Difference between revisions of "Main Page"

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===JOHN BILL RICKETTS===  
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===BEN WILLIAMS===  
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A former pupil of [[Charles Hughes]]—Philip Astley's rival and the founder of London's Royal Circus—Ricketts was first noticed as the star equestrian of a troupe managed jointly by the actor-manager James Jones and the equestrian [[George Jones]] (no relation). The Joneses would later establish a permanent circus in Edinburgh, which their company had visited regularly. Jacob Decastro, Astley's and Hughes's first biographer, who saw Ricketts perform in Whitechapel with the Joneses, declared him "the first rider of real eminence"... ([[John Bill Ricketts|more...]])
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Ben Harold Williams was born January 18, 1953 in Fort Worth, Texas, the son of aerialist Barbara Ray and elephant trainer Rex Williams. His parents divorced. When Barbara married another elephant trainer, the legendary Bill “Buckles” Woodcock, Ben began working with Buckles's star elephant, Anna May, a remarkably gifted Indian Woodlands elephant that Buckles had purchased from a circus in 1951, when she was five years old. By then, Anna May was thirteen, and Ben, six.
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When not traveling with his parents, Ben went to school in Ruskin, Florida—the Woodcocks' hometown—where he became president of the National Honor Society. A bright student, he was offered a scholarship for the University of South Florida, but he chose to go back to the circus instead, and to continue working with elephants. ... ([[Ben Williams|more...]])
  
 
==Recent Additions==
 
==Recent Additions==

Revision as of 20:44, 1 November 2009

Welcome to Circopedia,
the free encyclopedia of the international circus.
A project of the Big Apple Circus,
inspired and funded by the Shelley & Donald Rubin Foundation.

In the Spotlight

John Bill Ricketts.jpg

BEN WILLIAMS

Ben Harold Williams was born January 18, 1953 in Fort Worth, Texas, the son of aerialistAny acrobat working above the ring on an aerial equipment such as trapeze, Roman Rings, Spanish web, etc. Barbara Ray and elephant trainer Rex Williams. His parents divorced. When Barbara married another elephant trainer, the legendary Bill “Buckles” Woodcock, Ben began working with Buckles's star elephant, Anna May, a remarkably gifted Indian Woodlands elephant that Buckles had purchased from a circus in 1951, when she was five years old. By then, Anna May was thirteen, and Ben, six. When not traveling with his parents, Ben went to school in Ruskin, Florida—the Woodcocks' hometown—where he became president of the National Honor Society. A bright student, he was offered a scholarship for the University of South Florida, but he chose to go back to the circus instead, and to continue working with elephants. ... (more...)

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