FROM THE PAST---NEW YEARS EVE 1957

FROM DAVID P. ORR---

Good Morning from Sunny Sarasota..... Happy New Year

Most of you have been following the Ringling Federal Case that has been pending in DC Federal Court....The attach should bring you up to date on the GREAT News.......So enjoy New Years Eve...Some of us in Sarasota it will be the 4:30 PM New Year Eves Opening Performance of the Fantastic Ringling Gold Unit at Robarts Arena....

SIDEBAR: check out circusfans.org new portal "Grassroots." You can find out the latest status in all fifty states regarding animal Bills........CHECK IT OUT...


Animal rights groups contended the use of bullhooks and prolonged chaining of elephants violated federal law.

FROM GARY C. PAYNE

Today is V-EX day! (Victory over the extremists)

Celebrate the victory of Feld Entertainment in the federal case (ASPCA et al v Feld)! A victory for the circus, for animals, and for circus fans everywhere.

Our website ( www.circusfans.org) will soon have all the details. The federal judge has joined the fans in making the appropriate decision. The facts have been determined. Those paid to testify against the circus have been found out! Upon reading the judge's decision I can add only one word - "AMEN"!

This truly parallels what circus fans have been saying these past several years. The longer it takes for the arguments to be heard, the more facts surface, the more informed the public becomes, and greater is our victory!

Regards - Happy New Year!

Gary C. Payne - Chair
Animal Welfare Committee
Circus Fans Association of America

IT'S ALREADY 2010 IN AUSTRAILA

Dec. 31: Fireworks flash over Sydney Harbor during New Year's Eve celebrations.

RUSSELLS CIRCUS INTERNATIONAL

TWEETY BIRDS (FROM RONALD FINCH)

Thanks Ron!

For the great picture of a REAL "TWEETY BIRD"

I know him very well $$$$!

FROM THE RINGLING TRIAL UPDATES SITE---

Feld Entertainment, Inc. Victorious in Case Brought by ASPCA and Other Animal Special Interest Groups

Federal Court Finds Plaintiff Testimony of Tom Rider Not Truthful

Dec. 30, 2009 – Feld Entertainment, Inc. announced today that a federal court dismissed a case filed more than nine years ago by animal special interest groups who sought to ultimately outlaw elephants in Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus. In its ruling, “the Court finds that Mr. Rider is essentially a paid plaintiff and fact witness who is not credible, and therefore affords no weight to his testimony regarding the matters discussed herein, i.e., the allegations related to his standing to sue."

Today’s decision reinforces the fact that plaintiffs’ manufactured litigation was based on the untruthful testimony of a paid plaintiff and witness who the Court found received at least $190,000 in payments as his sole source of income over the past eight years by animal special interest groups, their lawyers and an entity controlled by those lawyers, the Wildlife Advocacy Project. Furthermore, the Court ruled that “based upon his failure to complain, the Court finds that Mr. Rider either (1) did not witness elephant mistreatment when he was employed by FEI or (2) any mistreatment he did witness did not affect him to the extent that he suffered an aesthetic or emotional injury.”

“We are gratified with today’s decision because it is a victory for elephants over those whose radical agenda, if adopted, could lead to the extinction of the species,” said Kenneth Feld, chief executive of Feld Entertainment. “We look forward to focusing on what we do best – providing quality care to our elephants and delivering unique family entertainment options to the public.”

RINGLING WINS!!!!!! (Thanks Mike Naughton)

Kenneth Feld, President and CEO of Feld Entertainment

Click on each Document to make readable!

(from The Washington Post)

SARASOTA'S RING OF FAME

Induction Ceremony Honors New Members of Ring of Fame for Contributions to Circus Arts

The 23rd Annual St Armands Circle Ring of Fame induction ceremony takes place in St Armands Circle Park 1-3:30pm Sunday, January 17, 2010.

2010's honorees are: Tino Wallenda Zupe, a Highwire artist and grandson of Karl Wallenda; Rudi and Sue Lenz, a Popular Chimpanzee Act; Manuel "Junior" Ruffin, a veteran animal trainer, tent-master & train-master; Tony Steele, a Flying Trapeze Artist and Dime Wilson Family, a 2 generation clan who performed for nearly a century as clowns and in aerial & animal acts.

The Circus Ring of Fame has honored 66 people and groups for significant contributions to the circus. The Ring of Fame is located on the outer perimeter of the park in the center of St Armands Circle.

Photo: Louis Wery

6 FUN THINGS, IN PHILADELPHIA, FOR THE HOLIDAYS (ABC 6)

QUICK CHANGE ACT, HANNEFORD, 2008, ADVENTURELAND PARK

ADAM BURCK'S CATS

IMAGES FROM THE PAST!

Campbell Bros. Circus, 1910

Barnum & Bailey Poster, 1900

Adam Forepaugh & Sell Bros., (?)

Adgie's Trained Cats, 1897

Inside Big Top, 1907

Show ?

SARASOTA'S PAL SAILOR CIRCUS (12.27.2009)

About 1,800 people enjoyed the annual (the Greatest "Little" Show on Earth)

Pal Sailor Circus 2009 Holiday Spectacular in Sarasota.

Sunday Afternoon December 27, 2009.

About 130 Students ranging from the 4th grade to the 12th grade
and over 100 volunteers put on the show that continues this week
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at 7:00 pm
Some tickets still are available for each show.

For more info and how to donate to their capitol campaign to renovate the
facilities with a new big top tent, bathrooms and dressing rooms check out their website.

Michelle Stapleton performs on the Roman Rings

Juggling fire Nick Slimck.

Morgan Hill and Emily Esclkangon during the old fashion bike act.

Alex Keifer performs during the ariel silks act.

Up and over Leah Barnett during the teeterboard act.

Nathan Deets and Keleigh Keleigh during the flying trapeze

Grand Finale


Photos and Captions from the Sarasota Herald Tribune

Photo Credit: Thomas Bender

WHAT DO YOU THINK? LEAVE A COMMENT

KAY ROSAIRE'S BIG CAT HABITAT

See lions, tigers & bears at Big Cat Habitat
by Cindy Allegretto

Big Cat Habitat and Gulf Coast Sanctuary, which provides a safe haven for rescued tigers, lions, bears and other exotic animals, has reopened for weekend tours and demonstrations.
Shown here, one of the sanctuary’s tigers scales a waterfall project.
The nonprofit habitat, 7101 Palmer Blvd., Sarasota, is open from 12:30 to 3 p.m. Friday through Sunday.
Tickets are $6 for children, $12 for adults and $10 for seniors. Reservations are required. For details, call 371-6377.
This announcement was published Dec. 21, 2009 in the Herald-Tribune

JAMES M. COLE'S CIRCUS LAND

BELLO AT THE BIG APPLE (2009)

RINGLING CIRCUS TRAIN 2009 (RED UNIT)

QUOTE OF THE DAY--

"One of the sad signs of our times is that we have demonized those who produce, subsidized those who refuse to produce, and canonized those who complain." - Thomas Sowell, Ph.D.

FROM CIRCUS VERN--

Circus World Museum closes for winter

By Meg Jones of the Journal Sentinel
Posted: Dec. 17, 2009
Because of a money crunch and low visitor turnout, Circus World Museum in Baraboo has closed for the winter.
The museum board decided earlier this week to close the facility located at the site of the Ringling Brothers winter quarters and lay off four employees.
Circus World Museum will reopen as scheduled May 22.
Executive Director Steve Freese said the museum averages only 1,700 visitors between Jan. 1 and May 21 and about half get in for free because of promotions. And between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31, only about 2,000 visitors come to Circus World Museum. Attendance this year was 62,000. Because much of the museum is outdoors, few people showed up last week and this week because of cold weather.
"We have challenges just like all nonprofits," Freese said Thursday afternoon. "Our funding has been impacted by our donors because of what has happened to the stock portfolios."
Freese pointed out that the museum, which celebrated its 50th year this season, closed during the winter between 1959 and 1991. Circus World Museum is owned by the Wisconsin Historical Society and most of the other properties owned by the society close down during the winter.

Advertising of the Dream Circus is seen in the rubbish in the city of Yakutsk, about 4,800 kilometers (3,000 miles) east of Moscow, Thursday, Dec. 24, 2009.

Eight tigers and a lioness belonging to a Russian traveling circus died during a 20-hour truck journey across Siberia, police said Tuesday. The animals were dead when they arrived early Tuesday in the city of Yakutsk, police spokesman Nikolai Sizykh said.

No cause has been determined, but among the possibilities under investigation are poisoning from exhaust fumes or food poisoning, he said.

(AP Photo/Yakutsk Vecherny, Alexander Li)

AL PRIDDY (1926)

Don't forget!

Click on images to enlarge

CHRISTMAS GREETINGS FROM DICK

WALL OF DEATH WITH CHIPPERFIELD'S (YEAR UNKNOWN)

CELTIC WOMEN "THE CHRISTMAS SONG"

FROM DICK AND THE BALLOON MAN BLOG!

CHRISTMAS GREETINGS FROM HAL GUYON

To all our circus and carnival friends, I want to wish all of you and your`s a " Very Merry Christmas & A Happy New Year" !

Hal & Kathy Guyon

VALLACITA'S LEOPARDS 1906

DOWNIE BROS. CIRCUS (YEAR ?)

AMUSEMENT BUSINESS MAGAZINE (BILLBOARD) 02.11.1984

Don't forget: Click on images to enlarge and read!