For Thomas Bohner--The World's First White Tiger Act 1978

Circus Fan Henry Penndorf sent this wonderful clip which has just appeared on Youtube. It is incredible when something like this appears on line. I believe it was taken in 1978 at Trenton New Jersey at the fairgrounds and at Quonset Point, R. I. on the Hamid Morton Circus. The elephant at the start of the clip coming at a run when she is called was Joyce who is swimming with Bombay, Delhi, Tess, and Billie(nice footage of Billie at 2:54). Long before it became a "feel good" publicity stunt to illustrate how much we "loved" our animals in the circus, as a standard husbandry practice the animal were allowed to play, swim etc. just because it was good for them. At 1:53 is a shot of my two grooms Scott Moneypenny(who Larry Records and I referenced in the past) and Buffalo Bob Warner and so special, my young son Adam "pitching a fit" and not wanting to pose. Who knew he would grow up to be a tiger trainer and spend his life posing. At 2:29 you will see a gorgeous broad walk into the picture. No, I am sorry to say that was not "one of mine." That beauty belonged to Donnie Anderson. :) That is former Radio City Rockette JoAnn Anderson. The later footage of myself with my dear friends Donnie and JoAnn Anderson of the Texas White Horse Troupe is so special it almost brings tears to my old eyes. What wonderful, wonderful day's that you don't really appreciate until they are gone.

At 3:29 standing on their hind legs from left to right are Bombay, Tess, Delhi, Joyce and Billie. At 3:42 is footage of Adam walking with Delhi with my red elephant hook, back in the day when we were not ashamed to have and use an elephant hook(because we knew how to use it) and didn't carry it with the hook hidden in our hand and even taped it up to match our costumes instead of taping it with black tape in an effort to make it less visible. I do recall telling Adam that day, "it's not a cane, Son. Carry it right." :) The blond hair, in an effort to be my hero Gunther Gebel Williams is classic immature, youthful nitwitness!!!!!!! At 4:32, three hind leg walks. When was the last time you saw that feat in an elephant act? Followed by not one, but two one foot stand's by Joyce out of the picture on the left and Billie. At 5:15 Ringmaster Mike Clucker. At 5:30 JoAnn making a move on me, and Donnie soundly handling her. :) I believe I mooned the photographer but that has been, thankfully deleted.

Relax Thomas, I am getting to you. At 6:02 is the tigers starting with a 7 tiger roll over inspired by greatest of all time, Charly Baumann. At 6:15 that is Ari who was sent back to his seat for attacking Frosty and is still trying until he calmed down and come's for the laydown. At 6:37 with his mouth open is Tony. At 7:15 is Kashmir doing the hind leg walk, followed by the waltz and shoulder stand with Rajah.

At 8:34 is the jump over with Tony jumping over Sultan and myself. This was the trick Marcel Peters was doing two years later when Tony, after jumping came around behind Marcel and had "an accident" with him. I had taken the trick out of the act(much to John Cuneo's anger) as it got no audience response, as well as made the act too long and it was followed by Ari jumping through a hoop, so why repeat basically the same trick. For some reason, Marcel was convinced by John Cuneo to put it back in, and the rest, as they say is history. A shot of Bob Atterbury from behind with the hat on and the backward shoulder stand with Ika finishing with the jump over with Ari standing behind Ika as he was not big enough to sit on yet. At the very end quickly is a shot of Tony Smaha Sr's. Lipizzaner's.