Omaha daily bee., 1895-06-09

JUNE 8, 1895.
under you. or has made you swerve in the
air by sideway jerk just as you jumped,
there isn't much chance Of your landing
right The best thing you can do then IS
hit your horse and get away"
How do you mean hit your horse?'
Come down near to him to push of with
one foot for turn and land safe on the
ground. II a circus rider can't hit his
horse at all he's pretty sure to get nasty
fall"
THE LONG, HARD TRAINING.
Few people realize the immense amount
of practice that is necessary to make an ac-
complisnod circus rider. Nearly all the
famous ones have begun their work at
very carly age. Lily and Rosie Meers ap-
peared in pubic on horseback when little
girls of and g. and from that time on
in riding, but more particularly in various
gymnastic movements and exercises DeMott
told me that when he was boy of going
to school in Philadelphia mis- father, who
was also a circus performer, made him
spend four hours day, two In the morning
and two in the afternoon, working at eNer-
cises for strengthening the legs and giving
grace and suppleness to the body. At that
period in his training he was only allowed
fifteen miutes a day on a horse. the greater
part of the work being done on the ground
and being in no way more exciting, althOugh
rather more varied, than ordinary exercise
in a gymnasium. This work which all ac-
complished circus riders have to 90 through
comes under the comprehensive name or
side practice and includes passing, cut
ting 'pirouettes, 'battlements' and various
other complicated movements. l had the
good fortune to see the Meers sisters at their
side practice during their recent say Ill
New York"
"There is no doubt" said Mrs. Meers,
their mother, who mas been in the business
for two-score of years and should know what
she is talking about that our society women
should be immensely benefited If they should
learn those same exercises that my girls
have to do to keep in practice for the ring.
There look at Marie; isn't that good?
The mothers pride was justiiable, fer
Miss Marie did indeed make a graceful hg-
ure as she stood literally poised on one toe.
"Marie did not begin to ride in public as
young as her sisters" continued the mother,
but she had grace of movement, and
strengthened her muscles by working for q
number of years in the pantomme pertor-
mances that are so popular in Europe. The
result was that, when she began practlclns
on a horse, at the age of 10, she made very
rapid progress, and soon caught up with
her sisters"
CIRCUS RIDERS PRIDE OF PROBES
SION.
Here the father, Hubert Meers, Joined in
the conversation. He is a queer looking
little man, very short and stumpy, and i'm
presses you as having but one possible inter
est in life, the circus ring In his day he
was famous clown and acrobat but now
he only appears as ringmaster when his
| daughters ride.
There is something too, sir" he said ii
SOFT deferential tone, "in being born of {
| circus family. Now, in my case, l begar
doing the Risley business at the age of b
with my father, who was a great performer
| The 'Risley business is where a little chaI
| holds himself out stiff and is tossed arount
| in all kinds Of ways on the feet of a maj
who lies on his back. That's what m!
| father used to do to me. Then l began rid
| ing when l was 10 years old, and as ia
back as 1855 the people in Birmingham CAV
me this gold medal for turning 200 bacl
| somersauts in succession. No, | didn't turl
them on a horse, but on the ground, whic
was quite hard enough. 1t took me twent
minutes to finish them"
Whats the most difficult feat you eve
saw done on a horse?" l inquired.
Mr.. Meers scratched his sandy head an
said, after some reflection: Il think tn
hardest thing was what a man did in Englan
a few years ago, that is triple act on
galloping horse, consisting of round-all,
flip-lap and two somersaults. Nobody cOul
ever beat that"
1t was charming to see the enthusiast
with which the children of the old circu
rider (there were six of them in all, groupe
around attentive), listened to their father
r |
that there was nothing on this earth S
worthy of their admiration as the skill of
man who could actually do a round-all,
fip-hap, and two somersaults in the way d.
scribed. The two youngest daughters stoppe
sewing white satin covers on their sister
riding slippers and listened open-mouthed.
ITS great life, this being crcr
rider" continued Mr.. Meers. 1--WE trav
all over the world, see all the grand ctit
and fine people and always get lots of al
| al That'c IT
can tell you, applause You ought to 81
my girl Lille take a little run across II
ring and jump clean over two horses Ye
sir that's what she can do, and she ism
big girl, either. It's nerve, sir, an
knowing how, more than muscle. Their
feel of her arm, it isn't so very hard, NJ
different from any other woman's, but 81
can jump over the horses just the sam
and they can't"
At this the mother and all the six daugl
ters laughed heartily. They impressed on
! indeed, as being a happy family.
BORN IN A CIRCUS RING.
Perhaps one of the best authorities {
circus riding is John OBrien, who has bee
for years and is still equestrian director
the Barnum show. MIR. O'Brien has Il
proud distinction of beng the only man livir
actually born In circus ring, such havlr
been his remarkable experience in Reickso
Wales, where his mother was in the mid
of a daring horseback act when young Jof
, made his mundane DEBUT WIN q great uOuT. i
, of trumpets from the band and futtering
hearts among the ladies. He has probab
, trained more women INTO circus riders thf
any other master of the sawdust. 1
recognizes grace and style as being the chi
requisites for a good rider.
"If a girl has these he said, II will qua
antee to make a circus rider out Of her eve
as late as l6 If she will work hard at
Why, two years ago | started a marri
woman of 10 in the business. and she h
succeeded so we'll that she is now doing
regular act with the show. She had speci
advantage, though, for she had been a CO
tortionist and dancer before working on
horse.
THE first thing l teach them Is to learn
balance and to get the quick movement for
recover. OF course there is no danger of
beginners falling, because we always use {
mechanical apparatus to save them Lots
them get ratified when they make their fr
appearance in public they are too anXior
want to do too much, and so make mistake
The foundation of good rider is to knC
how to fall and to be able to make for t
feet as we call it. 1t takes months a.
months of practice to learn that and ev