Friday, February 20, 2009
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A Blog designed for discussion of topics related to, but not limited to, Circus, Zoos, Animal Training, and Animal Welfare/Husbandry. Sometimes opening up the dialog is the best starting point of all. And if for nothing else when people who agree and don't agree, get together and start discussing it, it will open up a lot of peoples minds. Debate and discussion even amongst themselves opens a window where there wasn't one before.
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12 comments:
I was told that there were 21 lions and two brown bears in Jacot's act, yet I have only seen pictures of 5 or 6 lions, and never bears. Did anyone ever see 21 animals plus 2 bears.
Wade
Jules' acts varied from year to year. Somewhere I have a breakdown of the groups he worked over the years at the STL Zoo. He had a few really big acts. In the mid-40s he had a polar bear in the act for a few years. I think the brown bears were in the early 1950s. The Zoo's Gen. Curator got rid of them fearing they were too dangerous for Jacot and Jules never forgave him.
This photo was taken in the early 50s toward the end of Jules first period with the Zoo. The arena was enclosed for training over the winter, the photographer was probably in the safety cage.
Jim,
That performing area/arena was probably one of the most unique show facilities ever built. Is it still at the zoo, or have they "dismantled" it?
Wade
This lion's back feet are way off the floor and his eyes are focussed on something way behind the trainer. Is he about to leap over Mr Jacot?
I can't think of anything else that is happening here.
It would be one hell of a trick.
Steve,
If you look close, I have always felt the lion was just jumping up and down on it hind legs. It is against the wall so it is not going back wards, and Jacot is leaning forward so it is not coming forward. This picture and the video of Louie Knie and Carolli Donnert corbetting a tiger over low jumps gave me the idea/inspiration to corbett a tiger over other tigers. The big difference is I needed the forward motion, not the up and down so could not use Jacot's method, just the principle.
Note his right arm with the whip has come from the left to the right, which raised the front end and pushed the ribs to the right(note the lions right foot higher then the left). He then "lunged/stepped" forward, and brought his left hand(stick hand) from the right to the left, getting the back feet to jump up and over. Done a number of times it would give you a "jumping jack" in effect, I am assuming eventually done from a sit up. Or at least that is what it always looked like to me.
Wade
I reckon you're right.
My "one hell of a trick" comment was in reference to the lion being able to leap over Mr Jacot from that position. The lion's feet are the giveaway as to the use of the stick.
A "jumping jack" trick doesn't impress near as much as a stand alone trick, but as a prelude to a corbette or as an inspiration to a young WGB to train a corbette it would be very valuable indeed.
Does Mr Alexander recall this trick and can he offer any further knowledge of it?
Steve,
Also a dead giveaway is his body position. It the arena wasn't behind him, we might "suppose" backward hind leg walk. With him lunging at the lion it is for sure not forward. I have pointed out a number of back in the day "hindleg walk" pictures as being nothing more then a "stand". As close to a hind leg walk as dressage is to the placing of a bit in the horse's mouth the first day. By no means a knock, just a fact of what it is a picture of.
As for inspiration, I think that may be the point of Jamies "cross-training" or my combining of styles. Sometimes if you look close enough, instead of staying in a comfort zone of "this is the way it is done" and take the chance of failing by looking "through" what the old timers were doing. That is how I think a profession or culture advances, not so much by emulating but improving with different ideas. Who knows, wouldn't it be great if someday someone looks at a picture of the corbett, and say's, "I wonder why the goof didn't make her do a backward somersault?" Then they would be on the way to the next level.
Wade
Wade
Dreamer!! LOL
Steve,
That's what everyone said when I suggested a corbett over two standing tigers. I meant the next generation. Let them have that albatross around their neck. LOL
Wade
and when Mr.Burck finally surcomes to the booze and smokes he can say the biggest accomplishment of his life was a five second trick. Now THAT'S a life well lived!
Anonymous,
Jealousy is a special thing. Why don't you list your accomplishment's/achievement's while you are taking the time to critique. And if the beer I had in high school is going to kill me, that's a shame, but so be it.
By the way, thank you for referring to me as "Mr. Burck," that show's the proper respect. Who's your Daddy, anonymous? LOL
Wade
Wade - manners please. It's Daddy would have to be "Mr" anonymous!!
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