From iberkshire.com :
Tri-State Fair Features Circus Acts, Carnival Rides
Staff reports
iBerkshires
10:32PM / Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Photos by Paul Guillotte
Judit Nerger pats one of the white tiger cubs that will appear in the Nergers' Tigers and Lion Show at the Tri-State Fair this week. Top, two of the show's Bengals relax.
POWNAL, Vt. — The Tri-State Fair returns to the former Green Mountain Racetrack for the third year with five days of carnival rides, circus acts, music, food, vendors and more — including a pack of not-so-cuddly kitties.
Judit and Juergen Nerger have brought their big cat act to the Green Mountains with Nergers' Tigers and Lion. The couple, originally from Germany, have been training the big predators for three decades.
On Tuesday, the cats were mostly napping in the muggy heat. Come showtime, the 12 tigers and lone lion will be leaping through hoops, walking backwards on their legs, playing leapfrog and taking commands from tamer Juergen Nerger.
A tanned Judit Nerger, a tiger tattooed on her shoulder, stressed the animals' wild nature even as she patted one of three white tiger cubs in the troupe.
"These are trained animals, not tamed animals," said Nerger. "They are not pets. You could never have them as pets."
The cubs were rejected by their mother and raised by the Nergers. They'll turn a year old on Wednesday, the day the Tri-State Fair opens for its five-day run. The cubs will work with their Bengal teammates and the 10-year-old male lion, which gets along well with the Bengals, said Nerger.
Staff reports
iBerkshires
10:32PM / Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Photos by Paul Guillotte
Judit Nerger pats one of the white tiger cubs that will appear in the Nergers' Tigers and Lion Show at the Tri-State Fair this week. Top, two of the show's Bengals relax.
POWNAL, Vt. — The Tri-State Fair returns to the former Green Mountain Racetrack for the third year with five days of carnival rides, circus acts, music, food, vendors and more — including a pack of not-so-cuddly kitties.
Judit and Juergen Nerger have brought their big cat act to the Green Mountains with Nergers' Tigers and Lion. The couple, originally from Germany, have been training the big predators for three decades.
On Tuesday, the cats were mostly napping in the muggy heat. Come showtime, the 12 tigers and lone lion will be leaping through hoops, walking backwards on their legs, playing leapfrog and taking commands from tamer Juergen Nerger.
A tanned Judit Nerger, a tiger tattooed on her shoulder, stressed the animals' wild nature even as she patted one of three white tiger cubs in the troupe.
"These are trained animals, not tamed animals," said Nerger. "They are not pets. You could never have them as pets."
The cubs were rejected by their mother and raised by the Nergers. They'll turn a year old on Wednesday, the day the Tri-State Fair opens for its five-day run. The cubs will work with their Bengal teammates and the 10-year-old male lion, which gets along well with the Bengals, said Nerger.
The Nergers worked with the German State Circus in East Germany and Russia, and with the Circus Probst in Germany, Austria, Poland and France. They've traveled around the United States appearing at various circuses and events.
Training and caring for the big cats is a full-time job. And as much as the Nergers obviously love their dangerous charges, "never turn your back on them," Nerger warned. "They may trust us but we don't trust them."
The 12 tigers are joined in the show by a 10-year-old lion.
The Nergers' tigers are just one of the many attractions at this year's fair. There's musical events, vendors, food, pony rides, model airplane combat demonstrations, a motorcycle show, high-wire act, truck pulls, antique tractor pulls, classic cars, horse show, loads of carnival rides and bingo and Texas hold'em games. An American Indian troupe will demonstrate dancing and drumming along with arts, crafts and foods.
Wednesday night WUPE Radio will air live from 7 to 9 p.m. and offer a chance at a brand-new home through its "Home Free" contest.
Country-western duet Maria Rose and Danny Elswick will perform on Thursday at 7 p.m. and there'll be fireworks on Saturday night.
"We've got so much more this year," said organizer Joseph DiFusco of Hoosick Falls, N.Y.
The fair started as a benefit for the Knights of Columbus and now supports the San Damiano Family Support, run by the DiFusco and his wife, Wanda, and St. Jude's Children's Hospital. The DiFuscoes, fellow Knight John Mills of Cambridge, N.Y., and Robert DeStefano of Dreamland Amusements are the lead organizers.
The fair opens at noon on Wednesday and runs through Sunday at 9 p.m. Admission is $30 per bus/carload on Wednesday. The price includes admission to all events and rides. From Thursday to Sunday, the price is $20 per person for all rides; ages 3 and under free. A $5 coupon is available off that ticket price.
Not interested in amusement rides? The price of admission is only $5 per person with access to all the shows and vendors (sorry, you can't use the coupon for that price). A full schedule is available here.
Photographer Paul Guillotte contributed to this report.
Rides being set up Tuesday for Wednesday's opening of the Tri-State Fair.
Training and caring for the big cats is a full-time job. And as much as the Nergers obviously love their dangerous charges, "never turn your back on them," Nerger warned. "They may trust us but we don't trust them."
The 12 tigers are joined in the show by a 10-year-old lion.
The Nergers' tigers are just one of the many attractions at this year's fair. There's musical events, vendors, food, pony rides, model airplane combat demonstrations, a motorcycle show, high-wire act, truck pulls, antique tractor pulls, classic cars, horse show, loads of carnival rides and bingo and Texas hold'em games. An American Indian troupe will demonstrate dancing and drumming along with arts, crafts and foods.
Wednesday night WUPE Radio will air live from 7 to 9 p.m. and offer a chance at a brand-new home through its "Home Free" contest.
Country-western duet Maria Rose and Danny Elswick will perform on Thursday at 7 p.m. and there'll be fireworks on Saturday night.
"We've got so much more this year," said organizer Joseph DiFusco of Hoosick Falls, N.Y.
The fair started as a benefit for the Knights of Columbus and now supports the San Damiano Family Support, run by the DiFusco and his wife, Wanda, and St. Jude's Children's Hospital. The DiFuscoes, fellow Knight John Mills of Cambridge, N.Y., and Robert DeStefano of Dreamland Amusements are the lead organizers.
The fair opens at noon on Wednesday and runs through Sunday at 9 p.m. Admission is $30 per bus/carload on Wednesday. The price includes admission to all events and rides. From Thursday to Sunday, the price is $20 per person for all rides; ages 3 and under free. A $5 coupon is available off that ticket price.
Not interested in amusement rides? The price of admission is only $5 per person with access to all the shows and vendors (sorry, you can't use the coupon for that price). A full schedule is available here.
Photographer Paul Guillotte contributed to this report.
Rides being set up Tuesday for Wednesday's opening of the Tri-State Fair.
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