white tops spring 23

Vol 96 • No 2 • Spring 2023 

RIDE ’EM, COWBOY! 

Señor Jahir Aguiar

2 White Tops

The official publication of the 

Circus Fans Association of America 

OFFICERS 

Jack Dean, President 

jack7880dean@gmail.com 941-270-0640 

Timothy Noel Tegge, President Elect 

timothytegge@yahoo.com 608-356-2375 

Patricia Stevenson, Vice President 

pat_stevenson@verizon.net 443-388-1822 

Daniel J. Kleintop, Immediate Past President 

djkleintop@gmail.com 757-647-2179 

TRUSTEES 

Beverly Abderrahman To 4/30/25 

bwazzan@yahoo.com 702-262-6090 

Niles “Buddy” Calhoun To 4/30/27 

nilescal@aol.com 601-366-4378 

Bruce Hawley To 4/30/25 

bhawley@optonline.net 203-375-9711 

Priscilla Johnson To 4/30/25 

circuswert@yahoo.com 845-454-1860 

John Peters To 4/30/25 

jmpeters@bellsouth.net 561-758-8586 

Fred Pfening III To 4/30/25 

fpfening@pfening.com 614-323-5361 

Jackie Kannegieter To 4/30/27 

jackgator@hotmail.com 712-461-1919 

Mike Melssen To 4/30/27 

mmdedbq@aol.com 702-416-1289 

Christine Schreiber To 4/30/27 

circusfarms@yahoo.com 352-222-0214 

April R. Zink To 4/30/27 

aprilzink@aol.com 352-262-3455 

APPOINTED OFFICERS 

Maxine House, Secretary/Treasurer 

mahouse@verizon.net 201-723-6384 

Samuel Patrick Smith, White Tops Editor 

editor.whitetops@gmail.com 

Larry Sayler, Finance Committee Chair 

larry.sayler@greenville.edu 618-699-8382 

Fr. Richard Notter, Chaplain 

ren132@aol.com 419-351-9035 

Fred D. Pfening III, Historian 

fpfening@pfening.com 614-323-5361 

White Tops Submission Deadlines 

Magazine Production 

SPS Publications, Inc. 

Editor 

Samuel Patrick Smith 


Post Office Box 787 

Eustis, Florida 32727 

Graphic Design 

Jessica Friend 

Creative Consultant 

Tim Tegge 

Editorial Advisors 

Jan Biggerstaff 

Maxine House 

Tim Tegge 

Copy Editors 

Rose Cardenas 

Lauren Jurgensen 

Advertising 


Back Issues 

Pete Adams • 941-378-9596 

circusp@comcast.net 

News, articles, and photographs 

To send stories and photos for use 

in The White Tops magazine, please 

email to editor.whitetops@gmail. 

com If photos are too large to email, 

send the files to editor.whitetops@ 

gmail.com through WeTransfer.com. 

You may submit as many stories and 

photographs as you wish. 

Publisher 


©2023 Circus Fans 

Association of America 

The White Tops (USPS 683000) 

(ISSN 0043-499X) is published 

quarterly for CFA members: $50 per 

year (U.S.) and $75 (foreign): and 

youth members $30 (U.S.) by Circus 

Fans Association of America, Inc. 

Known office of publication: 450 

Secluded Oaks Trail, DeLand, FL 

32724-3417 with additional entry 

at Jefferson City, MO. Periodicals 

postage paid at Jefferson City, MO 

and additional entry offices. 

Summer – July 15, 2023 • Fall– October 15, 2023 

Winter – January 15, 2024 • Spring – April 15, 2024 

Submit articles and artwork to editor.whitetops@gmail.com. Articles should be 

submitted as Microsoft Word documents. Photos ( JPEG, TIFF, or PNG formats) 

may be emailed or, if too large, sent through wetransfer.com. 

CONTENTS 

2 CFA’S Star Performers, 2022–2023 

4 President’s Corner Jack Dean 

4 Sammy Smith—New Editor, Old Friend 

Dan Stapleton 

5 Secretary/Treasurer’s Message Maxine House 

6 Zerbini Family Circus Maxine House 

10 Lewis & Clark Circus Maxine House 

12 Tent #122 Banquet Pete Adams • Mary Fritsch 

14 Tanbark Topics William B. (Bill) Hall III 

17 Follow the Arrows Timothy Noel Tegge 

18 Dailey/Tegge Tent #180 Attends Carden International 

20 Circus Ring of Fame Induction 

22 Circus Hollywood: Florida State FairMaxine House 

27 Tent #137 Picnic Dan Stapleton 

30 Showfolks Tent #122 March Meeting 

32 Williams Earns Guinness World Record 

33 Richard Snowberg: A Tribute 

Bruce “Charlie” Johnson 

36 Caballeros Score Golden Elephant in Spain 

Alex Smith 

38 Leigh Ketchum: Showfolks Tent #122 Speaker 

39 Big Cat Habitat Pete Adams 

40 Mileposts 

42 Dusty’s All Star Circus Maxine House 

44 It’s Time to Register! Pete Adams 

45 Convention Schedule of Activities 

46 Membership 

47 We Had an OLLI Good Time! Jan Biggerstaff 

48 Edith Johnston Memorial Fund Report James Fry 

49 Convention Corner 

50 Remembering Buckles • In Memoriam 

Kent Kawata • Jan Biggerstaff 

51 Book Review Bruce “Charlie” Johnson 

53 CFA Board of Trustees Minutes Maxine House 

54 Wedding Bells in Las Vegas Maxine House 

56 Good Day, Bad Day John Moss 

57 Checkerboard Laughter (poem) Danise Payne 

58 Remembering Ringling’s Clown College 

Ron Severini 

62 Pictures from the Past Samuel Patrick Smith 

OUR COVERS 

Front cover: From out of the Wild, Wild West rides Mexico’s 

“King of the Cowboys,” Señor Jahir Aguiar. In the time-honored 

tradition of Mexico’s legendary charros, Jahir (pronounced Yah-eer) 

enchants audiences daily with his rope-spinning expertise in the 

ring of the Royal Hanneford Circus. His routine generates tremendous 

applause wherever he appears. PHOTO BY TIMOTHY NOEL 

TEGGE 

Back cover: Nothing beats a cool dip on a hot and humid Florida 

afternoon. Here, two-year-old Carlene Poema Rios bathes in bigtop 

style while the circus sets up around her. PHOTO BY CATHEY 

POEMA RIOS 

Spring 2023 3

President's Corner 

By Jack Dean 

Greetings from Sarasota, Florida! 

On May 1, I took over as President of CFA with a 

lot to learn and accomplish over the next two years. On July 

10, we start our 2023 convention in Sarasota, Florida. Pete 

Adams and I have been working hard to give Circus Fans a 

wonderful convention with lots of exciting events and speakers. The convention runs 

from July 10 through July 13. I hope to see all of you there. 

I feel that an important part of my presidency is CFA membership—retaining 

our current members and attracting new members. During the pandemic everything 

came to a stop, but now is the time to rebuild. My job as president is to listen to our 

members’ needs and ideas. We are working 

on taking credit cards to make it easier 

to join CFA and renew memberships. 

We have a great new team and White 

Tops editor and publisher, and I think it 

will become a much better magazine. 

Please feel free to contact me at any 

time by email at jack7880dean@gmail.com 

or call my cell phone at (941) 270-0640. 

May all your days be circus days. 

Sammy Smith—New Editor, 

Old Friend 

By Dan Stapleton 

President of Hoxie-Couls Tent #137, Orlando, Florida 

I 

’ve known Sammy nearly half a century, ever since I moved to Florida in the 1970s. 

He was a young whippersnapper back then, sure, but he was beyond his age as a 

writer and editor. For example, at fifteen he published his first book. Since then he has 

edited twenty books by other authors and written eight himself. He has also overseen 

the publication of more 

than 30,000 pages for 

magazines. 

Over the years, we have 

had many mutual friends 

in the world of magic, including 

a few who became 

legendary, and we have 

worked together on several 

biographical projects. In 

addition to his experience 

as an editor and publisher, 

Sammy is also a performer 

who brings class and sophistication 

to the magical 

arts. He’s a wonderful family and children’s 

entertainer. 

He is presently the editor of the 

world’s largest monthly magicians’ magazine 

in circulation, The Linking Ring, 

which cuts the poor fellow’s life short 

each and every month as he rushes to get 

the 160-page publication into the hands 

of nine thousand magicians worldwide. 

Such is the life of an editor. So, natch, 

I thought he needed more on his plate, 

to help stunt his growth even further, 

when I suggested him as the new editor 

of White Tops. Oddly, the masochist 

accepted the task. So, let’s all help the 

new guy out and give him strength. If 

he succeeds, we will all benefit from the 

colorful growth of the CFA—something 

that every one of us wants. 

4 White Tops

Secretary/Treasurer Notes 

By Maxine House 

April, May, and June are crucial months on the CFA calendar. 

April marks the end of our strange but symbolic fiscal 

year; the “First of May” marks the beginning of the new year with a new slate of 

officers biennially. 

The last issue of White Tops presented the list of six candidates and their resumes for 

the six open trustee seats, as well as the candidates for the offices of president-elect 

and vice president—a full slate. One hundred and six members mailed their votes out 

of the approximate six hundred possible voters. Naturally, all of the listed candidates 

were winners! The new listing for the Board of Trustees 2023–2025 is printed on 

page 3. 

The rest of the CFA members probably thought there was no real need to vote. But 

there was: it was a chance for them to voice their opinion on changing the name of our 

magazine from White Tops to CFA Big Top. 

Of all the voters, six chose not to give an opinion, but merely voted for the officers. 

Of the remaining one hundred and two voters, forty-three said yes to the change, 

while the other forty-nine said no. Most of the former made no comments. But I 

read a few such thoughts as, “Sound idea for good reasons!” and “Change is good.” 

The nays were more adamant: “There are many big tops, but only one White Tops!” or 

”I’m a traditionalist,” or “It’s an insult to the Founding Fathers of 

CFA!” It would seem to me that more fans are inclined to keep 

the name White Tops. 

But one thing might not have been clear to members—this 

was merely a poll! Only the Board of Directors can decide on a 

name change. Any change of name probably would involve a bit 

of legal work, including a revision to our periodical permit for the 

magazine. You may be sure that that Board will be addressing this 

question this year—probably at the convention in Sarasota. 

A positive result of the election and poll is that more fans have 

already paid their 2023–2024 dues than in other years! I have recorded 

many Ringmasters, Equestrians, and Producers who gave 

extra dues money to CFA. A special thank you to each of them. Those 

who gave extra dues during the last fiscal year are listed on page 

2. Also published in each White Tops are the names of members 

who have given donations beyond their dues to CFA (see page 

46). Another thank you! 

Feel free to contact me by phone or email if you have any questions 

about your dues. 

In April, the financial committee, led by Larry Sayler, spotted 

a shortfall between CFA’s income and its expenditures. The bulk 

of CFA money is spent on the publication of White Tops, but 

in no way did the committee want to cut back on that! After 

many phone calls and much emailing, board member and finance 

committee member Buddy Calhoun moved that, “the NCPS give 

$4,000 annually to CFA, earmarked for use of the educational 

aspects of White Tops, or whatever name it has.” This motion is 

strictly in keeping with the mission of 

NCPS: “To develop, promote, and advance 

information and knowledge for a 

better understanding of the American 

circuses.” This is exactly what many articles 

in White Tops do. The motion was 

seconded by Jan Biggerstaff, and the 

Trustees passed it on April 25. I immediately 

implemented it. 

The finance committee will be working 

on the 2023–2024 budgets for CFA 

and NCPS. By the time you read this, 

the new budget will have been formulated 

and approved by the Board. Larry 

will report on it in the summer issue of 

White Tops. 

I hope you are having a great circus 

season—we’ve enjoyed many here in 

Florida. I also hope that I see many of 

you at the Sarasota convention. 


Zerbini Family 

Circus 

Eustis, Florida • February 21, 2023 


PHOTOS BY MAXINE HOUSE AND SAMMY SMITH 

We arrived at the Zerbini lot, located on the Lake County 

Fairgrounds in Eustis, Florida, well in advance of the evening 

performance. With us was the new editor of White Tops, Sammy 

Smith, and his wife Laurel. They enjoyed the evening and both have 

subsequently joined CFA! 

The Zerbini family was highly visible on the lot, but they had time 

to greet us warmly. Alain, the founder and owner of the show, had 

recently undergone knee surgery. In great spirits, he was sitting in a 

wheelchair on the midway. He had big news for us: his son Julian will 

be taking over the management of the show! In fact, Alain and his wife 

Letty would be leaving that very evening for their home in Myakka 

City, Florida. Proud and happy, Alain was ready for retirement. 

The lot was set up as usual with a ticket wagon, concession stand, 

pony ride, and a bounce house. Letty was at the front door of the tent, 

taking tickets and selling tickets for the midway attractions. Julian was 

all over, preparing for the evening performance. His wife Darinka has 

taken the year off from performing to help her husband with the concessions. 

Alain’s daughter Melody and her husband Gustavo Ramirez 

still work in advance of the show. 

As usual, there was only one performance for the day, at 7:00 p.m. 

The tent only had plank bleacher seating along the two long sides of 

the tent. However, Alain graciously provided us with folding chairs. 

Bardo Garcia, the new ringmaster from Texas, replaced Julian. 

Looking the part, Bardo deftly announced and guided the performance. 

Top: Jennifer Luna presents her Spanish 

web routine. Middle: Ringmaster Bardo 

Garcia visits with Maxine House at 

intermission. Bottom: Fernanda Maya 

presents her quick-change act. 

6 White Tops

Top: A giant polar bear and comical clown antics delight the crowd. Bottom left: Julian Zerbini. Bottom right: Audience reaction was strong throughout the 

show. 


PERFORMANCE 

The show opened with Ronorica Christian’s slack wire 

act. He nicely incorporated both unicycle riding and juggling 

into his routine. 

Alex Bender from Venezuela followed with hand balancing. 

Then he ended his act with a chair-stacking routine, 

putting six chairs into a unique configuration. 

Daniel Luna presented six dogs in the show’s Canine 

Review. This was his first year with the act that Darinka 

Zerbini once managed. 

Andrew Obadilla used an interesting variety of items in 

his foot juggling display. 

Miss Fernanda Maya followed with the quick-change 

act—always a crowd pleaser. 

The coloring book pitch broke up the action. 

Julian put four miniature donkeys through their paces. 

Then entered the young clowns, brothers Andy and 

Randy, who spoofed a boxing match. 

Julian was then back with four liberty horses, which was 

a nice contrast to the donkeys. 

Light-up souvenir swords were offered for sale before 

Miss Maya’s trapeze act. 

The clowns returned “wanting to dance.” They get volunteers 

from the audience. Of course, one of them became 

the stooge. 

INTERMISSION 

The show reopens with Spider Man. The masked performer 

climbed the rigging and dived into an airbag. The 

kids loved it. 

Miss Jennifer Luna presented her Spanish web routine. 

As a cleanup crew, the clowns swept the ring as a huge 

spider descended from a box suspended above the ring. 

The audience saw it, but not the clowns. Mayhem ensued. 

However, this allowed Andy and Randy to then sell red 

clown noses for one dollar each. 

As the final act of the show, Pedro Luna performed 

his rolla bolla act. He was followed immediately by a 

yellow Chevrolet entering the tent—no, it was actually a 

Transformer Robot. The kids loved it! Truly a great ending 

for this circus. 

All the staff immediately began teardown. The next day 

they would be playing in another town. I hope fans in the 

east can catch this traditional one-ring family circus! 

Top: Bottom: Alex Bender, six stacks high. 

8 White Tops

Top left: JP and Maxine after a fun evening at the Zerbini Family Circus. Top right: Andy and Randy with Ringmaster Bardo Garcia entertain with their 

comedy boxing routine. Bottom: A rousing ending to the show. 


Lewis & Clark 

Circus 

Lake Helen, Florida – March 12, 2023 


PHOTOS BY THE AUTHOR 

We hadn’t seen or reviewed the Lewis and Clark Circus for White Tops since March 

of 2017, but we had two chances this season. We took them. 

Allowing two years off for the pandemic, this small, tented show has remained under 

the ownership and management of Vandier dos Reis. It opens in Florida and tours 

Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama, and as far north as New York. Its Facebook page is 

quite informative about its activities and route. 

However, there are changes. The performance is now presented on a stage with a 

grey curtain serving as its performers’ entrance. No longer bleachers, but folding chairs 

provide seating in a semicircle in front of the stage. It’s the same tent, but now it’s 

riddled with small holes. What must it be like inside on a rainy day? 

When we visited the show, the work and performance were completely done by 

eight people, all but one of whom were Brazilians! Several young women, waiting for 

their government approval to perform, helped to sell tickets and run the concessions. 

Vandier is still waiting for several more performers to arrive from Brazil. 

The performance begins with the First 

of May American Ringmaster, Maks 

Turner, welcoming the audience with 

the typical “Are you ready…?” The clown 

(Vandier) interrupts him, hauls in a colorful 

“blob,” and dumps it on the stage. 

When the Maks and the clown leave, the 

blob (Welington Silva Romeiro) expands 

and comes to life as two figures who perform 

a delightfully imaginative series of 

dances based on the music being played. 

The audience, especially the children, 

love it and giggle their approval. 

What follows is a series of traditional 

circus acts: hula hoops, aerial hoop (both 

by Gabriela Medeiro Frasao), rola bola 

(Andre Vinicius Machado Saleti), acrobatics 

Maks Turner), chair stacking 

(Guilherme Medeiro Frasao), and juggling 

(Wil Romanto). Guilherme also 

struggles to put a “zebra” through its 

paces, but no cooperation there. 

What really holds the show together 

is the crazy clowning of Vandier. Using 

a lot of audience volunteers, he gets the 

audience—especially the kids—completely 

into the gags. He has no problem 

getting these volunteers to come 

on stage. They love it, and their parents 

are ready with their cell phones to take 

pictures. Because Vandier uses a mic, his 

Left: A child from the audience is trying to get the zebra to behave. Right: After Ringmaster Maks Turner announces that one of the scheduled acts can’t 

appear, he takes off his Ringmaster coat and performs a pleasing acrobatic act. 

10 White Tops

Top, left to right: Vandier at the sound board. 

Before the show, four of the performers greet 

us. Left to right: Andre Machado Saleti, Vandier 

dos Reis, Guilher Frasao, and Gabriela Frasao. 

Middle, left to right: Gabriella on the lyre. 

Guilherme Medeiro Frasao’s chair act. 

Right: The main entrance of the tent. The van to 

the left is a combination ticket wagon and concession 

stand. 

accent adds to the comedy. The audience 

leaves the tent after an hour-and-a-half 

show, which includes an intermission, 

well satisfied with their circus. 

The tickets cost twenty-five dollars for 

adults. Children can enter for free with a 

coupon. Some concessions are available, 

run mostly by the performers, of course! 

After four days in Lake Helen, the 

troupe headed north. We wish for them 

a successful season. 


Seventh-Generation Circus Performers 

Speak at Tent #122 Banquet 

PHOTOS BY PETE ADAMS 

Tina Winn “Galaxy Girl” 

By Pete Adams 

Tina Winn, Galaxy Girl, is a seventh-generation circus performer. Her family 

comes from England and her circus heritage dates back centuries. Her grandfather 

performed his circus before Queen Victoria at Balmoral Castle in 1895. Her 

father came to United States in 1955 with his bareback riding troupe, the Dorchesters, 

after completing a seven-year contract at Blackpool Tower Circus in England where 

he won three gold medals for his bareback riding skills. He was contracted by the King 

Brothers Circus. Since his dream was to move to America, he brought his family and 

all the horses by ship to the United States. 

Joining the troupe was her father’s sister, Auntie Lilly, as well as her uncle, Billy 

Stebbings, with their children John, Anita, and Carol. They later opened Stebbings 

Royal European Circus and purchased the Polack Brothers Circus in the 1970s. Also 

in the troupe was her sister Pom-Pom, who took over the Polack Brothers Circus 

elephants for over a decade. She later also handled the Gatti-Charles elephants and 

presented the Toby Tyler African elephants, where she met Vincent Van Duke. For 

thirty years they’ve had Vincent Van Duke’s lions and tigers, and they still live here 

in Sarasota. Her sister Vivian was into bareback riding and later went on to perform 

the Boxer dog act. She performed on every major variety television stage show in the 

country and even performed on Broadway in Broadway Follies. Last but not least, 

her sister Stevie Coronas with Circus Hollywood—along with her children and her 

husband, Serge—have a large traveling circus and petting zoo working fairs and shrine 

circus all over the United States. 

After her father retired the bareback riding act, he went on to do Scott’s unrideable 

mule, a one-of-a-kind comedy act that has never been duplicated. He is a Sarasota 

Ring of Fame inductee. 

Tina was born in 1964 on the Polack Brothers Circus and started performing at the 

age of four. She spent the next twenty years performing with her sisters in a unicycle 

Left to right: Tent #122 President Jeanette Williams presents a certificate of appreciation to Johnny 

Rockett and Tina Winn. Johnny Rockett and Tina Winn, speakers for the Tent #122 banquet, have 

been creating circus acts since 2009. 

act. Tina performed in many family acts, 

but her dream was always to be a trapeze 

artist in the 1980s. She married into the 

Winn family and started doing daredevil 

acts such as the motorcycle on the wire 

and the side for life. They went on to 

create the sky master sway pole act with 

towering eighty-foot poles which they 

performed in venues all over the world, 

including Germany, France, Mexico 

City, Disneyland, Disney World Epcot 

Center, and Canada’s Wonderland. The 

act also went to Japan with the gold unit 

and performed here in the United States 

with the Ringling Blue unit. They even 

opened for the rock group Kiss, and they 

were always reaching for new and better 

acts. In 1991 while performing for 

Ringling Brothers, they decided to purchase 

the Centron Motorcycle Platform 

Act, a state-of-the-art rigging from her 

cousin Christine Fossett and her husband, 

David Chabira. David went on to 

be rigging coordinator for all Cirque du 

Soleil shows. 

Tina, of course, always liked to reach 

for bigger and better heights. In 2000, a 

gentlemen named Bruce Anderson contacted 

them to purchase his aerial high 

act which was something over a hundred 

feet at the time. She was not sure this 

was something she wanted to do, and 

stated that it’s not the performing part— 

but it’s a major set up. This aerial apparatus 

had over thirty-four guy wires, was a 

hundred and twenty-seven feet tall, and 

is fifty-five steps to the top. It takes six 

hours to set up and four hours to disassemble. 

Tina was proud to say that it’s 

the world’s highest traveling aerial stunt 

show and that it was performed at every 

major state and county fair. It included a 

seven-year engagement at the Big E. 

12 White Tops

Since 2009, Johnny and Tina have been creating and working 

on new shows and circus acts. Along with his Johnny Rockett 

character, they produce Cycle Circus Live, one of the largest action 

Sports FMX and BMX shows on tour. They perform with a 

great team. One of her very favorite performers is her daughter, 

Ashley, who is an eighth-generation circus performer. Ashley is 

performing the aerial platform act and her hula hoops act at the 

Florida State Fair. 

Tina then introduced Johnny, who builds and fabricates all of 

their equipment and who she believes is an amazing entertainer, 

as well as one of the most talented people in the industry. They 

have just returned from New York where Johnny has been the 

headliner at the Big Apple Circus for the past two seasons. 

Johnny Rockett 

By Mary Fritsch 

Johnny Rockett was born John Daly. His great-grandfather 

came to the United States from Ireland, performing in vaudeville 

and then moving to the circus. Johnny is a seventh-generation 

Memorabilia was on display for Johnny Rockett’s presentation. 

The cake of 

appreciation! 

circus performer whose father and grandfather were both 

clowns—they all had the same path, born into the circus. 

Johnny had no choice as a child. He started as a two-year-old 

when he was pulled out of a suitcase in a comedy act. His 

childhood was the circus and he was in every show. 

Johnny did comedy trampoline, break-away bikes, and 

learned how to build apparatus from his father and another 

great comedian, Smiley Bailey, who could build things 

from nothing. Johnny was homeschooled and did not have 

much formal education. All his education was in the field of 

entertainment. 

Johnny worked on Garden Brothers for twenty-one years 

and said that he learned a lot from them. He described them 

as a classy circus who had only the best of the best performing 

with perfect costumes and apparatus. 

When Johnny met Tina Winn, he said that he was the luckiest 

man. “Johnny Rockett” was a joint effort between Tina and 

himself. They brought FMX to the American circus—with the 

best FMX riders in the world—at his Florida State Show. 

Then the pandemic struck. Entertainment was the first hit. 

Johnny said it was a weird time for him, and a scary time for 

circus folk in general. He didn’t know what to do with himself. 

Johnny found hope when Nick Wallenda had a daredevil rally 

in Sarasota, where he and Tina both performed. 

Johnny next performed with Big Apple, but was devastated 

when it closed. Luckily, Nick Wallenda bought it and 

Johnny was once again a headliner for the Big Apple Circus. 

Unfortunately, the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant hit during 

rehearsals. This meant that the performers had to be tested 

twice a day—and that Tina and Ashley couldn’t be with him. 

But this year, the Big Apple Circus was sold out. Johnny and 

Tina were in the Macy’s Day Parade and everything is great. 

The only problem is that Johnny gets his audience so excited 

and loud that people from the nearby office buildings have 

filed noise complaints! 

Daredevil Johnny admits that he finds it scary and unnerving 

to set up Tina’s one-hundred-and-twenty-foot sway pole, 

especially in windy weather. In Johnny’s opinion, Tina is the 

greatest female daredevil in the circus. We in CFA Tent 122 

think that Johnny Rockett is one of the greatest daredevils 

himself, and we enjoyed having him and Tina as our speakers 

at our 2023 banquet. Thank you, Tina and Johnny. 


Tanbark 

By William B. (Bill) Hall III 

Topics 

60th 

Tanbark: shredded bark from 

which the tannin has been 

extracted, used to cover circus 

arenas. Tanbark Topics: starts 

year next issue! 

CASSELLY CROWN 

Worth watching—more than once! Widely acclaimed for acrobatic flips and feats 

with his family’s performing elephants and bareback riding horses, as well as for 

competitive dance triumphs, Rene Casselly, Jr. and his Pax de Trois riding act won the 

top gold clown award at January’s 45th Monte Carlo International Circus Festival. 

We have seen two videos of the prize-winning creation: one for 12:03 minutes and 

the other for 13:09—time well spent if you want to see a different best in circusdom. 

A video of Casselly’s Monte Carlo exploits appears under his name in the acts/ 

artists category of www.circopedia.com. 

The award-winning format began with the twenty-six-year-old Casselly initially 

spotlighted within a darkened circus ring. Subsequent spots showed him flanked by 

two women artists: his blonde sister Merrylu and brunette acrobat Quincy Azzario. 

The trio then engaged in what appeared to be the start of an adagio acrobatic routine. 

But then the proscenium curtain parted, revealing two large, handsome, side-by-side 

Percheron (white/black spotted) draft horses that circled the ring in 

a slow, measured gait. 

Casselly, who balanced with one leg on each of the back-padded, 

constantly moving horse tandem, was the understander for a series of 

lifts and carries with his female partners. Stunts included a two-high 

feet-to-head (Azzario on top), then Merrylu in a head-to-head with 

her brother, finalized by a three-high with safety-harnessed Merrylu 

as top mounter. 

For the act’s finish, Casselly, standing on one horse’s cushioned 

rump, used the bucking rear movements of the horse as his takeoff 

impetus into a double back feet-to-feet somersault on the rump of 

the same moving animal. For their prolonged bows, the performers 

offered a brief, novel, and well-choreographed adagio routine, adding 

an effective and novel close to their first-class attainments. 

In the aforementioned acts, Casselly displayed a nimble, free-wheeling 

flair not usually seen in circus rings. That may occur because he 

incorporates dance steps into his moves, perhaps the result of being 

a winning contestant on Let’s Dance, a dance competition television 

series produced live in Cologne, Germany, Casselly’s native country. 

Partnered with Kathrin Menziger, they were first place winners in 

2022 for the fifteenth season of Let’s Dance. 

Casselly Riding Act at Monte Carlo, 2023. CHRIS 

BERRY PHOTO 

In his historical review of the Monte 

Carlo festival published last March, 

Raffaele De Ritis wrote of the Casselly 

feats, “At least two tricks never witnessed 

in circus history: a three-high balance on 

two horses and a double (back) somersault 

on horseback.” From Italy, De Ritis 

Wesley Williams and Kenneth Feld, April 2023. CHRIS BERRY PHOTO 

14 White Tops

is an author, circus historian and stage/ 

entertainment director. 

Casselly’s bareback act was added as a 

special attraction for Germany’s Circus 

Krone from March 22 through April 16. 

Quincy Azzario and her sister, Katy, 

previously performed together as the 

Azzario Sisters in a stellar acrobatic balancing 

act. Katy is married to British big 

cat trainer Alexander Lacey, a Ringling- 

Barnum Circus headliner for eight years 

with his big cage mix of African lions 

and tigers. Reports had Quincy leaving 

the Casselly act after Monte Carlo. 

FUTURE FEST 

Monte Carlo’s event will next occur 

in 2024 from January 19 - 29, and will 

include the festival’s New Generation 

youthful performer competition within 

that time span. The winner of this year’s 

young artists’ vying was Russian slack 

wire whiz Ameli Bilyk. 

KRONE KUDOS 

With family ties to the ownership 

and management of Circus Vargas, the 

Flying Tabares trapeze troupe is working 

abroad this summer after having 

been a featured performing staple for 

several seasons with the aforementioned 

California-based big top show. Tabares 

flyers are currently in the “Stars in the 

Manege” themed program of Germany’s 

Circus Krone, which launched its 2023 

tent tour on April 8. (Vargas’s new production 

is billed as “Bonjour Paris, The 

City of Lights,” and hosted by former 

Ringling-Barnumite Jonathan Iverson,” 

who bills himself as “the last circus 

ringmaster.”) 

Also in the Krone lineup is the 

Danguir Troupe, offering a multi-person 

high wire cadre (including a presentation 

of a seven-member pyramid aloft), 

as seen with Ringling-Barnum into 

2017, and a double space wheel thriller. 

The Danguirs won a silver clown (second 

place award) at this year’s Monte Carlo 

festival. 

ALEGRA ACES 

A 2022 gold clown winner at Monte 

Carlo, the Tunzianis of double-wide 

trapeze flying fame, and spotlighting 

quadruple mid-air somersaulting 

Ammed Garcia, are with Cirque du 

Soleil’s Alegria production, now playing 

Japanese dates. Alegra will be in Osaka 

from July 14 through October 10, within 

a Morinomiya big top, and will use an 

Odaiba tent in Tokyo from February 8 

through June 23. Tunziani performing 

credits include Ringling-Barnum and 

the Big Apple Circus. 

RINGLING REVIVAL 

Heralding a “reimagined” return of 

The Greatest Show on Earth, Ringling- 

Barnum—after a six-year, ownership-imposed 

hiatus—is showing something 

drastically different for the resurrected 

animal-free, no-clowns circus 

well before the initial musical drumbeat 

at Bossier City, Louisiana on September 

29. 

That applies to the fifty-city show 

route, which debuts with four performances 

on a three-day weekend: a 7 p.m. 

curtain-raiser on Friday; stagings at 2 

and 6 p.m. on Saturday, September 30, 

and a 2 p.m. wrap on Sunday, October 

1, all at the Brookshire Grocery Arena. 

After that stand, Ringling heads to 

Cleveland, Ohio and the Rocket 

Mortgage Fieldhouse for seven shows 

from October 6 - 8 (one Friday evening; 

three Saturday formats at 11 a.m., 3 p.m., 

and 7 p.m.; and 2 and 6 p.m. Sunday. 

The remainder of Ringling’s early route 

consists of Friday-through-Sunday runs, 

offering seven performances within that 

time frame. Unlike prior years, there are 

no stands beyond a three-day weekend. 

Also ahead are the Fiserv Forum 

at Milwaukee, Wisconsin, October 

13 - 15; PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh, 

Pennsylvania, October 20 - 22; Heritage 

Bank Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, October 

27 - 29; and the Allstate Arena, Rosemont, 

Illinois, November 3 - 5. 

FELD FUNDS 

Kenneth J. Feld, president and chief 

executive officer of Feld Entertainment, 

Inc., parent company of the Ringling- 

Barnum Circus and other live shows, 

was listed among American billionaires 

by Forbes business magazine in April. 

Ranked at number 1,072 in Forbes’ annual 

listing, Feld, seventy-four, had a net 

worth of $2.9 billion, higher by $600 

million from 2022. 

Florida press accounts reported that 

Feld’s listing was higher than former 

US President Donald J. Trump, hip-hop 

mogul Jay-Z, TV personality Oprah 

Winfrey, and famed investor Warren 

Buffett’s right-hand man at Berkshire 

Hathaway, Charlie Munger. 

Headquartered at Ellenton, Florida, 

Feld Entertainment’s live show roster 

(besides the circus) includes Disney on 

Ice, Monster Jam, and others. 

VAZQUEZ VIBES 

Having used Italy’s David (“Clown 

of Clowns”) Larible as its prime funster 

for the past three years, Vazquez Bros. 

Circus again looked abroad for comedy 

with this season’s touring big top edition. 

That choice was Housch Ma Housch, a 

Ukrainian-born comic but a resident of 

Germany since 2020. At birth in 1972, 

his name was Semen Shuster. 

Housch’s current castmates are the 

Ukraine’s versatile, high-energy Bingo 

Troupe of dancers, aerialists, and acrobats, 

and a returnee from recent Vazquez 

programs; India’s Hasan Ansari and 

his Mallakhamb pole gyrations; a teeterboard 

group from Mongolia; Pavel 

Valla Bertini, a unicycling act of Czech- 

British origin; and a pair of turns from 

Chile, single trapezist Camila Palma and 

the Reyes Brothers, high pole jugglers. 

Back in his native Europe, Larible premiered 

his own show, Laribling (Larible 

Eando) with a three-week run starting 

February 10 at Teatro Circo Price in 

Madrid, Spain. 


FL!P FEATURES 

Vazquez’s smaller unit (an eighthundred-seat 

big top) has returned 

for a second successive season with a 

slightly altered title. Flip Circus is now 

Fl!p… (an exclamation mark replacing 

the “i”) and began its 2023 tour with 

a March 3 through March 20 visit to 

Yonkers, New York. Following were 

additional stands in the New York 

metro area—Staten Island and Lake 

Grove, Long Island. 

Ringmaster Arthur Figuerosa’s introductions 

are directed to another 

Bingo Troupe: Italians Stiv and Roni 

Bello, billed as “Siblings of Silliness”; 

Mexico’s solo trapezist Carolina 

Vazquez; Colombia’s Duo Vanegas, 

aboard the rotating Wheel of Steel; 

Super Tumblers from the USA; the 

three Bello Sisters, Italian acrobats; 

and a live band. 

unicycling “One Wheel Wonder,” but 

Wesley Williams—this summer at the 

Circus World Museum in Baraboo, 

Wisconsin (Tanbark Topics, Winter, 

2023)—is making a remarkable recovery 

from his serious performing accident 

that occurred in October 2021. 

His comeback from a fall off a towering 

unicycle while performing in Madrid for 

the Spain’s Got Talent telecast resulted 

in five operations, eighty-three stitches, 

body insertion of two metal plates and 

thirty-five screws, and being sidelined 

for more than seven months. 

Williams will be in the cast of the new 

Ringling-Barnum edition, whose July 

1 rehearsals at the Feld Entertainment 

complex in Ellenton, Florida, required 

the youthful artist to win a release from 

a contracted summer big top season at 

the Circus World Museum (CWM) in 

Baraboo, Wisconsin (Tanbark Topics, 

Winter, 2023). Two young artists in his 

place, said CWM Executive Director 

Scott O’Donnell, are hand-balancer 

Ian Laidlaw, a graduate of the Sarasota 

(Florida) Sailor Circus, and juggler-unicyclist 

Christian Videla. 

Williams won his Ringling pact after 

being seen by circus producer Kenneth 

J. Feld in performances last January at 

the Monte Carlo International Circus 

Festival. 

HAMID HANDS 

Unlike some circus producers who 

have crafted animal-free formats 

(the PETA—People for the Ethical 

Treatment of Animals—animal activists’ 

effect), Hamid Circus didn’t cave, 

based on four-footed attractions when 

the show began its 2023 season in 

February for a Midian Shrine presentation 

at Salinas, Kansas. The lineup 

included three Asian elephants from 

the Carson & Barnes Circus herd, 

handled by Tim Frisco; the dogs/ 

pigs act of Hans Klose; Colleen Pages’ 

six dromedaries (four performing, 

and two used for ride concessions); 

and the Cowboy Ponies of the Alex 

Petrov clan. Producer/President James 

M. Hamid, Jr. proudly noted that 

subsequent dates included the Arab 

Shrine Circus at Topeka, Kansas, “Our 

eighty-third consecutive year there!” 

MEDICAL MENDING 

You would probably not know it 

as you see him whirling around as a 

16 White Tops

APPROVING ABSENCE 

A unit of Carson & Barnes 

Circus Asian elephants was cancelled 

from an expected appearance 

with the Irem Shrine Circus at the 

Kingston (Pennsylvania) Armory in 

mid-April due to pressing health issues 

facing Terry Frisco, the pachyderms’ 

presenter, according to show 

and sponsor sources. Frisco was 

undergoing medical care that required 

him to remain at his and the 

Carson & Barnes quarters in Hugo, 

Oklahoma. Producer of the Irem 

staging was Billy Martin, of Billy 

Martin Presents (Tanbark Topics, 

Winter, 2023). 

CHANGING COURSE 

Now in our sixtieth consecutive 

year of authoring this column, we 

found that John and Mardi Wells 

and their team were the best and 

most professional editors experienced 

over those six decades. Thus, 

we were truly sorry to learn of the 

contretemps that abruptly ended 

their White Tops affiliation and dedicated 

service (for details, see CFA 

Secretary Maxine House’s minutes 

of a special January 7, 2023 Zoom 

meeting by CFA board members 

and other interested parties). 

As your columnist, we have the 

privilege of offering personal views 

that should not be in accounts by 

those of an objective news reporter. 

So—we feel the Wells’ dismissal 

was overblown, and could have been 

settled in a less contentious manner. 

We could offer more, but let’s keep 

it there for now. 

Best wishes for editorial success 

and CFA support to our new editor, 

Samuel Patrick Smith, and his SPS 

Publications staff. For us, initial 

contacts have been reassuring and 

productive! 

You may contact Bill Hall by email 

at billhallevents@verizon.net. 

Anything but invisible 

in a bright red tailcoat, 

audience members often approach 

me—usually during 

intermission—with any number 

of questions about circus 

life. A rather common query 

is. “How long does it take to 

get all of this stuff [referring 

to the entire layout of riggings, 

props, and physical equipment] set up?” With a 

slight chuckle, the answer I usually quip to ‘towners’ 

is “as long as it takes.” I will then elaborate that if we 

have three days to make the jump and set up, it takes three days. If we have only twelve hours 

to tear down, load out, travel to the next lot or building, set up and be ready for a morning 

show, then that is how long it takes. 

As recently as only last week and as frequently as, well, just about always, it seems everyone—crew, 

lighting and sound techs, concessionaires, and performers alike—are often racing 

to the finish line to get ready for the first show in each new town. Life gets in the way: 

everything from grocery shopping or doing laundry to repairing something power-driven. 

Miraculously, it always seems to come together in whatever amount of time allocated, and 

when that next whistle blows—ready or not—we are unquestionably “ready.” What then follows 

is a spectacle that we call a circus. The public never once contemplates that something 

today may be slightly off or completely missing from yesterday’s ritual. 

The circus is a well-oiled machine … and flippantly, that machine is often about two quarts 

low. As scrupulous as they need to be, its cast of characters—from the most daring of young 

men and women, to those who follow the animals with a shovel—are immersed in organized 

chaos on a daily basis, often skating through life in sequins and feathers at breakneck speed 

by the skin of their teeth. Not without exception, for example, I am frantically writing this 

column less than forty-eight hours before its editorial deadline, while waiting to board a plane 

and then while flying through the air from last evening’s closing performance in Dickinson, 

North Dakota, to Wilmington, Massachusetts, where I open tomorrow at noon. It is business 

as usual, and all part of the mayhem—and the romance—of being “with it.” 

We are forever at the mercy of the not-always simple logistics of “making the jump.” 

We trust in God, mechanics, tire manufacturers, weather forecasters, and twenty-four-hour 

hash slingers stationed at fuel stops wedged between points A and B. We set out each day of 

each season gambling on everything falling into place whenever the time comes and wherever 

the road leads us next. Only occasionally are we slightly amazed that we have again “pulled 

it off.” And we always do. Showpeople—REAL showpeople—certifiably live by the clichéd 

sentiment that “the show must go on.” All true professional artists—be they circus performers, 

night club entertainers, or rock stars—pretty much vow to live by this code. This is what we 

do, and this is how we do it: THAT is what keeps it fresh and exciting. 

We do our designated jobs to the best of our abilities, taking for granted just how competent 

our abilities actually are. We camouflage any absent components and thereby allow us the 

opportunity to achieve our goal, which is to entertain the public and to send everyone home 

with a smile on their faces at the end of the day. Everybody wins. 

I would imagine that many members of our beloved CFA get tangled in similar disarray 

recurrently, trying to balance their personal schedules to accommodate professions, families, 

and hobbies, all of which include goals that need to be set and achieved. 

Since we’re all meeting ourselves coming and going anyway, why not add a few hours a 

week to help our organization grow? We can recruit new members or reconnect with those 

who may have let their membership lapse. We can become more active in CFA leadership by 

running for offices, assembling committees, assisting with the editing of our magazine, and 

helping with annual convention preparations. Any and all of these can better prepare us for 

action when that whistle blows. 

The time is now to set and focus on agendas and meet our goals. Whether circus professionals 

or fans/enthusiasts, our mission is essentially the same. A happy ending amongst the chaos. 


Dailey/Tegge Tent #180 Attends Carden International 

By Timothy Tegge 

PHOTOS BY ROBERT HARMEL 

Members of the Dailey Bros./Timothy Noel Tegge Tent #180 attend 

the Garden International Circus. From left to right: Vicki Bell, Nicole 

Zimmerman, Ted Friend, and Bob Harmel. 

Four CFA members from the Dailey/Tegge tent attended 

the March 7 evening performance of the Carden International 

Circus, located at the Brazos County Expo Center in Bryan, 

Texas. Although Carden had been booked for two days of 

double performances, the March 6 shows were cancelled a few 

weeks earlier due to a scheduling miscommunication with the 

expo center. Attending from the tent were Bob Harmel, Ted 

Friend, Nicole Zimmerman, and Vicki Bell. The members report 

that it was a very entertaining show in spite of the venue’s 

limitations (especially lighting), and that the good crowd was 

enthusiastic throughout. 

Human acts included hair-hang, hand and foot juggling, 

aerial ballet, a human cannon ball, incline motorcycle on the 

wire, a double wheel of death, a very entertaining team of six 

female contortionists from Mongolia, rope jumping, a display 

of entertaining dance moves, and some amusing clown 

acts. Animal acts included a pair of elephants, eight camels, 

a number of domestic cats, and—for the first time—a pair 

of performing buffalo. Pre-show and intermission rides were 

provided on elephants, camels, and ponies. 

The conclusion consisted of a parade of national flags, featuring 

all human performers and one of the elephants, with a 

theme of “in spite of differences, we are all one in the circus.” 

Carden International has performed in Bryan for many 

years, under the rubric “Ben Hur Shrine Circus.” 

18 White Tops 

Yosa Garner’s performing buffalo appears 

in the United States for the first time.

Top: Carden Circus elephants Betty and Janice perform under the direction of Florin Moreau. Bottom: All cast members enter the ring for a final bow at the 

finale of the Garden International Circus. 


Induction 2023 

From the Awards Program 

Photos courtesy of the Ring of Fame Foundation 

The Thirty-fifth Annual Circus Ring of Fame was held under the Circus Sarasota 

Big Top on February 4, 2023, under the direction of William W. Powell, Chair 

of the Board of Trustees for the Circus Ring of Fame Foundation, Inc. This year the 

honor was proclaimed for the Alexis Brothers, Reverend Father Jerry Hogan, Peggy 

Williams, and Jeanette Williams with a full house attending the show. In addition, 

Daniella Arata and Annaliese Nock were honored with the Generation NeXt Award. 

Joseph Dominick Bauer was the Ceremony emcee with special comedy guest Chris 

Allison. 

The first inductees were the Alexis Brothers, Marco and Paolo Lorador, who are 

amazing hand-to-hand balancers and part of a multi-generational circus family from 

Portugal. As teenagers in 1979, they appeared in the Cirque de Demain Festival in 

Paris winning the Gold Medal, and in 1990 won the Silver Clown Award at the Monte 

Carlo Circus Festival. They made their United States debut in 1984 with Ringling 

Brothers and Barnum & Bailey. The Alexis Brothers were featured with numerous 

shows here and abroad, thrilling millions of fans—including Queen Elizabeth II and 

the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. They have performed for nearly thirty 

years at Cirque du Soleil, where their unique style makes them one of a kind. 

Father Jerry. 

Reverend Father George G. Hogan 

was the next inductee. Affectionately 

known as “Father Jerry,” he was ordained 

in 1974 and served in the Archdiocese 

of Boston. He was assigned to the 

Circus Ministry by the US Conference 

of Catholic Bishops in 1990. For nearly 

thirty years, he served as National Circus 

Priest, celebrating life’s most cherished 

moments—births, baptisms, first communions, 

confirmations, weddings, and 

memorial services—with the greater circus 

community, being a friend to all and 

stranger to none, regardless of religious 

affiliations. His favorite project and 

lasting legacy is the Showfolk’s Winter 

Quarters in Seffner, Florida, a site he 

Alexis Bros. 

20 White Tops 

Peggy Williams.

Annaliese Nock Slide. 

Danielle Arata. 

founded that offers affordable housing to 

retired show people. Father Jerry is the 

first Minister of Faith inducted into the 

Circus Ring of Fame. 

Peggy Williams was the next inductee 

who was a performer, director, 

manager, and educator with RBBB for 

over forty-eight years, and became the 

role model for all women in the circus 

industry. She was the first female 

clown college graduate, class of 1970, 

to appear with the Greatest Show on 

Earth, apprenticing with the legendary 

Lou Jacobs. In 1982 she became the 

Assistant Performance Director of the 

Blue Unit and in 1988 the Performance 

Director of the Gold Unit tour in Japan. 

An educator at heart and a University of 

Wisconsin graduate with a speech pathology 

degree, she became Ringling’s 

first Manager of Education Outreach, 

creating circusworks.com, a virtual teaching 

tool incorporating circus themes into 

many subjects. Teachers across America 

use it to develop their own curricula. 

Peggy was inducted into the Clown Hall 

of Fame in 1998. 

Jeanette Williams was the next inductee 

and represents the eighth generation 

of Germany’s Circus Williams 

Family. She came to America when her 

mother Carola brought all of their animals 

to RBBB to open their second unit 

in 1969. She worked an eighteen-horse 

liberty act, and still favors performing 

and presenting horses. Jeanette had 

her own circus from 1990 to 1993 and 

created an ongoing international talent 

agency for circus artists in 1991, which 

garnered her world-wide recognition 

and respect. She was a judge at numerous 

circus festivals and a recipient of the 

Ringling Museum Celebrity Award. 

Jeanette is instrumental in preserving 

endangered species, including cheetahs 

at the Columbus Zoo and the first white 

tigers at a safari park in Germany. Her 

daughter Caroline Williams and grandson 

Dominick Williams Bauer represent 

the ninth and tenth generation of her 

performing circus family. 

As part of the celebration’s 

performance segment, the 

two NeXt Generation designees 

each presented an act of 

their own. Daniella Arata performed 

a hand-balancing and 

contortion act culminating in 

a remarkable bow and arrow 

shot using her feet alone. 

Annaliese Nock—who is the 

“dare daughter of thrill acts”— 

presented her sway pole act 

high in the tent with a finale 

of a remarkable slide for life 

headfirst from the top of the 

pole to the arena floor. 

William Powell. 

Jeanette Williams. 


Circus Hollywood 

Florida State Fair Tampa, Florida • February 16, 2023 


One day isn’t enough to visit all the 

circus attractions on the 2023 

Florida State Fair, but we tried! Arriving 

when the gates opened at 11:00 a.m., we 

quickly got a Visitor’s Guide which listed 

the events and the times of performances. 

Unhappily there was much overlapping 

of show times; happily, we could see 

our first show in fifteen minutes! 

HOLLYWOOD RACING PIGS, 

11:15 a.m. 

Crystal Coronas Welde has been presenting 

this act at the fair many times a 

day for many years—same format, but always 

different. Her sister-in-law Lletsira 

Coronas, as well as her niece Arriana, 

assisted her. Each pig always has a joke 

name like Bruce Springswein. Crystal 

confessed that she’s had to change some 

PHOTOS BY JIM COLE EXCEPT AS NOTED 

names because the kids didn’t catch the 

joke! With a bleacher right in front of 

the racetrack, it’s a great place to sit for a 

while, cheer on the pigs, and maybe win 

a prize! 

THE FLYING ROYALS, 12:00 p.m. 

Not far away, we spotted the one-ofa-kind 

towering rigging of The Flying 

Royals with the American flags on top 

of the four supports. Each column was 

guyed out to several huge, black concrete 

blocks. 

The show began with ringmistress 

April Brown Chodkowski welcoming 

the audience. She and her husband 

Justin are the founders of The Flying 

Royals. She introduced the first act, Paul 

Schimmel, with his juggling and Diablo 

act in the arena in front of the bleachers. 

When April kept urging him to “go 

higher,” he climbed a ladder to a platform 

fifty-five feet up and dove onto a 

large, inflated bag. 

April then performed a pleasing cloud 

swing, followed by Bendy Kate with her 

acrobatic act. Lianna Ashton did two 

acts, foot juggling and hula hoops. All 

the acts were high quality. 

But the crisscrossing trapeze act is The 

Flying Royals signature act. Although 

such a trapeze act had originally innovated 

in the 1950s and tried again in the 

1990s, it has not been performed in the 

last twenty years. With one main catcher 

( Justin Chodkowski) there were three 

other catchers (Paul Schimmel, Daniel 

Ponce, and Lukas Weinbach) and three 

fliers (April, Rachel Ransom, and Maile 

Hove). Using three platforms, the fliers 

turned ninety degrees to return to another 

catcher. One move has the flier 

going over a catcher who is holding two 

bars! 

Originally from Santa Barbara, 

California where they had a trapeze 

school, Justin and April’s group have 

toured all over the world and have also 

performed on America’s Got Talent. This 

was their first visit to the Florida State 

Fair. I hope they return next year! 

Arriana, Crystal, and Lletsira Coronas between performances of the Racing Pigs. PHOTO BY MAXINE 

HOUSE 

22 White Tops 

CYCLE CIRCUS LIVE, 1:00 p.m. 

Right across the road from the Flying 

Royals, Johnny Rockett along with eight 

other performers presented his freestyle 

motocross production (FMX). First a 

loud opening with six cyclists racing 

around the front area on bicycles and 

motorbikes. Then Tina Winn, a 2022

The setup for Cycle Circus Live. PHOTO BY MAXINE HOUSE 

inductee to Sarasota’s Ring of Fame, 

welcomed the audience and introduced 

the circus acts: a lyre act and the 

“Monster Motor Ball,” more often called 

the “Globe of Death.” 

This was followed by Johnny’s signature 

act: the Cyclotron. Johnny rode 

a motorcycle around a large, elevated, 

round platform, propelling a long beam 

ending in a bar holding Tina! She executed 

several acrobatic maneuvers. The 

highpoint was when Johnny’s cycle levitated 

off the stage along with Tina! 

Then came the bikes. First, three bikers 

performed many amazing jumps off the 

front ramp. This was followed by three 

motorcyclists flying off the bigger back 

ramp. The audience responded loudly to 

the jumps, including several falls. 

The performance moved quickly, 

and it was soon time to go to the next 

production. 

Cristian Bilea takes his bows. 

The Coronas sisters: Arriana (top) holds Fabianna. 

CIRCUS HOLLYWOOD, 2:30 p.m. 

Circus Hollywood is the show that 

we come yearly to see, owned and run 

by the Coronas family from Bradenton, 

Florida. Serge and Stevie Coronas, along 

with their three children and spouses, 

produce a first-rate circus every year. It 

travels from Florida all the way north to 

New England. They usually play at fairs, 

but often enough at Shrine dates. The 

Florida State Fair was the second date of 

their 2023 season and the first one with 

their new production, “Rock Stars.” 

Performed in their yellow and blue circular 

tent, the show provided bleachers 

on three sides and ringside chair seating. 

Two large television screens flanked the 

performers’ entrance to give information 

about the show, such as the names of 

each act. Best of all, Circus Hollywood 

provides air-conditioning! Concessions 

are also available. 

The show opened with the clown 

Rulito (Cristhian Videla) trying to sing 

a rock song, but having trouble with 

the wire to his microphone. A clever 

gag, executed well to the delight of the 

audience. 

Spring 2023 23

Lletsira (Siri) Coronas and her beautiful camels. 

Ringmaster Devin Chandler opens the show. 

The Ringmaster, Devin Chandler, took 

over singing “Are you ready to party?” 

and the audience on cue loudly responded, 

“Oh, yeah!” We were off to a rousing 

start as the performers poured into the 

ring for a lively charivari. 

Junior Neves, who was already in the 

ring, continued with his fast-moving 

juggling act. He was followed by Rulito 

who chose three people from the audience 

to play in a “band.” One volunteer 

always became the stooge—much to the 

audience’s delight. 

After the magic wand pitch, Christian 

Bilea presented his chair-balancing 

act. A member of the Coronas family, 

Christian has been on the show for many 

years and his various acrobatic skills add 

much to the show. 

The Coronas Sisters, Arriana (age 

sixteen) and Fabianna (age fourteen), 

have now been performing on the show 

for about four years. “My, how they 

have grown!” From a basic acrobatic 

act, they have developed into spectacular 

performers. Trained by their mother 

Lletsira, they performed on a double trapeze 

with some amazing catches! 

While the ring was being prepared for 

the camel act, the two Jumbi Stilt dancers 

pranced around the walkway. Their 

music adds much to the act and the audience 

appreciated them. 

The final act of the show was Princess 

Lletsira and her four beautifully groomed 

white camels. She led them through a 

pleasing set of maneuvers. The curried 

hair from these camels spins into cashmere 

soft yarn! 

As they left the ring, the whole cast 

returned for a final bow. The happy audience 

left slowly to enjoy more of the fair. 

ADRENALINE, 3:30 p.m. 

The thrill show Adrenaline was also 

easy to spot with its two sway poles, 

its “Wheel of Wonder,” and its high 

wire rigging. Annaliese Nock, dubbed 

“Daredaughter” by her father Bello, 

Drummer Rulito (Christian Videla). The drums are part of the “rock” opening. 

24 White Tops

The Circus Hollywood tent. 

performed on all three apparatuses for 

a true shot of adrenaline for the audience! 

Assisted by Channing Gross and 

Raymond Silos, she began with the traditional 

crossing poles on the sway poles, 

and then on to the wheel, and finally 

up on the wire. Interestingly enough, 

Bello—whose act was set up nearby— 

was there to check the guying on the 

wires and to take movies! Annaliese is 

truly following in the family tradition! 

WET AND WILD, 5:00 p.m. 

In a peaceful lake-like setting with 

many food stands nearby, we could catch 

a bite to eat and watch from a picnic 

table Bello Nock’s imaginative Wet and 

Junior Neves with his fast-moving juggling act. 

Annaliese Nock on the Wheel. 

Cristhian Videla as “Rulito” captivates the audience 

from the beginning. 


The Flying Royals. 

Paul Schimmel dives from fifty-five feet into a large air cushion. 

Wild show. Bello had bought a Corvette and 

converted it to a powerboat! He used it at the 

opening of Wet and Wild to drive to the raft 

from which he emceed his water show. What 

followed was a series of unusual water vehicles—one 

of which shot the performer into 

the air on a column of water. Bello’s patter 

added much to the production. 

6:30 p.m. 

After catching Circus Hollywood’s last 

performance of the day at 5:30 p.m., we 

called it a day. We still hadn’t seen the One 

Man Band, the Fireguy, Otter Adventure, 

Extreme Dogs, Farmyard Follies, or the 

Giraffe Menagerie! But we ate some great 

food and left satiated. With free parking and 

lots of bargains on ticket prices, the Florida 

State Fair is a true bargain for a circus fan! 

Maybe we should spend two days at the fair 

next year. 

Only paid members of CFA will receive their summer issue! 

Contact Maxine House at mahouse@verizon.net with any questions. Thank you! 

26 White Tops

Circus Fans Flood Zimmerman and Blackwelder 

‘Circus Compound’ for Tent #137 Picnic 

By Dan Stapleton 

PHOTOS BY THE AUTHOR AND OTHER ATTENDEES 

Just two weeks before our picnic—scheduled for the afternoon of Sunday, April 

23—we were a little worried that only ten attendees from Central Florida’s Tent 

137 had signed up. Should we cancel? 

Then again, we also know that people often procrastinate—maybe they would show 

up after all. 

Members and organizers John Zimmerman and Paula Blackwelder rented the big 

tent and chairs and had to figure how much food (and drinks) to order. Now, this 

was more than just a CFA event. We invited all circus enthusiasts with the hope that 

some attendees would join the CFA. Two weeks later, one hundred and twenty people 

joined in on the fun, sun, food, and circus entertainment located at the home and 

“circus compound” of Zimmerman and Blackwelder. That’s twice as many attendees 

as we had hoped for! 

The full trapeze set-up was amazing, and there was no shortage of flyers for our 

attendees to “ooh” and “aah” over. Even Julianna Richards, one of the stars of the new 

Ringling show, was there to demonstrate her skills while high in the air. 

Many more wonderful entertainers dazzled the crowd on that perfect sunny afternoon. 

Former Cole Bros. Ringmaster, Chris Connors, stepped in to announce the 

acts. As usual, he did a great job announcing not only the acts, but also the raffle 

numbers for the many winners of circus-related prizes donated by various attendees. 

Funny-man Chris Allison was next followed by Miss Juliette on silks. John and 

Paula presented a tight and funny low-bar trapeze act. Then there was Skylar Williams 

(contortionist), Dan Stapleton (magician), Zoe Bovio (aerial hammock artist), Brian 

David and Jamie Ryan (comic flyers with a touch of trapeze hilarity) and a few others 

high on the platform bar. 

Left: Magician Dan Stapleton escapes from solid steel chains. Right: Amber and Faryln Stapleton welcome 

guests. 

Top: John Zimmerman and Paula Blackwelder 

opened their home and circus compound 

to attendees of Tent #137’s picnic. Bottom: 

Ringmaster Chris Connors keeps the show 

moving. 


Enjoying the big hammer strike. 

Ellie Zimmerman provided the music. There were two 

huge funny mirrors inside the tent, as well as the big High 

Strike (Big Hammer) game donated by CFA club member 

Bill Hall. Author and circus painter Dave Letterfly was on 

hand to autograph and sell copies of his new book Speedy- 

Hurled Through Havoc. Even incoming CFA President Jack 

Dean and Secretary-Treasurer Maxine House were there. 

Dan and Faryln Stapleton held court at the picnic entrance 

strong-arming attendees to “donate” what they could to 

help offset the picnic expenses, while Marcus Makar wrote 

the name tags. 

When none other than the entire Flying Robins trapeze 

troupe showed up, we were graced by circus royalty. Wow! 

There’s not enough space to list all the names of those 

who helped make this event a huge success, but Grelle 

Perez spent most of the day preparing the food. Special 

mention to Debbie and Steve Beasley (and others) for assisting 

the many hours of set-up and break down. 

We are planning our next circus picnic for 2025. (We 

need a full year off to catch our breath!) Hopefully, this will 

take place at the Zimmerman circus compound again. Did 

I mention that one hundred and twenty people showed up? 

Yikes! 

28 White Tops 

Top: Julianna Richards, star of the new Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey 

Circus. Bottom: Contortionist Skylar Williams.

Top, left to right: One hundred 

twenty people attended the 

picnic—twice as many as we 

hoped for! Attendees at the 

Tent #137 picnic had plenty 

of good food to enjoy. 

Middle, left to right: Paula 

Blackwelder and Zoe Bovio. 

Miss Juliette. 

Bottom, left to right: The 

Flying Robins trapeze troupe. 

A perfect day for a picnic. 


Jeanette Williams Speaks on Cheetahs 

at Showfolks Tent #122 March Meeting 


President Jeanette Williams called the meeting to order at 6:45 p.m. Evi Kelly- 

Lentz led the Pledge of Allegiance. Since every member had been sent a copy of 

the February Treasurer’s Report, Debbie Gallegoes made a motion to accept it, which 

Wayne Scheiner then seconded. The motion passed. 

President Williams said our February banquet was very successful. It was held at 

the Shriners Club in Sarasota. The people were great to work with, the food was good, 

and the lovely flower arrangements provided by Jerry Stanley and Lynn Schinkel 

looked beautiful on the tables. Our speakers were Tina Winn and Johnny Rockett, 

who were very informative and fun. Forty-four people attended the banquet and everyone 

seemed pleased with how it went. 

Jeanette then introduced some guests: Roganna, Chuck Sidlow, Tina Winn, and 

Becky and Kirk Kilpatrick from Nebraska. Also, Allen Rebbernick—the son of Willy 

Rebbernick—who was known for chimpanzee acts. They came 

from Austria and are one of the oldest circus families. 

Donna Scheiner then showed us an article about the new 

Circus Train Car Museum that just opened in Venice. Their 

hours are Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday from 10:00 a.m. 

to 1:00 p.m. 

We ended our formal meeting to next enjoy a delicious potluck 

dinner, with Shirly Adams giving the blessing. We thank 

Jerry Stanley and Lynn Schinkel for the meat and a sweet 

potato casserole as well as all of the decorations. The floral 

plates, napkins, and flowers in vases made every table colorful. 

Other members brought side dishes and desserts. The food 

was very tasty, so the thirty-eight people who attended this 

meeting ate well. 

We were supposed to have an auction that night, but it was 

postponed since several people involved in the auction were ill. 

In its place, we hosted a regular raffle instead. Debbie Gallegos 

sold tickets and Jeanette called the numbers. We made $130. 

Thanks to everyone who helped with the dinner and the raffle. 

Since we had originally planned to hold an auction, we did 

not have a speaker planned. However, since we had time, we 

called upon our gracious President, Jeanette Williams, to be 

our speaker. 

Jeannette Williams and Her Cheetahs 

Jeanette said cheetahs are not like other animals. They have 

no claws and chirp like birds. They are easily distracted, so it 

can be difficult to keep them focused when they are in the ring. 

The children’s spinning and light-up toys fascinated them so 

much that they would just stare at the toys. 

The first time Jeanette saw a cheetah, 

she was younger and attending a 

Siegfried & Roy show. That’s when she 

knew she had to have cheetahs. She did 

get two very small cheetahs that were six 

months old and not related to each other, 

which she named Kissi and Kamaty. 

They came from Africa and Jeanette 

trained them, on a leash, to sit and jump. 

At the time, there were no cheetah acts 

at any circus. Often, other cats would be 

performing, with a cheetah or two just 

sitting. 

Jeanette Williams and her Cheetahs. PHOTO FROM HER PERSONAL COLLECTION. 

30 White Tops

Because cheetahs are endangered animals, 

it took Jeanette two and a half years 

to get a one-of-a-kind license from the 

USDA. She had them ride with her on 

liberty horses for her act. The cheetahs, 

which could jump on and off horses, 

rode on a chariot seat while horses pulled 

the chariot around the ring. However, 

Jeanette never felt that the cheetahs were 

correctly displayed—it was hard to show 

them off when there were elephants in 

the next ring, for example. She wanted 

to demonstrate the cheetahs’ speed, but 

couldn’t do it inside one ring. Jeanette 

asked to use all three rings so she could 

show how fast they could run to catch 

a frisbee, but was turned down. No one 

understood how different cheetahs were 

from other animals in the circus. Jeanette 

decided she’d had enough when one of 

the cheetahs was poisoned. 

Jeanette sent them to Jack Hanna in 

Columbus, Ohio. Female cheetahs do 

not go into heat. Evidently, after a kill, 

the female cheetah gives off a highpitched 

sound which attracts the male 

cheetahs. If you have several male cheetahs 

and several female cheetahs that 

don’t like each other, nothing happens. 

Jeanette’s cheetahs, Kissi and Kamaty, 

had always liked each other but never 

had babies. Jack gave Kissi and Kamaty a 

great, open place to live. 

Jack called Jeanette one day to tell her 

she was a grandmother—Kissi had just 

given birth to six babies! Jeanette flew 

to see them but was warned not to go 

inside the enclosure with a new mother 

cheetah present. She went inside anyway 

and Kissi greeted her with kisses. This 

story had a happy ending. The next one, 

not so much. 

It seems someone wanted to breed 

white tigers. The only male he could find 

was a three-legged one, so he bought it. 

He also had a female and had Jeanette 

go on a plane to Germany with these 

two tigers, which were worth fifty thousand 

dollars. It was journey with a long 

layover. They did get to Germany, but 

unfortunately during mating the threelegged 

tiger gave too big a love bite on 

the female’s neck and killed her. So ends 

the story. That’s circus for you! 

Attention, Tents and Tops! 

Send reports of your meetings and special events for publication in White Tops to 

editor.whitetops@gmail.com. Keep the excitement going by sharing your good times with other CFA members in these pages! 


Williams Earns Guinness World Record 

for ‘Tallest Rideable Unicycle’ 

You may have seen Wesley Williams riding one wheel high above the crowd on 

a number of talent shows, from America’s Got Talent and Britain’s Got Talent to 

The Gong Show. The Weston, Florida native known as “The One Wheel Wonder” 

has made a name for himself around the world as one of the kings of unicycle performance. 

And who else on earth can say that they ride the Guinness World Recordscertified 

“World’s Tallest Rideable Unicycle”? 

Since February 2020, Wesley Williams has held the world record for the “Tallest 

Rideable Unicycle” at twenty-nine feet and one inch. On December 29, 2022 in 

Stuttgart, Germany at the Weltweihnachts Circus in Stuttgart, Germany, Wesley 

broke his own world record with a new “Tallest Rideable Unicycle” that measured a 

whopping 31.9 feet! Truly a breathtaking stunt—and not for the faint of heart. 

Although no one else had attempted to challenge his original 2020 world record, 

Wesley said, “I am always striving to do more and take things to the next level. If 

that means breaking my own records, so be it.” Wesley says he wants to use this record 

to prove to others that nothing is impossible. Last October, Wesley suffered a 

performance accident where he fell more than twenty-seven feet to the floor while 

performing on Got Talent España in Madrid, Spain. This unfortunate event sidelined 

Wesley for over seven months and required five operations, two metal plates, thirty-five 

screws, and eighty-three stitches. 

Following a lengthy recovery, Wesley Williams made a grand return by performing 

at the largest Christmas circus in the world: the Weltweihnachts Circus in Stuttgart, 

Germany. The program’s organizers, 

Henk and Elisa van der Meijden of 

Stardust International and the World 

Christmas Circus, welcomed Wesley to 

their event by calling him “an act you 

will never forget! Everybody falls in love 

with his unique skills, charismatic personality, 

and thrilling act!” 

Directly after this engagement Wesley 

Williams will head to the academy 

awards of the circus industry, Festival 

International Du Cirque De Monte 

Carlo in Monaco. Wesley Williams - 

The One Wheel Wonder is not only 

appearing at the 45th Edition of the 

world famous Festival International Du 

Cirque De Monte Carlo but is a featured 

attraction along side multiple time previous 

Main Prize Clown Award winners, 

Rene Casselly, Kris Kremo, Alex Giona, 

and others in the talented line up of the 

world’s best! Williams 

says, “It is one of those 

things that seem unreal. 

It is every circus 

performer’s dream. I 

used to tell my mom 

growing up “Mom, do 

you think I can perform 

in Monte Carlo, 

one day?” Now my 

time has come and I 

am ready to give my 

absolute all. I have 

waited all my life for 

this moment!” Wesley 

continues to “Ride 

Above All Odds” 

around the world and 

most will agree he is 

“The Wheel Deal.” 

32 White Tops

Richard Snowberg 

December 23, 1941–March 19, 2023 

A Tribute 

By Bruce “Charlie” Johnson 

Even though he never performed in a circus himself, Richard Snowberg (December 

23, 1941–March 19, 2023) had a profound influence upon the art of clowning, including 

circus performances. He was the founder and director of Clown Camp where 

over five thousand people from around the world have studied the art of clowning. 

Clown Camp began in 1981. It took a hiatus following its program in 2010. During 

those thirty years, more than two hundred and ten people served on the Clown Camp 

staff. That includes an impressive group of clowns with circus experience who taught 

there at least once. They are Brenda Ahern, Kenny Ahern, Mark Anthony, Deon 

Aumier, Don Burcell, Earl Chaney, Ruth Chattock, Terry Davolt, Barry DeChant, 

Karen DeChant, Greg Desanto, Karen Desanto, David Heim, Jim Howle, Lou 

Jacobs, Bruce Johnson, Jackie LeClaire, Gene Lee, Frosty Little, Tricia Manuel, Leon 

McBryde, Jeff McMullen, Vince Pagliano, Tammy Parish, Arthur Pedlar, Michael 

Polokov, Steve Rancatore, Mark Renfro, Wayne Scott, Chuck Sidlow, Steve Smith, 

Huel Speight, Jimmy Williams, and Peggy Williams. Since Clown Camp resumed 

operations in 2016, Joe Dieffenbacher, Gregory Parks, and Sean Emery have also been 

on staff. (My apologies to anyone who I left off this list.) 

For many clowns, Clown Camp provided the first opportunity to attend classes 

taught by circus clowns. 

In 1986, Dean “Bo Dino” Weiss was scheduled to be on the Clown Camp staff. 

He died that winter. His family donated some of his props to Clown Camp. They 

were auctioned off. Richard was the World Clown Association President Elect. He 

donated the money raised to the WCA to begin the Bo Dino Scholarship Fund, the 

first scholarship for the study of clowning. 

Brenda Johnson had been a Clown Camp participant and a Blue Vest Volunteer 

assisting the program’s instructional staff. She was in the first group of six Bo Dino 

Scholarship recipients. She used that to help pay her expenses attending the Ringling 

Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College. After she graduated, she toured with the 

RBB&B Circus Blue Unit from 1988 to 1989. She married Kenny Ahern after they 

finished their circus tour. 

For other participants, Clown Camp was a stepping stone to circus appearances. 

Some of them eventually joined the RBB&B Circus clown alley. Jennifer Edgerton 

was a Clown Camp participant before she became the Carson & Barnes Circus boss 

clown in the 1990s. Some Clown Camp participants have appeared as guests in the 

Milwaukee Shrine Circus and other circus productions. 

In 1986, Clown Camp co-hosted a weekend training program for members of the 

International Shrine Clown Association. 

Richard had not planned on becoming a clown. He received his undergraduate 

degree in physical education from Illinois State University in 1964. He completed his 

doctoral degree in educational media at Indiana University in 1971. 

Richard was hired by the University of Wisconsin at La Crosse in 1975. He taught 

media classes in the education department. Roger Grant, another professor at UW-L, 

invited Richard to an adult Halloween party. He decided to go disguised as a clown. 

Richard Snowberg, Mark Anthony, Leon 

McBryde. PHOTO BY ROGER GRANT 

His sister sewed him a costume. He 

stuffed a few magic tricks into his pocket 

so he would have something to do. He 

intended it to be his only performance. 

However, by the end of the evening he 

had been booked to entertain at three 

birthday parties. 

He created a Whiteface clown character 

named Snowflake. He joined Clowns 

of America and the Midwest Clown 

Association to try to get as much training 

as possible. Since there were no other 

clowns in La Crosse, Richard had all the 

work that he could handle. His wife, 

Jan, and his sons, Eric and David, also 

became clowns. Performances became a 

family event. 

Richard also did not intend to create 

the world’s largest training program for 

clowns. In 1980, he taught a one-nighta-week 

clown course through the university’s 

continuing education program. 

The students of that course were the 

founding members of the Coulee Clown 

Club. 

A newspaper wrote an article about 

the course. The article was reprinted in 

the Three Ring News, published by the 

Midwest Clown Association. Soon the 

university began receiving letters from 

people throughout the Midwest asking 

if a condensed course could be offered. 

They explained that it was too far to 

travel to the University once a week. 

The university asked Richard if he 

could create a one-week course that 


Richard Snowberg and Lou Jacobs. PHOTO BY 

ROGER GRANT 

would be called Clown Camp. It was 

held during the summer of 1981. The 

participants stayed in one of the campus 

dorms and the classes were held in 

the same building. Richard invited five 

clowns that he had met at conventions to 

join him in teaching the classes. Richard 

intended for that to be the only time that 

Clown Camp would be offered. However, 

the participants had other plans. He said 

that he should have gotten suspicious 

when they presented him with a plaque 

thanking him for organizing the first 

Clown Camp. When he concluded the 

final session, nobody left the room. He 

told them that he did not have anything 

else to say. They told him that they were 

not going to leave until he promised 

Bruce Johnson, Maureen Brunsdale, Richard 

Snowberg, and Arthur Pedlar (seated) at the ISU 

Milner Library. PHOTO BY MARK SCHMIDT 

34 White Tops 

that he would organize another Clown 

Camp session for the following summer. 

Richard directed Clown Camp programs 

in La Crosse for thirty years. 

Clown Camp was not limited to that 

location. Realizing that not everyone 

could travel to Wisconsin to spend a 

week taking classes, weekend Clown 

Camp on the Road programs were offered 

in many locations in the United 

States. In 1995, Clown Camp expanded 

with a second weeklong program in 

Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada. That 

program continued for six years. Clown 

Camp sponsored two clown summits in 

Scotland, and held an at sea program on 

a cruise ship. Weeklong programs were 

also conducted in Japan in 2005 and 

Singapore in 2010. Although not officially 

Clown Camp programs, Richard 

organized a group of Clown Camp staff 

members to teach and perform at the 

2004 Clown Around the World Festival 

in Singapore. A smaller group of instructors 

then went to Malaysia to teach 

classes there. 

Wherever Clown Camp was held, 

Richard would frequently schedule a 

panel discussion by staff members with 

circus experience. I joined Kenny Ahern 

and Jim Howle on those panels many 

times. Richard liked having me participate 

because I could provide the point of 

view of someone who had toured under 

canvass. Jackie LeClaire, a second-generation 

circus clown was part of the 

panel a few times. He would tell the participants, 

“Don’t worry too much about 

your makeup. My father taught me if you 

make a mistake just smile a little broader 

and dance a little faster.” 

Richard scheduled a special event several 

times at Clown Camp. While “Cecil 

B. DeMille’s Greatest Show on Earth” 

was projected, Jackie LeClaire would 

provide a narration. Jackie had appeared 

in the film and was a friend of many others 

in the film. It was fascinating hearing 

his experiences during the films production 

and his stories about his friends. 

Many of the Clown Camp classes were 

directly circus related. A very popular 

class that was offered more than once 

was Jim Howle teaching participants 

how to perform the boxing act. There 

was always at least one juggling class. 

Richard established a relationship 

with the Circus World Museum. Often 

a trip to Baraboo was included in the 

week of instruction. Clowns had the 

opportunity to perform on the museum 

grounds. I appeared there in 1986 doing 

atmosphere shows. I returned several 

other times doing strolling entertainment. 

One year Piet Nortje, from South 

Africa, and Tokyo Mad, from Japan, put 

together an excellent act while at Clown 

Camp. Richard arranged for them to 

perform the act as guest stars in the 

Circus World Museum Big Top show. In 

2016, Maggy (Saeko Ushiyama), a clown 

from Japan, appeared as a guest star in 

the Big Top show. She had auditioned 

while at Clown Camp and Kenny Ahern 

coached her in making her act appropriate 

for the circus ring. The following 

year I was selected to represent Clown 

Camp as a guest star in the Big Top. I 

recreated a routine that I had performed 

while touring with the Carson & Barnes 

Circus and the Funs-A-Poppin’ Circus 

in the early 1980s. As soon as I entered 

the Circus World Big Top and smelled 

that elephants had been there, I immediately 

felt at home. 

Although the opportunity to perform 

was exciting, the main purpose for the 

Baraboo trips was that Richard wanted 

the Clown Camp participants to learn 

about circus history. 

When a trip to Baraboo was not part 

of the official schedule, it was sometimes 

offered as an extra fee alternative the day 

after Clown Camp. When a trip was 

not offered, Richard would sometimes 

organize carpools. One year he knew 

that Carole and I had rented a car to go 

to Baraboo. He asked if we would take 

a clown from Japan with us. In 2019, I 

took Edmund Khong from Singapore 

to Baraboo. He got his start as a clown 

attending classes during a Clown Camp 

program in his country. He has become 

an outstanding entertainer. When we 

visited the Circus World Museum

Jackie LeClaire and Richard Snowberg. PHOTO BY ROGER 

GRANT 

Library, we saw a copy of Clowning 

Around magazine with his photo on 

the cover announcing that he had been 

named the World Clown Association 

Clown of the Year. 

There is a memorial bench on the 

Circus World Museum grounds in recognition 

of his contributions to the art 

of clowning. 

Richard’s contributions extended beyond 

Clown Camp. When he began 

clowning there was very little literature 

available on the art. He wrote six books 

to fill that gap. He was a leader in the 

Caring Clown movement, and his book 

on that subject gave increased credibility 

to that specialty. 

Richard believed in the importance of 

clown history. He also believed in recognizing 

the efforts of others. The day before 

the 2014 World Clown Association 

Convention in Chicago, Richard invited 

me to be part of a carpool to visit the 

circus collection at the Milner Library 

on the Illinois State University campus. 

We were accompanied by Arthur Pedlar, 

a clown from England who, like Richard, 

was an International Clown Hall of 

Fame inductee. 

After Maureen Brunsdale gave us a 

tour of the circus collection, we sat down 

to talk. I said, “My wife, Carole, 

has told me, ‘When, not if, you 

die, my children won’t know what 

to do with your treasures. So, you 

had better find a place to send 

them.” 

Richard started laughing. He 

said that his wife, Jan, had been 

telling him the same thing. Arthur 

was also laughing. He said that his 

wife, Val, had said the same thing. 

Each of us had brought a potential 

donation to see how Maureen 

would respond to them. We were 

encouraged by Maureen’s enthusiastic 

response to each item. 

While we were talking, Mark 

Schmidt was spreading circus 

posters out on the tables in the 

reading room. Maureen explained 

that a graphics class was coming 

in that afternoon to study them. She 

said that they try to integrate the circus 

collection into the school curriculum as 

much as possible. During the tour, she 

had pointed out their set of circus ledgers 

that the accounting classes study. 

She said they always get excited when 

they realize that one was cooked to hide 

the profits. 

On the way back to the hotel we talked 

about our visit. We were impressed that 

the items in the collection were not just 

shelved and forgotten. We also liked the 

way that the items were organized and 

protected. For example, there was a complete 

set of Clowning Around magazines 

bound in hard cover. All three of us had 

written columns for that publication. We 

all agreed that was an excellent place to 

donate items. 

Arthur donated his collection of 

European circus posters to the Milner 

Library. 

I have donated some items from my 

own archives. (I have also donated 

some items to the International Clown 

Hall of Fame and to the Circus World 

Museum.) 

Richard had donated some items to 

the International Clown Hall of Fame. 

He decided to donate his Clown Camp 

archives to the Milner Library. Richard 

also donated his personal director notebook 

with additional information on 

each program, and an extensive collection 

of photographs. Richard’s correspondence 

with significant staff members 

is included. There are letters from 

Lou Jacobs and Mark Anthony. There is 

a copy of the resume that Jackie LeClaire 

submitted when he was on staff for the 

first time. 

Richard and Jan, his wife, met while 

they were students at ISU. They attended 

the 2018 Circus Fans Association 

Convention which was held in Normal/ 

Bloomington. They joined the CFA at 

that time. Richard was tickled that his 

name tag identified him as a First of 

May. He said that it had been a long 

time since anyone had referred to him in 

that manner. 

Richard battled a variety of medical 

conditions for decades. When a medical 

condition meant that he could not 

wear makeup near his eyes, he retired 

his whiteface character. Jim Howle 

helped him with a makeup design for an 

Auguste character called Junior. It was 

not obvious that there was no makeup 

near his eyes. 

When it was announced that Richard 

had entered hospice care, over one hundred 

people left tributes on the Clown 

Camp Facebook page. The overwhelming 

consensus was that what people 

remembered the most about Richard 

was his kindness and his gentle soul. He 

had quietly worked behind the scenes to 

encourage and support many people in 

making their own contributions to the 

art of clowning. He often referred to 

the Clown Camp programs as a family 

reunion. He created that feeling of acceptance 

and inclusiveness. Many of us 

feel fortunate to be part of that family 

of friends. 

The Snowberg family has asked that 

memorial donations be made to the 

Milner Library Circus and Allied Arts 

Collection. 


Caballeros Score Golden Elephant 

at Spain Circus Festival 

By Alex Smith 

The Flying Caballeros recently made circus world history at the Eleventh 

International Festival of the Golden Elephant Circus of Girona, Spain. The fifth 

generation of this talented family etched their names in the record books on March 

4, 2023. Most would agree that the circus community as a whole should take pride in 

their accomplishments, but especially after the tumultuous times felt by artists around 

the world. 

Circus fans on the West Coast, especially in California, should be quite familiar 

with the Caballeros. For over twenty years, they have toured the state (now in two 

units) continuing not only the trapeze, but also the circus tradition. They set the performance 

standards high in the competitive Southern California market, with excellent 

production values and two brand-new, lavish big tops. They rise to the Herculean 

challenge of show management in addition to the flying trapeze discipline. This is 

of no surprise to those who have been fortunate enough to know them since their 

pre-Ringling and Circus days in the eighties on shows like Bentley Bros. and Carson 

and Barnes. It was while touring with these circuses that word of Rueben Jr.’s successful 

Quadruple Somersault to father Rueben Sr. caught the attention of Kenneth Feld. 

The Greatest Show on Earth producer wanted to bill another flying act capable of the 

quadruple somersault alongside their own headline flying act, the Flying Vazquez, 

who were consistently performing the same feat. In 1988, they achieved greatness 

when they succeeded at simultaneously catching the quadruple somersault alongside 

the Flying Vazquez. These were the first two quadruple somersaults, caught simultaneously, 

in history. 

While the flying trapeze has faded in prominence with mainstream audiences, the 

difficulty, agility, and years of training (along with the intangibles of performing and 

the genetics needed to perform at such a level) have not. Fortunately, the Caballeros 

have segued into show ownership and have not swayed from their signature act, as 

many others have. On this evening in Spain, the offspring of Rueben Jr.—Marco 

Antonio (Catcher), Rueben the III, Gunther, and Anru (Luis Caballero’s son)— 

stepped into the ring with their usual goal of executing a superb performance. 

Luis Caballero admits they went in with the goal of achieving a single quadruple. 

“We always want to perform well of course … but we said, hey, if we catch one, great!” 

Luis is not being modest. In addition to 

success, their family has endured failure. 

They’ve mentored the next generation in 

pre-performance situations to “not dwell 

on the task at hand.” They’ve designed a 

strategy so that nothing interferes with 

their sons’ performances. To keep their 

minds from obsessing, the family accompanies 

them and talks, laughs, and plays 

games while at the hotel awaiting their 

time above the ring. They don’t expose 

them to comparisons or to competition, 

or set expectations. 

On performance night, the brothers 

and cousins of the fifth-generation 

Caballeros climbed in the air as they 

have done so many times before. As their 

family, including patriarch Don Rueben, 

The Caballeros. Left 

to right, standing: 

Judith, Marco Antonio, 

Maximiliano Sbalttero, 

Luis, Rueben Jr., 

Rueben Jr. III, Gunther, 

and Anru. Kneeling: 

Luis Alberto, Nikita. 

36 White Tops 

Top, left to right: Gunther Caballero, Rueben Caballero III, and 

Judy Caballero. Bottom: Catcher Marco Antonio Caballero, 

Rueben Caballero Jr. III, Gunther Caballero.

The Flying Caballeros make history in Girona, Spain. 

watched from the stands, they delivered a stellar routine to the crowd 

of roughly twenty-three-hundred people with Marco “Hands of Steel” 

Antonio catching members Judy and eleven-year old Nikita. 

The first to attempt the quad was Rueben Caballero III, who connected 

and brought down the house. This was only the beginning. Next up 

was fifteen-year-old Anru Caballero, who first achieved the quad at age 

twelve (always thought to be too young an age to realistically achieve such 

a feat), succeeded at the second quadruple. The electricity in the crowd 

was palpable at this point, and only elevated when it was announced that 

Gunther Caballero would attempt a third quadruple. Gunther boldly 

swung into the record books as his brother Marco Antonio caught him 

upon completion of his quadruple. Noted circus critic Gaspar Altamar 

described the magic moment: “The ovation of enthusiasm, joy, expressed 

in the hands and faces of the audience was endless.” 

The Flying Caballeros achieved three quadruple somersaults, performed 

back-to-back by their bloodline of brothers and cousins. One 

can only imagine what the post-performance adrenaline rush was like 

on this special evening. At the conclusion of the event, the Caballeros 

would be awarded the Golden 

Elephant. CFA members can 

take pride that the Flying 

Caballeros achieved the impossible. 

Hopefully this momentum, 

along with the return 

of Ringling and the many 

smaller family shows beginning 

to sprout, infuse some 

voracity and propel the circus 

community in a positive direction. 

To say this younger circus 

generation has experienced 

adversity is an understatement, 

yet they continue and excel. 

Thank you, Caballeros—and 

congratulations. 

Middle photo. Front: Rueben Caballero Jr. III. Back: Marc. Above: 

Don Renato Fernandes, Rueben Caballero Sr., Luis Caballero. 


Leigh Ketchum 

Guest Speaker for Showfolks Tent #122 

April 2023 


PHOTOS BY PETE ADAMS 

Tent President Jeanette Williams introduced our guest speaker for April, Leigh 

Ketchum, whom Jeanette has known for forty years. Leigh is a talented musician 

and the owner of Sarasota Box Office. 

Leigh began his speech by looking around before saying, “I think I know most of 

the people here tonight.” He first joined the circus in 1976 while he was in college in 

Illinois. Later, Leigh went with Carson and Barnes. 

Someone once told Leigh’s partner, Dusty, that he had been mean to a performer in 

his circus—but Dusty is probably one of the calmest, nicest guys around. Back in the 

day, D.R. Miller would have put someone down on the ground if they dared ask for a 

raise, said Leigh. No gentle handling of performers back then. 

Leigh was last on the road with the Clyde Beatty Circus. (He also worked as a night 

clerk at the Red Roof Inn, a job he hated.) The Clyde Beatty musicians were fired 

because they wouldn’t drive trucks, wanted more money, and were rowdy party guys. 

In 1997, Johnny Pugh asked Leigh if he could use a 386 Windows PC to make digital 

music. Leigh thought synthesized music sounded awful. However, when Johnny 

offered him a high price he agreed to do it, even though he didn’t own a computer. 

There were only Leigh, a trumpet player, and a drummer. Leigh wrote a lot of music 

between January and March to meet his target of sixty new musical compositions. 

They made it two hours long and added the sound of an audience to the background. 

Tent #122 President Jeanette Williams presents Leigh 

Ketchum with a certificate of appreciation 

Shows wanted royalty-free music 

because they otherwise had to pay 

licensing fees to the American 

Society of Composers, Authors, 

and Publishers (ASCAP). So, 

Leigh wrote original music for 

shows. People would come with 

their songs and play them, but 

Leigh was able to use the Shazam 

mobile app to detect if the music 

was original or not. 

When he first met John Ringling 

North, Leigh found him to be a 

short little cowboy with stubble. 

He told John, “You are a sorry disappointment,” 

but they ended up 

becoming very good friends. 

Leigh started the Strawhouse 

Ticketing website, where he sold 

tickets online. His first clients were 

the Walker Brothers. More clients 

Leigh Ketchum speaks to members of Tent 122 

at the April meeting. 

were soon to follow—and it wasn’t long 

before he was selling from home. Leigh 

decided that customer service was of 

the utmost importance because there is 

always a phone number to call, not to 

mention emails and online chats. Today, 

their customer service department employs 

four people and the company has 

since changed their name to Sarasota 

Box Office. 

During his speech, Leigh also showed 

us posters from some of their clients’ 

shows: Royal Hanneford Circus, Cirque 

Luc Dalia, and Dusty’s Circus. 

Leigh is the co-owner of Dusty’s 

Circus with his partner, Dusty Sadler, 

and told us some fun stories about him. 

When Dusty was on Jeanette Williams’ 

Circus, for example, Dusty would be in 

the audience making himself up as a 

white-faced clown as the audience trickled 

in. He still does this today at his own 

show, Dusty’s Circus. 

Dusty’s Circus is a success and now 

has six dancers from England, who perform 

with alligators and snakes. Their 

mixed animal act includes a blue fox 

that pushes a baby carriage around with 

a polish chicken. If you want to know 

more, you’ll have to attend one of their 

shows! 

Leigh’s best quotation from the 

speech? “You can’t swing a dead cat in 

this town without hitting a Wallenda.” 

Thanks, Leigh, for a fun night. 

38 White Tops

Registration for the CFA Convention includes a Visit to 

the 

Big Cat Habitat 

By Pete Adams 

PHOTOS BY THE AUTHOR 

visit to the Rosaire Big Cat Habitat is scheduled for Thursday, 

A July 13, the last day of the 2023 CFA Convention. You will have 

loads of fun spending an afternoon with the big cats and a variety of 

other animals. Lunch will be available for purchase on site. The Big 

Cat Habitat is an ever-growing large animal rescue in Sarasota. The 

non-profit attraction was founded by Kay Rosaire in 1987 and is the 

permanent home of dozens of exotic animals. Arriving at noon will 

allow you time to buy lunch and be ready for the first show, the bird 

show, in the air-conditioned performance building at 1:00 p.m. This 

will be followed by the main performance of handling large exotics at 

2:00 p.m. during which Kay or her son Clayton will present several 

of their exotic animals in the big cage. 

Before the visit ends at 4:00 p.m., you will have ample time to see 

the bears and three large indoor/outdoor housing complexes for the 

tigers and many smaller animals. There is even a petting zoo and the 

opportunity to feed the bears and tigers from a distance. 

The Rosaire Big Cat Habitat includes an ever-growing 

animal rescue with dozens of exotic 

animals. 


Mileposts 

40 White Tops 

DEBORAH 

CHAPMAN 

Deborah Chapman 

of Sarasota, 

Florida passed away 

on March 29, 2023. 

Born in Blackpool, 

England, she enjoyed 

an amazing 

career as an aerialist 

and excelled in other 

circus arts as well. Deborah performed 

at numerous circuses, nightclubs, and 

cruise ships in both the United States 

and abroad. Most will remember her 

jungle-themed single trapeze and 

loop-walking act for which she won the 

prestigious Trophee Louis Merlin at the 

Monte Carlo Circus Festival. 

After retiring from show business, she 

led a quiet life with her beloved border 

collies, Willow and Oreo, and five 

equally beloved parrots. Preceding her in 

death was her father, Danny Chapman, 

her mother, Joan B. Rickey, her former 

husband and best friend, Tom Green, 

and her sister, Michele Chapman. She 

leaves behind her sister, Stephanie 

Dubsky, her half sister and brother, and 

several nieces and nephews. She wished 

not to have a service. May she rest in 

peace. Submitted by Stephanie Dubsky 

DAGMAR BEAVERS 

Dagmar Beavers, 74, 

of Myakka City, Florida, 

passed away peacefully at 

her home on Center Ring 

Ranch on Easter Sunday, 

April 9, 2023. The circus 

community and the Sarasota-Myakka 

music world 

lost one of their most colorful 

and generous spirits. 

Dagmar Mootz Beavers 

was born in Munich, Germany, on October 

1, 1948. She made her debut on stage 

in a comedic wire act at age six. In 1958, 

her family immigrated to the U.S. The 

trio toured with numerous circuses in 

the U.S. and then with Circo Atayde in 

Mexico. This started a lifelong love affair 

with Mexico. Rudolf gave himself the 

nickname “Pedro” and the trio became 

known as The Pedrolas, touring Mexico 

with a complete show. Dagmar was so 

enchanted that she returned to Mexico 

for four more years, after her parents retired. 

In 1962 The Pedrolas were booked 

to perform their aerial cradle act in the 

MGM movie Jumbo starring Doris Day 

and Jimmy Durante. Dagmar was featured 

in a speaking part with Doris Day. 

In 2017, The Pedrolas were inducted into 

the prestigious Circus Ring of Fame. 

Dagmar grew up harmonizing with 

her musical parents, and at sixteen, began 

playing the guitar, a second passion that 

would last a lifetime. She performed locally 

with “Hot Sauce” and “The Instigators” 

and later with her husband, Bill 

Beavers. Dagmar also worked solo at 

private events and at O’Learys. 

In the early 1960s, Dagmar’s parents 

purchased land in Myakka. With the 

help of friends, they built a traditional, 

all-wood home on the property entirely 

with their own hands and ingenuity. 

Dagmar’s design, material sensibility, 

and decorative touches made it uniquely 

beautiful and welcoming. She lived there 

for the next sixty years. 

In addition to Dagmar’s career as 

a circus performer and musician, she 

achieved Second Degree Black Belt in 

karate, became a U.S. citizen in 1994, 

and returned to school to earn 

her high school diploma in 2013, 

at age sixty-four. She faithfully 

served Showfolks of Sarasota and 

the Big Cat Habitat for decades, 

setting up events and documenting 

them extensively in photographs, 

thus creating a valuable 

cultural record. 

Dagmar leaves behind a multitude 

of loyal, loving friends everywhere—in 

Myakka, throughout 

her circus family and all around the 

music world. A memorial service for 

Dagmar was held at the Big Cat Habitat 

on May 7, 2023. 

CATHERINE 

HANNEFORD 

CARDEN 

Catherine Carden, 

57, of Springfield, 

Missouri, passed away 

peacefully at home, 

surrounded by family, 

on Tuesday, May 

9, 2023, following a 

courageous three-year 

battle with pancreatic cancer. A beloved 

circus performer, she was the first of two 

children born to George Jr. and Victoria 

Hanneford. Catherine leaves behind 

her husband of twenty-one years, Brett 

Carden; sons George and Cash; brother 

George Hanneford III, and a cousin, 

Nellie Hanneford-Poema. Cards can be 

addressed to the family at 3901 West 

State Highway 0, Springfield, Missouri 

65803. In lieu of flowers, donations 

may be sent to www.pancan.org. A celebration 

of life will be held in the fall, 

in Springfield, Missouri. PHOTO BY 

TIMOTHY NOEL TEGGE 

RICHARD CZINA 

Richard Czina, 88, of Sarasota, 

Florida, died Sunday, March 26, 2023. 

Richard Czina (pronounced zeena) grew 

up in Floral Park, Long Island, where 

he obtained a diploma in technical electricity 

from Sewanhaka High School. 

In 1955, he earned a bachelor’s degree

in electrical engineering from the Pratt 

Institute in Brooklyn. 

Although Richard had 

a stellar career as an 

electrical engineer with 

IBM, he was anxious to 

pursue his various interests. 

He built a forty-foot 

sailboat on his farm and, 

on the day after his retirement in 1987, 

he sailed from Vermont to Ft. Lauderdale, 

Florida. He lived on the boat for 

eight years while teaching electronics at 

Broward Community College and ITT 

Technical Institute. Then, while building 

a log cabin in Boone, North Carolina, he 

had an opportunity to train at a number 

of wildlife sanctuaries across the country. 

His other interests revolved around 

animals and photography. In 2000, he 

worked at Disney’s Magic Kingdom as 

a street photographer. After moving to 

Sarasota in 2004, he volunteered at Pelican 

Man, Mote Marine, The Big Cat 

Habitat, Sailor Circus, and Circus Sarasota. 

He was a dedicated digital photographer 

and freely shared his skill with all 

his volunteer organizations. His circus 

and wildlife photos have been published 

in a number of magazines, including 

some front covers. His videos of Sailor 

Circus shows have earned thousands of 

dollars for their program. Richard Czina 

was a member of CFA as well as the 

digital photo club, DIAMAGE, and was 

renowned for his animal preservation efforts 

and circus photography. 

VERN MENDONCA 

Vern Mendonca, 88, of Redding, California, 

passed away 

on April 19, 2023, 

following a long illness. 

A CFA member 

for over forty years and 

a circus fan for more 

than eighty, Vern became 

CFA president 

in 2008. Vern led a 

varied and colorful life. He was a postman, 

orchard farmer, and even a parttime 

teacher on the Carson & Barnes 

Circus. Vern and his wife Conni were 

frequently seen at CFA conventions. For 

many years, he emailed his circus chats 

(“Circus Vern”) to fans. Vern is survived 

by his wife Conni, daughter Julie, sons 

Shawn and Anthony, and several grandchildren. 

Cards may be sent to Conni 

Mendonca at 1000 Greenbriar Court, 

Redding, California 96003. 

RICHARD 

SNOWBERG 

Richard Lee Snowberg, 

81, of Denver, 

Colorado, died March 

19, 2023. He held 

I.B.M. number 26402 

and had been a member 

from 1974 to 1994. 

He grew up in West Bend, Wisconsin, 

as well as the towns of Valparaiso, Indiana 

and Elwood, Indiana. In 1960, Rich 

graduated from Sterling High School 

in Sterling, Illinois before receiving his 

undergraduate degree in physical education 

from Illinois State University 

in 1964. He was the top-ranked player 

on the Illinois State University tennis 

team. Rich taught physical education in 

Illinois for three years before pursuing 

a doctoral degree in educational media 

at Indiana University. He completed his 

doctoral degree in 1971 and was hired 

as an assistant professor at the University 

of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Later, 

the University of Arkansas hired him to 

launch their educational media program. 

In 1975, he returned to Wisconsin as 

an associate professor at University of 

Wisconsin-La Crosse (UW-L), where 

he taught media courses and supervised 

their campus media center until his retirement 

in 2000. Rich liked to incorporate 

magic into his university lectures 

and developed a clown character named 

“Snowflake,” which he performed as for 

years at parties, celebrations, and hospitals. 

He also wrote six books on the 

subject of clowning and later founded 

the “Clown Camp” adult clown training 

program. Rich spent thirty years as the 

Clown Camp’s director. He was elected 

three times as the President of the World 

Clown Association, where he organized 

international clown training programs 

in Scotland, Singapore, and Borneo. 

In 1999, he was inducted into the International 

Clown Hall of Fame. He is 

survived by his wife of fifty-seven years, 

Janice (Tobler); sons Eric ( Jennifer) and 

David (Michelle); grandchildren Blaise 

and Lena; sisters Karen (Ron) and Jean 

(Rick); and brothers-in-law Jack (Beth) 

Tobler and Jerry (Barb) Tobler. 

EDWARD WESEMANN 

Edward L. “Ed” Wesemann, 97, of 

Hampshire, Illinois, 

passed away 

May 2, 2023. He 

was born May 1, 

1926, in Burlington, 

Illinois, the 

son of Edward G. 

and Ida (Plote) 

Wesemann. He 

was a 1944 graduate 

of Plato High School and then drafted 

into the U.S. Army during World 

War II. On October 24, 1953, he married 

Marnie H. Daly at St. Peter’s Evangelical 

Lutheran Church in North Plato. 

They lived in the home they built since 

1955. Ed was a active, lifelong member 

of the St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran 

Church. He served as secretary on 

the local school board for sixteen years 

and volunteered at the Elgin St. Joseph 

Hospital for thirty years. He was a life 

member of the Hampshire VFW Post 

8043, serving as Commander, Trustee, 

Chaplain, and Service Officer. His hobbies 

included playing the piano accordion, 

collecting, and restoring vintage 

John Deere Two- Cylinder tractors that 

he took to parades and shows. He was 

a dedicated circus fan, belonging to the 

Circus Fans Association of America for 

over fifty years. Survivors include daughter 

Carolyn (Dale) Hartmann of West 

Bend, Wisconsin; son Philip (Dana) 

Wesemann; grandchildren Mark (Carol) 

Hartmann, Josh (Cat) Hartmann, and 

Lance Hartmann; and great-grandchildren, 

Montgomery, Sabrina, and Carter 

Hartmann. He was preceded in death by 

his parents, brother Alvin, and his wife, 

Marnie. 


Dusty’s All Star Circus 

Civic Center, Sanford, Florida 

February 1, 2023 


PHOTOS BY JAMES COLE 

Dusty Sadler’s All Star Circus, now in its second season, is a delightful show. It travels around the southeastern United States for 

a rather abbreviated spring season. 

The show plays at indoor venues like the Civic Center in Sanford, Florida, where we caught it. It was not an ideal location, providing 

a stage and an area in front of the stage for a ring. The lighting was quite poor in this setting. But the laughter and responses 

of the children at the performance we saw showed that it didn’t matter! With six performers plus a ringmaster, the show lasts an 

hour and a half with a twenty-minute intermission. 

Dusty himself opens the performance with a brief history of his show and an explanation of his name. It seems that as a young 

performer in Fort Stockton, Texas, he was hot and thirsty. When a concessioner gave him a drink, she dubbed him “Dusty.” The 

name stuck. 

The show’s clown, Mr. Robb (Zaiser), interrupts Dusty and immediately captivates the audience with his antics. The ringmaster, 

Renaldo Calienes, quickly takes over and the performance begins. 

On the stage, Sebastian Videla presents his fast-moving juggling act. Sebastian, now in his late teens, has been performing in 

circuses since he was a child. He and his older brother Cristhian stooged in their father’s clown act for many years before creating 

acts of their own. 

Left to right: Ian Ladlow, Sebastian Videla, Dusty Sadler, Alec Bryant, and Mike Duff. Right:Alec 

and Daniela Bryant in classic costumes for the chair act. 

42 White Tops

Sebastian Videla. 

Ian Faranel follows with his pleasing 

hand-balancing act. Ian started his circus 

career on Sailor Circus and has performed 

all over the world. 

Then, moving to the ring area below, 

Mr. Robb entertains with his “Guess 

where the ball is?” under the cups routine, 

juggles the cups, and climaxes by kicking 

each cup into the air and catching them 

with a cup. Most impressive. 

Ian Faranel’s hand balancing. 

Daniela Bryant performs a pleasing 

Spanish web act before the twenty-minute 

intermission. 

Interestingly enough, during the intermission 

most of the performers are 

working concessions. Daniela is doing 

face painting, Sebastian is selling popcorn, 

and Robin Best is working the souvenir 

stand. The other men work props. 

Renaldo and Mr. Robb. 

Mr. Robb opens the second half of 

the show with his trained dog. This is 

followed by Robin Best’s single trap act. 

Although the trapeze hangs very low, the 

moves Robin makes are pleasing. 

A typical chair act is presented by 

Alec Bryant, assisted by Daniela. Their 

matching costumes should be noted. 

Mr. Robb returns for a final appearance, 

this time juggling books. The kids 

love him! 

Sebastian ends the show with his spirited 

unicycle act. His tall L-shaped bike 

makes for a good ending. Dusty joins 

the cast on the stage for the finale. 

After some more dates in Florida, 

Dusty’s All Star Circus will head north. 

Dusty currently has his 2023 route 

booked through early April in Alabama, 

Georgia, South Carolina, North 

Carolina, and Virginia. Check his website 

dustyscircus.com for specifics. Visit it 

if you can. 


It’s Time to Register! 

By Pete Adams 

Convention Co-chair 

For those of you who have already registered for the CFA Convention taking place 

from July 10 to July 13, 2023, thanks for doing so. 

But for those who have not yet registered, it is TIME because we need to know 

how many are attending. Open registration is available until June 10, 2023, at the rate 

of $175 per person. Late registration is $200 and walk-in is $210. 

The only change we have made from our original schedule is that the seminars and 

meetings, as well as the banquet, will be held at the Showfolks Club on Lockwood 

Ridge Road. This will actually be a better fit and experience for all of us. 

As our plans indicate, we have a complete day at the Ringling Museums including 

a reserved seat for the 2:00 p.m. performance of the Summer Circus Spectacular 

sponsored by Ringling and the Circus Arts Conservatory. We will also spend an 

afternoon at Kay Rosaire’s Big Cat Habitat and an evening at Sailor Circus Academy 

for a show. There will be seven seminars led by Dan Stapleton who will host us 

through all of our events. The guest speakers include Heidi Herriott, Barry DeChant, 

Jennifer Lemmer-Posey, Monica Welde, Peggy Williams, Karleen Griggs and 

Jeanette Williams. Our banquet speaker is Dolly Jacobs, the co-founder of the Circus 

Arts Conservatory. In addition, we will have our opportunities for socialization and 

our famous circus auction, as well as sales 

and vendor tables. 

Please plan to join Jack Dean, our 

President, and all of us as we celebrate 

the heritage of circus in Sarasota and 

welcome visitors from around the nation. 

With this issue of White Tops, you 

will find the Registration Form, the 

Full Schedule of Activities, and information 

about the host hotel, Sarasota 

Waterfront Ramada. Please share this 

data with your circus friends. You do not 

have to be a member of CFA to attend 

our convention, although we do hope 

you will join once you have been to one 

of our exciting get-togethers. 

Thanks in advance! 

Notes for Coming to the 

2023 CFA Convention 

Due to non-functioning air-handling units in 

the ballroom, which is separate from the hotel, 

and their inability to repair it before our CFA 

Convention, we have moved all seminars and 

social activities, including the banquet, to the 

Showfolks Club of Sarasota located nearby. The 

Ramada Hotel is a separate operation from the 

ballroom, and their air conditioning is fine. 

Also, remember that if you are limited in steps, 

you may request a first-floor room at the hotel. 

There is no elevator to the second floor. Please 

contact the hotel directly with this need. 

If you have any questions, please call Pete Adams 

at 443-745-4980, or email circusp@comcast.net. 

44 White Tops

Schedule of Activities 

Circus Fans of America Convention 2023 

Sarasota, Florida • July 10–13, 2023 

All activities are at the Showfolks Club Unless Stated. 

Transportation between events is on your own. Schedule Subject to Change 

Mon 7-10-23 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Board of Trustees Meeting/NCPS Meeting 

Following 

10:00 a.m. Sales and Display Room Set Up Time 

12:00 p.m. Board of Trustees Luncheon 

12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Registration, Sales & Displays Open 

3:00 to 3:45 p.m. Seminar #1 – Heidi Herriott 

3:45 to 4:00 p.m. Break 

4:00 to 4:45 p.m. Seminar #2 – Barry DeChant 

7:00 to 9:00 p.m. Welcome at Showfolks Club – Dessert Party 

Cash Bar Available 

Tue 7-11-23 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Membership General Meeting 

12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. Past President’s Circle Luncheon and Meeting 

(Pay on Own) Outback 

2:00 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. Seminar #3 – Jennifer Lemmer-Posey 

2:45 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Seminar #4 – Monica Welde 

3:30 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. Break 

3:45 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Seminar #5 – Peggy Williams 

7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Sailor Circus Show at Sailor Circus Arena 

Wed 7-12-23 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Day at Ringling includes: 

Original Circus Museum 

Tibbals Learning Center 

Bayfront Gardens and Grounds 

Original Art Museum 

Searing Wing for Special Art Exhibits 

Asian and Modern Art Wing 

Glass exhibits in Visitor’s Center 

Ca’ d’Zan Admission Optional Fee $10 

2:00 p.m. Summer Circus Spectacular 2023 

Historic Asolo Theatre 

3:15 p.m. Group Photo w/ Summer Circus Artists 

Visitor’s Center of Ringling 

5:00 p.m. Legacy Members Foundation Dinner 

Anna Maria Oyster Bar 

7:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Annual Circus Auction 

Thu 7-13-23 9:00 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. Seminar #6 – Karleen Griggs 

9:45 a.m. to 10 a.m. Break 

10 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. Seminar #7 – Jeanette Williams 

12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Kay Rosaire’s Big Cat Habitat Admission Included 

Food available on site for purchase. 

6:30 p.m. Happy Hour Cash Bar Available 

7:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Banquet – Dolly Jacobs Reis – Guest Speaker 

9:30 p.m. All Over and Out 


Membership 

New Members 

Samuel Patrick Smith, #11852 

800 South Ave. 

Eustis, FL 32726 

Laurel Smith, #11852 F 

800 South Ave. 

Eustis, FL 32726 

David Merrick, #11853 

69 Williams Street 

North Adams, MA 01247 

Joe Simmons, #11855 

454 High Tide Lane 

Daytona Beach, FL 32124 

Theresa Simmons, #11855 F 

454 High Tide Lane 

Daytona Beach, FL 32124 

Reinstated 

Alex Acero, #11033 

2713 8th Ave W. 

Bradenton, FL 34205 

Michael McGuckin, #7993 

96 Merino Drive 

Huntsville, TX 77340 

Richard Flint, #4653 

1 Middleton Court 

Baltimore, MD 21212 

Randy V. Jackson, #11621 

2707 Sandarac Lane 

Fort Wayne, IN 46815 

Kelly Leeth, #11721 

8054 Linda Lane 

Guthrie, OK 73044 

Noell Everhart, #11403 

9914 Ridge Hill Ave 

Las Vegas, NV 89147-8411 

Hans Klos, #11038 

4811 Bee Ridge Rd. #129 

Sarasota, FL 34233 

Hugh McGaughty, #5656 

10080 Evade Drive 

St. Louis, MO 63126-1107 

Address Changes 

Louis E. Sather Jr., #11771 

821 Oak Street 

Baraboo, WI 53913 

Janeen Wilds, #9613 

10415 S 10th St. Apt B5 

Cottage Grove, OR 97424 

William R. McCullough, #6159 

96 Lost Creek Cove Rd. 

Lineville, AL 36266 

Sarah Chapman, #10390 

401 River Road. Apt. 103 

Grand Rapids, MN 55744 

Robert Reed, #10525 

7367 McSmith Lane 

Dayton, OH 45414 

Robert A. Martin Sr. 

5000 Queen Philomena Blvd. 

Apt.127 

Schenectady, NY 12304 

Allan Kirk, #9567 

6631 Greer Rd. 

Knoxville, TN 37981 

Donations 

From Helen Nelson #11275 

To General Fund 

From Max K. Goodall II, #6620 

To NCPS Legacy Fund 

in memory of Barbara A. Goodall, 

#6620 F 

From Bob Kitchen, #4863 L 


From Vanessa Gagne, #11656 


From Andrew Swan, #6919 


From Janeen Wilds, #9613 

To General Fund & NCPS 

From Mary Fritsch, #11001 


From John Kalisz, #10968 


From Herbert B. Ueckert, #5194 L 


From Clifford Adair Crawford, 

#4410 


From Roberta Davis-Sporrer, #8041 


in memory of Mason “Buzz” Robson 

From Robert E. Handley, #11669 


From Hector Rivera, #10048 

To Legacy Fund 

From Susie O’Brien, #10210 


From Michael Melssen, #11706 

To NCPS 

From David and Priscilla Johnson, #5259 & 5259 F 

To General Fund & NCPS 

Frances Ann Cummings, #10865 


Kelly Porter, #10571 


Joyce and Joanne Rucci, #7333 & 7333 F 


Niles “Buddy” Calhoun, #6566 


From Larry G. McKee, #10537 


From Pamela Hamilton, #11427 

To White Tops 

From Max K. Goodall II, #6620 


in memory of Barbara A. Goodall #6620 F 

From Kenneth and Jan Sopelak, #10713 


From Larry Sayler, #11366 


From Hans Klos, #11038 

To White Tops 

From John J. Wohlwend, #11271 


From Anne Harmon, #5532 


From Paul Gutheil, #7662 

To White Tops 

From Phillip L. Krahn, #8480 


From Jack Belles, #3879 L 


46 White Tops

We Had an OLLI Good Time! 

By Jan Biggerstaff 

What do retired circus performers do to stay out of trouble? 

With Bill Biggerstaff not able to travel and the days 

seemingly going on forever, I needed something to jazz up my life. 

Something to get the blood moving again—like hearing the start 

of my music for the act. Like noticing the jump tonight was through downtown San 

Francisco. Something exciting, but doable. 

Something stirred inside my head when I saw a notice online to register again for 

OLLI. OLLI (short for Osher Lifelong Learning Institute) is an event for senior citizens 

that is held here in Las Vegas and sponsored by the University of Nevada. In the 

past, OLLI has offered classes from Globalization and the New World Order, to the 

Life and Works of Mark Twain, to a Ukulele Workshop, to What Makes China Tick? 

There are usually a hundred different classes offered five days a week. I had sporadically 

participated in some of the classes in the past, where I enjoyed the camaraderie and 

information in an informal setting. Today, there are over a hundred and twenty-five 

OLLIs across the country. Their classes are often taught by retired professionals in 

their field, with no tests, no grades, and no prerequisites. 

There it was—an opportunity to “jazz” up my days. Teaching a class about the 

History of the Circus would be just the ticket. As a performer, the history of the circus 

has never held a real interest. So, I would be “teaching” a subject that I would first need 

to research. Then I would need to find a way to get that information to the class that 

shows the joy, excitement, and history that has enthralled lovers of the circus over the 

years. 

I was an acrobat. I could do a wonderful cartwheel and a better bow, but public 

speaking was not at the top of my list of accomplishments. Actually, I was terrified to 

stand in front of a microphone and speak. 

After finding historical information on the computer, I was told to go to PowerPoint 

(whatever that is) and compile the lesson, then transfer the file to a flash drive (a 

what?) to bring to the class. So, this was already looking like a challenge—but a 

doable challenge. If other people could do it, then so could I. 

Checking in with another CFA Board member about my tentative plans, Bruce 

Hawley put me in touch with Lynn Duncan in South Carolina. He was teaching a 

class at his local OLLI. With his good ideas, a wonderful cartoon, and support, I filled 

out the application to teach the class in the fall and got started. 

Beverly Abderraham, a co-conspirator and CFA Board member who has always 

been eager to join me on an adventure, signed up to be a co-teacher. Then one of our 

circus performer cohorts, Barbara Warkmeister, joined us as well. With nine ninety-minute 

classes to fill, I began with a John Polacsek’s PowerPoint about the History 

of the Circus in Nevada, which he had used at our 2016 convention. From there, we 

added Women in the Circus and continued down the syllabus, making many changes 

as the weeks came and went. We had the most fun during the class discussions, when 

we answered questions about our lives in the circus. It was so interesting to learn about 

our circus history. As we watched that history unfold, we felt just as amazed as our 

classmates. 

Luckily, I had loads of handouts (clearing out some of Bill’s collection) including 

posters, tickets, and even boxes of Cracker Jacks for the class about Circus Concessions. 

Several circus movie clips and circus music tapes rounded out our class. The last class 

brought in Bev’s kids to talk about what it was like being a kid on the circus. Also 

featured that day was Mark Smith, a past 

Ringling Clown and now a wardrobe 

master on the strip, who was a big hit. 

We made sure that brochures for CFA 

and CHS were available at each class, 

along with benefits and information 

about both organizations. Explaining 

the animal situation to them with, “I 

didn’t know that,” or, “That’s where the 

money goes,” was fully discussed. 

OLLI was a great opportunity to bring 

the positives of the circus to our friends 

and neighbors. You, too, can do this. 

Look into your local OLLI and share 

the love of the circus with the over-fifty 

crowd. They have the time and interest to 

learn, and are most often the age group 

that really appreciates the circus. And be 

certain to hand out those brochures! 


EDITH JOHNSTON 

MEMORIAL FUND REPORT 

In 1994 the late Edith Shrimplin Johnston directed in her 

will that a percentage of her remaining Teacher’s Retirement 

Pension funds be donated to CFA. She enjoyed life as an avid 

fan of the circus and named a few other circus-related organizations 

and charities to receive donations. The CFA Trustees 

at that time elected to establish a fund in her name and incorporated 

it as a non-profit Trust organization, within the CFA 

structure. The purpose of the Edith Johnston Memorial Trust 

Fund (EJMTF) was to provide grants to circus youth and 

educational-related organizations, from the profits generated 

from the invested principal. 

Two years ago the fund was successfully moved to an independent 

corporate status, as the Edith Johnston Memorial 

Fund (EJMF), thus establishing it as a 501 (c)(3) non-profit 

corporation with the Internal Revenue Service. That has allowed 

for all donations to the fund to be deductible contributions 

on the donor’s annual income tax report. More importantly 

for the fund, it is not being taxed on the capital gains 

of the principal, so it provides more available funds for the 

grants. 

With the above change in our tax status, very little change 

was made in the day-to day maintenance of the Fund. Morgan 

Stanley will continue to guide our account. They have done 

an exceptional job of advising over the years. However, the 

financial health of our holdings reflects the losses seen in the 

stock market this past year. 

This wrapper of this issue of White Tops carries the application 

for requesting grants. Those requests will be due by August 

31, 2023. As in the past, requests will be reviewed individually, 

qualified, and evaluated for purpose and need. Under the new 

Bylaws evaluations will be made by members of the EJMF 

Board of Directors. That Board will consist of Tim Bessignano, 

Jan Biggerstaff, Jim Fry, Diane Jones, Pat Stevenson, and John 

Wiler. Additionally, Dan Kleintop, Immediate Past President, 

and the new CFA President Jack Dean, will also participate in 

those evaluations. Secretary/Treasurer Jan Fry will collect the 

responses from the individual Directors, including Dan and 

Jack, and return the collective results to the Directors for final 

approval. Awarded grant payments will be sent out before the 

end of the year. 

Last year we drew from our principal holding and awarded 

the largest total grant payments ever. Based on lower earnings 

during the past year, grant funding will be more moderate for 

2023. 

James Fry 

EJMF Chair 

April 16, 2023 

LEGAL NOTICE 

EDITH JOHNSON MEMORIAL FUND 

CALENDAR YEAR 2022 

January 1, 2022 – December 31, 2022 

ASSETS 

Investments $ 215,844.94 

Money Market Fund 40,111.01 

TOTAL ASSETS $255,955.95 

LIABILITIES 

Liabilities 0.00 

TOTAL LIABILITIES $0.00 

EQUITY 

Unrestricted Equity $255,955.95 

TOTAL EQUITY $255,955.95 

TOTAL LIABILITIES AND EQUITY $255,955.95 

DISTRIBUTIONS 

Grants: EJMF $8,000 

Pretzel Man 1,050 

Morgan Stanley Serv. Chg. Expenses – 

2021 Taxes 20 

CPA 1,500 

Legal Fees – 

TOTAL DISTRIBUTIONS 10,570.00 

VALUE OF INVESTMENTS 

TOTAL End CY2021 $ 296.557.52 

End CY2022 $255,955.95 

Supporting the circus and performers for over 22 years 

with Immigration Services - Green Cards and Visas 

1277 N. Semoran Blvd, Suite 106 

Orlando FL 32807 

407-206-1973 

To arrange your room 

for the CFA convention 

at the Ramada Inn 

Sarasota 

7150 N. Tamiami Tr 

Sarasota FL 34243 

The link at the Ramada Inn in Sarasota for the 

CFA Convention from 7-9 to 7-14, 2023 should 

now work by simply calling their reservation number, 

941-203-6439. It was tested today and worked 

fine. 

The group rate is $85 per night plus 12% tax. If 

you cannot climb stairs, please ask for the first floor. 

The two story building does not have elevators. 

Pete Adams, Past President 


Convention 

Corner 

CIRCUS FANS ASSOCIATION 

July 10–13 • Sarasota, Florida 

Ramada Inn – 941-203-6439 

WINDJAMMERS 

July 11–16 Baraboo, Wisconsin 

Ho Chunk Casino – 800-746-2486 

CENTRAL STATES CIRCUS SOIREE 

August 18-20 • Baraboo, Wisconsin 

Clarion Hotel – 833-456-0746 

CIRCUS HISTORICAL SOCIETY 

August 24–27 Normal, Illinois 

Hyatt Place 309-454-9288 

WORLD CLOWN ASSOCIATION 

March 18–22 • Orlando, Florida 

Avanti Palms Resort – 877-821-3010 

CLOWNS OF AMERICA INTERNATIONAL 

May 13–17, 2024 • Niagara Falls, New York 

Sheraton Niagara Falls 

www.mycoai.com 


Remembering 

Buckles 

By Ken Kawata 

Exactly when I first met William 

“Buckles” Woodcock I do not recall. 

It must have been in a behindthe-scenes 

area in a circus. We would 

chitchat as he swept around elephants 

with a push broom. Back in Baraboo, 

Wisconsin, on one summer day, I took 

Joan Embery, a colleague from San 

Diego, to see Buckles’ act. Immediately 

she noticed that he never hooked elephants 

with his ankus. Voice command 

and body language would do the job. 

At Lincoln Center in New York, my 

wife Jean and I went to see Buckles 

during his Big Apple days. “He is out 

buying groceries—just wait,” we were 

told. He soon returned and to our surprise 

and pleasure he sat down at a table 

with us for roughly two hours of shoptalk. 

That was the moment I wished I’d 

had a tape recorder. Ouch! 

When I met him again in Baraboo, his 

health was already deteriorating. Then I 

saw Barbara. “You and I go back a long 

way,” she said and kissed me. I did not 

even realize that Barbara knew my name, 

and as a wave of emotions unexpectedly 

struck me, I had difficulties holding back 

tears. 

In Memoriam: 

William “Buckles” Woodcock, Jr. 

William “Buckles” Woodcock, Jr., 

born February 26, 1935, died March 

2, 2023 leaving a void in our circus industry. 

A son to elephant man William 

Woodcock, Sr. and animal trainer Sarah 

Orton, Buckles was working his father’s 

elephant, Anna May, by age eighteen. 

Buckles married Barbara Ray Williams, 

and with their children Shannon and 

Dalilah, and Barbara’s son Ben, all performed 

at one time with Anna May. 

Over the many years, Buckles was renowned 

for his patience and undying 

love for his animals. A true legendary 

performer, he worked in practically all 

major American circuses. His lasting 

legacy included his popular Buckles 

Blog which was the go-to blog for circus 

and especially elephant news, history, 

and photos. His passing—along with 

that of his close friend, the legendary 

John Herriott—highlights the changing 

of our industry. It will never be the same 

without them. —Jan Biggerstaff 

Editor’s Note: An in-depth article 

on Buckles, Barbara, and Anna May is 

scheduled for our summer issue. 

50 White Tops

Book Reviews 

Want to review a new book or even an old classic you have recently discovered? Submit 

reviews to editor.whitetops@gmail.com. All White Tops submissions are subject to editing 

for clarity and length. 

Clown: The Physical Comedian 

By Joe Dieffenbacher 

Available on Amazon 

Review by Bruce “Charlie” Johnson 

There was a panel discussion by representatives of youth circuses and circus schools 

during the 2015 Worldwide Circus Summit. During the question-and-answer 

session, they were asked if they taught clowning. Their response was, “We would like 

to, but we don’t know how.” 

Joe Dieffenbacher’s Clown: The Physical Comedian is the solution. It is a complete 

curriculum for teaching the art of clowning to a group of students. 

Joe uses an experience he had while acting at a Renaissance fair with his troupe, 

the Abbots of Unreason, to explain his approach. As he tells it, Joe began sweeping 

the stage to remove any debris that could be hazardous during their performance. As 

people gathered to see the show, he began to improvise his interactions with them. He 

realized that this preshow, “was played by me with the same back-and-forth, collaborative/competitive 

aspects of a game. And treating it as a game allowed me and the audience 

to open up to one another and create a flow that my partners and I enjoyed for 

the next forty-five minutes. It was one of the best shows we had that year and opened 

my mind up to an understanding of clowning that went beyond jokes, gags, comic 

bits, or funny business. The clown’s objective was not simply to satisfy his ego or seek 

approval by making the audience laugh, but to find ways of uniting them through play.” 

His approach reminded me of something Randy Pryor, my juggling coach, once 

taught me. Randy said, “Our job is to create an atmosphere of play and invite the 

audience along.” 

Joe teaches this same concept. Using theater games and other exercises, he leads his 

students to discover playful interactions with their environment, props, other entertainers, 

and the audience. The ultimate goal is to form a connection with the audience. 

He uses games at the start of each class. This is meant to help students get acquainted 

with one another, as well as to introduce them to a series of games that serve as 

physical, mental, and emotional warmups. While most of the games require a group 

of participants, he recommends that his students frequently repeat a series of solo 

exercises to help them develop their technique. 

The next several sections cover quite a bit: learning how to identify and use the possibilities 

one’s environment offers during a performance, learning how to handle props 

and use them as inspiration, applying the performer’s curiosity and inspiring that same 

curiosity in the audience, and how to perform as a solo clown, a clown duo, a clown 

trio, and as a participant in a clown ensemble. Whenever a smaller group of students 

is performing, the other students act 

as an audience for their peers. In some 

cases, they provide feedback after a presentation. 

Sometimes the students will 

build upon what they have seen others 

perform. At other times, the students 

behave as an active audience so that the 

other students have an opportunity to 

experience using their new techniques 

while interacting with their audience. 

Joe recommends that every student, 

even those who think they will always 

perform with partners, learn to perform 

solo bits. These solo skills create better 

group performances. Joe uses his experiences 

with clown trios as examples. After 

he left the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & 

Bailey Circus, he joined Mark Renfrow 

and Bob Schiele to form the Abbots of 

Unreason and begin touring Renaissance 

Fairs. Their strong solo juggling skills 

helped them to develop ball and club 

passing routines. Working on those 

routines revealed how they could work 

together in other types of routines. 

Joe says he also recommends solo 

skill development because there will be 

moments when a single person needs to 

take the lead. He encourages solo clowns 

to learn to perform with others, because 

solo clowns never actually perform 

alone: they interact with their audience. 

In essence, the audience is their partner 

in every performance. Some of his games 


are designed to develop skills that are 

transferrable to audience interactions, 

while others specifically involve interacting 

with an audience. That playful approach 

to audience interaction has been 

the key to my own success as a clown. 

Joe is very thorough and suggests variations 

and different approaches for each 

game. He also provides hints for how 

the class director can make the experience 

more effective. Likewise, members 

of the AYCO will appreciate that Joe 

consistently explains safety concerns in 

his directions for setting up the games. 

For example, when a chair is used, he 

suggests checking to verify that it is sturdy. 

He also suggests checking to make 

sure a wooden chair does not have any 

splinters. 

At the conclusion of each section, Joe 

describes the lessons behind each game 

in order to help both the director and the 

students understand and appreciate their 

relevance. He also explains the inspiration 

behind the games. Some are his own 

variations on known theatrical games. 

Some are based on games and exercises 

he learned in classes that he has taken, 

or that friends who teach clowning has 

shared with him. Others are his own 

original developments. 

I graduated from California State 

University-Long Beach with a bachelor’s 

degree in Technical Theater, so I had 

played some of the theater games before. 

Joe Dieffenbacher and Dan Griffith 

spent some time working together as 

co-directors of the Clown Conservatory 

in San Francisco. I have participated in 

some of these games during one of Dan’s 

intensive classes. I have also taken classes 

from Kenny Ahern, a good friend of Joe’s, 

who used similar games. While I have 

not played the majority of the games in 

Joe’s book, I know from personal experience 

that the ones I have played are an 

effective method for learning. 

I’ll use something from my own career 

as an example. Many of the games 

fit into a category that I will call “follow 

the leader.” In 2017, a busload of 

Clown Camp staffers and participants 

were visiting Baraboo. In celebration 

of the decades-old link between Clown 

Camp and the Circus World Museum, 

I was invited to be a guest star in one 

performance of the CWM Big Top 

show. I did a solo routine based on an 

act that I had performed when I toured 

with the Reynolds Family Showcase 

Theater in 1987. I greatly enjoyed returning 

to being under a Big Top with 

a circus routine that I had performed 

thirty years earlier. As the show was 

ending, I was standing out of the way 

near the performers’ entrance. Just as the 

cast was entering for the finale, Steven 

Daniel Copeland grabbed me and said, 

“Join us. Just follow along.” I ran into the 

ring with the others. The theme that year 

was the 1960s and the finale was a dance 

number. I didn’t know the choreography. 

However, because I had done the “follow 

the leader” theater games so many 

times, I was able to watch the others 

using my peripheral vision and join in on 

the dance. Joe advocates not just doing 

something, but playing with the associated 

emotions. Joe also says to keep it 

real. Another concept in Joe’s book is the 

level of emotional display. I knew that I 

wasn’t supposed to upstage the permanent 

cast, so I kept my reactions subtle. 

However, I started out by playing with 

the frustration of not knowing what to 

do. Then I transitioned to the feeling of 

pride that I had been accepted by this 

talented cast as a temporary member of 

the group. I wouldn’t say that the finale 

was my best performance ever, but I truly 

enjoyed having the opportunity. It would 

not have been possible if I hadn’t taken 

classes that used the types of games Joe 

describes. 

As an individual reading the book, I 

benefited from Joe’s introductions and 

explanations. He crystalized some concepts 

for me by describing some things 

that I had observed from my own experience 

but never tried putting into words. 

Something that I found particularly 

useful was Joe’s description of the 

five elements of a performance. It was 

something that I have used, but hadn’t 

formally identified. Joe’s explanation will 

allow me to more consciously utilize 

the opportunities they present. I won’t 

reveal the five elements here because 

I think it is an important part of Joe’s 

book. However, I think that any circus 

act can benefit from considering them. 

After the game section, Joe explains 

how to take what you’ve learned and turn 

it into something that can be performed. 

He recommends that students take notes 

about what they see and experience because 

they can review those notes later 

to discover a spark for a routine. Joe’s 

solid advice for devising new material 

includes tips for turning that material 

into an actual performance. There are 

consistent reminders and ideas for how 

to better connect with your audience. 

I think that a flaw of many clown curriculum 

courses and books is that they 

mainly focus on teaching makeup design, 

makeup application, and costuming. 

Clowns look good when they graduate, 

but they don’t know how to entertain an 

audience. Joe devotes just six of 262 pages 

to the subject of clown appearance because 

he wants students to avoid focusing 

on that before they develop and understand 

how they naturally play. This allows 

them to evolve their appearance around 

their character rather than the other way 

around. Otherwise, they might lock into 

a specific style of performance based on 

how their clown character looks. 

Although Joe directs his book at 

clowns, other performers can use many 

of the lessons to help them connect with 

their audiences. Anyone who performs 

as a group can apply his curriculum on 

working together and supporting each 

other as an act. 

Joe has an impressive background. He 

is a graduate of the Ringling Bros. and 

Barnum & Bailey Clown College. He 

has performed in the circus, and with 

trios in the United States. He currently 

lives in Europe where he performs solo 

in festivals. I have seen some videos of 

52 White Tops

his amazing performances in those settings. 

In addition to his work with the 

Clown Conservatory, Joe spent eight 

years as a resident faculty member of 

the Dell’Arte School. He has worked as 

the physical theater director for many 

stage productions, including productions 

at Shakespeare’s Globe. In that role he 

taught actors how to add physical comedy 

to existing scripts. 

I met Joe when we were both working 

as staff at Clown Camp, a program that 

Dr. Richard Snowberg founded in 1981, 

located in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Over 

five thousand students have enrolled 

in the Clown Camp program to study 

clowning through that program, and I 

have enjoyed Joe’s Staff on Stage shows 

whenever he has participated in one. 

During the last three years of his life, 

my father Bruce L. Johnson participated 

in Clown Camp. My father was not a 

clown, but he was a great supporter of 

clowns. He loved the art and learned 

a lot about it. He was one of my most 

important sources for feedback. The second 

year that Dad was at Clown Camp 

was the first time that Joe was on staff. 

It seemed like Joe and I were usually 

teaching at the same time, so I didn’t 

have the opportunity to attend many of 

his classes. However, Dad went to some 

of Joe’s classes and had several conversations 

with him. 

The following year, when Dad was 

considering returning to Clown Camp, 

the first question he asked me was, “Will 

Joe be there again?” When I told him 

that Joe was listed as a staff member, he 

immediately decided to return in order 

to spend more time with Joe. I can’t 

think of a better endorsement. 

I wish that everyone had the opportunity 

to spend time with Joe and to see 

him in performance. Reading this book 

is the next best thing. 

For anyone involved in teaching 

clowning or other circus arts, this book 

is an invaluable resource. 

CIRCUS FANS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA 

Board of Trustees Meeting on Zoom 

Minutes of the Meeting • January 7, 2023 

President Dan Kleintop called the CFA Board of Trustees meeting to order on Zoom 

at 8:05 p.m. EST. A quorum was reached with two members absent. The board was 

joined by two past presidents and the chairman of the finance committee. 

In attendance were board members Dan Kleintop, Jack Dean, Jan Biggerstaff, Buddy 

Calhoun, Bruce Hawley, Priscilla Johnson, Fred Pfening, Chris Schreiber, Pat Stevenson, 

Tim Tegge, and April Zink, and appointed member secretary/treasurer Maxine House. 

Guests included past presidents Pete Adams and Peter Wagner and the chairman of the 

finance committee, Larry Sayler. Board members Bev Abderrahman and John Peters 

were unable to attend. Vanessa Gagne had recently resigned as vice president. 

Having greeted those assembled and given an invocation, Dan got to the first item of 

business, a request for interview by the Gazette in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, for a video about 

the recent signing of the Big Cat Public Safety Act into law. After a brief discussion, it 

was decided to pass this along to Heidi Herriott who has an animal blog, and to some 

of the animal trainers still in the business. Dan will draft a letter and send Maxine a 

copy for the records 

We then moved to the main reason for this meeting—the caption on the cover of the 

October–December issue of White Tops. Dan said that he got feedback ranging from 

“No big deal” to sheer anger. A long discussion followed with everyone expressing their 

opinions and suggestions. Multiple solutions were offered. 

Finally Jan Biggerstaff moved that “CFA terminate John and Mardi Wells’ agreement 

of publishing the White Tops effective immediately and that a $2,000 stipend be paid 

to the Wells upon release of all materials, including electronic, that are owned by the 

Circus Fans Association and upon signing a provided release.” This was seconded by 

Tim Tegge and passed with one abstention. 

The discussion continued as to how to implement this. Dan volunteered to contact the 

Wells the following morning. Dan will also write the apology to the Hanneford family 

and the announcements for CFA members and for the CFA website and FaceBook. The 

board will preview it. Fred Pfening, who lives near the Wells, volunteered to pick up the 

materials from them. 

In the meantime Jan and Tim will “cobble together” a supplemental issue of White 

Tops. The suggestion to change the name was dismissed because it is of historic importance 

to CFA as it reaches 100 years. Jan noted that there is plenty to put in that issue, 

what with the change in editorship and the impending CFA elections. 

Tim, Jan, and Maxine will print labels to cover the caption on remaining copies and 

to send labels to the libraries who subscribe and already have their copies. 

The impending elections was the last item on the agenda. We are behind schedule on 

this. Five directors are up for reelection. All of them agreed to rerun. On May 1 Jack 

Dean will move up to president. However, despite ads in White Tops, we lack candidates 

for the offices of vice president and president elect. No one on the board wanted the job. 

The search will go on. 

Jan reminded the board about the new CFA brochure that she has designed and 

recently sent to them. She asked for and got the board’s approval to print it. 

At 10:04 p.m. EST the meeting adjourned. 

Respectfully submitted, 

Maxine House 

Executive Secretary/Treasurer 


Wedding 

Bells 


In Las Vegas 

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE FAMILY 

Christian Stoinev married Sonia Perez in Las Vegas, NV, on 

March 17, 2023, at a service attended by about seventy-five 

of their families and friends. But the special guests were Percy and 

Milo, the two chihuahuas who currently perform in Christian’s 

hand-balancing act. In fact, they and their predecessors have performed 

all over the world. Their most common venue recently has 

been halftimes at NBA games! 

Christian is the oldest son of Ivan Stoinev, an acrobat from 

Bulgaria who joined the Blue Unit of Ringling in 1978 with the 

Kehaiovi troupe teeterboard act renowned for the seven man high. 

In 1987, he met Mariza Atayde—an aerialist on Circo Atayde 

Hermanos—in Mexico. They married in 1988 and Ivan rejoined 

Ringling for the Japan Farewell Trip of Gunther Gebel Williams. 

Maritza was a show girl aerialist and worked with the elephants. 

Christian was born in 1991 and his brother Christopher was 

born in 1999. The boys grew up on circus lots—Ringling and later 

the Big Apple Circus—learning gymnastic skills from their parents 

from babyhood onward. 

I met Christian in 2006 when he was a freshman in the One 

Ring School House on the Big Apple Circus. At that time, 

Christian was already performing a solo hand-balancing act with 

Scooby, a Russian toy terrier, that Ivan had trained. 

When Christian graduated, he went to Illinois State University. 

His parents also left the Big Apple and took the job with the 

Gamma Phi Circus at ISU. Thus, Christian could continue his 

circus activities as he attended college. In the summers, he worked 

such places as Circus Sarasota and the Tommy Bartlett Show in 

Baraboo. He and Scooby even appeared on America’s Got Talent 

twice and made it to the finals! By then, a chihuahua named 

Prince had joined Christian’s act as an understudy. 

As Scooby neared retirement and Prince took over the role, 

Christian trained another chihuahua replacement, Percy. He has 

since added Milo. One of the latter two dogs is always a part of 

Christian’s act. 

Sonia with Percy and Milo. 

After graduating from college with a degree in communications, 

Christian has pursued a career in performing. 

Besides halftime performances at NBA games and other 

sporting events, he performs at Spiegelworld’s Atomic 

Saloon Show in Las Vegas, his new home. In fact, that’s 

where he met Sonia four years ago. Their relationship continued 

to grow and he proposed in Paris with the Eiffel 

Tower in the background. 

The rest is history, as they say. We wish him and his bride 

a wonderful life together. In the meantime, you can follow 

Christian, Percy, and Milo on Facebook! 

54 White Tops

WANTED! 

Circus Memorabilia of all types! 

Posters – Paper – Photos 

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Top: The bride and groom with Percy and Milo. Bottom: Christian with 

his parents. 


Good Day, Bad Day 

Good Day 

“Call,” your wake-up time, is later than usual, at 6:30 a.m. The morning is cool and 

dry. After some conversation and coffee at the cookhouse window, you go to your vehicle 

and prepare for the rather short twenty-five-mile trip to the next town. A nearby 

city provides a variety of radio stations to accompany you on the drive. The morning 

is clear and bright. The arrows that guide the circus convoy are intact and easy to see. 

You arrive in the new town before 8:00 a.m. 

Word spreads across the lot where local circus fans are providing coffee, orange 

juice, and doughnuts for the arriving circus employees. This event is not to be missed! 

More conversation and coffee are enjoyed as you notice the mechanics arriving on the 

lot. There were no breakdowns this morning, and necessities such as power and water 

will all be on time. 

After straightening your room the circus has provided, you make a few phone calls 

and discover that you have a strong cell phone signal. You hear the generator start in 

the distance, and show-provided electricity is turned on promptly at 9:00 a.m. 

You decide to walk downtown and are pleased to see large crowds gathering for this 

morning’s tent raising. The day promises to be financially good for the circus. After 

some necessary shopping, you return to the lot at 11:00 a.m., just in time for lunch in 

the cookhouse. The workers have just finished erecting the tent and seats. All props 

are in place, and the performers’ entrance stands proudly behind the forty-foot ring. 

The combination of freshly cut grass and big top vinyl are becoming a familiar smell. 

After lunch, you practice a new act in the big top. One hour a day, five days a week, 

you practice and hope to have a new act ready before the year is over. A nap follows 

practice and then a shower in preparation for the day’s two performances at 4:30 and 

7:30. You are pleased to discover that today’s water pressure is unusually strong. 

The shows are well attended, and the audiences are not afraid to show their appreciation 

for the performers. Tonight’s dinner in the cookhouse is one of your favorite 

meals. A warm, dry day gives way to a cool, dry night. The generators are silenced 

after the show, and all you can hear are the horses grazing nearby. A favorite book 

is enjoyed by battery-powered light, and you are soon fast asleep before 11:00 p.m. 

Bad Day 

By John Moss 

Today’s call is early. An eighty-mile trip means it comes at 5:30 a.m. Heavy rains 

the previous day created a sea of mud, and last night, following the 7:30 performance, 

large farm tractors pulled the show vehicles to a nearby paved parking lot. This bizarre 

ritual of chains connecting John Deere green to circus red and yellow continued into 

the early morning hours. You patiently waited in the cab of a circus pickup truck, 

unsure if you should be inside your room while it is being towed. At 2:00 a.m., your 

“sleeper” arrived in the parking lot with its exterior covered in mud. 

After just three hours of sleep, you hear the diesel truck engines outside coming to 

life one by one. As you are falling out the door of your compartment, you realize you 

did not put your steps down when the sleeper arrived a few hours ago. “I will remember,” 

you said to yourself just hours ago. Limping away, you go in search of coffee. A 

myriad of mud-covered circus trucks are scattered across a large wet parking lot. This 

is not the orderly layout that you are accustomed 

to on dry mornings. You have 

difficulty finding the cookhouse, and 

when you do, you see steam rising from a 

large dark puddle outside the door. That 

would have been your coffee had you 

arrived just one minute sooner. “You’re 

too late!” yells the cook as he secures the 

steps and door for the morning’s journey. 

You set out to find the vehicle you ride 

in each morning. It is not in its usual 

place, either. The rain begins falling 

again, and before you can find your vehicle, 

you are thoroughly soaked. Eighty 

miles in the rain is two hours of wet 

clothes, windshield wipers waving, and 

the defroster on high. During the drive, 

you pass a disabled circus vehicle on 

the side of the road. A raised hood and 

smoke coming from the engine tell you 

that the breakdown is serious. Twenty 

miles further, you pass your sleeper. It too 

is on the side of the road with a blowout. 

It’s nothing major, but show mechanics 

will be late getting to it because of the 

previous, more serious breakdown. 

After a few wrong turns due to missing 

arrows that were blown down in 

the wind and rain, you arrive in that 

day’s town and join the entire fleet of 

mud-covered trucks in a Walmart parking 

lot. You learn from others that today’s 

lot is under water. Circus officials and the 

local sponsor are desperately looking for 

another location. Of course, the sponsor 

has failed to arrange for the required secondary 

lot because the weather had been 

perfect until yesterday. 

A nearby McDonald’s cannot understand 

the sudden line that forms and 

the many languages being spoken within 

that line. Circus employees wander 

into the Walmart and return with bags 

of food, clothing, and housewares. The 

cookhouse manager, realizing that the 

56 White Tops

day’s schedule will be hectic, fills four 

shopping carts full of provisions and pays 

a four-figure bill in cash. As cashiers are 

kept busy, a fuming Walmart manager 

roams the parking lot in search of the 

one in charge. It’s futile. He walks away 

defeated, threatening to call the police 

if the caravan of trucks is not moved 

immediately. 

Rumors spread that the shows may be 

canceled, and you begin to envision a day 

with no shows, which hasn’t occurred in 

nine weeks. Further rumors are that advance 

ticket sales are good, and the circus 

cannot cancel. An ideal lot has been 

found—the paved parking lot behind 

the local high school. After another hour 

of waiting, you learn that one official 

with the school system will not give the 

needed approval. It is believed that the 

official is an animal activist. 

Another hour passes, and you learn 

that the trucks will soon be leaving for 

an abandoned rock quarry three miles 

outside town. You have yet to see the 

mechanics or your sleeper arrive. At 

11:30 a.m., you arrive at the quarry. 

Workers are frantically driving in stakes, 

and everyone is in a hurry. Your sleeper 

arrives at noon and is last in line behind 

a long column of performers’ trailers. 

Most of them have no show power because 

piles of debris on the new lot have 

caused a very unusual layout. When you 

try to take a shower, you discover that 

the freshwater storage tank is empty, and 

like the electric cables, the water hoses 

will not reach your sleeper. 

This is Saturday, and the first show is 

scheduled to begin at 2:00 p.m., just forty-five 

minutes away. A bucket bath will 

have to suffice. 

At showtime, you discover that the 

running order of the show has changed 

due to the large rocks littering the circus 

grounds. This makes being on time 

difficult, and you cannot hear the show 

music from your sleeper at the end of 

the long column. Show music is your 

measurement of time while the show is 

underway. 

During the 5:30 performance, word 

spreads that the show will move on to 

tomorrow’s town immediately after the 

show. More rain and difficult traffic were 

expected. At 8:30 p.m., you leave the 

quarry en route to the next town. After a 

few more wrong turns, you arrive in the 

new town just behind the mechanics. 

Surprisingly, the lot is not too bad. It 

has sustained the rains that have been 

falling for the last two days. At 11:00 

p.m., you crawl into bed and realize that 

your day started three towns ago. Three 

towns ago? Yes. Although you performed 

in only one, the day has encompassed 

three towns. You are exhausted. 

That is a bad day! You’ve been warned. 

In spite of the bad days, most of us cannot 

imagine a life lived anywhere else 

other than the circus. 

John Moss is a former Ringmaster on 

the Carson Barnes, L.E. Barnes, and Kelly 

Miller circuses, and the Box Office Treasurer 

on the Big Apple Circus. This essay was 

sent to new performers with no tent show 

experience who were considering a year of 

working “under the Big Top.” 

Checkerboard Laughter 

By Danise Payne 

I played with zeedonks and danced with pachyderms in a once-upon-a-dream. 

There was a man shot from a cannon, 

A woman three feet tall, 

And those who hid faces in cream. 

I walked a wire suspended in air and swung from a bar on a self-imposed dare. 

I lived on a train—a beautiful train—and travelled to and fro. 

These are the facts as I lived them. 

Oh, how I loved it so! 

Pack-away thoughts and portable words. 

Checkerboard laughter and polka dot birds. 

Oh, woebegone me. 

Unbind the trapped yearning of a faraway goal. 

Loose the freedom buried within my soul. 

Denise Payne toured with Ringling's red and blue units, plus five other circuses. 

She is the author of the memoir Elbows in My Ears. 


Circus clown props shown at the RBBC Clown College. 

By Ron Severini 

It was said, that when Mr. Irvin Feld and his brother Israel Feld purchased 

“The Greatest Show on Earth” in 1967, there were only thirteen circus 

clowns remaining in the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus’ clown 

alley. It was jokingly quipped that those thirteen clowns could professionally 

fall down, but it was questionable if they could get back up again. This 

remaining group of clowns averaged sixty-five years of age. The future of 

the American circus clown was in jeopardy. With the new Ringling owners 

having future plans to quickly grow their circus, including adding a completely 

new second touring unit, something had to be done to perpetuate 

the art and craft of circus clowning. 

A brilliant new idea was created and put into place. As a result of brainstorming 

between the Felds and several of the remaining veteran circus 

clowns, a training program was crafted and put in place. With the help 

and support of master clowns Otto Griebling, Lou Jacobs and Bobby Kay, 

as well as another wonderful veteran tramp clown, Danny Chapman, the 

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College was established. It 

held its first session in the fall of 1968. These veteran master clowns became 

Clown Alley: the Blue Unit in 1976. 

the first instructors at the college. This world-famous 

program was considered by many as the ultimate 

clown boot camp. 

Clown College was established as a tuition-free 

program, so any interested American candidate 

could apply without concern of affordability. 

Applicants needed to submit an extensive application 

form, designed specifically to give the 

admissions directors a clear understanding of the 

applicant’s psychological well-being, interests, 

health, seriousness, and previous experience. Live 

open auditions were conducted along the circus’ 

annual route. These auditions were an efficient 

way to generate interest in the Clown College as 

well as aid the admissions representatives in meeting 

the candidates in person. The public relations 

coverage was also fabulous and helped to spread 

awareness about this new 

clown training program and 

the circus in many of the cities 

where the circus was appearing. 

Now, with this new opportunity, 

interest from both male and 

females swept across America. 

Young adults having a sincere 

interest and desire in running 

away and joining the circus as 

a clown could actually apply. 

As many as six thousand applications 

were received annually 

by the enrollment office. It was 

established that there would be 

a maximum of sixty students 

accepted each year, and one 

session per year would be conducted. 

The competition was 

fierce. An applicant’s chances 

58 White Tops

Blast from the past: The RBBB Clown College Class of 1982 poses for their graduation photo. 

of acceptance were one in a hundred. The 

program started off as an eight-week 

program and eventually grew to a full 

eleven-week intensive course of study. 

Classes were conducted six days a week, 

eight to twelve hours per day. The program 

included classes in basic clowning, 

the teaching of traditional clown routines, 

circus skills (acrobatics, juggling, 

stilt walking, and unicycle), makeup, 

costuming, and all facets of visual comedy 

from Chaplin to Keaton and the 

Three Stooges to Warner Bros. cartoons. 

Most of all, the program was devoted 

to the creation of new clowns and new 

clown gags that could eventually be incorporated 

into the Ringling shows. In 

a sense, Clown College acted as a think 

tank for clowning at the Greatest Show 

on Earth in terms of comic material, as 

well as clever new makeup designs, costuming, 

and character definition. For the 

students, the ultimate goal was to secure 

a year-long circus contract upon graduation. 

Contracts were only offered to the 

funniest and the best of the students. 

The Clown College program was in fact 

an extended audition for the Greatest 

Show on Earth. Audiences of varying 

ages were invited in to experience the 

final graduation performance, as well as 

media photographers, TV cameras, radio 

interviewers, and newspaper interviewers. 

This was all to prepare each graduate 

awarded a season-long contract to be 

ready for real life on the circus. 

Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey 

Clown College ran for thirty years 

(1968–1997). It produced some of the 

greatest circus clowns to ever perform 

within the show in the latter part of the 

twentieth century. Some graduates stayed 

as a clown for many years, while others 

were promoted to alternate positions 

within the company. Some found that 

clowning just wasn’t for them, and they 

left after their one-year commitment 

was completed. It was a show business 

milestone. Some of the more illustrious 

alumni include Penn Jillette (from Penn 

& Teller); theatrical comedic genius Bill 

Irwin; Academy Award nominated actor 

David Strathairn; Murray Horwitz, the 

creative force behind the hit musical, 

Ain’t Misbehavin’; Steven Glover, better 

known as Steve-O from MTV’s Jackass 

fame; Oscar-winning makeup artist 


Steve LaPorte; and the list could continue 

for many pages. The program eventually 

catapulted the careers of many other 

very prominent artists in show business, 

including producers, directors, writers, 

set designers, as well as comedy jugglers, 

comedy magicians, and stand-up comedians. 

It is certainly a highlighted item 

on every alumni resume! 

In its heyday, there were as many as a 

hundred fifty clowns employed annually 

by Ringling projects around the world. 

This total included thirty clowns on the 

Ringling Red Unit; thirty clowns on the 

Ringling Blue Unit; twenty clowns on 

the Ringling Gold Unit in Japan; twenty 

clowns at Ringling Bros. Circus World 

in Haines City, Florida; twelve clowns 

performing at music and circus festivals 

around the country; thirty clowns 

appearing in the summer months at 

Disneyland’s Circus Fantasy; and twenty 

clowns returning to teach at Ringling 

Bros. Clown College each fall. 

I was lucky enough to be accepted as 

a student and a graduate of the 1971 

Ringling Bros. Clown College. In 1978, I 

became the very first graduate to become 

the Clown College’s Dean and Director. 

Clown College was originally located in 

Venice, Florida, the home of Ringling 

Bros. and Barnum & Bailey’s winter 

quarters. When Ringling Bros. left 

Venice in the 1990s, following a dispute 

over the local railroad, Clown College 

moved to Baraboo, Wisconsin, home 

of the Circus World Museum, which is 

Top: Clown legend Lou Jacobs teaches “levitation.” Bottom: The inimitable Otto Griebling instructs 

students in the art of fancy footwork. 

First Clown College diploma, 1958. 

Bev “Rebo” Bergeron teaches at Clown College, 

November 1982. 

60 White Tops

Below: On a break from unicycle 

class. Right top: Warming up— 

and clowning around—before 

class. Right bottom: A full house 

awaits their next Clown College 

lecture. 

Clown College bus. 

Above: Detail of artwork from the 

1973 Clown College diploma. 

Below: Detail of text from the 

Clown College diploma. 

located on the site of the original Ringling Bros. Circus’ 

winter quarters. Clown College eventually relocated to 

Sarasota until it closed in 1997. Its deans were Mel 

Miller (1968), Bill Ballantine (1969–1977), Sandy and 

Ron Severini (1978–1983), Ron Severini (1984), Steve 

Smith (1985–1995), Rob Mermin and 

Dick Monday (1995), and Dick Monday 

(1996–1997). In 1988 and 1989, there 

was also Ringling Bros. and Barnum & 

Bailey Clown College Japan, located in 

Tokyo. Clown College was known as the 

greatest visual comedic training program 

ever developed in the twentieth century 

to find and train funny men and women 

in the ancient and honorable art form of 

clowning and visual comedy. 

Irvin Feld died in 1984, and the 

College passed into the hands of Irvin’s 

son, Kenneth. Kenneth Feld became 

the producer of the Greatest Show 

on Earth, and ultimately the CEO of 

Feld Entertainment. Ringling operated 

Clown College through 1997, when it 

eventually closed. During those thirty 

years of operation, it graduated a very select 

group of only 1,400 students. If not 

for Mr. Irvin Feld’s original idea, there 

would never have been a Ringling Bros. 

and Barnum & Bailey Clown College. 

As I have always said, Mr. Feld was a 

man with limited eyesight but amazing 

vision! As far as I am concerned, all the 

graduates of Ringling Bros. and Barnum 

& Bailey Clown College, as well as 

Clowning in America, owe an enormous 

debt to this visionary! He absolutely 

loved clowns and loved Clown College. 

He always worked tirelessly to make the 

program the greatest it could be! 

Ron Severini is the author of Ringling 

Remembered: Through the Eyes of a 

Circus Clown, from which this story is 

excerpted, with additional photos from Mr. 

Severini’s collection. You can find his book on 

Amazon. For more stories, visit his blog at 

www.theSeveriniCompany.com. 


Pictures 

from the 

Past 

The Mighty Haag Circus is shown here in a circa 1936 photograph with Fetaque Sanders (1915–1992) atop the camel near the center of the scene. Sanders 

later became the leading African American Magician in the United States, retiring to his home in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1958. He joined the troupe on the 

advice of another Black magician, Leon Long (Leon DeLeon), who told him the circus would round out his show business education. The management of 

Mighty Haag Circus put a turban on the light-skinned youth and billed him as Feta Sajii. After one season, he left the circus and began playing segregated 

schools and churches in an ever-broadening territory. In summer, he performed tableside magic at the leading “sepia” nightclubs in Washington, D.C., 

Chicago, and New York City, working in clubs with Cab Calloway, Ella Fitzgerald, and other famous musicians. For the rest of his life Sanders recalled his 

season with the circus—the performances and the parades, riding behind the elephants on a camel—with great fondness. COLLECTION OF SAMUEL PATRICK 

SMITH 

62 White Tops


THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE CIRCUS FANS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA 

Spring 2023

Edith Johnston Memorial Fund 

2023 Grant Application 

A bequest by the late Edith Shrimplin Johnston was used to establish 

a trust from which earnings would be used for grants to 

circus-oriented organizations engaged in circus activities. 

The application form for the 2023 grants can be found below. 

This is the only issue of The White Tops that will contain this grant 

application. Be sure to include along with the completed form: 

1. The proposed use of the funds 

2. The names of two members of your board of directors 

3. The mission statement of your organization 

4. The name of your member who is an active member of 

CFA, and their CFA membership number 

5. Eight copies of all materials are required. 

Based on the 2022 earnings from the principal holdings, 

approximately $10,000 will be the total available for the 2023 

grants. Since 2000 over $58,000 in grant funds have been 

awarded. 

The voting members of the EJMF Board are: 

Jan Biggerstaff 

Tim Bessignano 

Jim Fry 

Diane Jones 

Pat Stevenson 

John Wiler 

and the current CFA President and immediate Past President. 

These eight members evaluate the requests. They will make 

the final determination as to eligibility and the amount to be 

awarded. Approved grants will be awarded before the end of 

the year. 

If you organization qualifies, send in your grant request now. 

Don’t wait. The deadline of August 31, 2023 will be strictly adhered 

to.

2 White Tops

Winter 2023 3

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