Georgian horsemen in Wild West Shows
Encyclopedia
Georgian horsemen became notable participants in shows about the Wild West in the 1890s. Billed as Russia
n Cossack
s, the riders from Georgia
featured in circus
es and shows well into the first half of the 20th century. Their performances, featuring trick riding and folk dance
, were extremely popular and exerted significant influence on cowboys in the United States
.
in the Wild West shows began in 1892, when they first joined the Buffalo Bill
’s Wild West in England
. There were ten of them, ranging from 18 to 25, under the leadership of a man called Prince Ivan Makharadze. In 1893 the Guria
ns went to the United States, where for more than 30 years they performed under the name of Russian Cossacks in Buffalo Bill’s Wild West as well as other circuses and shows. The Gurian riders were called Cossacks for different reasons, including that Georgia was part of the Russian Empire
at that time (Georgia was annexed
by Czar’s Russia in 1801 and by Soviet Russia
in 1921) and that the Cossacks had a colorful reputation.
The usual performance of Georgians began with the riders, all dressed in national outfit (chokha
in Georgian), taking the stage while carrying their weapons and singing. First they marched around the arena, then stopped and dismounted on mid-stage, broke into a new song and started to perform one of Georgian native dances to the accompaniment of handclaps. Sometimes this dance was executed upon a wooden platform. This act usually followed by stunt riding. The riders performed a series of manoeuvres (they were standing on their heads up, standing straight in the saddle, riding three horses simultaneously, jumping to the ground and then back, picking up small objects from the ground; one of the tricks that was very popular with the spectators was, the rider at full gallop standing on horseback and shooting) including the most risky tricks, carried out only by a chosen few. One of these tricks was when a rider removed his saddle and dismounted while riding at a full gallop and then remounted again fixing the saddle back on a horse. This trick riding style was called Dzhigitovka (a Turkic
word taken to mean skilful and courageous rider) or jiriti in Georgian.
They won widespread recognition and significantly influenced cowboys. Western historian Dee Brown notes that "Trick riding came to rodeo by way of a troupe of Cossack daredevils imported by the 101 Ranch. Intrigued by the Cossacks stunts on their galloping horses, western cowboys soon introduced variations to American rodeo. Colorful costumes seem to be a necessary part of trick riding, and it is quite possible that the outlandish western garb which has invaded rodeo area can be blamed directly on Cossacks and trick riders."
The Georgian riders performance was perhaps the most popular feature of the Wild West Show. Only Indians
and cowboy
s enjoyed similar popularity. Cossacks became an essential feature of every respectable show of that time.
In general, the Georgians' decision to travel to distant lands was based on financial hardship—touring meant profits. However, on occasion group leaders were targeted with bribes in their native villages. Their American employers paid relatively good money, up to $40–50 per month or 100 ruble
s. (The price of a cow in Georgia in those days was 3-5 rubles).
Luka Chkhartishvili was singled out by The Daily Tribune in 1901 for "[t]he wonderful horsemanship" that "made him one of the attractions of the show". Alexis Georgian (born Alexis Gogokhia) worked with Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show for only a few years before beginning his own group; he was later offered but refused a position serving as ambassador for Georgia in the United States.
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n Cossack
Cossack
Cossacks are a group of predominantly East Slavic people who originally were members of democratic, semi-military communities in what is today Ukraine and Southern Russia inhabiting sparsely populated areas and islands in the lower Dnieper and Don basins and who played an important role in the...
s, the riders from Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
featured in circus
Circus
A circus is commonly a travelling company of performers that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, unicyclists and other stunt-oriented artists...
es and shows well into the first half of the 20th century. Their performances, featuring trick riding and folk dance
Folk dance
The term folk dance describes dances that share some or all of the following attributes:*They are dances performed at social functions by people with little or no professional training, often to traditional music or music based on traditional music....
, were extremely popular and exerted significant influence on cowboys in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
History
The history of Georgian horsemenHorseman
Horseman may refer to:* Horse rider; see Equestrianism* Wrangler , in the United States* Stockman , who works with horses rather than with cattle or sheep* Horseman, a 2003 Croatian film...
in the Wild West shows began in 1892, when they first joined the Buffalo Bill
Buffalo Bill
William Frederick "Buffalo Bill" Cody was a United States soldier, bison hunter and showman. He was born in the Iowa Territory , in LeClaire but lived several years in Canada before his family moved to the Kansas Territory. Buffalo Bill received the Medal of Honor in 1872 for service to the US...
’s Wild West in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. There were ten of them, ranging from 18 to 25, under the leadership of a man called Prince Ivan Makharadze. In 1893 the Guria
Guria
Guria is a region in Georgia, in the western part of the country, bordered by the eastern end of the Black Sea. The region has a population of 143,357 and Ozurgeti is a regional capital.-Geography:...
ns went to the United States, where for more than 30 years they performed under the name of Russian Cossacks in Buffalo Bill’s Wild West as well as other circuses and shows. The Gurian riders were called Cossacks for different reasons, including that Georgia was part of the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
at that time (Georgia was annexed
Annexation
Annexation is the de jure incorporation of some territory into another geo-political entity . Usually, it is implied that the territory and population being annexed is the smaller, more peripheral, and weaker of the two merging entities, barring physical size...
by Czar’s Russia in 1801 and by Soviet Russia
Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic
The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic , commonly referred to as Soviet Russia, Bolshevik Russia, or simply Russia, was the largest, most populous and economically developed republic in the former Soviet Union....
in 1921) and that the Cossacks had a colorful reputation.
The usual performance of Georgians began with the riders, all dressed in national outfit (chokha
Chokha
A chokha is part of the traditional male dress of the peoples of the Caucasus. It has been in wide use among Georgians from the 9th century until 1920s, The trend of Chokha in Georgians still continue to occur as they see it as their proud cultural heritage they inherit till this day...
in Georgian), taking the stage while carrying their weapons and singing. First they marched around the arena, then stopped and dismounted on mid-stage, broke into a new song and started to perform one of Georgian native dances to the accompaniment of handclaps. Sometimes this dance was executed upon a wooden platform. This act usually followed by stunt riding. The riders performed a series of manoeuvres (they were standing on their heads up, standing straight in the saddle, riding three horses simultaneously, jumping to the ground and then back, picking up small objects from the ground; one of the tricks that was very popular with the spectators was, the rider at full gallop standing on horseback and shooting) including the most risky tricks, carried out only by a chosen few. One of these tricks was when a rider removed his saddle and dismounted while riding at a full gallop and then remounted again fixing the saddle back on a horse. This trick riding style was called Dzhigitovka (a Turkic
Turkic languages
The Turkic languages constitute a language family of at least thirty five languages, spoken by Turkic peoples across a vast area from Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean to Siberia and Western China, and are considered to be part of the proposed Altaic language family.Turkic languages are spoken...
word taken to mean skilful and courageous rider) or jiriti in Georgian.
They won widespread recognition and significantly influenced cowboys. Western historian Dee Brown notes that "Trick riding came to rodeo by way of a troupe of Cossack daredevils imported by the 101 Ranch. Intrigued by the Cossacks stunts on their galloping horses, western cowboys soon introduced variations to American rodeo. Colorful costumes seem to be a necessary part of trick riding, and it is quite possible that the outlandish western garb which has invaded rodeo area can be blamed directly on Cossacks and trick riders."
The Georgian riders performance was perhaps the most popular feature of the Wild West Show. Only Indians
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
and cowboy
Cowboy
A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the vaquero traditions of northern Mexico and became a figure of...
s enjoyed similar popularity. Cossacks became an essential feature of every respectable show of that time.
In general, the Georgians' decision to travel to distant lands was based on financial hardship—touring meant profits. However, on occasion group leaders were targeted with bribes in their native villages. Their American employers paid relatively good money, up to $40–50 per month or 100 ruble
Ruble
The ruble or rouble is a unit of currency. Currently, the currency units of Belarus, Russia, Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Transnistria, and, in the past, the currency units of several other countries, notably countries influenced by Russia and the Soviet Union, are named rubles, though they all are...
s. (The price of a cow in Georgia in those days was 3-5 rubles).
Notable horsemen
Other than Ivane Makharadze, the first leader, some of the Georgians in these shows rose to particular prominence. Among these, illiterate goldsmithGoldsmith
A goldsmith is a metalworker who specializes in working with gold and other precious metals. Since ancient times the techniques of a goldsmith have evolved very little in order to produce items of jewelry of quality standards. In modern times actual goldsmiths are rare...
Luka Chkhartishvili was singled out by The Daily Tribune in 1901 for "[t]he wonderful horsemanship" that "made him one of the attractions of the show". Alexis Georgian (born Alexis Gogokhia) worked with Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show for only a few years before beginning his own group; he was later offered but refused a position serving as ambassador for Georgia in the United States.
Sources
- Frank Dean, Trick and Fancy Riding (The Caxton Printers, ltd. Caldwell, Idaho 83605, 1975).
- Sarah J. Blackstone, "Buckskins, Bullets, and Business a History of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West", Contributions to the study of popular culture, number 14 (Greenwood Press, 1986).
- Dee Brown, The American West (a Touchstone Book, Simon & Schuster, New York, 1994).
- Irakli Makharadze and Akaki Chkhaidze, Wild West Georgians (Tbilisi: New Media, 2002).
- Once Upon a Time in America, Diaries of an Unknown Gurian Rider (Tbilisi, Sani Publishing, 2004).
- Nate Salsbury, “The Origin of the Wild West Show” (The Colorado Magazine, July, 1955).
- Nana Zurabishvili, “Off To Guria...,” The World of Constant Connection, 4 (1999).
- Iveria, June (#124), 1892.
- The Oracle, May 28, 1892.
- The Philadelphia Inquirer, April 9, 1893.
- The Morning Journal, May 20, 1894.
- Chicago Evening Post, June 6, 1896.
- Minneapolis Tribune, August 13, 1900.
- Arkansas Democrat, October 21, 1901.
- New York Daily Tribune, April 20, 1902.
- Tsnobis Purtsely, April 12, 1903.
- Tsnobis Purtsely, April 16, 1903.
- Kvali, April 16, 1903.
- The Neola Reporter, July 7, 1904.
- The Billboard, July 28, 1906.
- Boston Globe, June 16, 1907.
- The Hutchinson Leader, July 24, 1908.
- The Evening Times, May 25, 1912.
- The Billboard, July 20, 1912