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Ed Reid - Ol timey staffs

Discussion in 'Staffordshire Bull Terriers' started by SWB, Dec 8, 2010.

  1. SWB

    SWB Pup

    quoted from ed reid. ol timey staf,s during the 1920,s at the brixton venue.

    ALTHOUGH DIFFERENT TYPES OF DOGS WERE THERE FOR SOME SPORT WE DIDNT KNOW THEM AS STAFFORDSHIRE BULL TERRIERS WE KNEW THEM AS PIT DOGS.

    most of these were 25 - 30 pounds in weight, and came in all different colours. nobody botherd about what colour a dog was as long as it didnt turn yellow while in battle, color never came into it. some were as small as 20 pounds and ocasionly we saw them at 50 pounds. as they were very evenly matched in weight with no more than 1 lb difference. this was a fair match up.

    owners of these dogs were also all sorts nobs...... market folk ..... spivs .....barrow boys..... the lot. they bought there dogs and money to back them with, and although lots of the fights were over fast , some lasted hours.....i can recall several matches going well over two hours and both dogs still going hammer and tongs at one another.

    there was a 33lbr from wales to meet a far north opponent from wigan. both had big rep,s great interest was around this match. it was a private do by invitation only , and being in the circle i got invited; if not a known face you could not buy a ticket for love nor money. knowing both dogs would be hard grafting of impecable breeding going way back , there would be most of the big guns from all around the country at the pit side to share this treat.


    owner of the dog from wales , had plenty olf money and was said to have sent out severel of his first class dogs from his strain to the states were they did well. he never sold his dogs ..... only went as gifts to the rite sort of places , were they w2ould be treated with respect and used only as fiting stock nothing else.


    his dog on the nite a coal black his coat glistened and muscles rippling in top condition led to the pit for washing an dhten his opponent was led in, a handsome mahogany brindle. this dog from wigan was said to have stopped four good dogs in over an 18 month period and was marked with his trophy scars, he knew what it was all about.


    at pit side wile the dogs were weighed and washed the betting was heavey it was the biggest crowd i had seen there in years.


    the welsh dog was crop eared , the other natural, and both were keen to get started. a gold soverien was tossed and the welsh entrant to come out first, as the coin landed his handler let him go - out he went , true as an arrow, both went for a flurry of holds in the first seven or eight mins sizing one anothers style, then they get down to serious bizzo of there best holds.


    black likes the chest and brindle afront leg the black bores in and the brindle on defence as he tries for the leg. both showing skill and experience. conditioning breeding and stamina was what this match was all about, it was clear both dogs wether on top or the bottom were giving all they had, after 40 odd mins and a turn it was the brindle up to scratch....like a shot out he came another 20 mins and the black to scratch after this the black started to take control and began to dominate.


    the black was the stronger dog and he also had something more of everything as he got deeper more and more into the brindles throat. the brindle was now showing he had plenty of heart and gamness and conditioning kept him in there 2hrs 25 mins and it was clear to his handler if he didnt pick him up he would go into shock and possibly die. so the brindles handler shook hands in a gentilmenly manner and conceeded the win to the black, but even as he wrapped the brindle in a blanket and left the pit he was struggling to get back they had saved a good dog beaten but not defeated as so many of them were in those days, they would rather die than qiut. fabulous animals, the pit dogs were; smart and cocky as you like.... rarely seen on the streets and only kept by sportsmen of those times. devotees of the gamedogs , were in many cases , men coming from all levels of society, and only the gamest of dogs were kept for breeding stock from in backyard knnls, country estates and humble abodes but common with each other they loved the dogs for what the dogs could do , not for what they looked like .
     
  2. tamthebam

    tamthebam Big Dog

    Thanks for posting!
     
  3. mccoypitbulls

    mccoypitbulls Underdog

    Great post. That is history.
     
  4. bauer

    bauer Top Dog

    Great read thanks...
     
  5. n2bulldogs

    n2bulldogs Banned

    "well over two hours and both dogs still going hammer and tongs at one another"

    ^sounds like a blacksmith/chainmaker expression. A lot of them seem to have kept bulldogs.

    Also, 25-30lbs sounds like a nice size to me!!! what would you folks guess is the average weight range of staffies now??? certainly more than 25-30...maybe more like 30-35 or even 35-40!?!?
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Dec 12, 2010
  6. oldtymer

    oldtymer Top Dog

    Id say there is a weight range from early 20's - late 40's these being the fitter type, not the belly draging pug eyed pigs that the majority of the shitty KC brigade now seem to favour. Not that there is'nt some fit KC staffs as there is,its just the show judges dont seem to favour the fitter type. :mad:
     
  7. riffraff

    riffraff Pup

    WE WANT MORE
    WE WANT MORE LOL
    great post they werent staffs back then they were pit dogs if they did the biz they got bred to another that did the biz only recently are they staffs
     
  8. coop-dog

    coop-dog Big Dog

    cool read .Love to read some more
     
  9. jonnim

    jonnim Big Dog

    no dout in a book he'll be selling or sold soon.......
     

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