Hugo OK

There is no question this girl loves her tire more than any of the others !

Hugo OK

The youngest of the females, a year and half old.

Do you have yours ?

We are finishing up the latest orders for tiger paw prints. It's not too late to get yours in time to gift for Christmas ! All proceeds help fund the new yard compound for the tigers.

Pryor Okla

My grandmother has been spending the last several days traveling with us on the circus. Today while helping me build new tiger water troughs, things got a little messy. Nothing the leaf blower cannot dispense !

May All Your Days Be Circus Days

Pretty cool ! We were included today on Jack Ryan's "May All Your Days Be Circus Days" page on Facebook. Jack coined the phrase during his time with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. Please visit his page for circus news and pictures from all over the world.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/May-All-Your-Days-Be-Circus-Days/139840786029611

Bushnell Ill

The elephants enjoyed some extra enrichment today with two large trees in their yard. The fall weather has hit us strong in central Illinois.

Marseilles IL

Continuing our daily projects, we are progressing with the new ringside seating fencing while helping with a new facade for the bandwagon. With every new project, we improve, expand and continue to learn and grow in our capacity and experience.

La Salle Ill

We had a fantastic visit yesterday with retired sea lion ( and elephant ) trainer Jim Alexander. He is an encyclopedia of history for the St. Louis Zoo, where I grew up and my father worked as the third and last elephant trainer. I love the jackpots he shares of many animal handlers, circus and zoo alike.

Animal Rights Extremism - Dixon IL

It's very disappointing to hear the comments from the female protestor interviewed during our time in Dixon, Illinois. I spent nearly an hour speaking with this woman, aware that she was videotaping our conversations as she watched the tigers. She was very grateful for my time and for the care I gave my animals. I challenge her to release that video as opposed to keeping her two minutes of fame with her slanderous "money phrases," unsupported by any facts at all.

http://youtu.be/Kik-ReVGeUg

Ringside Seating Fencing

We are always staying busy, working on improving and expanding our equipment and operations. We couldn't do it without the help of the Brown family, nor could the Kelly Miller Circus. Working with KMC fleet supervisor Dan Brown, we are building new ringside seating fencing for the show.

Practice

We often take video of practice to review during and afterwards to see both what I and the tiger are doing from a third person perspective. My two year old was watching with me her progress in learning to stand on her hind legs. Thanks to Susan Hoss for the photo.

Dixon IL

We had a great visit yesterday with the tiger trainer for the Ringling Red Unit, Taba. It was great to "talk shop" and learn how a different show operates and cares for its animals. Ringling is Grade A all the way and sets a great example for the rest of the circus industry. Azucar !

Waukegan Ill

We are in Waukegan, Illinois, today for three days. It's a tight and rough lot, but they managed to fit us all on late last night.

Robbins IL

Last night in Robbins, Illinois, a spectator in ringside seating pulled out a pair of binoculars to look at the tiger laying several feet ahead. Perhaps they were expecting to be sitting in the nosebleed section of a coliseum to see the circus ?

Elmhurst IL

Susan is a great friend of ours. A keeper at Chicago'a Brookfield Zoo, she comes out on her lunch breaks and day off to hang out at the circus and help with elephant bath time. No one ever offers to help groom the tigers, though...

Veterinary Care

A glimpse at the veterinary care the tigers receive - We recently had blood drawn on the youngest tiger while she was sedated for a procedure. The results came back with some "off" numbers. It was recommended we draw again before proceeding. As such, I have been training this cat to allow for a blood draw from the tail. She did fantastic yesterday ! This kind of husbandry training greatly eases giving the tigers the best of care. Thanks to Mark Rosenthal for the photo.

Bloomingdale IL

I assumed the tigers would like the bench - I didn't realize they would all try to share it at the same time ! Bench number two will be finished this week.

Animal Rights Extremism

What a fantastic quote, incredibly relevant to the battles the animal industry faces against "activists" and extremists.

Feeding Time

We are often asked about the logistics of feeding a large group of tigers while traveling daily. The cats are fed a mixed diet of beef, chicken and organ meat. They also are intermittently given carcass meat. The ground beef comes from several suppliers across the country and often has to be shipped to a cold storage where we pick it up. I love the Chicago area where one company is close enough to deliver. Our freezer can hold up to 900 pounds of the ground beef.

Round Lake Beach IL

All the girls have been loving their new bench except my two year old. She has always been nervous of platforms - seat training was a long process for her. Today, with some coaxing and some meat, she hopped up and learned there was no reason to be scared.

Pecatonica IL

Very excited about the newest addition to the tiger compound ! The first of two benches has been built and installed. The girls had a great time exploring the new feature. It's a lot of fun watching them play "King of the Hill."

Jump

Very excited to receive more photos from Rick Purdue ! I think five is the maximum my seven year old can jump from ground level but she clears them without a problem.

Photo Shoot

Our friend and Kelly Miler Circus' official photographer Rick Purdue came out this past weekend for a photo shoot with the tigers. He sent me this sneak preview last night - can't wait to see the rest !

Hot Weather !

It has been pretty warm in the southern Michigan / northern Indiana region for us ! To keep cool, the tigers have plenty of fans running, in addition to lounging in their pools and playing in the running water. Once it was time to move inside the Big Top for practice and shows, the girls had to get a "wash down" and some drying time after making a mud hole of their yard.

My 14 month old and my two year old demonstrate, "Sharing is caring." Or, their own rendition of Areosmith's "Monkey on my Back."

Aerial View - Kelly Miller Circus

A fascinating YouTube video shows an aerial view of the Kelly Miller Circus taken in Grand Haven, Michigan, two weeks ago. The video can be seen in its entirety here :

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=v7ojJ6Rghik

The first still capture below shows the midway area where the public enters the tent for the performance. The left semi is the concession wagon. Directly across is the animal compounds - elephants under the blue awning and assorted hoof stock under the red. The red wagon with the white clown face is the ticket office, directly in front of the novelty stand. To the left of the tent, under the red and yellow awning, is the cookhouse which provides two meals everyday for the performers, workers and families.

The second image shows the backyard. The semi ( painted with an elephant on both sides ) is the generator truck which provides the show with power for 12 hours each day. To the right under the white awning is the tiger compound. The white lines circling the tent and dividing off from there are the water hoses.

The last image shows a better view of the animal compounds.

As can be seen with these photos, there is no "off-limits" areas on the Kelly Miller Circus. The animals can be viewed all day from outside the public safety barriers. It is pretty neat to see an overall view of the show from a different perspective.

Watseka IL

Enjoying the beautiful weather. I think this is as close to "back to Africa" as the tigers will get - a belly full of bunny and "hiding in the woods." ( yes, I know tigers are not from Africa. Yes, they ate carcass meat this morning ).

Enrichment - Watermelons

I am always looking for new enrichment ideas for the tigers. In Romeo, Michigan, my friend Rick brought out some watermelons for the tigers to kill. They had never seen one before and were a bit unsure what to do with one. They figured it out pretty quickly !

Ryan Holder

Tiger Trainer

Kelly Miller Circus

Middlebury IN

We had a nice turnout in Amish Country yesterday for the tiger education demonstration while everyone anxiously awaited tent raising with the elephant.

In the News

Fox 17 came out to the Kelly Miller Circus in Otsego, Michigan, this week. We did a quick interview between shows that turned our pretty well !

To see the interview, visit 

http://fox17online.com/2014/08/22/traveling-circus-comes-to-otsego-2/

Lazy Days

The tigers had a few days off last week. They spent their days "just chillin' it."

Ryan Holder

Tiger Trainer

Kelly Miller Circus

Pinckney MI

We had no-show day last Friday. In circus life, there are several types of individuals that either do not get a day off or they use the extra time to get extra work done - the animal departments are the best example. We had planned on an easy day once the tigers were cared for, finishing up a few half-completed projects from the last few weeks. Unfortunately, after pulling off the last lot before jumping, the tiger transport trailer caught a manhole and wreaked havoc on the back bumper and ramp door. Over the next two days, we had everything repaired to get us back on the road Sunday morning. The cosmetic repairs will be finished up this week. Thee excitement never ends. Did I mention I had a tooth pulled that morning as well ?

The tigers were oblivious to our hard labors and enjoyed their extra free time. Only two shows and no practice over a two day period ? They might have been spoiled a bit.

Ryan Holder

Tiger Trainer

Kelly Miller Circus

ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

After challenges from family and employees of the animal departments on the Culpepper & Merriweather Circus, I took on a challenge for the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. The purpose of the challenges, while raising awareness, is to raise money to help find a cure. We donated to www.ALSA.org and encourage everyone to do the same. Afterwards, Holder's Tigers had a different take on the Ice Bucket Challenge.

People are amazed when they come out to see the tigers during the day playing in their pools or in the running water of the hose. Tigers love water and are very apt swimmers. It is great for enrichment and also a good way to stay cool on these hot summer days.

Ryan Holder

Tiger Trainer

Kelly Miller Circus

Romeo MI

We had a great time last week in Romeo, Michigan. There were large and enthusiastic crowds for the Kelly Miller Circus. We also had numerous friends come out to visit for the day. Michigan has always been a special place for me during our tour. It was in this state that I first entered the arena with tigers in intervals to learn how to present them. The following year, I presented my the act in my first shows for the public. 

Big cat enthusiasts Mary Ann and Joe Howell come out every year on or around Mary Ann's birthday. They have been present at the beginning stages of each big step in my tiger career. They have always been very supportive and are enthusiastic audience members, to say the least. Mary Ann sent this nice message and image last year.

"Ryan, I am attaching a picture of the Kelly Miller Circus poster and Shonti's paw print hanging in our tiger guest room, where they fit in beautifully.  Thank you so much!  Yes, that is Wade's Ringling poster hanging next to them." //Mary Ann Howell

Also visiting in Romeo this year was "family friend" Rick Chrzanowski. I didn't realize Rick had been friends with Natalie since her time on Franzen Bros. Circus in the 1990s. Rick brought out a lot of good grub and hung out on the lot all day. He reminded me it was in Romeo where we first met in 2009. I had soda cans lined up on a ringcurb, practicing with a lunge whip.

Rick had brought some watermelons for the elephants but asked how the tigers would react to them. I have never given the girls any. They were a bit unsure at first but figured out pretty quickly how to "kill" the melons. The tiger compound smelled nice for the rest of the day as well.

Ryan Holder

Tiger Trainer

Kelly Miller Circus

In the News

The Kelly Miller Circus brought crowds at just under 1,000 people on Monday, August 11, 2014 in Milan's Wilson Park.

The one-ring circus packed a mighty punch for its small size delivering a large array of acts from trapeze performances to a tiger tamer. There was something for everyone at the show.

Betty Torrey, 81, of Saline said "I thought it was great for a small circus!" a smile spreading across her face, "My favorite part was the dog that was dressed up as an elephant!"

The Kelly Miller Circus will be bringing its big top tent to Plymouth tomorrow night, Tuesday, August 12, 2014.

http://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/index.ssf/2014/08/the_kelly_miller_circus_comes.html

Tiger trainer Ryan Holder warms up with his tigers before the start of the Kelly Miller Circus show on Monday, August 11, 2014 in Milan. Katie McLean / The Ann Arbor News

Will Soules, 7, of Milan reacts to the tigers of the Kelly Miller Circus on Monday, August 11, 2014. Katie McLean / The Ann Arbor News

Madeline Soules, 7, of Milan reacts to the tigers of the Kelly Miller Circus show on Monday, August 11, 2014 in Milan. Katie McLean / The Ann Arbor News

Animal Rights Extremism - NY Tiger "Selfies" Ban

The New York legislators are at it again, taking away the liberties and freedom of choice from its citizens. Whether they are telling one how much soda may be consumed at a sitting or eliminating the possibility of controlled, regulated contact with an exotic animal, New York officials continuously abuse their power and belittle those whom they represent.

I have received many inquiries and comments regarding the recent "tiger selfie" ban in the state of New York. This initiative was a result of the lobbying and campaigning of animal rights groups using falsities and misconception to push their extremist agenda.

For example - "So-called tiger selfies have emerged as popular profile photos on online dating sites, with users — generally young men — looking to stand out by posting a photo of themselves with the dangerous predators."

Contact with an tiger by a member of the public is prohibited by the federal government unless it is of a certain age or below a maximum weight - normally ending around four months of age. This "dangerous trend" of men posing with adult animals is a flaky justification at best. Even if this were the case, it is already an illegal action under federal law.

To further the ridiculous nature of the recent legislation -

"The legislators behind the new law said they hadn't even heard of tiger selfies when they crafted the measure and simply wanted to impose some safeguards on the often unregulated industry of traveling animal shows.

"I had no idea what a tiger selfie was," said Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal, a Manhattan Democrat. "This is a serious issue. People who take selfies with wild animals are fooling with their lives. And it harms the animal because they're generally not well-treated. They're seen as profit-making props."

Knee-jerk reaction legislation is being passed on non-issues due to pressure from these animal rights extremists by individuals which have no experience or knowledge of the issue they are banning. The "unregulated industry of traveling animal shows" is another blatant lie - all animals exhibited for commercial purposes are regulated by the United States Department of Agriculture.

The purpose of pushing this law into existence by organizations like Big Cat Rescue is to further remove animals from our lives. Under false pretenses, New York has prohibited public contact with baby tigers, further limiting legal businesses and stealing freedoms from the population which may wish to engage in these activities.

"NY law protects big cats, bans 'tiger selfies'" by David Klepper, 08/12/2014

>> http://bigstory.ap.org/article/ny-law-protects-big-cats-bans-tiger-selfies

To read the actual legislation:

http://assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?default_fld&bn=A09004&term=2013&Summary=Y&Text=Y

Here is my own legal and legitimate "tiger selfie" with my six year old "dangerous predator" taken earlier this year.

Ryan Holder

Tiger Trainer

Kelly Miller Circus

Training Lessons - Prop-less Pyramid

"Thanks again to Ryan Holder for letting us watch during his training sessions. He has amazing talent, handling skills, patience and true respect and love for his cats!" //Ken Sopalek

Ken and Jan Sopalek were invited to attend tiger practice when the Kelly Miller Circus was playing Dalton, Massachusetts. I had not planned on doing anything special, just running trough the normal routine and focusing on a few specific exercises with my 13 month old.

When practicing the leap frog sequence, the baby tiger wasn't doing what she was supposed to and somehow ended up standing with her front feet on the back of my two year old. In scenarios like these where the tiger does not respond or perform correctly to the given cue, the animal is not punished but rather corrected. Whether in practice or the show, the animal is either corrected to perform the appropriate behavior in the same sequence or the action is restarted so the animal can perform correctly the first time. Once the tiger performs correctly, we move on to the next behavior.

From the young tiger's error came a new behavior to train. In a separate sequence, I began teaching both the 13 month old tiger and the two year old tiger to stand with their front legs on the back of another tiger. This is a trick I first saw trainer Alex Lacey ( now with the Ringling Blue unit ) perform with a male lion as the base and a tiger on either side, effectively forming a prop-less "pyramid."

It was a process to choose which of my five older tigers would perform well as a base and which would do well as a top cat. The beginning training process for the top cat involved bating the tiger up onto the back of the base tiger. For the two year old, this was somewhat difficult as I have already trained her to stand on the arena with her front feet. After several attempts, she figured out how to correctly respond to my cues.

In the following picture taken by Jan Sopalek, I learned that my six year old will not do well as a base. She does not like the pressure on her back. Similarly, she will not lay as a base for the Garden Wall.

The Sopaleks enjoyed watching this unexpected training process begin. I was fortunate enough for them to be on hand to take a few pictures to share. Often, I video practice so I can later watch from a third-person scenario how the tigers responded to my cues and body positioning. It is an invaluable resource I learned from my original teacher. However, in an spur of the moment process like happened in Dalton, I am not always able to do so. The Sopaleks had a better appreciation for the patience that is required when training with exotic animals.

Ryan Holder

Tiger Trainer

Kelly Miller Circus

The History of "Holder"

There are several different identifications I use in the presentation of and education regarding my animals - Holder's Tigers, ShowMe Tigers, my stage name "Ryan Holder." All of these aspects are homage to my family, my home and my youth. My father is an elephant handler. His father and grandfather ran shrimp boats and farmed livestock and hogs. Other great grandparents of mine also ran farms with animals. I come from a long line of hard working individuals whose relationship with and utilization of animals have supported my family.

My website ShowMe Tigers originally stemmed from my elephant history and research site ShowMe Elephants, a play-on-words my father created years ago regarding his involvement with the elephant industry of my home state Missouri. I am proud of my St. Louis heritage and the fascinating history and success of elephant programs of its state.

Holder is a family name also stemming from my father's lineage - the Easley's. Everyday I enter the arena under the announcement of the Holder name, I pay my respects and remembrance to the hard working individuals of my pedigree - from all sides of the family - which built in me the core values necessary for success.

In addition to that family name, my two young tigers which I acquired to train and integrate into my original group are each named after my grandmothers, both of whom have always supported my dreams and goals since childhood to work with exotic animals.

Animal rights extremists accuse me of hiding behind false names or deceiving the public regarding my true identity. This could not be further from the truth. I take great pride in my work, my life and my animals, thankful everyday for the path I have chosen and those which supported me on road less traveled to get here.

"The only way to do great work is to love what you do." //Steve Jobs

Ryan Holder

Tiger Trainer

Kelly Miller Circus

Day Off - Milan MI

The Kelly Miller Circus had an unexpected, but appreciated, no-show day today. We traveled on to Milan where we will perform tomorrow. The sponsor stopped by to see the animals and offered their assistance with any necessary items. A lot of folks have been dropping by to see the animals enjoying the sunny weather. As I was spending a bit of one-on-one time with my girls, my girlfriend snapped these pictures.

Ryan Holder

Tiger Trainer

Kelly Miller Circus