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

Advertisement

A neat advertisement from Point Place, Ohio, last week in the Toledo area.

Holder's Tigers

Kelly Miller Circus

In the News

A photo of the "wheel" group trick was taken in Sylvania, Ohio, yesterday by Katie Rausch of the Toledo Blade.

http://www.ourtownsylvania.com/gallery/Kelly-Miller-Circus-in-Sylvania

I have been using this "trick" in the show as an example when explaining during our morning presentation the intricacies of tiger training. The basis for the wheel is simple - the tiger walks in a circle, built upon the initial target training. The difficulty is having seven tigers stand shoulder to shoulder and maintain that position throughout the rotation. Some want to move faster, some slower and some want to push into the cat beside them. This is where practicing everyday is very beneficial.

Animal Rights Extremism - Sylvania OH

Sylvania, Ohio, had a great turn out this morning for the tent raising and other animal-related activities. After the tiger education presentation and paw print session , a little boy went up to my sister and told her, "This is all the money I have but I want to give it to the tigers." He donated a dollar to my girls. My sister and girlfriend said it was the cutest thing. Unfortunately, I missed the moment as I was answering other questions at the time.



As always, I give a public service advisory regarding animal rights extremists groups. Their feel-good names tug at the heart strings ( People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, Humane Society of the United States, American Society for the Prevention of the Cruelty to Animals ), but they do little to directly benefit the lives of animals. Instead, the millions raised in donations annually line the pockets of corporate executives, advertise lies and slander and lobby against hard working individuals like myself. We had a few upset "undercover" activists when they heard my statements. The rolling eyes spoke volumes.

Within an hour, we received a surprise visit from the local humane society. The inspector was very pleased with my animals' care and well-being. She was less pleased with the bombardment of her office's phone lines and email system by animal rights extremists protesting the circus' arrival. As she told us, the actions of these individuals inhibited the real rescue work the local group does to benefit animals.

Ryan Holder
Tiger Trainer
Kelly Miller Circus

Animal Rights Extremism - Northern Ohio

This is the type of people the circus deals with during our travels. The Kelly Miller Circus does not have an "off-limits" area other than the public barriers to keep a safe distance from the animal compounds. Each morning, tours are given of the tent setup and circus layout. Throughout the day, the animals are on display doing whatever it is they want to do. I present a tiger paw print demonstration and also educate the public regarding my animals and their training and husbandry after the tent raising. I also host a Question and Answer session. The public is able to come and make their own educated decisions about my tigers' care and well-being.



"I won"t be going but clicking "going" is the only way my post will show up here. I will be crossing the protest line on this one. I am going in to get any documentation on the animals and other things that would violate other laws. I will be getting there at 8am. They use one of the elephants to raise the tent at 9am. They try to usher people under while she does it but I'm going to try and hang back and see what they do to her. Since I don't have a car I'm going to be stuck hanging around the area for several hours until the first show. That alone will seem suspicious and with what happened last year they will already be looking over their shoulder's more for anything that seems off. Please noone feel miffed if you recognize me and I don't respond to you." //Jessica Pacynski, Kelly Miller Circus Peaceful Protest

Jessica, there is no reason to "sneak around." If you have questions, come up and ask ! I had dozens of people outside the tiger compound this morning doing just that. When we were finished with prints, they enjoyed watching the tigers play in their pools. If you really want to help my animals, go buy a few pieces of steel. I'm going to need a lot to build the new, larger compound for my girls for next season.



Ryan Holder
Tiger Trainer
Kelly Miller Circus

Improvements & Expansion

It is with great excitement I announce the newest endeavor in the expansion and improvement of Holder's Tigers. Following the conclusion of our nine month touring season with the Kelly Miller Circus, we will return home to Oklahoma and begin construction on a new outdoor compound.

Our daily routine with the Kelly Miller Circus starts with traveling to the next town, on average a 30 to 60 mile distance. Traveling early in the morning to take advantage of lighter traffic and cooler weather, the tiger compound is quickly erected and the animals unloaded to be cleaned, fed and watered. Within an hour of arrival, my girls are out relaxing and playing on the grassy lot with their assortment of "toys" and socializing amongst themselves.

The current traveling setup lines the transport enclosures end-to-end under a canopy awning, opening them to a roofed "exercise yard." With the new expansion and layout, the new outdoor yard will give the tigers more than double ( 2.4x ) the amount of open "free" space for the tigers on a daily basis.

The current tiger compound set-up

There are many considerations which affect the design process for a project of this nature. The compound must, of course, be structurally sound and able to safely contain a group of adult apex predators. It must also be quick and easy to assemble and disassemble for setup purposes and compact enough to load into the transport trailer during travel between venues.

Since taking responsibility and ownership of the tiger department on the Kelly Miller Circus in 2011, there has been an ongoing transition with the equipment and animals. In addition to the acquisition of two additional tigers over the past two years, all of the equipment related to the housing and presentation of these animals has been replaced. Two years ago, a larger trailer was purchased and was custom built-in. A new, larger performance arena was also constructed. Last year new transport enclosures were built, along with the first phase of a new home compound. These major landmarks are in addition to the numerous "minor" aspects that have also undergone replacement and expansion.

I try to follow the motto of Lowe's, "Never Stop Improving." Elephant trainer Gary Johnson of Have Trunk Will Travel also inspires me to continually strive to be the best I can be. His reputation precedes himself with having the best and nicest equipment possible. A reputation of professionalism and success is priceless and hard-earned. With this new endeavor, we will continue on the path to provide the best of care for my animals and continue the legacy of training exotic animals for circus performances across the country.

Ryan Holder

Tiger Trainer

Kelly Miller Circus

Kelley's Island OH

Kelley's Island is one of our favorite stops during our nine month tour. The entire show is boarded to the island in Lake Erie via ferry. The crowds are enormous and welcoming, allowing the performers to feel as celebrities. They love the animals even more ! This is our one year anniversary of making tiger paw prints available to the public. We had a great audience this morning after tent raising to learn about the tigers, their husbandry and their training.

Holder's Tigers

Kelly Miller Circus

Sagamore Hills OH

I love these photos of my girls enjoying life.

Holder's Tigers

Kelly Miller Circus