Off Work with Zippo's Circus Audience Particpation Injury!!

[Blu]

I have done my knee in and can only hobble!

All I can say is that if you go to Zippo's Circus, DO NOT volunteer at the point where they ask for "someone over 18 to sit on a horse". Actually, to be fair, they might have said "someone quite agile and over 18..." and I should have had more sense!

I got to the ringside and a helpful clown briefed me:
"Walk straight over to the Ringmaster - he will introduce you, then run across the ring and jump on to that horse"
The horse was about 15.2 hand high - i.e it's back came up to my nose
"the horse will start moving, then when we say 'kneel up', kneel up on the back of the horse. Then when we say 'let go' just let go - don't worry, you will be on the rope".

I thought he was joking, so didn't take this seriously at all.

So there I was , after an undignified scrabble with the help of clowns, on this horse with a belt round my waist attached to a rope which went up to the top of the tent, cantering round the ring - no saddle, just a blanket, nothing to hold onto, and then attempting to kneel up! They shouted 'let go' and I was swinging wildly in mid air, very fast, in big circles above the heads of the clowns. DP said I swung right round the ring 3 times. Eventually the clowns kept bumping into me and brought me to a halt - but I still hit the ground very fast.

I was literally weak-kneed walking back to my seat, but put that down to adrenalin - I was actually shaking.

By last night I couldn't walk, bith knees are swollen and agonised, and one is all black down one side . Am still hobbling this morning, can't drive, DP had to take DS to school on the bus.

I feel such an idiot!

But that is quite extreme audience particpation, isn't it?

adn BLu how funny htta your workers are ptsl at you
snort
whta do you do

PLease say its somthign terribly earnest

Franny, did you not see the thread re Blu's (and others) escapades at school and college?

Shocking.

Yes good point cod

"helpful clown" = oxymoron

they are the minions of satan

Mercy, no I didn't. I am impressed enough at what she does now, I think that thread would be too thrilling altogether.

PMSL .. we're planning on going too [gin

I bet the clowns were mumsnet trolls, sent to pick us off one by one....

blu, phew, that's a story and a half! Glad you can see the funny side of it.

Tigermoth, I think you are on to something!

In fact now I come to think of it, the clowns names were 'Footle and Pantstey'...does that sound familiar?

Cod, I work for the official regular body for undertakers. Cof-sted. Very earnest.

regulator not regular

BLu...omg! am shocked and laughing at the same time..

Seems very very extreme!

pmsl at little boy blu weekend story!

One of the clowns was called Pantys?

No way Blu! I thought that it was just me!

We went to the circus on Saturday and, like you, I got volunteered. So jumped into the ring, put on the crash-hat and prepared for the unknown.

That was one big horse though wasn't it? I had to have two goes at getting up there and once it got going it was all that I could do to hang on for grim death! It was when I let go though that the pain started as I got swung 3 or 4 times round the ring at speed (not that I could see; the helmet had slipped down over my eyes).

I felt alright immediately afterwards but then my ribs started to hurt and since then they've just got worse. At first I thought that I might have fractured them it was so painful (forget trying to lie on my side in bed) and breathing was a real no-no! Even two weeks later the bruising makes it hard to laugh and my innards still ache!

The worst bit though is that I had a 180km bike ride to do the next day, which was somewhat difficult, and last weekend I was down to compete in a half-ironman triathlon! [hmmm] I tell you if I'd thought I was in pain before that was nothing compared to how I felt starting the 10-mile run at the end of the race. It was pure agony!

Still live and learn I guess.

damian - Hi, you new to MN?

Very interesting that you suffered bruising etc as well. I e mailed the circus this morning to tell them.

I must say I am a bit reassured that someone fit enough to do a 180km bike ride also suffered injuries, and it wasn't just cronky old me!!

Where was the circus when you took part?

I think you should tell them.

i think the two of you are being remarkably sanguine about this - i'm sure you could sue them for this and surely you could report to health and safety. blu, as i said to you last night, it's a very amusingly written tale but it is simply not on to hurt people like this.

You are right BK. To begin with I was more concerned with my own stupidity, but as i'm still limping and in pain, a bigger perspective is dawning. If i don't get a response to my e mail I will turn it into a letter, send it again and copy it to Southwark council. I don't want to sue them, but i think they need to stop doing this.

i really think you should - one's joints are very precious! and it isn't your fault how on earth could you have known you'd be expected to do a running mount onto a moving horse? then perform a circus trick? i'm sure seasoned equestrians would baulk at that! fhs!

Damian - write! Otherwise they may think my experience was an unlucky one-off - and down to my lower level of fitness.

My physio said that she was amazed I didn't have bruises like yours and that she thought the dangling bit was very ill-advised.

(the horse was standing still when I got on - thenit broke straight into a canter..but I enjoyed that bit, having had lots of riding experience)

yeahbut still... fhs!

Hi blu,

I'm not new having been reading for 3-4 years now but I am a lurker! That's what comes of having just too many hobbies!

As for the circus we went to the Saturday afternoon show on Hampstead Heath. We all really enjoyed it and on one hand I quite like the fact that me getting in the ring was kind of kicking back at the weight of health and safety crap (and other regulations) that's crushing the fun out of life IMO. On the other hand it was damn painful and damaging without actually being dangerous.

So yeah I'll send them an email regarding my experience. My hope is that this'll lead them to explain the physical nature of the act more clearly when asking for volunteers next time. What I also hope though is that there is a next time: I think that people must be allowed to put themselves at some level of risk, and take responsibility for their choices, I really do.

Hope your joints get back to normal soon!

pmsl very good description of your event. Im afraid i go with the choice was made by you to participate, so you need to take the consequences.

Get thoroughly checked out all the same.

Surely someone somewhere was videoing this, could we put a call out on This Morning, not to get compo, you understand. Just so that we can have a jolly good belly laugh at your antics, still cant stop laughing sorry

Damian - I broadly agree with those sentiments - which is why I didn't start complaining and claiming. And, in addition to the sheer fear and dicomfprt, I enjoyed it, too.

BUT I think they need to make sure that their 'victims' do not have any pre-existing conditions like a back injury, or asthma, and I definitely think there should be a proper harness, not just a rope round your ribs. I work in a theatre (despite what I said below!), where performers do all sorts of stunts, and no way would we be allowed to do that. We would need to use a two-point harness, or one more like a climbing harness.

I am glad to have brought you out of lurkerdom!!

oh I cant stop this mental picture of your whizzing around ungraciously, never mind scrambling up on the horse, ive got tears now, oh I am sorry really

You're making me think I should sue for loss of dignity and hurt feelings