Victor Pepin was a native of Philadelphia of French extraction. Pepin partnered with Jean Baptiste Breschard who brought their circus to Boston in 1807-08 from Spain. After performing in Boston, they moved their company to New York City and then to Philadelphia. The company performed alternate seasons between New York and Philadelphia for a number of years offering both circus performances and horse dramas. Pepin was a small man, a proficient rider and an excellent trainer of horses. Stuart Thayer describes him as “one of the foremost contributors to the history of the American circus.”