Behind the scenes of a cowboy monkey rodeo
Aberdeen IronBirds fans attending Thursday night’s game against the Batavia Muckdogs got a special treat during and after the game: a performance by Tim “Wild Thang” Lepard, and his team of sheep-herding, Border Collie-riding Capuchin monkeys.
Lepard’s show included one of his monkeys “throwing” the first pitch of the game, teaser performances during the third and after the fifth innings and a longer performance at the end of the game. A group of sheep were released from a pen and the monkeys, riding their respective Border Collies, rounded them up.
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- Tim Lepard, his monkey, Sam, and his dog, Bob, get ready to perform for the crowd at Ripken Stadium in Aberdeen before an Ironbirds game on Thursday, July 10, 2014. (Jon Sham/BSMG)
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- Sam the monkey lets out a yawn toward the end of the show at Ripken Stadium in Aberdeen on Thursday, July 10, 2014. (Jon Sham/BSMG)
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- Tim Lepard, his monkey, Sam, and his dog, Bob, wait to be called out to throw the first pitch for the crowd at Ripken Stadium in Aberdeen before an Ironbirds game on Thursday, July 10, 2014. (Jon Sham/BSMG)
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- Tim Lepard nuzzles his monkey, Sam, as they wait to throw the first pitch at Ripken Stadium during an Ironbirds game in Aberdeen, Thursday, July 10, 2014. (Jon Sham/BSMG)
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- Sam the monkey eats a piece of a strawberry Pop-Tart out of the hand of his owner and trainer, Tim Lepard, before throwing the first pitch at Ripken Stadium during an Aberdeen Ironbirds game, Thursday, July 10, 2014. (Jon Sham/BSMG)
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- Sam the monkey tries to catch a piece of strawberry Pop-Tart from his owner and trainer, Tim Lepard, before throwing the first pitch at Ripken Stadium during an Aberdeen Ironbirds game, Thursday, July 10, 2014. (Jon Sham/BSMG)
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- Sam rides his faithful “steed,” Bob, before the Aberdeen IronBirds game, Thursday, July 10, 2014. (Jon Sham/BSMG)
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- Sam the monkey, sitting on Bob the dog, beside owner and trainer Tim Lepard, perpares to “throw” the first pitch at an Aberdeen Ironbirds game, Thursday, July 10, 2014. (Jon Sham/BSMG)
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- Members of the Aberdeen Ironbirds pet Sam the monkey and Bob the dog, part of Tim Lepard’s traveling cowboy monkey rodeo act, before they walk onto the field for a game on Thursday, July 10, 2014. (Jon Sham/BSMG)
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- Sam the monkey rides Bob the dog on the baseline at Ripken Stadium before an Aberdeen Ironbirds game, Thursday, July 11, 2014. (Jon Sham/BSMG)
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- Sam the monkey “throws” the first pitch of the Aberdeen Ironbirds game Thursday, July 10, 2014. (Jon Sham/BSMG)
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- Sam the monkey rides into the back of the Ripken Stadium outfield after a short performance between the fifth and sixth innings of an Aberdeen Ironbirds game, Thursday, July 10, 2014. (Jon Sham/BSMG)
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- Tim Lepard picks up one of his monkeys as he talks to the crowd after an Aberdeen IronBirds game, Thursday, July 10, 2014. (Jon Sham/BSMG)
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- Tim Lepard performs with his monkey-and-dog duos at Ripken Stadium in Aberdeen after an IronBirds game, Thursday, July 10, 2014. (Jon Sham/BSMG)
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- Aberdeen IronBirds grounds crew members Jordan Barr, left, and Jerry Edmonds help Tim Lepard and Team Ghostriders by getting the sheel out of the pen to be herded by the monkey/dog duos, Thursday, July 10, 2014. (Jon Sham/BSMG)
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- Tim Lepard performs with his monkey-and-dog duos at Ripken Stadium in Aberdeen after an IronBirds game, Thursday, July 10, 2014. (Jon Sham/BSMG)
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- Emma Sacks, 6, left and her brother Jacob, 8, of Towson, say hi to Tim Lepard and one of his monkeys as they tour around Ripken Stadium in Aberdeen, Thursday, July 10, 2014. (Jon Sham/BSMG)
Mr. Lepard allowed me to come inside his trailer for a behind-the-scenes look into how he and his animals prep for performances.
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