William Woodcock, Jr. - Revision history

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‎The Woodcock Family

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 Image:Barbara_Woodcock.jpg|Barabara Woodcock (c.1980)
 File:Woodcock_Family_(1984).jpeg|The Woodcock Family (1984)
-Image:Bill_Woodcock_%26_Peggy_(1987).jpg|Buckles and Delilah Woodcock with Peggy (1987)
+Image:Bill_Woodcock_%26_Peggy_(1987).jpg|Buckles and Delilah Woodcock with Toto (1987)
 File:Toto_and_Delilah_Woodcock_(1987).jpg|Delilah Woodcock with Toto (1987)
 Image:Delilah_Woodcock_%26_Toto_(1987).jpg|Delilah Woodcock with Toto (1987)

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 ===The Woodcock Family===
-Buckles Woodcock married aerialist and leopard trainer Barbara Ray (born September 30, 1934), whose parents, LaLea and Ruben Ray, had a tiny circus called Marlowe's Mighty Hippodrome. Her contribution to Buckles's elephant acts quickly became apparent, as her flamboyant personality brought razzle-dazzle to Buckles's familiar performing style&mdash;always quiet and subdued, giving the spotlight to his charges instead of himself. Barbara also helped in costuming and choreographing some of their presentations.
+Buckles Woodcock married aerialist and leopard trainer Barbara Ann Ray (born September 30, 1934), whose parents, LaLea and Ruben Ray, had a tiny circus called Marlowe's Mighty Hippodrome. Her contribution to Buckles's elephant acts quickly became apparent, as her flamboyant personality brought razzle-dazzle to Buckles's familiar performing style&mdash;always quiet and subdued, giving the spotlight to his charges instead of himself. Barbara also helped in costuming and choreographing some of their presentations.
 [[File:Woodcock_Family_(1984).jpeg|thumb|400px|left|Barbara, Dalilah, Shannon and Bill Woodcock (1984)]]Barbara Woodcock had a son, Ben, from a previous marriage with elephant trainer [[Rex Williams]]. She and Buckles had two children, Shannon and Dalilah. All of the children have participated at one time or another in the Woodcocks' elephant acts. The entire family was in the ring together in 1978, when Buckles starred with a group of twenty-two elephants&mdash;including Anna May, who performed with Ben Williams&mdash;in the 108th edition of [[Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey]]'s ''Greatest Show On Earth''.
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 His father told Buckles that an elephant trainer should have "a strong back, a weak mind, and a savage disposition" to succeed in the trade. Neither father nor son actually fitted this description. A calm, patient, and quiet trainer, Buckles Woodcock was able to handle any elephant, whatever its temperament&mdash;even elephants that other trainers had discarded for being too "difficult." He also trained several male elephants, which are generally considered too problematic to be presented in the ring. Buckles Woodcock was indeed a worthy heir to his celebrated father&mdash;and undoubtedly one of the greatest elephant trainers of his generation.
-Barbara Woodcock passed away on August 17, 2020, and Bill followed her three years later, on March 1, 2023. In 1995, Buckles Woodcock had been inducted into the [[International Circus Hall Of Fame]] in Peru, Indiana, and into the [[Circus Ring of Fame]] at St. Armands Circle in Sarasota, Florida in 1997. Bill and Barbara have been laid to rest at  Mount Olivet Cemetery, in Hugo, Oklahoma.
+Barbara Woodcock passed away on August 17, 2020, and Bill followed her three years later, on March 2, 2023. In 1995, Buckles Woodcock had been inducted into the [[International Circus Hall Of Fame]] in Peru, Indiana, and into the [[Circus Ring of Fame]] at St. Armands Circle in Sarasota, Florida in 1997. Bill and Barbara have been laid to rest at  Mount Olivet Cemetery, in Hugo, Oklahoma.
 ==See Also==

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 Image:Bill_Woodcock_BAC_1997.jpg|Bill Woodcock with Ned (1997)
 Image:Bill_Woodcock_(1999).jpg|Bill Woodcock with Amy (1999)
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 Buckles Woodcock married aerialist and leopard trainer Barbara Ray (born September 30, 1934), whose parents, LaLea and Ruben Ray, had a tiny circus called Marlowe's Mighty Hippodrome. Her contribution to Buckles's elephant acts quickly became apparent, as her flamboyant personality brought razzle-dazzle to Buckles's familiar performing style&mdash;always quiet and subdued, giving the spotlight to his charges instead of himself. Barbara also helped in costuming and choreographing some of their presentations.
-[[File:Woodcock_Family_(1984).jpeg|thumb|400px|left|Barbara, Delilah, Shannon and Bill Woodcock (1984)]]Barbara Woodcock had a son, Ben, from a previous marriage with elephant trainer [[Rex Williams]]. She and Buckles had two children, Shannon and Delilah. All of the children have participated at one time or another in the Woodcocks' elephant acts. The entire family was in the ring together in 1978, when Buckles starred with a group of twenty-two elephants&mdash;including Anna May, who performed with Ben Williams&mdash;in the 108th edition of [[Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey]]'s ''Greatest Show On Earth''.
+[[File:Woodcock_Family_(1984).jpeg|thumb|400px|left|Barbara, Dalilah, Shannon and Bill Woodcock (1984)]]Barbara Woodcock had a son, Ben, from a previous marriage with elephant trainer [[Rex Williams]]. She and Buckles had two children, Shannon and Dalilah. All of the children have participated at one time or another in the Woodcocks' elephant acts. The entire family was in the ring together in 1978, when Buckles starred with a group of twenty-two elephants&mdash;including Anna May, who performed with Ben Williams&mdash;in the 108th edition of [[Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey]]'s ''Greatest Show On Earth''.
 Buckles Woodcock has presented his elephants in practically every major American circus. For eighteen years, from 1982 through 2000, his acts were featured every season at the [[Big Apple Circus]], presented either by himself, his wife, or his stepson [[Ben Williams]], sometimes with younger family members participating as well. Some of these acts were created especially for particular productions of the Big Apple Circus.
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 His father told Buckles that an elephant trainer should have "a strong back, a weak mind, and a savage disposition" to succeed in the trade. Neither father nor son actually fitted this description. A calm, patient, and quiet trainer, Buckles Woodcock was able to handle any elephant, whatever its temperament&mdash;even elephants that other trainers had discarded for being too "difficult." He also trained several male elephants, which are generally considered too problematic to be presented in the ring. Buckles Woodcock was indeed a worthy heir to his celebrated father&mdash;and undoubtedly one of the greatest elephant trainers of his generation.
-Barbara Woodcock passed away on August 17, 2020, and Bill followed her three years later, on March 1, 2023. In 1995, Buckles Woodcock had been inducted into the [[International Circus Hall Of Fame]] in Peru, Indiana, and into the [[Circus Ring of Fame]] at St. Armands Circle in Sarasota, Florida in 1997. Bill and Barbara have been laid to rest at  Mount Olivet Cemetery, in Hugo, Oklahoma, alongside the remains of their star elephant, Anna May.
+Barbara Woodcock passed away on August 17, 2020, and Bill followed her three years later, on March 1, 2023. In 1995, Buckles Woodcock had been inducted into the [[International Circus Hall Of Fame]] in Peru, Indiana, and into the [[Circus Ring of Fame]] at St. Armands Circle in Sarasota, Florida in 1997. Bill and Barbara have been laid to rest at  Mount Olivet Cemetery, in Hugo, Oklahoma.
 ==See Also==

@@ Line 16: / Line 16: @@
 Buckles Woodcock married aerialist and leopard trainer Barbara Ray (born September 30, 1934), whose parents, LaLea and Ruben Ray, had a tiny circus called Marlowe's Mighty Hippodrome. Her contribution to Buckles's elephant acts quickly became apparent, as her flamboyant personality brought razzle-dazzle to Buckles's familiar performing style&mdash;always quiet and subdued, giving the spotlight to his charges instead of himself. Barbara also helped in costuming and choreographing some of their presentations.
-[[File:Woodcock_Family_(1984).jpeg|thumb|400px|left|Barbara, Delilah, Shannon and Bill Woodcock (1984)]]Barbara Woodcock had a son, Ben, from a previous marriage with elephant trainer [[Rex Williams]]. She and Buckles had two children, Shannon and Delilah. All of the children have participated at one time or another in the Woodcocks's elephant acts. The entire family was in the ring together in 1978, when Buckles starred with a group of twenty-two elephants&mdash;including Anna May, who performed with Ben Williams&mdash;in the 108th edition of [[Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey]]'s ''Greatest Show On Earth''.
+[[File:Woodcock_Family_(1984).jpeg|thumb|400px|left|Barbara, Delilah, Shannon and Bill Woodcock (1984)]]Barbara Woodcock had a son, Ben, from a previous marriage with elephant trainer [[Rex Williams]]. She and Buckles had two children, Shannon and Delilah. All of the children have participated at one time or another in the Woodcocks' elephant acts. The entire family was in the ring together in 1978, when Buckles starred with a group of twenty-two elephants&mdash;including Anna May, who performed with Ben Williams&mdash;in the 108th edition of [[Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey]]'s ''Greatest Show On Earth''.
 Buckles Woodcock has presented his elephants in practically every major American circus. For eighteen years, from 1982 through 2000, his acts were featured every season at the [[Big Apple Circus]], presented either by himself, his wife, or his stepson [[Ben Williams]], sometimes with younger family members participating as well. Some of these acts were created especially for particular productions of the Big Apple Circus.
@@ Line 24: / Line 24: @@
 His father told Buckles that an elephant trainer should have "a strong back, a weak mind, and a savage disposition" to succeed in the trade. Neither father nor son actually fitted this description. A calm, patient, and quiet trainer, Buckles Woodcock was able to handle any elephant, whatever its temperament&mdash;even elephants that other trainers had discarded for being too "difficult." He also trained several male elephants, which are generally considered too problematic to be presented in the ring. Buckles Woodcock was indeed a worthy heir to his celebrated father&mdash;and undoubtedly one of the greatest elephant trainers of his generation.
-Barbara Woodcock passed away on August 17, 2020, and Bill followed her three years later, on March 1, 2023. In 1995, Buckles Woodcock had been inducted into the [[International Circus Hall Of Fame]] in Peru, Indiana, and into the [[Circus Ring of Fame]] at St. Armands Circle in Sarasota, Florida in 1997.
+Barbara Woodcock passed away on August 17, 2020, and Bill followed her three years later, on March 1, 2023. In 1995, Buckles Woodcock had been inducted into the [[International Circus Hall Of Fame]] in Peru, Indiana, and into the [[Circus Ring of Fame]] at St. Armands Circle in Sarasota, Florida in 1997. Bill and Barbara have been laid to rest at  Mount Olivet Cemetery, in Hugo, Oklahoma, alongside the remains of their star elephant, Anna May.
 ==See Also==

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 Buckles Woodcock has presented his elephants in practically every major American circus. For eighteen years, from 1982 through 2000, his acts were featured every season at the [[Big Apple Circus]], presented either by himself, his wife, or his stepson [[Ben Williams]], sometimes with younger family members participating as well. Some of these acts were created especially for particular productions of the Big Apple Circus.
-Following his retirement in 2004, Buckles Woodcock devoted his time to his other passion, circus history, through his popular website, [http://bucklesw.blogspot.com Buckles Blog]. One of the foremost elephant authorities in the U.S., he has carried on the work of his father, who had started building a meticulous and comprehensive record of every elephant to set foot in America.
+Following his retirement in 2004, Buckles Woodcock devoted his time to his other passion, circus history, through his popular website, [http://bucklesw.blogspot.com Buckles Blog]. One of the foremost elephant authorities in the U.S., he has carried on the work of his father, who had started building a meticulous and comprehensive record of every elephant that had set foot in America.
 His father told Buckles that an elephant trainer should have "a strong back, a weak mind, and a savage disposition" to succeed in the trade. Neither father nor son actually fitted this description. A calm, patient, and quiet trainer, Buckles Woodcock was able to handle any elephant, whatever its temperament&mdash;even elephants that other trainers had discarded for being too "difficult." He also trained several male elephants, which are generally considered too problematic to be presented in the ring. Buckles Woodcock was indeed a worthy heir to his celebrated father&mdash;and undoubtedly one of the greatest elephant trainers of his generation.

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 ''By Dominique Jando''
 [[Image:Bill_Woodcock_(1999).jpg|right|thumb|300px|Buckles Woodcock with Amy (1999)]]William "Buckles" Woodcock was born on February 26, 1935 in Lancaster, Missouri, to an old American circus family. Although his father, [[William Woodcock, Sr.|William H. Woodcock]] (1904-1963), was a first-generation circus man (and became a legendary elephant trainer with a passion for circus history), his mother was Sarah "Babe" Orton (1902-1988), whose grandfather, [[Hiram Horton|Hiram]], a former sailor and tavern-keeper of British origin, had started a circus in Wisconsin in 1854. As the feisty Babe would often say, "My family was in the circus when the Ringling brothers were still wearing wooden shoes."
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 Buckles Woodcock married aerialist and leopard trainer Barbara Ray (born September 30, 1934), whose parents, LaLea and Ruben Ray, had a tiny circus called Marlowe's Mighty Hippodrome. Her contribution to Buckles's elephant acts quickly became apparent, as her flamboyant personality brought razzle-dazzle to Buckles's familiar performing style&mdash;always quiet and subdued, giving the spotlight to his charges instead of himself. Barbara also helped in costuming and choreographing some of their presentations.
-[[File:Woodcock_Family_(1984).jpeg|thumb|400px|left|Barbara, Delilah, Shannon and Bill Woodcock (1984)]]Barbara Woodcock had a son, Ben, from a previous marriage with elephant trainer [[Rex Williams]]. She and Buckles had two children, Shannon and Delilah. All of the children have participated at one time or another in the Woodcocks's elephant acts. The entire family was in the ring together in 1978, when Buckles starred with a group of twenty-two elephants&mdash;including Anna May, who performed with Ben Williams&mdash;in the 108th edition of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey's ''Greatest Show On Earth''.
+[[File:Woodcock_Family_(1984).jpeg|thumb|400px|left|Barbara, Delilah, Shannon and Bill Woodcock (1984)]]Barbara Woodcock had a son, Ben, from a previous marriage with elephant trainer [[Rex Williams]]. She and Buckles had two children, Shannon and Delilah. All of the children have participated at one time or another in the Woodcocks's elephant acts. The entire family was in the ring together in 1978, when Buckles starred with a group of twenty-two elephants&mdash;including Anna May, who performed with Ben Williams&mdash;in the 108th edition of [[Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey]]'s ''Greatest Show On Earth''.
 Buckles Woodcock has presented his elephants in practically every major American circus. For eighteen years, from 1982 through 2000, his acts were featured every season at the [[Big Apple Circus]], presented either by himself, his wife, or his stepson [[Ben Williams]], sometimes with younger family members participating as well. Some of these acts were created especially for particular productions of the Big Apple Circus.
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 His father told Buckles that an elephant trainer should have "a strong back, a weak mind, and a savage disposition" to succeed in the trade. Neither father nor son actually fitted this description. A calm, patient, and quiet trainer, Buckles Woodcock was able to handle any elephant, whatever its temperament&mdash;even elephants that other trainers had discarded for being too "difficult." He also trained several male elephants, which are generally considered too problematic to be presented in the ring. Buckles Woodcock was indeed a worthy heir to his celebrated father&mdash;and undoubtedly one of the greatest elephant trainers of his generation.
-In 1995, Buckles Woodcock was inducted into the [[International Circus Hall Of Fame]] in Peru, Indiana, and into the [[Circus Ring Of Fame]] at St. Armands Circle in Sarasota, Florida in 1997. Barbara Woodcock passed away on August 17, 2020, and Bill followed her three years later, on March 1, 2023.
+Barbara Woodcock passed away on August 17, 2020, and Bill followed her three years later, on March 1, 2023. In 1995, Buckles Woodcock had been inducted into the [[International Circus Hall Of Fame]] in Peru, Indiana, and into the [[Circus Ring Of Fame]] at St. Armands Circle in Sarasota, Florida in 1997.
 ==See Also==