The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-05-17
THE ART OF BAREBACK RIDING.
Resurrected Interview W.,h Cham
pion Fish. Who Recently Died.

49, i.-e4' OF me world, died
here this morning.
IN was probably the best known rider
III 'he world and held the championship
LOT years doing many remarkable feats
"nich lhe younger men IN the profession
never eNceled. He was born in Phfladei-
phia IN lsSs- He came OF good old stock
Inc IoiloWing interview with him. pup
hshed IN Philadelphia in 1889. will be In
'eiesuhs al this time, especially TO cir
Gus men and lovers OF the tent show:
nat Is necessary, Mr.. Fish, 10 become
hrst class Performer
Wen, there are a good many things nee
essary To climb to the top Of the tree
or on the back Of the horse. proDerlv-a
childs training, boy or girl. should begin
at the age Of or 6. not later than or =
years anyhow. The first steps are ia. give
the body that elasticity so essential ami
this Is done by practising all kinds Of
tumohng on the ground. Somersaults.
backward and forward. hand springs or
nlp-haps, in fact. all that tumblers do in
circus. When "a boy becomes tho
Oueniy pronclent in this sort OF thing M.
next step Is to put him on the baciF 81 n
morse ana teach him how to keep his hal
ahCe. mere are two ways OF doing mis-
70 keep a juvenile from mastering II AZ
the risk of a broken neck. ono is nv M.
ihecnanic, a modern invention bv wbicb
ttne rluer IS held suspended in the air If
ne ledVeS the horses back while eofus-
around the ring. The other is 10 bS w. =
rope attached to the bows waist vrbicb
passes through ring on the side of The
pdu, the end being held by the teacher
As soon as the boy begins 10 tonnle ana j.
seen 10 be going, a strong pun on ths.
LoPc brings MIN up against the side of the
morse, ana Keeps him there until he can
CldnloSr back again. This is the better
way: In the end it gives a youth more
Sohndence in himself and enables him 10
ms balance much better That Is
lhilk so. l learned that way The
hechanie is a recent invention and
those who learn by its aid lack that cer-
r%tfts qIla precision essential to first class
professional riding.
began riding when was Q years old
a. a. oPauiding q Rogers old circus in Gin
Clhndu IN 1878, but I've been all over the
not professional people. l yearned to ~
come rider the first time | ever saw a
circus, like ninety-nine out of every hun
ufeu boys IN America. BOYS here are
picked up anywhere and evervwhere II
Is dlnerent in Europe Circuses there-and
nearly every large city there has ono
S siA Or elght months in the year-give a
permanency to their people and parents
nave a chdnce to train their children prop
erly for the business. 1t is not 80 here
American male riders are the best In
me world, but we look for the best lady
riders in Europe. In Europe / have known
rrenchmen, Englishmen and Spaniards to
be billed as the Great American Horse
man. Some of these men never saw this
side of the Atlantic. The circus takes a
much higher place in Europe than It does
here, ranking next to grand opera. Its
patrons are the officers, nobility and gem
try, many of them having their private
boxes or hiring reserved seats by the sea-
son. There Is no reason why the riders
there should not be better than American
riders from the fact that they are six
months In place al a time, and learn
to know their ring thoroughly. That is a
more important matter than il seems a.
nrSt sight. A foot difference makes a very
serious matter. The ring Is usually forty
two feet in diameter, and a rider counts
on that. A single foot larger or smaller
makes II necessary for the performers to
strike a different angle, inclining more in
ward as the ring gets smaller, and more
perpendicularly if its dimensions are in
creased. Charles Reed and the Cookies
John Henry and Harry Welby-are the
best American bareback riders that ]
Know of in Europe at present. Yes, bare
back riding is the most difficult, of course.
A pad rider generally requires four or five
years practice bareback before he can he
trusted for clean, finished performance.
You see, on pad riding a man doesn't have
10 take into account the horses back bone
or the curve Of the back. 1t is perfectly
level on a pad, and just so much easier.
A great deal depends on the horse.
Value? Well, a first-class horse is not
for sale at any price You see, horse
that becomes just what is wanted to sucn
men as Robinson, Melville or myself, can
not De replaced Tor any money. 1 gu We
got to use horse two or three years be-
fore you can depend upon him with alb
solute certainty Reputation, living-life
itself-depend upon bareback rider hav-
ing under him a horse on which he can
positively depend to be just at the right
place at the right time. The swerving of
an inch. the quickening or slowing of the
pace to the half length of hoof, may
mean a broken arm, perhaps broken
neck Realize the danger? Why, of
course we do. I've had a horse stumble
somersault, and before 1 got down I could
realize that | was in danger of never get
ting up alive. 1t only cost me fractured
arm, however, which is all right now.
THE most critical moment of my life
was while / was doing a 'twister' in 1875.
James Robinson and myself were with
Montgomery Queens circus, on our way
overland from San Francisco. We were
billed as the rival champions, and at
Muskegon, Mich, on the 18th of August,
first did the 'twister.' Now. III tell
you what it is. There are three banners
held very close together. AS / ride with
my face to the first l. jump, pirouette, and
come down again face forward; instantly
up again-for it must be done in an in
stant-and half pirouette over the sec
ond, thus bringing my back to the horses
head, when l again aliSht, then, quick as
FASH up and turning a somersault, twist
my body around when in the air so as to
reverse my position, and when l alight
on my feet having my head in front-as
the horse goes. had practiced it on the
ground for ten years, but on bareback
horse it's a very different affair. We were
in Detroit, and among the audience We're
J. NJ French and number of other prom
inent circus men. All were anxious to see
the 'twister' The ring was wet and in
bad condition, and l had only about one
third of the circle to work in Three,
four, five times l tried it and failed. The
sixth time, with every nerve strung to its
utmost tension, with my teeth firmly set
and my hands clenched, l was determined
to succeed. The audience rose almost en-
masse with excitement, and cries of well
done, anyhow; don't try it again. mad
dened me. The first step was all right;
so was the next, but as l left for the final
spring the horse stumbled slightly. 1t
was too late; was up in the air and came
down with a terrific crash, head and
shoulders, just dislocating my elbow. l
didn't do the 'twister' just then"
Ever try it again?''
"Oh, yes" was the winding up sentence
of the interview. Il do it now"