Thursday, September 15, 2011

Unknown


This sure looks like the Hamid Morton herd that John Cuneo purchased with Joyce on the left, then Bombay, Tess in the middle, Delhi on the right, then Billie. Except I was always under the impression that when John Cuneo purchased the act it consisted of Sherma, Bombay, Delhi, Siam, and Joyce. I was also under the impression that Cuneo replaced Siam who died, with Tess and Sherma who ate Bobby Gibbs with Billie, and that John Cuneo was the only one who presented the act consisting of Joyce, Bombay, Tess, Delhi, and Billie until 1977 at which time I took over and presented the act. This picture is after Tess and Billie had been added to the act, but that sure isn't John Cuneo presenting them. Who is the presenter and the girl doing the mounts? These are the old Hawthorn elephant tubs and ring curb with the center poles that were used to hold up the net cage on outdoor dates as well as the fire hoop on the right used in the Hawthorn Horse Fantasy so the picture has to be from the early 1970's. That is Frank Colombo, long time Hamid-Morton prop boss in the white shirt on the left.

7 comments:

Ryan Easley said...

Very interesting. Do you know who originally trained the act on Hamid-Morton? Did Mac train the replacements for Cuneo, or did Cuneo purchase Mac elephants?

Wade G. Burck said...

Radar,
I had always heard a fellow named "Smith" trained the act. Bucky Steele worked it for a number of years, as did a load of others, in particular Joyce and Sherma who came after Bombay, Delhi, and Siam. Joyce and Sherma did single acts as babies for a lot of years before being added to the act when they were big enough. Rumor was about every other month, Hamid Sr. would have a new girlfriend present the singles.
Tess was purchased as a trained adult from a park and Billie was trained by Buckles Woodcock after being purchased from, I think Benson's.

Wade

Ryan Easley said...

Wade,
Thank you. I can't remember if I have asked you - when did Cuneo purchase the Hamid herd?

Wade G. Burck said...

Radar,
The exact year slips my feeble aged mind at the moment, but it was the very late 60's, very early 70's.
Casey Gibbs could help with a date, if he can recall when Sherma handed Bobby his lunch in Baraboo.

Wade

Jim A. said...

A couple of guesses: Did Tony Smaha Sr. have a hand in training Joyce and Sherma? Where does Al Vidbel fit in the picture? As to Bobby vs. Sherma, I'm guessing mid-70s. I remember calling him and he was pretty quiet, very sore, and probably a little embarrassed that he didn't see it coming.

Wade G. Burck said...

Jim,
It had to be earlier then the mid 70's. I went to work for Hawthorn in 1976 and was told the incident had occurred "3 or 4 years ago."
I don't know about the Tony Smaha Sr. connection, but the man Smith I mentioned(I believe his first name was John) and Smaha both trained elephants for Clyde Bros. circus at about the time of the formation of the Hamid herd. Al Vidbel may have been the trainer with the elephants just prior to Hawthorn purchasing them.

Wade

Wade

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