Old Family Red Nose Pitbull Kennels in Texas

Articles Almost Sometime Family Ruby-red Nose Pit Bulls

Story of the Old Family Reds
Written by Richard F. Stratton
* Appeared in the January-February, 1975 outcome of Bloodlines Periodical.

Commencement, an overview. No 1 really knows when these dogs starting time came to this country, but the dandy breeder William J. Lightner once told me that his grandfather raised them earlier the Civil State of war. Information technology is quite possible that they were fifty-fifty hither during the Revolutionary War. In any case, it is articulate that dogs of this brood came from various parts of Europe, specifically Kingdom of spain and Sicily. But trivial is known near these earliest importations, because nothing was written virtually them. (Books and periodicals containing information virtually dogs were rare in those days.) Their being can be inferred from artwork, however. The almost famous importations were from Ireland, and were generally made by the Irish themselves after they emigrated to this land. (The majority of the Irish gaelic pit canis familiaris importations coincides or closely follows the great Irish migration that resulted from the famous potato famine.) Well-nigh of the Irish dogs were pocket-size and very closely inbred, simply their gameness was proverbial, especially that of the group of strains that was known as the Old Family. The following article I wrote on the Old Family Reds (only one segment of the Old Family bloodlines) is reprinted from Bloodlines Journal.

It has always seemed to me that the skillful onetime Pit Bull is a breed that is at once primitive and futuristic. He looks no more than out of place in the ancient landscapes of 16th century paintings than he does in the ultra-modern setting. It is beyond my capabilities to imagine an end to him, for every generation seems to supply a nucleus of difficult core devotees completely committed to the breed. In any case, you can expect into the murky past, and you will find it difficult to discern a beginning identify for the breed, and, fortunately, the time to come seems to threaten no demise either.

Ours is a breed that has a definite mystique. Part of it, no dubiety, stems from the fact that it is an old brood and deeply steeped in tradition. Old strains are a especially fascinating part of this tradition, and the Old Family unit Red Nose is one of the amend-known sometime strains.

The appearance of the red-nosed dogs always attracts attention, but information technology takes a little getting used to for some people to consider them truly beautiful. Still, no one denies that they radiate "grade." Characteristically, a domestic dog of the red-nosed strain has a copper-cherry nose, scarlet lips, cherry toe nails, and carmine or amber optics. Some think the strain was bred for looks. Others consider whatever dog that just happens to have a red olfactory organ to be pure Onetime Family Red Nose. It is hoped that the post-obit will dispel such notions.

About the middle of the last century there was a family of pit dogs in Ireland bred and fought chiefly in the counties of Cork and Kerry that were known equally the "Old Family." In those days, pedigrees were privately kept and jealously guarded. Purity of the strains was emphasized to the extent that breeders inappreciably recognized some other strain as being the same breed. For that reason all the strains were closely inbred. And whenever you lot have a closed genetic pool of that type, y'all are likely to have a slide toward the recessive traits, because the dominants, once discarded, are never recaptured. Since red is recessive to all colors but white, the "Erstwhile Family unit" somewhen became the "Sometime Family Reds." When the dogs began coming to America, many were already offset to show the ruby-red nose.

The "Former Family" dogs found their mode to America mainly via immigrants. For example, Jim Corcoran came to this state to fight the globe heavyweight champion John L. Sullivan, and stayed to get a Boston policeman. He sent for dogs from his parents back in Ireland, and his importations and expertise as a great breeder accept earned him a prominent place in American (Pit) Bull Terrier history. Many other Irish immigrants also sent dorsum to their families to request for dogs, and the "Old Family unit" and related strains became firmly established in the Us.

At this signal, in that location are several factors that are somewhat confusing to a student of the breed. For ane affair, the term "family unit dogs" was used in two ways: It could mean a strain of dogs that was a family unto itself that was kept past a number of unrelated people in Republic of ireland, or it could refer to a strain of dogs that was kept and preserved through the years by a family group. However, the old Family Reds seem to exist of the offset category. Another point that arises is that with all these importations from Ireland (and there were importations from other countries, too-including Spain), where exercise we get off calling our brood the American Bull Terrier! Well. ..that'southward a point! The brood does not really belong to anyone state or even anyone era! However, I don't believe many people are in favor of changing the proper name of the brood even though it is not strictly an American breed. For that matter, it is not actually a Bull Terrier, either! But the name American (Pit) Balderdash Terrier has get part of that tradition we were talking nearly, and I think nearly of us prefer to keep it every bit a formal name for the brood.

Back to the Old Family Reds. The start big splash made by the red noses was back around 1900 when the great breeder William J. Lightner, utilizing Old Family Red bloodlines, came up with some red-nosed dogs that really made a name for themselves. Now Lightner once told me that he did not breed for that reddish-nosed coloration. In fact, he did not fifty-fifty like it and he only put up with information technology because the individual dogs were of such loftier quality. Eventually Lightner gave up the crimson-nosed strain when he moved from Louisiana to Colorado, where he came up with a new strain that consisted of modest nighttime-colored dogs with black noses. He had given up on the other strain considering they were running too big for his taste and because he didn't similar the red noses.

At this point in our story nosotros come upon a comical, but highly-respected, effigy in the personage of Dan McCoy. I have heard old-fourth dimension dog men from all over the country talk near this human being. Apparently, he was an afoot fry cook and not much of a success in life judged by normal standards, but he didn't care nigh that. What he did care nigh were Pit Bulldogs, and he had a wealth of knowledge near the brood. His uncanny ability to make breedings that "clicked" made him a respected breeding consultant and a nigh welcome guest at any canis familiaris homo's business firm-even if he had just dropped off a freight train!

Always with his ear to the ground regarding anything that involved APBT's, McCoy got wind of the fact that an old Frenchman in Louisiana by the proper noun of Bourgeous had preserved the former Lightner ruby-nosed strain. So he and Bob Hemphill went to that area, and with the aid of Gaboon Trahan of Lafayette, they secured what was left of the dogs. McCoy took his share to the Panhandle of Texas and placed them with his associates L. C. Owens, Arthur Harvey and Buck Moon. He then played a principal part in directing the breedings that were made by these fanciers. And from this enclave came such celebrated dogs as Harvey's Red Devil and Owens (Ferguson's) Centipede. Hemphill eventually kept merely dogs of the red-nosed strain. According to Hemphill, it was McCoy who commencement started using the term "Old Family Red Nose" for the strain.

Another breeder who was almost synonymous with the scarlet-nosed strain was Bob Wallace. Even so, Bob's basic bloodline was not pure Former Family Ruby Nose. Only in the belatedly 40's he was looking for the cherry-nosed strain in order to make an "outcross." (Bob was a scrupulously conscientious breeder who planned his breedings years in advance.) Unfortunately, he found that the strain was nearly gone, most of it having been ruined by careless breedings. He managed to obtain seven pure red-noses of high quality whose pedigrees he could authenticate. The strain was subsequently saved for posterity and in the 1950's became the fashionable strain in Pit Bull circles. In fact, information technology was Bob Wallace himself who wrote an article in 1953 called "There Is No Magic in Red Noses" in which he tried to put a damper on the overly enthusiastic claims being made past some of the admirers of the strain. No more fervent admirer of the Old Family Reds always lived than Wallace, but he apparently felt that the strain could stand up on its own merits.

Many stains have been crossed with the Old Family Reds at some fourth dimension in their existence. Consequently, nearly whatsoever strain will occasionally throw a red-nosed pup. To many fanciers, these red-nosed individuals are Old Family unit Blood-red Noses even though the not bad preponderance of their blood is that of other strains. Sometimes such individuals will fail to measure out up and thereby reverberate undeserved discredit on the rcd-nosed strain. Yet, equally Wallace said, the red noses should non exist considered invincible either. They produce their share of bad ones as well as proficient ones-just equally all strains practice.

As a strain, the Erstwhile Family Carmine Olfactory organ has several things going for information technology. First, information technology is renowned for its gameness. 2nd, some of the virtually reputable breeders in all Pit Bull history have contributed to the preservation and development of the strain. People similar Lightner, McClintock. Menefee and Wallace, to mention simply a few. Finally, every bit McNolty said in his 30-30 Journal (1967) "Regardless of one's historical perspective, these old bister-eyed, carmine-nosed, cherry-red-toe-nailed, cherry-red-coated dogs stand for some of the virtually meaning pit bull history and tradition that stands on 4 legs today."

Touched by Burn ,by Richard F. Stratton

Richard F. Stratton.com - Manufactures>Touched by Fire by Richard F. Stratton

It has often been claimed that geniuses, whether scientific, mathematical, or musical, were touched by a divine fire that made them special, but it also could be a curse because information technology seemed that geniuses were more likely to exist plagued by madness than those of us of normal intelligence. Really, there is a certain controversy regarding the latter supposition. It may just be that the mental illness of an otherwise normal person goes more unnoticed than that of someone who is famous because of genius capabilities.

Simply I am taking the phrase to refer to the Onetime Family Cerise Nose dogs. The carmine colour of the nose and eyes is seemingly touched past a burn, albeit not divine. Similarly, there is much controversy almost the grand old scarlet nosed dogs. And like geniuses, the Old Family unit dogs have been considered by many dog men, including this i, to be something truly special.

One of the areas of misunderstanding is that many fanciers recall that any Pit Bull which shows the reddish nose is a member of the Former Family Crimson Nose strain. Such is not the case, as many strains of dogs will occasionally throw a red-nosed pup or two. The term Old Family unit Red Nose refers to a detail family of dogs that was especially successful during the 40s, 50s, and 60s. They came from the old Lightner strain of the early function of the century. In fact, they were often called Lightner dogs, rather than the term that began to be used in the early 40s.

It was my privilege to know William J. Lightner and his wife, Mary, back in the 40s and 50s. I simply wish I had known what questions to enquire them. At that time, they lived in Colorado Springs, only this was at the tail stop of a career in dogs that started way back in the 19th century. Lightner's father, gramps, and his uncles had been raising a strain of dogs they had kept pure since before the Ceremonious War. Mary Lightner was also a fan of the dogs, and she kept the pedigrees straight and handled the correspondence. Although the Lightner's were wonderful people and quite helpful to me, I was not aware of what high regard their dogs were held until I had been in the armed forces and gotten to know a lot of the dog men across the country. Notables such every bit Bob Wallace, Bob Hemphill, Bert Clouse, and Leo Kinard, to mention only a few, were quite impressed that I knew Beak Lightner.

All of these people knew more I did about the history of his dogs. They knew, for example, that there was a divide strain of dogs that Lightner had early in the century (having obtained them from his relatives), and these were very much sought after. So there was what these dog men called the "latter twenty-four hours Lightner dogs." Fifty-fifty the most astute pupil wasn't sure where the later strain came from, but they felt that it was testament to Lightner'south genius at breeding dogs that he could create notwithstanding another keen strain. I asked Lightner about the first strain when I got dorsum, and he said that he had gotten rid of them considering he didn't like the color of the red nose. He also liked small-scale dogs, and as far equally he was concerned, the red-nosed dogs were running too large. Lightner was a giant of a man himself, and I had always been surprised past the big men, including Bert Clouse and Ham Morris, who liked their pit dogs on the small size. As a matter of fact, Lightner had been a renowned prizefighter in his time, and he had been good friends with some of the great erstwhile-fourth dimension boxers, such as Jim Corbett (famous for beating John 50. Sullivan).

I wish I had quizzed Lightner nearly the afterward dogs, but I surmised that they had been a blend of his former strain with some other quality line, and the rumor was that it consisted primarily of Colby dogs. But nosotros are concerned with the early on dogs here, equally that was what produced the Old Family Red Olfactory organ strain.

While the Lightner family had never sold dogs, they sold off a few before the first World War, every bit the dog matching had subsided considerably in the area of Colorado in which they were living at that time. Al Dickinson of El Paso and Joe Peace were able to get some of these dogs, and they treasured them highly and kept the line going. These were primarily the large dogs that tended to show the cerise nose. When Joe Peace and Al Dickinson were both drafted during the Earth War, Red Howell took their dogs, and some of them went to Bourgeous in Louisiana. The men who used Lightner dogs to the extent that the Old Family unit Ruby Nose line became famous were Arthur Harvey and L. C. Owens of Amarillo, Texas. The breedings of these famous canis familiaris men produced many great dogs, including Hemphill'southward Golddust and Hemphill'south Broke Jaw. A candidate for the best pit bitch of the century was Lightner's Speed. In 1926, she was bred to Allen'due south Fighting Tige to produce Harvey's Red Devil. Red Devil was the sire of Centipede and Golddust. Centipede was mostly considered the greatest canis familiaris of his time. And he was 54 pounds pit weight, quite big even for today's dogs. With Lightner's predilection for pocket-size dogs, I tin can imagine the look on his face at raising these large dogs! The interesting affair hither is that it was a very inbred strain that was producing such large dogs. In fact, it was probably inbreeding which produced the crimson nose and red optics. These are recessive traits, and they are more than likely to come to the surface in a programme of heavy inbreeding.

Other dogs that helped make the red dogs famous were Ham Morris's Pinkie, Howell's Banjo, and William'south Whirlwind. Since at that place were so many practiced dogs coming from this line, they were quite naturally bred along family lines, and this tended to perpetuated the red nose, the reddish optics, and the cerise toe nails that then distinguished this strain.

Equally y'all can imagine, dog men were not so sure how to take these most unusual-looking pit dogs. They were, later on all, accustomed to minor dogs of brindle and various other colorations. Some dog men, such every bit McClintock, Williams, Hemphill, and Wallace, came to specialize in this line. When dog men saw an unabridged kennel of such dogs, it was only natural to conclude that the dogs had been bred for appearance, merely that was not the example. Information technology was only a matter of fact that a lot of great pit dogs of similar convenance had displayed the coloration. Since the colors were recessive to the more common colors, they were uniformly reproduced in all the progeny when these dogs were bred together.

Besides color, the blood-red dogs showed other traits. In the pit, they were considered cracking ring generals, pacing themselves very well. They were smart dogs, and they used their intelligence in the pit. They were not really well known for a difficult bite, but they could beat the dogs that had that trait. With their defensive prowess, they gave the hardbiting dogs zip to bite but air. They wore them downward and then went in for the impale. Slap-up endurance was also a trait of these dogs, but they were nigh renowned for their incredible gameness. Another trait they were know for was that they could be crossed with nearly any line and produce bone-crushing pit dogs. Because of this very trait, not many dog men elected to brood them pure.

To this very day, the cerise nose dogs remain quite controversial. For one thing, they are about always popular with neophytes, equally they don't wait like the "mongrels with the mumps" that pit dogs have been so often chosen. The red nose and concomitant coloration marks them as something special in anyone's eyes. But that is non necessarily a good thing, for dog peddlers tend to breed dogs with this coloration that have no merits to fifty-fifty being related to the true Former Family Ruby Nose dogs. Of course, all papers tin can be faked, but a dog of this line should trace back to Harvey's Red Devil and Lightner'south Vick some place.

I can talk near the Old Family Carmine Olfactory organ dogs with some authority, equally I knew so many of the people associated with them. But I can too do then objectively, for my nowadays lot of dogs doesn't have a red nose among them. Even so, the blood of those dogs runs in their veins. Wallace's Bad Ruddy is back at that place. Most of my dogs are down from Yard Champion Hope, who was sired by the immortal Tombstone. Virtually of the dogs that I have had turn out well for me were downward from Tombstone. So that means I have gotten away from the original OFRN dogs, right? Well, non exactly. You lot run across, Tombstone was mostly OFRN breeding, meridian and bottom. The immortal Blackness Widow, for example, was three quarters OFRN, even though she herself was blackness in coloration. And she was Tombstone'southward paternal k dam, while his mother was very heavy red nose.

Tombstone'south influence has been mighty all across the country, and this is all the more than remarkable when it is considered how few times he was bred equally compared to and so many other vaunted sires. Recently some fine dog men who were natives of United mexican states brought a descendent of Tombstone's for me to run into. I was thunderstruck when they got the domestic dog out of the van. Before my optics was an absolute reincarnation of the Old Family Red Nose dogs I had seen back in Wallace'southward place (and those of other dog men, too) back in the 50s. The domestic dog was Champion Boiler, a three-time winner, and when I saw video tapes of his matches, I was all the more enchanted. His way was exactly that of the one-time dogs. Have them where they want to go, but go along the mouth from doing whatsoever damage. Wear them downwards, all the while laying on harm, a flake at a fourth dimension. And Banality had exactly the aforementioned intelligence and attitude of the sometime dogs. The visit was then striking for me that it inspired this article.

I am frequently asked near the OFRN dogs. A lot of people want a pure dog of that strain. Well, the original strain was an affiliation of several lines, including Colby (from Tige's sire, among other sources), so I oftentimes am overly literal by saying that I don't know of any pure lines left. But the fact is that these dogs are nonetheless effectually. There are nonetheless breeders that specialize in them. The challenge is to detect the ones which are quality bred.

Bob Wallace used to refer to the blood-red nose as a "bluecoat of courage," and he mentioned friends that referred to them as "traffic stoppers." I'm similar Lightner in that I didn't like the looks of them when I first saw them, but some of Bob's enthusiasm rubbed off on me. There really is something special about the line. I'g non trying to say they are the best, but they are as good as the best. Sometimes it seems as though they truly were touched by a large of magical burn down.

Ferguson's Centipede

It is perhaps impossible for mod canis familiaris people to realize the great reputation that Ferguson'south Centipede enjoyed in the late 30s and early 40s. Perhaps it is sufficient to say that at that place was never whatever doubt that he was the best pit dog in the country at that time. Also, more than than any other canis familiaris, he helped launch the popularity of the Former Family Carmine Nose strain, although he was more often referred to at the fourth dimension as a "Lightner dog." At the beginning of his career, Centipede may non have been a unanimous choice for best dog in the state, as his ability was so great that it was not known if he was game. But his final match was against George Saddler's Black Boy, and it went two hours and twenty-two minutes without a turn by either dog, with Centipede finally prevailing.

Information technology was the third contest which convinced everyone of what a slap-up dog Centipede was. Saddler was known to scout his opponent in a big money lucifer like the one with Centipede, and he brought a dog that he idea could crush him. The fact was that both dogs had a reputation equally bone-crushing pit warriors. I have an original flyer that advertised the fight, much equally a modern prize fight, with Centipede being touted as the "Foam of Oklahoma" and Blackness Male child as the "Pride of the Delta."

Centipede was whelped about 1933 in the kennels of L. C. Owens in Texas. He was the result of Dan McCoy's having discovered that there was even so some of the one-time Lightner blood down in Louisiana. McCoy and Bob Hemphill made the journey downwardly to that part of the country and bought several dogs. Hemphill kept his close to the vest, only Dan McCoy was always on the move and couldn't proceed dogs, and then he left his with trusted friends, including Arthur Harvey and 50. C. Owens in Amarillo, Texas. Owen's Mickey was bred to the renowned Harvey'southward Red Devil to produce the litter which independent Centipede.

When I met Neb Lightner in Colorado Springs, he and his married woman were in their eighties, and they kept a kennel of basically small dogs of various coloration. Lightner and his wife were uncanny in their ability to select good brood stock. They had left the ruby-red, cerise-nosed dogs downward in Louisiana considering Lightner didn't like the looks of those dogs, and he felt they were coming out besides big. Centipede would be an example of that, equally his pit weight was 54 pounds. To listen to many modernistic dog men, the former time pit dogs were never that big, but not but were there these two great dogs at that size, but they each had been matched twice before they were matched into each other. Be aware that pit weight in those days was lighter than today, so the dogs were easily sixty-five pounds on the concatenation.

Other than size, the merely fault with Centipede was that he was a laid back dog and nearly impossible to work. Frustrated, Owens sold him to Earl Tudor. Although something of a genius in working dogs, even Tudor had a problem with Centipede. When he walked the dog, he stayed dorsum at the end of the leash. Puzzled, Tudor stopped and looked at the dog, and the dog lay down! Equally patient equally he was with the dogs, he wasn't certain that he could ever go Centipede in shape. He decided to rely upon natural ability and endurance for his first competition, which Centipede won handily in less than thirty-five minutes.

The next opponent had a scrap of a reputation, and so Tudor enlisted his friend Red Howell to work the dog. At present Ruby-red was a existent genius with dogs, a harbinger to the coming of Ham Morris just a few years later on, some other gem at grooming animals. Red never used force in training his dogs, simply he understood their psychology. He discovered that Centipede was a natural house domestic dog, and he would do anything for attention. Cherry-red'southward girls would apparel Centipede up in dresses and put lip stick on him, and the canis familiaris thrived on it.

Red and Centipede worked out a deal. If Centipede would run the turn table manufacturing plant for a specified time, he could go in the house after his rub downwards. Nothing else would work. Centipede was unexcited past cats, and if Red placed a dog in Centipede'south view, his eyes showed fire, merely the canis familiaris was too smart to not know that the harness was keeping him from getting to the dog, so he didn't run the manufactory. Somehow Cherry-red was able to convey to the canis familiaris that he would get a reward for running the mill. The first time he took a few steps on the mill, Red brought him in the business firm. Very speedily, the dog got the thought. So Centipede spent a adept part of his keep in Ruby-red's house with his young daughters. Howell told Bob Wallace that Centipede was absolutely the smartest dog he ever saw of any breed. He would bring Reddish a bottle of beer, opening upwards the ice box to get it. Red swore that he could have taught him to open those bottles too.

The match betwixt Centipede and Black Boy would qualify every bit a classic competition. The dogs met in the center like a couple of freight trains, and first Blackness Boy had the upper manus. In fact, the lead changed a couple of times, with its being anyone's lucifer upwardly until the two-hour mark. At that point, Centipede finally took command for practiced. Saddler gave it upward in 22 more than minutes in a desperate attempt to save his domestic dog.

After Centipede beat Black Male child, Tudor couldn't get him matched, as everyone conceded that he was the best. Cipher his weight, or any weight, could beat him. That was the common opinion amid dog men. This was evidenced past the fact that Tudor opened him upward at catchweight with no takers. Frustrated, Tudor sold the domestic dog to Dave Ferguson.

Now Dave Ferguson was well known and liked as a pit dog aficionado, but he couldn't keep dogs, as he played trumpet in a big name band. He toured the country, and he spent a lot of time in New York and in San Francisco. For that reason, he left the dog with various trusted friends in the dog game. Dave was a skilful hearted guy, and he always allowed that whoever was keeping the dog could not but breed to him, but stud him out as well. Because of this state of affairs and the dog's groovy reputation, the dog was bred a lot, and if we trace back our pedigrees far enough, nosotros will find Centipede there some place. We could practice a lot worse!

Dave Ferguson was drafted into the regular army during the second World War, and he received decorations for heroism. None of the domestic dog men were surprised about this, as they had always referred to him as "the little man with the large heart." Unfortunately, Ferguson was shot and killed by a sniper in the concluding days of the war. In that location were lots of losses during that war, but that one particularly threw a pall over the pit dog fraternity.

Centipede died in the one thousand of D. A. McClintock, another genius with animals and a bang-up lover of the Quondam Family Red Olfactory organ strain. By the fourth dimension McClintock received the dog, he wasn't producing any more than, merely he took care of him and even gave him time in the house. Like Carmine Dunham earlier him, McClintock considered Centipede the smartest dog he had e'er seen.

Beyond being smart, Centipede was considered a great dog, the greatest pit dog of his time. When someone of those days referred to "the great one," they didn't have to mention the name. Everyone knew that it was Centipede.

Old Family Rednose forefather'due south

Bob Hemphill

Bob Hemphill in 1967 sent Jake Wilder ii pure Hemphill dogs Hemphill Geronimo and Hemphill Red Dixie. Wilder received Ruby Dixie already significant past Geronimo that contained the Hemphill Geronimo Ii litter. This was the very last litter Hemphill bred before his death in 1967. The offspring from the Geronimo/Ruby-red Dixie breeding represent the culmination of Hemphill'south 40 years of breeding since he started breeding the Lightner Family in 1927.

The information higher up is provided by Old Family Kennels,,,,,, http://www.freewebs.com/oldfamilykennels/index.htm

Jake Wilder with Geronimo 2

   Ferguson's Centipede,  "The Not bad One" http://www.richardfstratton.com/thegreatone.htm

Clouse's Big Boy

 Ch. Wilder's Red Apache

smithhiliblaw.blogspot.com

Source: http://collinsmidwestkennels.com/OFRN.aspx

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