Poodles is listed in the Guinnes Book of World Records for performing 26 continuous running leaps on and off a running horse. Poodles also performed his equestrian act on stage in vaudeville and Broadway. He was in a total of 42 two reel comedy films. Poodles performed his bareback act until he was 63 years old, and then he continued appearing with circuses with his whip act and doing general clowning. N.Y. With the exception of one more circus season, Poodles performed at Frontier Town every summer until his death in 1967.
Poodles is considered to be the best equestrian clown in history.
His style was widely copied and some of the routines that he created are still performed by Mark Karoly and descendants of the Hanneford family. Nineteen year old Joe Vani answered an ad looking for an experienced acrobat to fill an opening in the Kenneth Waite Trio. The other members of the trio were Kenneth Waite and Chester Sherman. As part of the trio, Joe spent 18 years watching, learning and developing his skills as a performer. When Kenneth Waite retired, Joe and Chester formed a partnership that became known as the Sherman Brothers.