Wanna Join the Circus?

EC Blog by: Allyson Hicks

When I was a little kid, I dreamed of running away to join the circus. I was sure I could be a huge hit. Every year, when the circus came to town, I would wander in and out of the Big Top and dream of having my own ‘dog and pony’ show. I loved the earthy smell of the elephants and lions mixed with the sweet tang of caramel corn and spun sugar. The carnies, (carnival employees) who ran the circus, seemed as fantastical and otherworldly as astronauts, and I always planned to run away and join them.

However, when I had children and I took them to the circus, I tried to cover their eyes to hide what the backside of the circus looks like. Somehow, I thought the hours of hard work, the grimy sleeves, and dirty fingernails would take away from the magic of the experience. We would hustle past the hind end of the circus and spend most of our time under the Big Top, enjoying the show with all those performances that dazzle: the high flying aerialists, the ferocious big cats, and the charming ringmaster.

While at a horse show a few months ago, I had the fun experience of spending a few weeks in a very small trailer with two other friends. Other than having a pretty bad cold and suffering through some rough weather, we had a bang up time. That was until they said, “horse show people are really just carnies with better clothes.”

I was aghast. I was speechless. I was not a carny, NOT! After my friends stopped laughing at my genuine shock, they reminded me that horse show folks go from town to town and show to show to set up and take down for performances. Sometimes, being at a horse show is like visiting a three ring circus. Both groups even have their own vocabulary that outsiders find hard to understand. Finally, I had to agree that carnies and horse show folk have more similarities than differences.

Then, I realized it’s the time spent at the backside of the circus, or in the alleyway of the barn, that makes the public performance so much better. When you know about the work that goes on behind-the-scenes, you are better able to appreciate the spectacle that comes together under the big, bright lights.

As for me, I guess I’m carny proud, working hard at the backside of my circus so that the public performances will get better and better.

Until next time,

Allyson Hicks & No Fun Being Good

ASIDE: The colloquial term “carny” is said to have originated around the 1930s in North America. It was used to describe a person who works at a carnival or fair. Interesting Fact: “Carny cant” is a type of secret language carnies used that’s nearly impossible to understand by outsiders. Sound familiar?

This vocabulary served many purposes including separating those who belonged from those who didn’t and to protect backstage secrets.

Check out some terms that could carry over from carnival cant to horse show speak:

24-hour man- an employee who travels ahead of the circus, posts signs, and makes sure the site is ready for unpacking. (In the horse industry, this could be referred to as the assistant horse trainer…)

Alfalfa– paper money (This one is hilarious! It’s real; we promise we didn’t make this up.)

Ride Jock– a game or ride operator

Barn– winter living quarters

Boss Hostler– the person in charge of the horses in the show

Dog and Pony Show- a term used to describe a small, local circus

Horse Feed– poor returns on business

LQ– a living quarters trailer

Longe Line– a long rope that’s used to exercise a horse at length in a circle

Roper– a cowboy

Interested in learning more? Click here to read more about circus lingo.