John Milton, do you know who the trainer is with this liberty horse? The horse looks awful ribby, and with an overcheck, check reins, and standing martinegale he is rigged up pretty good.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Kelly & Miller--1944
Posted by
Wade G. Burck
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5 comments:
This was an excellent high school and single liberty horse that KM bought from George Christy in 44. My Dad worked him on the show. He had been trained by the great American circus trainer Merritt Belue. The man holding the horse is groom "CHristy Red" who came on KM with the horses and stayed until he passed on. I recall he was a feisty stallion and hard keeper, but excellent in saddle, long rein and liberty.good hind leg walk.
Col. Herriott,
Great stuff, thank you. As he eventually became a single liberty horse, his "feisty" nature seems correct. I don't recall seeing many long rein horses, from back in the day. What breed of horse was he? He almost looks Saddle bred, except the tail is a bit thin. I don't recall hearing much about Merritt Belue. Can you share any more insight on him? I suspect if he was a great horse trainer he probably came from North Dakota. If he was lame we could assume he was from Minnesota. Is that correct? LOL
Regards,
Wade
Merritt Belue was a trainer on the great Al. G. NBarnes circus in its heydays. He was around the Corporation shows and then he seems to have found a home on Christy. My Dad got alot of early experience as a young fellow from him while on Christy along with youthful Terrel Jacobs. In 34-35 he trained the three rings of "yellow" horses fo the new Cole Bros. but did not stay. No doubt about it, he was an excellent trainer of high school and liberty. There was notmuch influence from Europe in those days and in fact the American trainers were very good and did some great stuff. Rhoda Royal was probably the top in the field along with Johnny Agee, John O'Brian, Denny Curtiss. 61 horse tableau was a big Ringling feature for many years. Wedding cake-caroseul. All shows had big menage-high school numbers, liberty, trick and ponies, zebras, etc. John Smith was from those times as well and I was fortunate to be in the ring barn with him during the early 50s. The most noted European trainer would be Ernst Schumann in 25-26 on John Robinson, where bareback rider Rudy Rudynoff was in the ring barn with him.
Col. Herriott,
Thank you. I sure wish I could find some pictures of Paul Nelson and some of his fine acts. It seems like folks have forgotten about him. I will contact Kathy and see if she would photocopy anything she has, and send it.
Wade
To this day I still remember Paul Nelson from his Mills Bros. days...I didn't live far from Mills Bros. Winter Quarters...Believe Paul broke one liberty act at the Ohio State Fairgrounds, Columbus, OH barns...I rememmebr taking a stray dog and giving it to one of Mills people during Winter Quarters days those days..Often wondered did it make it to THE Show...
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