Miss Tica Parade Pony Animals at Work

Hey, Animals At Work watchers. Welcome to another great episode.

All over the planet, there are millions of animals that have jobs.

Wah!

This is the show that brings you the funniest, coolest and most bizarre

Animals At Work.

Coming up...

A small pony with a big dream to perform in a very important parade.

An incredibly patient pooch who teaches kids to read.

Thank you, Scotts...

And the Fanimals search for the best birdie banker.

If you're a banker and you're eating flowers, you'd probably get fired.

But now it's...

show-time!

Hi, everybody, and welcome to the show.

-This is...

-HE LAUGHS

This is Animals At Work and we're heading off to see our first

animal at work in South America,

where there are a lot of horses with long faces.

This is a story of a passionate pony

who dreams of some exciting times ahead of her,

so let's saddle up and head on down to the ranch.

We're off to Tamarindo in Costa Rica.

HORSE NEIGHS

Meet Miss Tica.

She's four, and getting ready for the biggest challenge of her life.

MOTORBIKE REVS

SAMBA MUSIC

Miss Tica's dream is to find fame and fortune as a parade pony.

For a Costa Rican horse,

being a parade pony is as big-time as it gets.

Parades are massive street parties

and a huge part of Costa Rica's culture.

One of the most important parts of the parades is the tope.

Tope is a tradition in Costa Rica of the ranchers and city folks

coming out with their horses and showing off in the parade.

To succeed in the tope,

Miss Tica needs to learn some very special moves

that all the parade ponies have to do.

These are side steps

and the all important - and most difficult - high steps.

And if learning these steps in time for the tope

wasn't enough pressure for this young horse, it gets worse.

Miss Tica comes from a family of parade ponies.

Her parents are both champion high-steppers

and she's expected to take over the family business.

Miss Tica has two special parents -

Squanto, who's going to ride in the tope with her...

..and also her mother, Chilendrina.

Although she's an older mare right now, in her heyday she was

one of the prize horses for her high-stepping ability.

# What would my mama do... #

She was once the star of the tope. You know, very favoured.

Everybody liked the way she pranced.

So, Miss Tica is going to learn those things

and take her mother's place.

HORSE NEIGHS

Right now, appearing in the tope and following in her parents' footsteps

is a distant dream for Miss Tica.

Her current day job as a trekking pony

hasn't prepared her for such a massive challenge.

If she's got any chance of giving up trekking

for a day in the limelight,

then she must convince her parents and her bosses that

she's got what it takes and can kick the high step.

-# Can I kick it?

-Yes, you can

-# Can I kick it?

-Yes, you can... #

Let's hope she can. With such successful parents,

Miss Tica is feeling the pressure to live up to them

and cut the mustard as a parade pony.

Pride and a lifelong ambition. There's a lot at stake.

Can Miss Tica fulfil her destiny?

DRAMATIC MUSIC

Later, Miss Tica goes to training school.

But will she have what it takes to be selected for the parade?

HORSE NEIGHS

We've surfed the net to see what animals get up to on their days off.

Check out this skitty kitty

playing a little invisible xylophone.

CAT JUMPS IN TIME TO NOTES PLAYING ON XYLOPHONE

-And now those kids who love animals, it's the...

-Fanimals, yes!

Let's meet the Fanimals, our animal detectives.

These Fanimals have been challenged to pick through the parrot facts

and decide which bird would make the best banker.

The three feathered candidates are Lori the chattering lorikeet...

..Bubba the amazing parrot...

Fred the green-winged macaw.

Successful bankers need to be good at handling money,

work well with customers

and also be able to stick to regular bankers' hours.

No parrots will be good with money.

Well, it'd be a bit crazy if a parrot was in the bank

because there's normally just people.

Don't be so sure, Fanimals. Let's check out their CVs.

Banker candidate one is Lori, the chattering lorikeet.

Lorikeets are noisy, active birds from Australasia who eat A LOT.

They eat as much as 650 flowers a day!

-BURPING

-Excuse me.

Surely this isn't going to be good in a bank?

If you're a banker and you're eat flowers, you'd probably get fired.

You'd just be eating and eating, and then when people want their money,

you might give them flowers, not money.

-BIRD:

-Oh, dear!

I think you're right, Fanimals.

But when lorikeets poo out the seeds, they help new plants grow,

but no-one can spend flowers in shops.

I don't think Lori would be a very good banker.

That's true. He wouldn't be.

OK, candidate two - Bubba the Amazon parrot.

Amazon parrots are medium-sized birds

from the rainforests of South America and Mexico.

They like to imitate sounds and they can be very, very loud.

Is a noisy banker a good idea?

If he makes lots of noise, he'd probably repeat lots of PINs.

Also, Amazon parrots need a lot of sleep - more than ten hours a day.

LULLABY MUSIC

Could Bubba keep up with the nine-to-five hours?

He does need a load of sleep.

The bank would probably shut down.

"Hello, I just finished my nap. Oh, look, look at the time.

"It's time to go back for my nap. Goodnight."

The final candidate is Fred the green-winged macaw.

Macaws are brightly coloured, intelligent birds

from Mexico and South America.

Would his lurid look help Fred be a good banker?

Everybody would like a colourful banker.

People would give him money cos he's colourful,

but I'm not sure if he would be able to count money.

Good point, Fanimals. And what would Fred do in his lunch break?

Like all macaws, he can't eat chocolate and coffee.

In fact, he's allergic to them.

What if a customer brought them into a bank?

They'd have a sign outside saying "no chocolate".

# Don't you know that you're toxic... #

It might be poisonous to Fred, our dear banker.

OK, Fanimals. You've had the facts. Now it's time for your answer.

Who do you think would make the best banker?

ALL: We think it's Fred.

Let's see if you're right, Fanimals.

Here's Lori the lorikeet's attempt at banking.

Lori sniffing the floor. He looks at the money.

-He's just running away from the money.

-Hard luck, Lori.

It's looking good for the Fanimals.

It's now between Bubba and Fred.

The best banker is...

Fred, the green macaw!

MUSIC: "Money Money Money" by ABBA

-Fred is the best banker.

-Clever Fred.

You were right, Fanimals! Fred the green macaw is the best banker.

Even though Fred is a gentle chap,

he has a beak strong enough to break a broomstick.

Green macaws also have a bone in their tongue, which is

great for pushing into fruit.

These skills help Fred pick up money and put it in the piggy bank.

And as well as this, Fred has managed to collect so far

over £20,000 and has given it all to charity.

You can definitely bank on Fred being a nice guy!

ALL: Well done, Fred.

-Take a banker bow, Fred!

-APPLAUSE

Welcome back to Tamarindo, Costa Rica.

Miss Tica, a four-year-old Criollo horse,

is on the brink of the biggest challenge of her life -

to perform in a tope.

The pressure is especially on for Miss Tica

as her parents, Squanto and Chilendrina,

are champion parade ponies.

For Miss Tica to fulfil her dream,

she needs to master some tricky moves.

-They are the side step...

-CROWD OOHS

..and the high step.

Doesn't it look difficult?

Fortunately, help is on hand in form of an old pro at this game.

REGAL MUSIC

The one and only parade prince, Nevado, a fellow Criollo horse.

Nevado is very popular because

he's a very good temperament in tope.

He makes the hard task of doing the tricky high step

look like a doddle. What a guy!

SIGHING

Miss Tica seems a little bashful around Nevado.

Could there be a pony crush here?

# And I need you now tonight... #

Ah, love's young dream.

Come on, snap out of it, Miss Tica! Remember, you're a Criollo horse.

Your strong muscles,

short legs and high endurance make you destined to perform in the Tope.

You have to focus. You can't let your family down.

Keen for Miss Tica to succeed, her legendary dad, Squanto,

shows his daughter how it's done.

# Pap's got a brand-new bag... #

Wow! Dad's a hard act to follow.

It's getting closer to Miss Tica's turn in the ring,

but first, mum Chilendrina wants to say a few words

of encouragement for her daughter.

"Neigh need to worry, Miss Tica".

Mum won't be in this year's Tope because, at 25, she is retiring.

She's an old lady. She can't go to topes any more like you.

You'll take her place. She used to be the queen of the tope.

Miss Tica is determined to follow in her horseshoes, though.

# Mama, I love you... #

We don't know what Mum said to her, but let's hope it helps,

as the pressure is truly on for Miss Tica.

A pal of Miss Tica's is on hand to offer plenty of encouragement.

Hey, what's this? Even the cattle are queuing up for a front-row seat.

That's a pretty impressive side step you're doing there, Miss Tica.

Looks like Dad approves too. "That's my girl!"

But it's the all-important high step she has to master

before she can be in the parade.

Come on, Miss Tica. Best foot forward!

Sorry. I mean, hoof forward. Get those knees up!

She's almost there. Come on, Miss Tica!

Not quite.

Maybe she's too shy to do it in front of Nevado.

But her boss Esteban seems happy with her progress.

Miss Tica was working very good today.

Miss Tica still has a lot of work to do

if she's going to master the high step in time for the Tope.

Stay tuned to see if Miss Tica makes the grade,

performs in the parade and continues the family tradition.

I'm setting up my own animal employment agency. Yeah.

I'm going to make a fortune!

Hello. Welcome to John's Animal Employment Agency. Come on in.

Things at my animal employment agency have been going really well.

ANSWERING MACHINE: 'You have no new messages.

'Your business is rubbish.'

DIAL TONE

So far no-one has phoned me wanting animals to work.

DIAL TONE

But I've just had this genius idea.

Advertising!

Hello. I'm John Barrowman and I'm here to tell you

about my new amazing animal employment agency.

Help me get rich.

Call 555-MAKE-JOHN-RICH and I'll find you any animal for the job.

Order now and get a free paperclip.

SMALL BELL TINGS

And now we're off to Wellingborough in the UK.

This is a tale about a dog that's always got his head in a book.

That's because the wonderdog, greyhound Scotts,

is teaching children to learn to read. Scotts is known as a READ dog.

That stands for a Reading Education Assistance Dog. Clever, huh?

Scotts was the first of this kind of dog in the UK,

which makes what he does extra special.

So much so that Scotts has also been given the task

of training up another dog to take over from him when he retires.

That dog is this fella, Danny.

Problem is, Danny's still a pup, and pups like bouncing around,

barking and tearing things up. So there's a lot of work to do.

READ dogs like Scotts are required to be calm and quiet

as they listen to the children read.

There's no-one calmer and more patient than Scotts.

Almost a bit too mellow in fact. Ahh, it's a dog's life!

Maybe Scotts is daydreaming about his former glory

as a champion greyhound racer.

In his past life as a champion racing greyhound,

his full name was Scotts Kelly. He won the Arc Trophy

in 2001 and even went to Downing Street.

What a glamorous life he had.

Despite having a reputation for being speedy,

greyhounds like Scotts make for perfect reading tutors,

as by nature they're gentle and affectionate around children.

So Scotts is such a really nice dog.

I actually haven't heard him bark ever

because I think that is just his character, he's so laid-back.

Are we keeping you up, Scotts?

Come on, we've got to go and listen to kids read.

And today he's taking his apprentice Danny with him.

Best behaviour in school today, please, Danny.

It's Scotts' reputation at stake here.

You've got to do this job by the book.

An important dog like Scotts obviously deserves a uniform

befitting a superhero.

Check out that waistcoat and bandana.

Danny, that's something you aim for. No pressure, buddy!

But today all you need is to be calm and gentle for the kids.

That doesn't sound too hard, does it? Danny, we're talking to you!

Just make sure you follow Scotts' lead. This guy's an old pro.

Come on.

The READ team arrive at the school and it's straight to work.

There are lots of children who want to read to the dogs.

Er, Scotts? You've got a lot of listening to do today.

Super-cool Scotts isn't hurrying. Always time to do some sunbathing!

Come on, Scottsy.

But in superhero style Scotts answers the call of duty.

-Scotts!

-Scotts!

Hello, Scottsy?

There are lots of poems to listen to and Scotts is your dog to hear them.

It's easier for the children to read to Scotts than to a person,

with a person they feel like you're judging them.

With Scotts they know he's not going to say,

"That wasn't good enough," and he's just there to listen.

And it's Danny's lucky day.

He gets to hear some of the children's poems as well.

# These words are my own From my heart flow... #

Danny settles down to listen. Quite the bookworm, aren't you, Danny?

Do you want to read first?

Flashing white water. Frosty, snowy...

But when Scotts turns his back for a split-second...

Danny lets his concentration slip and starts eating a poem.

# Rip it up and start again... #

He's a hooligan!

Danny ate my poem, Scottsy.

I've heard of someone eating their own words, but this is ridiculous.

What were you thinking, Danny?

I think Danny will get much better. He's doing really well.

Obviously he did rip up someone's poem but it was enthusiasm.

He obviously liked the poem and the children saw the funny side. It didn't upset them.

Read my lips, Danny, you need to grow up!

Whoever heard of a book-eating dog?

An embarrassed Scotts will have to continue his amazing work

as a reading tutor to the children.

ALL: Thank you, Scottsy, for listening to my story.

After all, there's plenty of life in the old dog yet.

LAUGHS

It's not just today that animals have had jobs.

In fact, history reveals that in the past

they've had even more amazing jobs than today

and here are those History's Heroes.

I, Professor John Bumbleman, am the greatest animal historian

of all time and my contribution to mankind's knowledge

has been truly world-changing.

Anyway, amazingly there are some animals that have changed things

even more than I have.

Let's take a look at history's world-changing animals.

Our first animal to change the world is the spotty farm cow, Blossom.

Blossom was covered in red blisters

after catching a disease called cowpox.

Blossom's milkmaid, Sarah, caught cowpox from Blossom

and felt so sick she went to see Dr Edward Jenner.

This doctor specialised in trying to cure another

more deadly disease, smallpox.

He infected a young boy with Blossom's cowpox

and after he recovered,

Dr Jenner exposed him to the deadly smallpox, and what do you know?

The boy didn't catch smallpox.

In fact, he didn't get even a little bit ill.

CRYING

The doctor had discovered a vaccination...

APPLAUSE

..meaning that millions of people across the world

had been saved from the nasty smallpox.

All thanks to the one and only Blossom!

Our next animal that changed the world is a Newfoundland dog.

DOG BARKS

In 19th-century Europe,

a French emperor called Napoleon was always starting wars

with nearby countries until eventually he was defeated

and imprisoned on a small, remote island

and for a while, peace was restored to Europe.

That is until Napoleon escaped by hitching a ride on a boat.

His cunning escape plan almost backfired

when he fell off the boat and started to drown.

Amazingly, a Newfoundland dog leapt into the sea

and rescued Napoleon from an almost-certain death.

Napoleon then returned to France and once again went to war with Britain,

losing at the Battle of Waterloo.

If the Newfoundland pup hadn't rescued Napoleon,

this great battle would never have occurred,

firmly earning the pooch his place in History's Heroes.

And if that wasn't enough, here's another world-changing animal.

Our final animals that changed the world are the tortoises,

who unknowingly worked as research assistants.

In 1835, the scientist Charles Darwin

went to the Galapagos Islands,

which is populated by amazing and unique animals.

Mr Darwin met one of the island's residents, Mr Nicholas Lawson

who had noticed something incredible about the local tortoises.

He could tell exactly which island a particular tortoise had come from,

simply by the shape of its shell. Tortoises who lived

where they could feed from the ground

had low shells across their backs,

while tortoises who had reached upwards to feed

had a saddle-shaped shell.

Darwin studied more animals

and discovered it wasn't just the tortoises.

Every island had slightly different versions of the same animal.

He concluded that since the very first life form appeared,

animals and humans had changed and evolved

by adapting to their environment.

Controversially for the times,

this meant that man had descended from early apes.

This idea is known as natural selection, and is one of the most

important scientific theories for helping us understand the world.

Thank you, tortoise, you've been one shell of a world-changer!

That's it for history's world-changing heroes.

Goodbye, animal lovers.

We've been surfing the net to see

what your animals get up to on their days off.

Check out these cool meerkats.

Hey, you fancy hanging out today?

Yeah, sounds like fun. I'll swing by and pick you up in a bit.

Don't you mean, "drop by"?

Easily amused, aren't they? Huh, the clowns.

Hey, watch your feet. That hurts!

Get out of here, get out of my box, get out of here!

It's now time for a parade in Tamarindo, Costa Rica.

Miss Tica, a four-year-old Criollo horse,

is getting ready for her first ever Tope,

the most important and prestigious parade for horses in Costa Rica.

Miss Tica has the added pressure

of living up to her parents' expectations.

Both of them were high-stepping stars and Miss Tica

must master the high step today.

Miss Tica's going to have a big day today cos she's going to the tope

and she'll have a very exciting day with a lot of horses.

# Wow wow wow wow... #

So what's left for a girl to do but take a trip to the beauty parlour...

to have her tail brushed...

-..and hooves polished.

-# Wow! #

Ahh, bliss. What better way to chill out than a good old pamper?

She's relaxed, as you can see.

When a horse is chewing and chomping like that, very relaxed,

that's a very good sign. She's not nervous yet.

Miss Tica's horsey hero Nevado looks pretty chilled out too

judging by his stance.

A horse raising its hoof like this is a sign it's relaxed.

Or is he just looking cool for Miss Tica?

You have to be good.

And here she comes.

Stay cool, Nevado, stay cool.

Doesn't she look spectacular?

And here's the carriage to take our princess to the ball...

Sorry, parade.

But it's not all about glamour. It's now time

to saddle up and attend to the job in hand.

Miss Tica is in the presence of some accomplished

and confident parade ponies.

She'd better not let her nerves get to her.

Esteban takes Miss Tica for a warm-up walk.

Her big moment is almost here.

Miss Tica's getting a little too excited and nervous.

Parade Prince Nevado gives her some tips and she quickly calms down.

I expect her to be very, very good. She's calm now. She's ready.

She'll learn how to high step. She'll be prancing like that too.

It's time for the main event, the parade.

OK, Miss Tica, this is it.

It's your big chance to make everyone proud.

She's sticking close to Nevado but she looks great.

She's working so well with Esteban

that she's not noticing the cars and noises.

The crowds really love her!

With the spotlight well and truly on her, Miss Tica goes for the big one.

Effortlessly, our parade princess pulls off the tricky high step

for her adoring public. What a class act!

Man, her bosses must be really proud of her.

Miss Tica is perfect today, mm-hmm. It's a wonderful job.

Our whole family today was proud.

Her father, her best friends, her auntie.

Nevado gives the shiny newcomer a special big nod of approval.

Swoon!

Looks like this story might have a classic fairytale ending.

Could Nevado and Miss Tica be sharing a post-parade nuzzle?

Wonder if they'll be "bridle" and groom soon, ha!

Well done, Miss Tica.

You really have put on a show-stopping performance today

and continued the family tradition of appearing in the tope.

A high-stepping star is well and truly born.

And she's going to be a star, I can tell.

What are you looking at? Look over here. The show's over.

Over? Whatever, O-F-W-U-U-R.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

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