Diving elk and Princess Trixie, the world's wisest horse, in Denver

March 14, 2017 11:07 PM

We previously reviewed the unusual history of diving show horses, but did you know that a prime attraction in one of Denver's oldest amusement parks, a large water park called The Chutes or Chutes Park, was a troupe of diving elk? Depending on what you're looking for in animal tricks, they may be of lesser interest than Princess Trixie, whose autobiography promoted her as the Wisest and Most Highly Educated Horse in the World, where she didn't have many kind words for her fellow four-legged proteges of Dr. W. H. Barnes. (via a passing note from Historic Denver)
posted by filthy light thief (2 comments total)

A bit more on historic Denver entertainments, which includes the following fun fact:

In fact, the Barnum neighborhood is so named because P.T. Barnum purchased land there in 1878, allegedly as a winter home for his circus, but that never materialized.

If you want to know what other historic circus wintering quarters might be hiding around your neighborhood, the dangerously detailed Circus History website (previously, twice) has a page of wintering quarters.
posted by filthy light thief at 11:11 PM on March 14, 2017

That autobiography is really something! She was great and powerful.
posted by Wolfdog at 9:22 AM on March 15, 2017