Bancroft's Champion "Blue"

Bancroft's Champion "Blue"

Many breeders always try to breed better dogs than both parents, after all, if you don’t try to improve with each generation, your dogs and your success will fall by the wayside. “Blue” has quite a pedigree and to elaborate on it seems appropriate.
“Blue’s” father, Busdriver’s Ch.”Ty”, was a good dog with average bite and good wrestling ability. His gameness was proved in his last match against Carter’s “Stare”, I believe a product of Mason’s Ch.”Hog”, in 1:57. His other two fights were not very tough, especially his second when he was conditioned and handled by the late Bert Clouse. “Ty’s” sire was Jackson’s Amos’ “Moses”, a littermate to Carver’s “Diamond”, and I believe a two-time winner. “Ty’s” dam was Henneke’s “Cowgirl”, who also produced a two-time winner called “Stompason”.

“Blue’s” dam, my “Red Darling” bitch, was never matched due to the fact she lost all her teeth in a game test. “Red Darling’s” sire was the two-time winner Jackson’s “Toad”, a littermate to Bancroft’s Ch.”Spade”, double bred off Walling’s “Bullyson”. “Red Darling” had three littermates make it to the pit, the best of which was Petrie’s “Buddha”. “Red Darling’s” dam was my “Knuckles” bitch, she was by Carver’s “Diamond” out of Tonn’s Ch “Miss J” and “Miss J” was out of Amos’ “Moses”.

“Blue” being out of the first litter I ever bred and raised, is special to me. He was named “Blue” because he had blue eyes as a pup, they later turned gold. He is definitely a product of selective breeding. He has more talent and bite than either parent and is as game as either. Imagine a Champion in the first try at breeding!

His first match, was into a dog from the East called “Darth Vadar” at 49 pounds. It was the first time out for each and “Vadar” stood the line for his third at 0:50.

The second was into a dog from the Wilder bloodline, named “3-Tooth”, and he was also a one-time winner. This time it was at 50 pounds. “Blue” was getting the old ride the head treatment at the start and was having trouble getting in. By 0:20 “Blue” finally drove him into a corner and went into the chest, which let the air out of “3-Tooth’”s balloon. “3-Tooth” stood the line his second time up.

Blue’s third was against a dog named “Apollo”, who had previously beat a good dog from the Midwest. Again at 50 pounds. From the start, it was easy to see that “Apollo” had the skill and finesse to ride the head and he had the bite to go along. When “Blue” could not get in for the first hour, I knew we were in for a long one. The pace was very fast for big dogs, “Blue” would hurt “Apollo” in flurries, but it was clear that “Apollo” was in great shape and was such an athlete that he would dominate the action. By 1:30, “Blue” was the down dog and was being dragged around. I knew I was in trouble now and just prayed to get a handle to get “Blue” up. With every handle and scratch “Blue” went hard and straight, even though he got the worst of it when he got there. At 1:45, “Apollo’s” handler fouled but the referee only warned him. After a couple more “Apollo” seemed to be losing interest and got busted in the corner on Blue’s scratch. Finally, at 2:11 “Apollo” came half way across and then went to a neutral corner. “Blue” ran a courtesy scratch and then went home a Champion!

Written by the late Bill Bancroft