There is nothing in all of the circus as classy, elegant, and well trained as a Fredy Knie horse act. I can't watch one without tear's welling in my eyes. Geraldine has sure stepped into to some big boot's and done Fredy proud. In all fairness though, she hasn't quite mastered that "fighting" cremelo horse with the style of Fredy Knie.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Geraldine Knie--25ste Wereld kerst circus Carré
Posted by
Wade G. Burck
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8 comments:
If I was in the audience, after that act, I wouldn't care what else was on the program, I would have felt I'd gotten my money's worth. Looking down on the act is a great vantage point to see the transitions. Very nice indeed.
Ian
Ian,
Yes, there are some act's that are that good. The first time I ever saw Christel Sembach-Krone present her liberty act my thought was, "I should try to catch a cab now to beat the crowd at the end of the show. I don't suspect there will be much else worth waiting to see."
Wade
Wade,
A little trivia-I believe the rearing horses at the end of the act (the dun or buckskin and the cremello) are Akhal-teke's. The first time I saw this act was on here, and I am grateful you reposted it!
-Chris
Chris,
The cremelo is probably an Akhal-teke, but I don't know if the dun is. Fredy presenting the act at MC was classic indeed, but Geraldine sure does a great job in a more subdued venue.
Wade
I'm not a horse guy but I'd like to think I know what a great act looks like. This was beautiful. Every living animal in the ring looked like it had been there and knew what to do. It's what we should strive for. Thanks for posting this.
Jim,
You don't have to be a "horse guy" to appreciate what you are seeing. Anyone who has been around animals and has half a lick of knowledge can see the, I cringe at the word "happy" in regards to animals, and much prefer relaxed ease, or contentment. Great thought also that "they look like the have been there before." Many, many hours of calm, relaxed, easy training and rehearsing. That's why they don't look like panicked "caught in the spot light" deer. When folks mistakenly whine that "people don't want to see trained animals any more," I suggest to them that they are wrong, and in reality "people just don't want to see the shit that you trying to pass off as trained animals any more." But something like this even a blind man could appreciate, because the music is as top shelf as the act.
Wade
Could not agree more with your last comment Wade. Maybe this is a stupid question or maybe the answer should be more obvious, but why do we not see more acts like this? Does it boil down to money?
-Chris
Chris,
There are 4 reasons why you don't see this kind of thing in the Colonies. Talent, venue, the insistence on working with no harness, and money, in the sense that there is no ROI, return of investment. The great talent has left the business, either retired or died. The venue's with their "ring carpet" or plastic shrine colored mat's are horrible for a liberty horse to move on. The trend of working a horse with out harness to give the phony impression of "freedom" which most folks wouldn't even realize unless it was pointed out to them. There isn't a person in the world who wouldn't spend a lot of money, if they were assured they could recoup their losses, and turn a profit.
All of the truly great liberty acts are show owned, which mean's they can control all 4 of these things. Privately owned, you don't have that control and thus some of the junk that is passed off as animal training.
Wade
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