Gifford theatre

Equestrienne, Animal Trainer

By Dominique Jando

Born in Windsor, England on November 24, 1953, Yasmine Smart is the daughter of David Smart (1929-2007) and Olga Elleano-Stey (b.

1932 to a Swiss family of wirewalkers). She is the granddaughter of the famous English showman Billy Smart.

Circus somerset

Yasmine made her debut in the ring at age 11, at Billy Smart's New World Circus, with a group of twelve Shetland ponies. She was tutored in horse and animal training by John Gindl, who was at the time Billy Smart's Circus's head trainer.

Although an equestrienneA female equestrian, or horse trainer, horse presenter, or acrobat on horseback. by choice, Yasmine also worked with exotic animals and elephants, animals she presented in other British circuses, such as Blackpool’s Tower Circus and Belle Vue Circus in Manchester, after Billy Smart's Circus folded its tents in 1971.

She also presented horses for other circuses, notably for Circus Knie in Switzerland and Circus Krone an