Page 25 - The Outdoor Showman January - March 2022

RODEO NEWS
Kane Harrington and Kobe, with Robert Perry (he turns 80 in April) in the new Harrington’s Circus Show Back door
Jordan Lennon’s birthday break from studying for two degrees at Uni in Queensland
Think Tank
The annual SGA Think Tank at the Showmen’s Club, Yatala, Queensland, resumed on January 11 and 12, after
a year’s COVID break.
Aaron Pink chaired it, with input from Terry Nilon, and more than 60 people, from all parts of the industry from Queensland, NSW and Victoria took part.
Speakers covered insurance (still a major topic!) Guild matters, liaison with Show Societies in NSW, Victoria
and Queensland, conduct
on grounds, ground-rents, Covid19, cancellations, special attractions, vehicle registrations, websites and NSW subsidies.
President Pink reported that last year, 134 out of 192 NSW shows cancelled because of the virus.
The previous year, it was 30, largely the result of bushfires and floods.
Hopes are for a much better year in 2022.
This year’s attendance was down a little on 2019’s, because of COVID restrictions. Some members
were showing interstate, and couldn’t attend without going
into 14 days’ quarantine.
Circus representatives included Robert Perry (he turns 80 in April), longest-running show attraction and international clown, hand-balancer and musician Beppo, now retired.
Some Ag Society reps were so impressed by the Think Tank, they’ve booked already for 2023.
By John MacDonnell
Placid Arabian camel, presented by Mel Cook, at Hudson’s Circus
Blowup clown at The Great Moscow Circus. It was stolen
in Adelaide, and returned, but the thieves faced court and were heavily fined
Every good girl deserves a surf
Left: Bob Bruce, centre, in the Telescope
gag with warren Lennon. Tiny clown (left)
is Warren’s son, Jordan, now Queensland Ballet Theatre star, after turning down ballet contracts in Germany and the USA. Bob Bruce, with film credits in 12 Hollywood movies, Ringmastered Lennon’s Circus for a decade, but died late last yesr of cancer.
Hudson’s on NSW South Coast:
Bateman’s Bay, Merimbula, Cooma, Narrandera
THE OUTDOOR SHOWMAN 23