The link below is the site of Tina Konyot. It has some great Konyot family history. Above is Tina's father, Alex Konyot and below is Tina on Calecto V at the Palm Beach Dressage Derby March 6th, 2010
Tina Konyot Homepage
Below is Robert Dover, a friend of the Konyot family, executing in 1988, on the horse Juval, what my amature knowledge considers on of the most perfect musical freestyle dressage performances. Juval had only been competing at the Grand Prix level for one year when this video was taken!!!!!!! Amazing athlete.
Monday, August 23, 2010
The Konyot Family
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Wade G. Burck
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10 comments:
How nice to see Tina Konyot and her marvelous demonstration of Pure Dressage. I am proud to say that her heritage is Pure Circus for untold generations on both her mother and father side. I have known the Konyots for over fifty years and Dorita especially on Cole Bros. where my dad had the Liberty and she the High School and we remained fast friends over the years.
The Konyots came to Barnum and Bailey in 1909 as one of the great bareback riding act families in the world, consisting of among others, Arthur [Tinas grandfather], Oscar [would later come to RBBB with lion act and later had a great chimp act with pony] and their sister Lilly. After a couple seasons would return to their circus in Europe and Arthur trained their circus horses [high school and liberty] and Oscar with exotic animals. Arthur would return in the Forties to RBBB with family High School and also as a liberty trainer.
I would point out that in those Ringling programs, etc. in the Forties the Konyots are listed as the ASCOVIDAS or something like that, so that is why they are not seen as Konyots.
Now Tina's mother is the great high wire star JOSEPHINE BEROSINI featured on Ringling and from the great Berosini circus family. I believe their last circus days were on the Clyde Beatty Cole Bros. Alex with High School and Josephine High Wire. When they moved to West Palm area and raised their family Alex got into Dressage. I believe Tina's brother was into jumping horses. A great family with deep roots in our circus life. Tina gets her beauty from her mother. respectfully, John Herriott
John Herriott,
I disagree somewhat. The Konyots have some "history" with the circus, but their real fame and recognition came from out side the circus in the private sector. I don't feel the circus is anything more then a "footnote" in the legacy of equine excellence which Oscar started with the training of Goldie and the introduction of dressage/high school in the fledgling Illinois Arabian horse industry years ago.
With as much respect to you, the house and town that a great politician was born in and left at the age of 3 is only a small piece of his accomplishments and life.
Wade
I did not suggest where their fame came but only to show the history of this great family. But they got fame from GSOE over the years not only equestrian but Oscar got Nat. Publicity when he appeared with his comedy lion act. Arthur received national pub. when he trained and presented eight huge percherons in a liberty act. You were too young to be aware of that. I understand [pretty sure I am right] that when Temple Smith brought over his first Lippizaners and built his stable facilities around Chicago. He hired the noted Arthur Konyot to train them. After a period of a year or so some noted European Dressage people visited his facvility and saw the horses perform and were aghast and told Smith that his horses were being trained for those awful circus tricks and Arthur was fired. He sold a couple of those horses locally and the Smahas heard about them and went from Baraboo to Chicago and bought them and that is whren Smahas got into Lippizan horse acts. John herriott
John,
I was aware of the Percheron act, but I still suggest if Oscar had stayed with the circus, he and the family would not have achieved the success that they did in the equine field. Great insight about the Smahas. I knew they bought their first lippizans from Temple Smith(most everybody did at that time), but I didn't realize that they were ones that Oscar had a hand on. You are right about the stereotyping of "circus tricks" also. To this day that is what folks assume I am going to be doing with a horse given my background, and I have to defend the art.
On another matter, in regards to a discussion on the "PeeWee's Big Top" blog, about teaching someone to work an act, and the importance of who is doing the teaching, I would like to state once again publicly that the 2 months I spent with you and the 8 grey welsh's in 1993, was more valuable then 10 years with a lesser teacher, and I sincerely thank you again for the additional knowledge.
Wade
Wade, you keep saying Oscar. He was the brother who did lion act and chimp act. His brother Arthur or Arturo was the great horse trainer and father of Alex and Dorita. Incidentally at the age of 70plus while in Chicago he married a young woman and the had a couple of children. I have no idea whatever happened to them. He was quite the dapper old man.
Anonymous,
Yes you are correct, and I am a ditz, and apologize. Thank you for the correction. Over the years, living in the Illinois area and dealing with Arabian horses I heard a number of stories about Arthur. He is still quite respected, even to this day in Illinois.
So enjoyed the clip of Tina riding her Dressage test. Lovely rider and lovey well done test. THe piafe and passage are excellent. I knew who she was of course and I had a customer that purchased an Andalusian from her (the big red one I sent pictures of). I unfortunately never got to see her father Alex ride, would have loved to since my association with Arthur.
As to Arthur he was indeed a damper older man when I was in my twenty's he was actively chasing me. LOL
Dianne,
Story goes that you apparently laid a hell of a "scent trail" when you were a beautiful nubile nymphet. As I have heard told, that dog Herr Ostermaier was also sniffing around as well as a certain animal producer from Illinois. That explains why you developed the "deep seat", useful today for moving those luggish Fresians forward. It was a matter of survival.
Wade
Yes that's all true but beauty and attractiveness was wasted as I had not a clue that I was a damsel of lust. LOL
Madame Col.,
As a broodmare with her tail raised over her back "has not a clue", I am assuming you are suggesting? LOL
Wade
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