Tuesday 18 May 2010

Gary Ambrose with Austen Brothers Tigers



Gary with Austen Brothers Tigers (originally trained by Jim Clubb).
Fossetts Circus - Ireland ? year
Austen Brothers Circus UK - 1988 & 1989
(Thanks to Thomas Bohner for pointing out that these tigers are from Jim's Big Mixed Group)

8 comments:

  1. Aren't these the tigers from the mixed act of Jim Clubb ?

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  2. Thanks Thomas you are quite right. I have looked at the pictures from the mixed group, which made it's debut with Cottle and Austen combined show in December 1987, and the ring curtains are the same. The cage props also are the same as the mixed group. This picture appears in the 1988 tour programme for Austen Brothers, so must have been taken in London.

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  3. Jennifer Solomon presented the act together with Gary Ambrose december 1987 and then it went to Blackpool with the palacios. How long did gary worked with the Austen tigers?

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  4. From the information I can find Gary worked the Austen tigers (trained by Jim, but not the ones in the picture) on and off from about 1985/86 to 1989. In between he presented Jonny Roberts lions on Tom Duffys Circus in Ireland, then Lions with Gandeys Circus UK 86/87,(after Martin Lacey had left the show), Pinder tigers in France(1989), worked with William Voss 8 male lions in France, and the same lions in Spain with Angel Cristo's Circus. Then he went to Greece on Circo Paradie Orfei with horses, and exotics. Presenting the tigers again in '93. In '94 he worked on Chipperfield Brothers Circus training and presenting a group of 2 lions and 3 lionesses, presenting them in bouncing act. In 1995 he took back the Chipperfield Tigers.

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  5. Thomas
    Gary also presented the Dickie Chipperfield group in 1991,(I think the first time he worked them) on Chipperfields Circus, following the departure of Graham Thomas Chipperfield to France, this is the group he worked with again in 1993 and 1995.

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  6. So this is what we know about him:

    1985: Austen tigers
    1986: Tom Duffy's circus presenting Jonny Roberts lions
    1986/1987: Gandey's circus presenting lions
    1987: ??
    1987/1988: Austen Bros. and Gerry Cottle christmas circus with jim clubb's big mixed act
    1988: Austen Bros. circus with austen tigers
    1989: Cirque Pinder with the tigers of cirque pinder
    1990: William Voss lions ?
    1991: Chipperfield circus with chipperfield tigers
    1992: Circo Paradi Orfei presenting horses and exotics
    1993: Chipperfield circus with chipperfield tigers
    1994: Chipperfield circus training lions
    1995: Chipperfield circus with chipperfield tigers
    1996 - 1999: ???
    1999/2000: Cirque d'hiver roermond with tigers
    2001: Circus Herman Renz with tigers
    2002: Grand Cirque des Pays Bas with tigers
    2003 - 2004: Cirque Alain Zavatta with tigers
    2005: Moscow Star circus with tigers

    I think he also worked with the circus of family Iarz in '97 or '98 but i'm not sure of that.

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  7. 1987: Gandeys Circus (summer season) with lions
    1994: Chipperfield Brothers Circus (not the same show as Chipperfields)
    1996: Circo Miranda Orfei, Sardinia with this group of tigers. How long was he with this show?

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  8. I think until the end of '96 cause he was in 97 at joseph bouglione i was told.

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