Circus Part II

by Allen Pogue and Suzanne De Laurentis, all rights reserved, 2005

Imagine if you will, six giant jet-black Friesian stallions marching in unison, sometimes in pairs side-by-side, sometimes three or six abreast moving round the confines of the 42 ft. circus ring only to be joined by six sparkling gray Arabian stallions sleek and shiny. With little more that a word and a gesture from Sacha the formation changes and a checkerboard pattern appears. Grays and blacks marching ..ever marching in perfect synchronization. Another word and a gesture and the pattern changes again. Now it becomes like a chorus line from Radio City Music Hall. Twelve horses abreast it circles with the precision of the famous Rockettes dancers. With a nod of acknowledgement to the horses and with a simple nuance of a gesture the line changes and somehow as if guided by an unseen hand the Arabians split off and begin circling in the opposite direction. The Friesians pair-up and widen slightly to let the much smaller Arabians pass in between their steadily moving concentric circles.

Now in come the roustabouts with seven pedestals, six small ones are set in a circle for the Friesians and one larger for the center of the ring.. In steps a gorgeous palomino and up onto his high perch as the Arabians circle inward to form a tight endless wall of revolving horses. The tiny ring seems to be awash with horse flesh and without warning in come eight zebras marching in a larger circle going the opposite direction.. This IS circus.

How in the world anyone could maintain order when you are faced with 21 equines all at Liberty in one ring?? Ah.. but remember, this is the magic of the circus.

Any true horseman who has ever seen such a spectacle would hold Sacha’s talents as a trainer in high regard and likewise wonder, if only for a moment, what it would be like if his own horse could present itself to such advantage.. It was my privilege to witness up close the techniques that are used to create the multi-horse spectacular.

Wonderment has always been the effect of witnessing a great Liberty act.. but it is the gentle, guiding hand and the footwork of the many assistants at Sacha's disposal that creates the new routines. Like a conductor he orchestrates the movements by quietly calling out the changes to the assistants assigned to a particular horse. Each assistant walks the horses thru every step of the pattern, never letting the horse make even the slightest errors. To do so would only spoil their ability to memorize even the most complicated routines.