Monday, May 22, 2006

The Zoppe Family


From left, Joe, Dennis, Denise and Peggy, with Roger on the horse.

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

Our Roger S. ?

Buckles said...

One and the same.

Anonymous said...

HOW Roger. This sure jump started my day. You are adoreable. How old were you here, 16? You know this is a cut, print.

Anonymous said...

I'm thinking we're looking at Roger Z., great rider and now working chimps with his wife Pam Rosaire.

Roger S. worked with Clyde Beatty, had cat acts on Castle and Clyde Bros., and worked at Jungleland -- an authority on cat act history. He was probably cute when he was 16 too.

Buckles said...

Jim, I'm glad you clearified that. I was starting to get a little jealous.

Anonymous said...

The z and the s look the same with out glasses. I am sure glad I waited to send Roger S an e-mail this morning. He would have thought I hit the Rhine a little early.

Anonymous said...

I'd like to see a picture of Judy in the Native American wardrobe.

24-HOUR-MAN said...

Joe used to worry himself to death over his finish trick, (somersault horse to horse), can you imagine the pressure he felt in the days working for producer Orin Davenport, knowing Orin was one of the all time great riders.

Buckles said...

On Orrins winter dates we followed the Zoppes with the elephants, in Saskatoon we had to stand out in the street in the cold until the horses exited.
Joe went into one of his rare series of missing the somersalt from horse to horse and we would cringe when hearing "One more time".
Later in the dressing room Joe was saying "I can't understand it, maybe it's what I'm thinking!" and my dad said "Try thinking of me out in the street freezing my ass off!" and sure enough he started catching them again.

Anonymous said...

From Eric:

When the Joe Zoppe Indian bareback riders appeared in the Columbus, Ohio Shrine Circus in 1966 and 1967, they worked to music that had been arranged for them by Bill Pruyn. It was the BEST Indian music I've ever heard. The selections include "Powhatan's Daughter" (Sousa), "The Red Man" (from Sousa's suite "Dwellers in the Western World") "On the War Path" (Karl King) and a film theme "The Legend of the Glass Mountain." I never was able to identify the rest of the music.

Anonymous said...

The Zoppes were working Arabian with us on Castle in '72 & '73. Peggy and Denise had the act done up in spectacular wardrobe and they worked to the sumptuous music of Lawrence of Arabia. Joe caught his somersault routinely, and I remember him running back and forth the length of the building, intensely warming up. Not only did this act stop the show, but Roger and Dennis worked as Herman and Petunia with the exquisitely trained pony, little Wendy, and brought the house down every show.

Now for the Rhine wine, Dutchess.

Anonymous said...

I drink no wine before its time. ITS TIME

GaryHill said...

Didn't the Zoppes have chimps in their act in the Dr. Pepper Circus at the State Fair of Texas when Barbara got hurt??

Buckles said...

Yes that's true.

Anonymous said...

from an old texan
I remember zoppes went to indian
garb the year that joe and trib went solo when Enrico, Joes brother retired from circus and they debuted at the rodeo in Dallas.
As for Roger S.I can't imagine at any time that anyone would think
he was cute.
As for the zoppes riding act I think the best somersaulting and tumbling they did was when they showed Indianapolis for Castle show and worked in display with George Haneford riding act. they had already went to arabian, competition what an inspiration. also anyone remember rex young in his arabian get up?

Anonymous said...

from an old texan
I remember zoppes went to indian
garb the year that joe and trib went solo when Enrico, Joes brother retired from circus and they debuted at the rodeo in Dallas.
As for Roger S.I can't imagine at any time that anyone would think
he was cute.
As for the zoppes riding act I think the best somersaulting and tumbling they did was when they showed Indianapolis for Castle show and worked in display with George Haneford riding act. they had already went to arabian, competition what an inspiration. also anyone remember rex young in his arabian get up?