Posted 4/28/2015 10:53:56 PM by Don Covington
News from Johnathan Lee Iverson viewed 1029 times
Tuesday, April 28, 2015 - Sarasota, Florida
Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey ringmaster Johnathan Lee Iverson salutes John Herriott
THE LAST RINGMASTER: OBITUARY, JOHN MILTON HERRIOTT January 15, 1931 - February 26, 2015
by Johnathan Lee Iverson
Follow Johnathan Lee Iverson on Twitter: www.twitter.com/bigtopvoice His
voice is what I remember most. Its timbre was bathed in authority. It
wasn't the kind that evokes intimidation, mind you, rather the sort that
would cause you to recognize that he was a person worthy of your
respect. By the time I'd heard his voice, it had all the seasoned depth
of a lifetime of presenting, lecturing and teaching about his greatest
love -- the Circus. I became acquainted with Col. John Herriott
around 2005 during an event at the famed Ringling Museum in Sarasota, FL
where he was the evening's host. Though recently retired, he still bore
a magnetic presence. It was rather surreal for me as I am not one
easily mystified. He was simply captivating. It was impossible not to
hang on to every phrase he uttered. I wasn't alone. It was clear how
vast and universal the respect he commanded from onlookers and peers
alike. "Respect is a mild reference to the reverence his peers
paid to him. John Herriott was iconic," is how Bill Powell remembers the
man he referred to as Uncle Johnny. "He was the ultimate raconteur of
the circus world," said Powell. "Be it the circus ring before thousands
or the backyard, he could hold an audience in the palm of his hand." As
the eyes are the windows to the soul, the voice is its story. So much
of one's narrative is articulated through the voice. Each inflection
spins a tale, and if you listen carefully it is an invitation to the
truth. Therefore, it's not always what is said but how it's said.
Nothing speaks to a person's character -- not skill, not accolades, not
the praise of strangers -- than one's children. The Herriott sisters,
Laura, Cindy, Heidi and Cristine, all enjoy commendable reputations as
trainers, ringmasters and show owners within their industry. They are as
glamorous in the presentation of their craft as they are no-nonsense in
the preparation of that work, each unapologetically independent, thanks
in large part to their mother, John's wife of 60 years, herself an
accomplished animal trainer and equestrian, Mary Ruth. Yet, to hear them
speak of their father is to hear endearing childlike vulnerability. "He
lived and breathed circus," said daughter Cristine Herriott. His is a
story that reads like a classic frontier novel. A direct descendant of
adventurer Zebulon Pike, his love of all things sawdust began at the
knee of his father Milton Herriott, a noted animal trainer and
performance director in his own right. But it would be his
remarkable ability for training animals that would place John Herriott
among the elite in his field. During his long and brilliant career there
was hardly a circus in the United States that did not acquire
his talent(s), including Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey, where
he'd serve as performance director and was a center ring star. However,
his talents were not at all limited to the circus world. Walt Disney
personally commissioned Herriott and his animals to appear at the
inauguration of Disney World and the Mickey Mouse Circus. His elephants
were featured in the MGM musical film Jupiter's Darling. Practically
every major accolade in circus has been bestowed upon him, including
induction into the International Circus Hall of Fame in
Peru, IN and induction into Sarasota's Circus Ring of Fame. His
knowledge of the circus was so revered that it is believed that there is
virtually no historical account of the American circus where he is not
quoted or recognized. Herriott was also a proud patriot, having served
his country in the Korean War for which he was awarded the Combat Infantry Badge. "I always knew he was good at what he did, but not at this magnitude," said daughter Cindy Herriott Wells. The
recent passing of Col. John Herriott, also marks the end of an era,
that of the original model of ringmaster -- the equestrian director.
Long before the emergence of the theatrical-type ringmasters of today,
started by the likes of Harold Ronk, the ringmaster was far more than a
charismatic presence. He was an expert horseman or equestrian director,
which explains the riding pants and boots, in addition to top hat and
tails. In addition to his mastery of the equine arts, the ringmaster
also was performance director. The presentation of the show was
literally his charge. He was the authority. "I always thought my
daddy was a god," said daughter Laura Herriott. "I always thought my
daddy was special," said Cindy. "We had such a daddy growing up," says
Heidi. "Family always came first no matter what," recalled Cristine. "He
prided himself on being a provider." Among those provisions was the drive to raise daughters who would be independent of their parents, capable of decidingtheir
own destiny. "I'm the odd one," chuckles Heidi. "I ventured out to do
other things away from the circus, but eventually I came back." For
Laura, Cindy, and Cristine, there was never much doubt where they would
make their life. "I did well in school, but it was like I didn't exist
there. In the Circus, I felt special. Besides, animals were my life!"
said Laura. "Our parents simply encouraged our love of animals and the circus lifestyle," said Heidi. For
all his gifts and the prestige that they drew, he was renowned most for
his generosity. "He loved to teach anyone who was serious about
learning," said Laura. "The lives and careers he influenced and touched.
I can't even begin to tell you how many young people he helped," she
continued. "He trained me like a prodigy. He wasn't easy." "He expected so much more from us because we were his children," recalled Cristine. "Sometimes I'd cry, and he'd hug me and say: 'You know I love you. It just has to be great!'" said Laura. Indeed,
it was that standard of excellence that laid the foundation to his
astoundingly prolific career. Yet, no matter the success his many
talents granted, his heart was always with his animals. "We actually
left Ringling Bros. to go to a tent show because it gave him the
opportunity to work with baby elephants," remembered Heidi. "Nothing
jazzed him up more than working with animals." John Herriott's
acts were renowned for eliciting not only the physical capability of an
animal but also its personality. "'You've got to get inside their brain'
he'd say," remembered Cindy. "He was all about telling a story with the
act. There's a beginning, a middle, and an end." "It was like he
was telepathic," laughed Laura. "He was so zealous about the care of
the animals, and he did not tolerate anyone humiliating a creature in
anyway," remarked Laura. "When I'd get frustrated and swear, he would
not have any of it: 'Don't you ever say that about an animal! It's not
him, it's you!'" she remembered. "I hold to that principle in my work
today. I always look at what I'm doing first. That's what a good trainer
does. Dad was right." "I never knew anyone who respected an animal more," recalled Heidi. "He was the primary caretaker, not just the trainer." "He never acquired the popular horse breeds, like Friesians or Andalusians.
It wasn't about the breed, but how he rode it. He'd always see the
beauty in an animal, even when we could not," said Cindy. One night in Detroit,
at the largest Shrine Circus in the country, Cindy would finally see
the beauty her father referred to. Upon being introduced by none other
than Tarzan Zerbini, ringmaster John Herriott would appear atop his high
school horse striding down the hippodrome track in a perfect passage in
a floating trot, all while announcing-- voice unbroken, making his way
around the entire track with the horse giving a final bow and
Herriott grandly announcing, "It's circus time!" The audience erupted
with enthusiastic applause and cheers. "My dad loved it all," said Heidi. "He used to say, 'What? And give up show business?'" "We
had a lot of lean years," remembered Cristine. Be it knee deep in a mud
show or The Greatest Show on Earth, it was the character of the Man
above all that steadied him and his family-- lean years and plenty. The
great ones have a remarkable way of daring one and all to evolve beyond
what we believe of ourselves. John Herriott is no exception. It is
evidenced in a legacy of immense talent and generosity; a legacy that
lives on, not only in his four daughters, but in their children as well.
"When I see my daughter Jenny take to the ring with her zebras, I know
that's my dad's legacy," said Laura. As both a ringmaster and a
man, it is all at once awe-inspiring and humbling to look upon the
enormity of a life such as Col. John Herriott's. A steep standard he has
left, and it is well worth the ascent. In circus, we never say
"goodbye," rather we say "see you down the road." This patriarch of the
great American Circus has no doubt made his entry into the ethereal
sphere of the Old Showman's Heaven, taking his rightful place among the
greats of ages past. They have their ringmaster now, and we can only
imagine how grand a show it will be. See you down the road, Col. Herriott.
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