Moscow Circus

I won't mention the name, but many of you will know who this is. He was with the Moscow Circus when it came to the United States in, I believe 1988. He caused quite a "sensation" as he only worked with a short stick, and no mean, nasty whips, and wore tails like a "maestro" conducting a symphony . I bet a thousand uniformed people asked me, and sadly some "great" animal trainers, "did you see, did you hear, only a stick, only a stick. Greatest piece of business we have ever seen!!!!" I didn't need to see, I am an Animal Trainer, and I had seen a video of the cats being trained in Russia. The "only a stick, only a stick" was a 6ft hand made hot shot, which plugged into an outlet with a 75 ft. extension cord, which 3 men hustled to keep from tangling. It was not an undercover video, but one taken by a circus performer to document the greatest thing since creamed cheese, and was shown to me in an effort to "hang some paper" for her friend. This act won one of the few Gold Clowns for cage acts ever awarded at Monte Carlo in 1989 amid a flurry of controversy that the animals were declawed and the rolling cages were not to the present standard of that country. It has been suggest that the low rating for this years cage act, was because of poor husbandry/care practices in the past. I suggest none of that has any more bearing on a "competition" in the ring, then the act that puts tree branches in the cages, in an effort at "the jungle" habit. If outside the ring and actions in the past are relevant, then I suggest the offering of tiger claw necklaces should also be considered and awarded thusly. Just keeping it real, and balanced. To the uniformed, if the effort in the ring, looks so sweet and gentle, oftentimes you haven't seen behind to know where the sweet and gentle performance came from.