Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 56, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 March 1911 — Training Circus Riders [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Training Circus Riders

ASILY the most adI mired of all the circus performers are the bnreB back riders-—male and female. No acts ao thrill the spectators as J do theirs, unless possl- . tff bly It be the sensational l/y' trapeze performances, each engaging the services of a large “family” K 1 of foreign acrobats l I which have of late years w / become a feature with / the largest American f circuses. However, not hwk evefh the aeriallßts, proPl tec ted by nets, brave Iw the dangers that confront the bareback riders, whose single mis-

•tep or wrong calculation may result In a fall more serious than the tumble of a trapese artist from a lofty bar. Moreover, the riders in addition to the dangers of falls have the everpresent menace of the flying horses’ hoofs and the possibility of kicks from horses, for even the most dependable of circus steeds have their moments of 111 temper when they indulge In kicking propensities. All these dangers are braved not only by the artists known as bareback riders, but tn no less degree by the men and women who present thoroughbred horses In “high school," or La Manage acts, which means, of course, the putting of high steppers through a variety of paces. the jumping of hurdles, the rearing of the mount on his hind legs and other dexterous feats of masterly horsemanship. Not only are the equestrian stars the most conspicuous performers in the eyes of the general public, but from the standpoint of the circus people themselves they are the aristocrats of the community that centers around the sawdust ring. Socially they are in a class by themselves among* the performers and caste Is generally recognized. Families devote themselves to circus riding through generation after generation to an extent unknown In other branches of the show business. Young members of these old equestrian families might almost be said to grow up on horseback: they marry In their own little circle; and herein they And their life work, until when too old for riding they retire to s peaceful life on a farm. The equestrians, forming the exclusive “set" of the traveling circus community are accorded the best staterooms in the sleeping cars in which the performers travel, and some of them further emphasize their position by putting up at a hotel In each city visited by the circus Instead of taking their meals at the big dining twit “on the lot” With such a situation it is only to be expected that the riders should receive the highest salaries of any of the performers—that is taking the Individual average. This matter of salary combined with the further problem of obtaining and

transporting horses tor the riders explains why one sees so few bareback riders with the average small country circus. It needs the wealth and income of the big show to support a goodly company of riders. From one standpoint, the high salaries of the circus riders appears to be Justly deserved. Riding Is the most difficult of all circus stunts to master as well as the most dangerous to perform, once the knack of poising on a galloping horse has been mastered. As has been mentioned above, the average new recruit in the ranks of circus riders comes of an equestrian family and consequently he or she has the benefit of capable instruction at home. To attain the greatest proficiency in riding, as in any' other acrobatic line, practice should begin in childhood. A youngster under instruction under such circumstances is lifted by the father or mother onto the horse upon which the adult rider is practicing. At first the beginner must be held in place on the horse’s back, but gradually confidence is gained and the new rider can maintain his position with no aid save a steadying hand when there comes a sudden lurch of the plunging mount Finally he is able to take care of himself unaided and then gradually there are mastered all the tricks of mounting a horse at a gallop and the feature work such as leaping over banners and through paper-covered hoops. Some circus children serve an apprenticeship as bareback riders on

Shetland ponies—notoriously steady of gait and so small that a tumble from the back of one is not so likely to result In broken bones. A. very ingenious contrivance has been perfected for giving confidence to new recruits among women bareback riders. It Is, In effect, a swinging pole supported at one end by a pole corresponding to the center pole of g circus ring. This pole swings round and round the ring, keeping pace with the horse galloping around the sawdust arena. At the outer end of this pole is a contrivance which grasps the timid rider around the waist or under the arms and which will enable her to take her entire weight off the horse at a moment’s notice. The reader will appreciate that with this support in reserve the rider need not fear overbalancing. If she doee lose her balance the pole will hold her up and enable her to regain her proper position on the back of the horse traveling directly underneath. Circus riders exercise great care in the selection of their horses — “rosin-backs," as the circus people call them, because of the powder that is sprinkled on their broad backs to prevent the riders from slipping. The ideal horse for bareback work must be good tempered; steady and unvarying in gait, and heavy enough to present a broad back as a moving platform for the performer’s feats. Circus riders, It may be added, not only ride In the circus ring, but also in the daily parade.