Shirley

Last week Carin and a friend visited the park where Shirley, the last surviving elephant of the Cristiani herd, is living out her final years. Carin says she appears healthy and butterball fat as ever. She spends most of the day in the water hole, where she thrives in sunlit glory. God love her, by all reports, she's doing remarkably well for her age (late 60's, our best guess) and enjoys being a loner and being independent as ever. Daddy and the her departed teammates (Christy, Carrie, Babe, and Emma) must be smiling down at the very sight of her as they marvel at the courageous way she is dealing with her retirement from circus life ... without the companionship of those who loved her most.

Vickie Cristiani

It was nice to receive these pictures of Shirley, as we were talking about the "white eyed" elephant from the Oscar Cristiani herd. Shirley is the last remaining member of that fabled group. "Back in the day" it was one of the finest, classiest elephant act's on the road. I first saw the act, with their tassled head pieces and unique tubs in 1975, with Oscar and Marion, as I was getting my feet wet in the circus. Later we worked together with Larry French and Karin Cristiani French on the Texas Dates for a number of years. Along with the Cristiani 4, was Lee Keener with 5, plus the fabled Tommy, Buckey Steele with his 5, and the fabled Buke, and the Hawthorn 8. Imagine 22 elephants assembled for a series of magnifient dates lasting two months. I am sorry it is gone, but grateful I got to be a part of it.

Courtesy of David Orr