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| Ringling Brothers circus stages final show | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| After 146 years, America's most celebrated circus Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus has staged its final performance in New York. | |
| Owners of the company said the tough decision had been made due to falling ticket sales and high operating costs. | Owners of the company said the tough decision had been made due to falling ticket sales and high operating costs. |
| "As far as this great American institution, it is a sad moment," ringmaster Johnathan Lee Iverson said. | "As far as this great American institution, it is a sad moment," ringmaster Johnathan Lee Iverson said. |
| For the performers, it also means the end of a tight-knit community that lived on a train in between shows. | For the performers, it also means the end of a tight-knit community that lived on a train in between shows. |
| TAP HERE to read and watch how performers are dealing with the end of the circus. | TAP HERE to read and watch how performers are dealing with the end of the circus. |
| The final performance of what the company described as "the greatest show on earth" was streamed live online. | |
| Just before the show, David Vassallo, a clown at the travelling circus, told Reuters: "For every artist it's a dream to be part of this show, the greatest show on earth." | Just before the show, David Vassallo, a clown at the travelling circus, told Reuters: "For every artist it's a dream to be part of this show, the greatest show on earth." |
| "I cannot even describe how happy it was for me to be part of that and I'm sad of course to wake up from this amazing dream." | "I cannot even describe how happy it was for me to be part of that and I'm sad of course to wake up from this amazing dream." |
| Ringling Bros was the last American circus that travelled by rail. | Ringling Bros was the last American circus that travelled by rail. |
| Until Sunday, the company's train was the primary residence for most of the performers, who hail from 13 different countries. | Until Sunday, the company's train was the primary residence for most of the performers, who hail from 13 different countries. |
| "I learned to walk on the train, my parents were living on the train when I was born," Ivan Vargas, a sixth-generation circus performer, told the BBC earlier this month. | "I learned to walk on the train, my parents were living on the train when I was born," Ivan Vargas, a sixth-generation circus performer, told the BBC earlier this month. |
| Vargas, 26, whose family is originally from Mexico, was born in between Sunday performances. | Vargas, 26, whose family is originally from Mexico, was born in between Sunday performances. |
| But animal rights campaigners - who had been accusing the Ringling Bros of animal abuse - welcomed the decision to shut the company. | But animal rights campaigners - who had been accusing the Ringling Bros of animal abuse - welcomed the decision to shut the company. |
| They held a protest in New York, carrying placards "We shut you down!" and "Bye-bye animal abusers". | They held a protest in New York, carrying placards "We shut you down!" and "Bye-bye animal abusers". |