonderful circus penis's jambed you know where. I wanted to leave, because I was raised different being a towner and all, but my Towner father in his grace and nobility, said, "never just quit something son, try to make it wonderful."(That's what Royalty is you Putz, not a made up self serving fantasy) and I met the great Pat Anthony on Vargas, and he was so kind,encouraging, supportive, and not jealous, I decided to stick around for 33 more years. Even offered by first born up to the "alter of the Gods", you pompous twit.
By the time I was 22 I was presenting that act mentioned above, as well as one of the greatest elephant act in the United States with my son. One of those "rubber cow's with the beak" got a life sentenced in 1993 as she was unmanageable. Remember who that was, you one side of the story wonder?
In 1981 Vargas was one of the best Circus's in the United States, surpassed only by The Greatest Show on Earth. My friend, Rex Williams said 1981 was the hardest season travel wise he had ever done. I did it with one of the largest tiger acts at the time, no help from a "working man/friend", as I didn't have the "equipment or moral skill" to work that angle and with two young babies. After nine months and the loss of a very valuable animal, I left and went to Texas to finish up the dates with the afore mentioned elephants. Marcan was sent over to finish out the season, and made a week, and left. But "saddle sore, self righteous, make up what you want, bums like you deemed me a "heat merchant" and amature. By then another "great" one got maimed, and I had started to become real "jealous," so I took the act to Japan, and then to the Greatest Show on Earth. Why don't you tell me what you "think" you know about Hawthorn?" I would love to tell you publicly and not in some back isolated room.
So we will let you decide Sparky. "A ninety wonder?" or a towner who had to work twice as hard, and be twice as good because of what he had/did, and still try to get acceptance from the warm and fussy "Royal blood lines" running down new blood, while there world was crumbling.
Try as you might, you are not going off of my TOP TEN LIST of great liberty horse trainers. You see John, I left the farm, I didn't stay at my root's because I couldn't or was afraid to do anything else. There is still enough Towner in me to chose who I think is the best based on production, and results. Nothing to do with "cute and charming", "did they rub their tities on me," "did they wash their truck," "did they offer me the proper reverence, or tell me how great I was". No John, I don't pick them like the Circus or the fans do, I pick them like a Towner who knows what he is talking about, after sacrificing half a life time in the "trenches." So you are still on my list, and it is more valid then most.
Wade Burck, America's own.
I realized after I commented that I was wrong to assume your age, but it read thataway. Guess I am not too smart. North Dakota seems to be ahead of Minn. But you pompous jackass, I also graduated at 17, bu8t do not spend as much time as you blowing my horn. SEEMS YOU MUST BE INSECURE in constantly advising us of your exploits and derire to be recognized by some honorable society. Do I suggest greatness aS A trainer? I don't think so as there are so many out there that far eclipsed my efforts and I am quite aware of that and them and have publicly acknowleded them and that numerous times. You seem to have no peers according to Wade and Co. Yes I am quite aware of the five elephant act that you neither trained or routined, but only presented and of course the tiger act at that period would know doubt had also had preliminary training. Be that as it may I would congradulate you on your career and accomplishments.
I spent my years in school as a towner in my home town, graduated, was in the junior class play, was a cheerleader, did the Junior and Senior Proms and wrote the class history for the school year book because our Engesser family was so much a part of the community for over a century. I know all about being a towner. During high school I worked part time in our local GAMBLE hardware-appliance store and on graduation I worked full time until the lure of the circus also gave me full time employment, so I made the cdhoice and of course the Korean war interrupted, and then a year on G.I. bill in Bus. college and when my Dad needed me to go to Ft. Worth with six elephants I was off and running, so the circus and being a towner have had equal parts in my life and I have benefited from both just like yourself. Thank God my mother always took me home to school every Fall. So it seems that around the age of twenty plus I was off and running in the circus-animal training profession and in that schooling I never skipped any grades as well.
My main comment was concerning the compariswon of Vargas to Ringling and it seems you lightly touched on that subject with your usual SPIN or your self appointed NO SPIN blog. I note Marcan was uncomfortable also with Vargas as was Glenn Randall, who trained the Andalusian liberty act ande blew similar to me after a few months. Those actions speak wonders.
James Plunkett says in a humouess tone that he and brother Jeffrey pushed their btrampolene across every mall parking lot in Calif. doing those mall "freebies", plus three aday. They did make money.
Col.
Am I to assume that is a thinly veiled Herriott apology?
Every picture posted of a liberty act, with rare exception you come on and make reference to the fact you may have trained/worked with it at one time. "SEEMS YOU MUST BE INSECURE in constantly advising us of your exploits and derire to be recognized by some honorable society. Do I suggest greatness aS A trainer?" Yes, Col. you do loud and clear, for many years and it is thusly recorded. I know of a liberty act working right now that is announced as being trained by "Johnny Herriott after 4 years of hard work". I promise if you had trained it, and it was announced as "trained by Wade Burck, with Johnny Herriott presenting it for two summers" you would be gagging.
I realize none of this may have happened, if I had named you as a person who could train lions, instead of the weak self serving list of 11. When Darryl mentions that he was around Caseys tigers before Casey got them, is he being "arrogant?" I don't think so, unless you were jealous of Darryl. Do you remember when I mentioned on the "History Channel" that a lady did a good job with a group of tigers, as well as the other 6 names I mentioned, and that the tigers themselves were a great group of tigers? Do you remember one of the people I mentioned took offense to the fact that I mentioned the other people, and the fact that tigers were good. And I know more about tigers then all of them combined, complimented 6 people, and offended one of them because I had.
The tigers you mention, one in particular was well schooled in attacking people. He did it every time I left, as well as anybody who carelessly got to close to the cage. When I was rushed back, I had "ONE" practice with him before I had to open and go. The elephants you mention that a number of people, including myself trained and worked with including my 3 year old son I was aware of. What I was wondering is why did one of them become hands off, and have to spend 11 years in jail, before getting a reprieve, when I loaded her into a truck for the first time in 11 years. That's the one I was talking about.
As for Vargas and blowing, Rex, stayed for a while, as did Ted Polk, David Polk, Trudy was there a while, as well as many others. What wonder does that speak. Nothing self serving about this blog or my statements, just an effort to "keep it real" and point out obvious "self serving self righteous" remarks, statements, jackpots, so folks get an idea of why this thing has gone south.
Wade
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