One of the greats from the prior generation

Photos provided by Margaret

This is Pat Anthony, one of the only one's who ever combined tricks with the fighting style. The tigers did the bulk of the tricks, and were on low seats in the middle of the arena. They went out, and the act finished with the lions coming off the high seats and doing some of the most exciting fighting tricks you would ever see. He came after the Clyde Beatty era and carried on the fighting style better and with more style then anybody since. If he and Clyde had been working at the same time I promise, it would have been a heated race for the best of that generation. I first had the honor of meeting Pat in 1975 at the start of my journey, and he treated me with the greatest respect as if I were an equal with my small 7 tiger act. That's what each generation needs to do with the next generation(if there is one) not scorn their efforts, and yes the training knowledge has changed and improved greatly. And yes, I do get upset at crap like the video that Ian posted, because that is my generation, and if that is the best that can be produced with our knowledge, we are in a real sorry state. Was his husbandry deplorable. Yes it was as everybody's was, as mine was at the time. It was just the way it was done, and it hadn't been "suggested" yet that it should be done differently. Some accepted willingly and some were drug kicking and screaming. The below photo is from the old Hamid Circus were Pat was featured for many years. Pat learned to become an animal trainer under the GI bill which payed for the education of soldiers returning from service. In an unusual and unheard of move, Pat chose to go to Thousand Oaks, and learn to train felines.