Mexico weekly ledger., 1890-09-04
FIRST BAREBACK RIDER.
James Robinson Reviews the
History of Circus Riding.
From the New York World.

FROM tflt new ~ "a
James Robinson, of Mexico, Mo-,
the veteran bareback rider, whose
early triumphs belong away back
in the childhood of men now griz-
ely with years, is to be seen almost
every day at Broadway and Twen-
ty-eighth street. He is q small,
wiry man with thin, dark features,
a little black mustache and the
clearest of blue-gray eyes. Look
ing at him it is difficult to recon-
Gle his almost youthful appearance
with the fact that he began his Ca
reer as a rider as long ago as '45.
This was almost fifty years ago.
| Jim, as his intimates call him, was
a boy then, of course. He was ap-
prenticed in that year to John Cos
sen, an old-time circus man. In
that day riders used the pad or pill
lion, and boys we're taught the art
in q different manner from what
they are now.
The "mechanic," by which nov.
ices are attached to a revolving
beam, a rope from the beam to q
stout belt around the waist sup.
porting them as the horse makes
the circuit of the ring, was not then
known. Boys or girls ambitious tc
ride in spangles wore a belt te
which a cord. was fastened which
passed through a ring in the pill
lion and thence to the hands of the
ring master, who, when he saw
beginner losing his balance, pulled
the cord and thus drew the r1del
to the horse, preventing a fall. L
was this way Jim Robinson learned
to ride in a style and with a reck
lessness which soon won him tn,
title of champion bareback ride:
of the world.
Robinson was the first man t,
"cut out" the bareback ride am
make it a specially. This was il
1S47. Previous to that time he
like all others, rode the pad act
After 1S47 he did all his ridin,
bareback, and went to Europe il
the early sos and created a grea
sensation. He was acknowledge
the greatest equestrian the worl'
had ever known. II have bee
credited" said Mr.. Robinson to
World reporter, with having bee
! the first man to turn a somersaul
on a horses back, but this is nc
? so. The first somersault rider wa
, Johnnie Glenroy, who did the frs
| fip-hap in 1S47. Glenroy is stil
alive, aged u years, and is cler
, OF the Meramee House, Boston.
} did the first forward somersault Oh
a horse IN lS4S. People have a
: idea that it is harder than the bac
somersault, but it is really easier
The three and four ring circuse'
which make it necessary to emplo
an army of cheap performers, hav
: detracted from the Importance
. the riding act, and there are n,
many great riders nowadays. Gil
Gus owners don't want to pay til
price for a great rider. They get
. man to do the jockey act for $50
: SIS a week, and they are satisfied
1 never ride for anybody for LEI
than $3.50 a week"
R%obinson's two boys are rider
, though one of them, Clarence, hs
retired from the ring and is in con
mercial business in Kansas CIT,
i, Old timers will remember Robin
son and his two boys, one on b
head, the other in a flying attitue
J. perched on the fathers thigh, {
l they appeared in their great ridir
act away back in 1850. He VS.
then in the zenith of his fam,
Robinson has saved a great deal
J money, and is still the best bar,
D back rider in the profession.