Highlights:
- Alex Petrov worked closely with renowned Ringling Bros.® animal trainer, Gunther Gebel-Williams and his son Mark Oliver Gebel. It was Gunther who awarded Alex the right to wear the black suit, an honor presented to those whom the trainers trusted greatly.
- Alex is responsible for nearly 50 animals and their living environment during the two year tour of Barnum’s FUNundrum!SM
- Alex arrives to each arena early and maps out the animal compound and makes sure there is water, a dry space for hay, food delivery and storage, adequate entrance and exit paths for animals and equipment, and appropriate fencing to keep the animals safe.
Alex Petrov
Animal Care Superintendent and Motorcycle Highwire
Alex Petrov has the best of both worlds when it comes to Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® Presents Barnum’s FUNundrum!SM. Not only does he perform a breath-taking motorcycle high-wire stunt with a talented and beautiful woman, but he also oversees and works with the amazing menagerie of animals that travel with The Greatest Show On Earth®.
Alex grew up in a family of circus veterans, both of his parents immigrated to the U.S. to work as acrobats and aerialists for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey®, Alex spent his early years learning, mastering, and performing various acts, including the Teeterboard and Russian swing. While on tour with his family, Alex became good friends with Mark Oliver Gebel, son of renowned Ringling Bros. animal trainer, Gunther Gebel-Williams. The two boys would hang around together and watch Mark’s father, the esteemed trainer and handler and his many species of animals practice their acts. Attending rehearsals became a daily practice as Gunther taught his son his craft, and little did Alex know that he would later to work alongside both Mark and his father. Eventually Alex was awarded the right to wear the black suit by Gunther, an honor presented to those whom the trainers trusted greatly. It was an honor he will never forget. “This was a moment of big value in my life.”
As Animal Care Superintendent, Alex is responsible for nearly 50 animals and their living environment and it is a job he takes personally. “I am always looking for new ways to engage and stimulate the animals, both mentally and physically,” he says. Alex learns about each animal by watching its behavior in various situations – at play, while feeding, at rest, and interacting with other animals and people. Alex uses voice, touch, food, or a combination of all three, and tailors his approach to best suit their individual and unique personalities. While the training never ends, according to Alex, a bond of respect grows between the two.
Alex’s day to day responsibilities includes making sure that everything runs safely and smoothly for all involved. Alex arrives at each arena early and maps out the animal compound and makes sure there is water, a dry space for hay, food delivery and storage, adequate entrance and exit paths for animals and equipment, and appropriate fencing to keep the animals safe. Alex works hand-in-hand with a little over 20 people that he supervises, show management, veterinary crew, and others to ensure the Ringling Bros. animals receive the highest-quality attention and care in every situation.
While the animals of the show are Alex’s top priority, he also enjoys the thrill and rush that he experiences as a performer. Alex has performed many thrilling and death-defying acts including the upside down act where he and his wife Vicki were suspended invertedly on a platform and performed wacky, every day tasks like drinking water and playing badmitton. One of his favorite acts has been an incline perch act where he walked on a wire the width of a human thumb, while his partner performed ontop of a contraption he balanced on his head. In the 138th Edition, Alex and his partner, Gleice Ribeiro Gillet amazed Children Of All Ages with their daring motorcycle high wire act, and were invited to once again take their act to the skies with their in Barnum’s FUNundrum!. During their act, Alex revs a specially designed motorcycle up to speeds of 50 mph across a high-wire, while Gleice simultaneously performs aerial stunts on a trapeze bar attached to his chopper.
Alex’s life is in the circus and admits that if he wasn’t performing or working with animals he would be miserable. “Performing is in my blood. I’ve only been away from the circus for one year and I couldn’t wait to get back. It was a nice experience trying something new but when I’m here at Ringling Bros. I feel more useful,” he explains.
Unlike most Ringling Bros. performers who travel on the Ringling Bros. train, Alex travels by recreational vehicle so he is closer to his animal family as well as his wife and their daughter Sophia.