Toby Ballantine, a longtime circus clown, dies in Sarasota at 71.
Because of his family’s circus heritage, “everybody who knew the circus knows of him, and his name preceded him, and he had a reputation to uphold,” she said. His father served as dean of the Ringling Bros. Clown College in Venice, which Toby attended in 1973, leading to a year performing with the Red Unit of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus in 1974. He later came back to Clown College to teach stilt walking, one of the skills he frequently used when he would make appearances as a very tall Uncle Sam for the Nathan’s 4th of July hot dog eating contest. His family said he ...
Source: heraldtribune.com