The folks then set up their Lawn Chairs and welcomed local artist Terry Smith who performed a demonstration in the Lockey Room, in the main Building, during the Saturday event.

One day prior to the event, a Living History Seminole War Field Trip Day was held at the Pioneer Florida Museum and Village with the help of the volunteers, presenters, staff, trustees, sponsors, demonstrators, concessions crew, check in crew, schools, homeschool students, teachers, chaperones, and parents. They welcomed more than 725 students and it was a wonderful day.

This event could not have been a success without the help of some great sponsors like the Seminole Wars Foundation, Holiday Inn Express & Suites Brooksville-I-75, New Traditions Kitchen in Dade City and Papa John's Pizza in Dade City.

Alligator Wrestling was a big hit with the crowd. Pharaoh Gayles is a professional wildlife handler, educator and conservationist, a performer, and an artist. Pharaoh is a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission-licensed handler who loves to pass on his knowledge and expertise. Pharaoh is a five-time Freestyle Alligator Wrestling Competition champion. The only five-time champion in the history of the competition. Pharaoh has appeared on national television programs, including Animal Planet’s “Gator Boys,” and was a featured performer on FOX’s “Game of Talents.”

For as long as native Americans have been living in Florida, they have been utilizing alligators for their meat and other body parts. In the early 1900's when tourism started to explode in Florida there were more people witnessing native Americans jumping in the water and catching alligators. Spectators called this alligator wrestling.

It is a barehanded capture technique developed by the Native American people as well as other handlers to bring an alligator back home alive. You always wanted to bring the alligator back alive because the meat would spoil very quickly in the Florida Sun. As time went on spectators would pay to see native Americans handle alligators and learn more about the culture.

This became one of the 1st forms of revenue for the native people in Florida. The name alligator wrestling is a name that has always stuck, it draws people in from all over the country to observe. The alligators in the demonstrations you see are ALL RESCUED alligators that will be able to live out the rest of their lives in a sanctuary instead of being put down. No alligators were harmed in the demonstration.

www.pioneerfloridamuseum.org #pioneerfloridamuseum #DiscoverDadeCity #dadecitywire

www.pharaohgayles.com/pharaohs-wildlife-kingdom