The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-08-01
OUR BOYS.
HOW Circus Performers Learn TO Co
Bare Back

HOW Circus Performers Learn TO Co
Bare Back
cincinnati Inquirerl
Training women and men to ride bare back
in the circus arena is business. Cincinnati
has such training school, and it has turned
out some of the greatest bare back, hurdle.
allaround, somersault, trick riders, and two
and four and six horse riders that
the American continent has never seen. The
casual observer has no idea Of the patience
and fearlessness, hours of hard unceasing Ia
Dor that rider in the circus arena must go
through before proficiency is attained.
Recently reporter spent several hours
watching the exercises and noting the pecul-
iarities of the training. Mr.. John Wilson,
the veteran four-horse rider, is in charge Of
the establishment, and spends eight hours
every day in practicing the candidates Tor
excellence in the sawdust arena. Bales OF
hay piled up all round, and In the rear OF the
building is the ring, which is AZ TT. in diane
ter. A horse going around forty-four times
would cover mile. Formerly a board ring
was used. and broken wrists. fractured leg,
and dislocated arms were the too frequent
result. There are about eighteen inches OF
tanbark in the ring, covered with from eight
to twelve inches of sand and sawdust. The
ring Is soft, and yet springy, and absolutely
free from dust.
In the center of the ring is a six inch pole
reaching to strong joist that is one of the
roof supports. This pole revolves, and, at a
distance of twelve feet from the ground, has
an arm extending to the circumference of the
ring. To this arm are attached to pulleys,
and over them runs a rope, one end OF which
is attached to ring in the riders back and
the other end of which Mr.. Wilson, the train
er holds tightly wound around his left hand,
while in his right hand he holes long whip,
which as the horse lagS he snaps with a
crack, to let the animal know there will be
no monkey business.
The machine or continuance is known as a
mechanic" and its object is to prevent the
which the new riders fasten around their
waists or under the shoulders, in the back of
which is an iron ring. In case of falling or
slipping the rider is held up, while the horse
passes on. For women, however, the arrange
ment is more complicated. Two straps pass
over the shoulders, and the ring is set at the
back of the neck, attached to a strap run
ming from the waist band to the rope that
runs over the pulleys and into the trainers
hands holding the learner in case of fall
erect in the air, her feet dangling and the
horse passing from under her. The trainer
continually moves around the pole with the
horse, watching every motion OF the animals
head and every swish of the long tail, as
when the ears go back and the tail swishes
the animal is going to kick, and he is at once
spoken to and held up. Thus if horse is
going to kick. which the trainer at once
knows, he can reverse the mechanic and
hold the rider aloft iu the air completely out
of danger
The first horse that came into the ring
was a six year old gelding of Arabian stock
which had never been before an assemblage
and was a stranger to the plaudits of the