I see from ads that the Carson & Barns Circus has started its 2015 run. It is a small brother to the bigger Ringling Bro's circus that plays the really big venues.
Two years ago, was last year that they used the elephants to raise the big top.... and driving all the stakes by hand with sledge hammers. I had the pleasure of watching it done. For several years I had made it a point to go out and watch the big show go up whenever it was in my town. It was quiet a operation putting up the tent.
A large truck would drive into the center where the tent was going to be erected. The bed would raise and the tent slid out onto the ground. Using ropes and tackle... the elephants would hoist the main carcass of tent to the top of the main poles and push poles into place with their foreheads... then workers walking on the top of the tent would connect smaller sections together, stringing electrical wire for lighting, and hanging apparatus for the performers. Men pounding hundreds of stakes with sledge hammers. It was like a bunch of ants working.
Just about every male member of the circus participates in raising the tent... except for the men who work the trapeze and a few other acts where a hand injury would stop the act. It is a real team effort.
And the girls... some were pretty darn good looking. Others made you understand why they wear such heavy makeup. Working a circus is a hard life! Sometimes they put of the tent... perform... and take it down in one day.. then move to the next location and do it all again the next day.
Almost everyone of the performers & workers were from out of country. The grunt workers seemed to primarily from South American countries. While a lot of the performers were from Europe... former Soviet Union countries. Hardly any of them spoke English. But enough to make it interesting. I met one of the owners last year... and got introduced to several of the performers.
They eat darn good. The smells coming from the Circus cafeteria truck was better than any state fair midway I've ever been on.
It is a shame that era has come to a end! Ringling Bros reports it will do away with elephants in its acts altogether by 2018.
Carson & Barns still use elephants in their act and lets people ride them between shows... but don't work them putting up the tents anymore. It is primarily done with small tractors to hoist the tent and a little pile driver run off of the tractor's PTO to drive the stakes. Interesting to watch... but not as much as when the elephants did the work.
I usually bought a box seat right up front and enjoyed the acts up close. One year, our seats were within 3 feet of the ring. During the elephant act, one reached over with its trunk and pulled the cotton candy off the stick in my hand and ate it. Really up close and personal. When the 3 elephants did their stunt where they all sit on their butts with their front feet in the air.. they were probably 20 feet from me. I'd post some pics.. but they are still on my old computer and it would be difficult to retrieve them right now.
Any of you guys & gals ever get to watch a real old fashioned traveling circus and the tent go up.... or get to take your kids to see it?
Two years ago, was last year that they used the elephants to raise the big top.... and driving all the stakes by hand with sledge hammers. I had the pleasure of watching it done. For several years I had made it a point to go out and watch the big show go up whenever it was in my town. It was quiet a operation putting up the tent.
A large truck would drive into the center where the tent was going to be erected. The bed would raise and the tent slid out onto the ground. Using ropes and tackle... the elephants would hoist the main carcass of tent to the top of the main poles and push poles into place with their foreheads... then workers walking on the top of the tent would connect smaller sections together, stringing electrical wire for lighting, and hanging apparatus for the performers. Men pounding hundreds of stakes with sledge hammers. It was like a bunch of ants working.
Just about every male member of the circus participates in raising the tent... except for the men who work the trapeze and a few other acts where a hand injury would stop the act. It is a real team effort.
And the girls... some were pretty darn good looking. Others made you understand why they wear such heavy makeup. Working a circus is a hard life! Sometimes they put of the tent... perform... and take it down in one day.. then move to the next location and do it all again the next day.
Almost everyone of the performers & workers were from out of country. The grunt workers seemed to primarily from South American countries. While a lot of the performers were from Europe... former Soviet Union countries. Hardly any of them spoke English. But enough to make it interesting. I met one of the owners last year... and got introduced to several of the performers.
They eat darn good. The smells coming from the Circus cafeteria truck was better than any state fair midway I've ever been on.
It is a shame that era has come to a end! Ringling Bros reports it will do away with elephants in its acts altogether by 2018.
Carson & Barns still use elephants in their act and lets people ride them between shows... but don't work them putting up the tents anymore. It is primarily done with small tractors to hoist the tent and a little pile driver run off of the tractor's PTO to drive the stakes. Interesting to watch... but not as much as when the elephants did the work.
I usually bought a box seat right up front and enjoyed the acts up close. One year, our seats were within 3 feet of the ring. During the elephant act, one reached over with its trunk and pulled the cotton candy off the stick in my hand and ate it. Really up close and personal. When the 3 elephants did their stunt where they all sit on their butts with their front feet in the air.. they were probably 20 feet from me. I'd post some pics.. but they are still on my old computer and it would be difficult to retrieve them right now.
Any of you guys & gals ever get to watch a real old fashioned traveling circus and the tent go up.... or get to take your kids to see it?
End of a tradition- elephants no longer raising circus tents.
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