Traveling trainer looks at animals as 'my livelihood'
Circus life has man on road most of year
Kelly Miller Circus crews use a small tractor and an elephant to raise the center poles of the big tent Tuesday at St. Mary Catholic Church in Putnam Township. / ALAN WARD/DAILY PRESS & ARGUS
From: livingstondaily.com
Written by Amanda Whitesell, Daily Press & Argus
Aug. 14, 2013
Ryan Holder’s tigers can jump over each other, walk on their hind legs and eat right out of his hand.
But what is the tiger trainer’s favorite aspect of working with the animals at Kelly Miller Circus, which on Tuesday visited Putnam Township?
“Letting tigers be tigers,” he said.
The 25-year-old travels nine months out of the year with the circus, performing two shows per day, seven days per week.
“We travel for maybe an hour in the morning, and they’re all set up and sitting on the grass by 8 in the morning,” he said, motioning toward the four tigers, lazily lounging in a cage stationed outside his pickup truck and trailer. “The rest of the day is theirs until showtime.”
Holder grew up the son of an elephant trainer, and began shoveling their barns at age 4.
“I rode my first bull elephant when I was 10 days old,” he said. “It’s in my blood.”
The St. Louis native said he’s always wanted to work with wild animals, and each of his tigers has a unique personality, ranging from “incredibly smart” to “lazy.”
Each tiger has a public name and a given name, to prevent names from losing their significance for training purposes, he said. The given name of his youngest tiger, Zera, is dedicated to his grandmother.
Holder doesn’t think it’s a coincidence that the day a “light bulb” went off in the tiger’s head regarding training was the same day his grandmother came out of the hospital after having a stroke.
The trainer said he’s offended by organizations like People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, which he said “spews propaganda.” The circus — including interactions between trainers and animals — is regularly inspected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which shows up unannounced, he said.
Circus life has man on road most of year
Kelly Miller Circus crews use a small tractor and an elephant to raise the center poles of the big tent Tuesday at St. Mary Catholic Church in Putnam Township. / ALAN WARD/DAILY PRESS & ARGUS
From: livingstondaily.com
Written by Amanda Whitesell, Daily Press & Argus
Aug. 14, 2013
Ryan Holder’s tigers can jump over each other, walk on their hind legs and eat right out of his hand.
But what is the tiger trainer’s favorite aspect of working with the animals at Kelly Miller Circus, which on Tuesday visited Putnam Township?
“Letting tigers be tigers,” he said.
The 25-year-old travels nine months out of the year with the circus, performing two shows per day, seven days per week.
“We travel for maybe an hour in the morning, and they’re all set up and sitting on the grass by 8 in the morning,” he said, motioning toward the four tigers, lazily lounging in a cage stationed outside his pickup truck and trailer. “The rest of the day is theirs until showtime.”
Holder grew up the son of an elephant trainer, and began shoveling their barns at age 4.
“I rode my first bull elephant when I was 10 days old,” he said. “It’s in my blood.”
The St. Louis native said he’s always wanted to work with wild animals, and each of his tigers has a unique personality, ranging from “incredibly smart” to “lazy.”
Each tiger has a public name and a given name, to prevent names from losing their significance for training purposes, he said. The given name of his youngest tiger, Zera, is dedicated to his grandmother.
Holder doesn’t think it’s a coincidence that the day a “light bulb” went off in the tiger’s head regarding training was the same day his grandmother came out of the hospital after having a stroke.
The trainer said he’s offended by organizations like People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, which he said “spews propaganda.” The circus — including interactions between trainers and animals — is regularly inspected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which shows up unannounced, he said.
Exotic animals attract the attention of youth at the Kelly Miller Circus in Putnam Township. ALAN WARD/DAILY PRESS & ARGUS
Taking care
“These animals are my livelihood,” he said. “It wouldn’t benefit me at all to not take care of them.”
The Kelly Miller Circus came under fire recently when a circus attendee in Ohio allegedly saw a Carson & Barnes Circus elephant handler, who is traveling with the Kelly Miller Circus, hit the animal three times in Point Place, Ohio, with a stick, which “appeared to have a sharp hook on the end” until it let out a “high-pitched sound that sounded like a scream.” The elephant had four children on its back, between the ages of 4 and 7, the report alleges.
General Manager Jim Royal said in a previous discussion with the Daily Press & Argus that he “absolutely” denies the allegations, noting that the circus invites the public to see the animals before and between the shows.
The circus presented two shows Tuesday at St. Mary Catholic Church, south of M-36 at 10601 Dexter-Pinckney Road in Putnam Township, just south of Pinckney. The circus had a “big crowd” that visited the grounds before the circus began, Holder said.
The church is a sponsor of the circus, with a percentage of ticket sales going toward the church’s youth in faith formation ministries, according to Rebecca Keiser, director of religious education.
For more information about Holder’s tiger act, visit http://www.showmetigers.com.
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