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"One morning we woke
up to find a hippo in our front yard eating the flowers" Strong
recalls. "And it's not uncommon to find a tiger in one of
our backyard trees."
Tigers, lions and
panthers are always getting loose, he says. But the
Strong's are not much concerned because working with animals is
their life.
Their small, but
lively, little circus features trained Llamas, pigmy goats, a
baby elephant that weighs 2,400 lbs., dogs and ponies, acrobats,
trapeze artists and, of course, a clown.
"We call it the
greatest little show on earth with more friends that Santa
Claus," Strong says proudly.
And although it's
billed as a kids' show, it draws more adults than children, he
says.
"My dad said to me
years ago that no matter how old we are, when it comes to a
circus we're all kids at heart."
"I wouldn't miss his
show for anything. I've seen it every year for 10 years and look
forward to it," said a grey-haired woman about 65,
Strong's circus has
an intimacy lacking in the three-ring circuses of the
"big-time." Strong and his performers talk to the children
in the audience and actually do some of their acts within the
audience itself. "They feel they're a part of the show,"
he says.
Strong's 84-year-old
father started his show business career as a bit actor in
movies, later went into the concession business and finally
bought his own circus in 1950. "It's what I always wanted
to do. I love it."
Strong's three children, Sandra, 8,
Linda, 7 and John, 6 all help out. Linda was born during
the Pleasanton fair seven years ago.
Strong gets his dogs
from the animal pound and trains them himself. "Nobody
wants them, but with proper handling they make good performers,"
he said.
He also likes to use
unusual animals in his act such as the trained llama from Peru,
a featured attraction of his show this year. "You'd be
surprised how many children and adults have never seen a llama."
Strong says his
greatest thrill now is watching his son, "little John Strong"
perform in the circus. "He's going to be a great circus
performer some day."
And daddy means it.
The circus caravan now reads: "Big John A. Strong and
Son."
by John Miller -
Oakland Tribune July 12, 1965
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