SBTC/USA - Stud Book Preface
The first 450 entries in the SBTC/USA Studbook seem, at first, mere
statistics, but closer scrutiny will throw light on many obscure
aspects of the origin of the Breed in the U.S. Most American owners
visiting this site will find at least some of their own Staffords' ancestors
in these pages in addition to a wealth of information from which they are encouraged
to draw their own independent conclusions. Because these Studbook pages have
been re-created for Internet use, Editor Steve Stone would appreciate being
notified of any typos or errors that come to light. Mailto:sstone@pvtnetworks.net
The prefix "Bandits," owned by John and Marjorie Gordon of
Romford, England, first strikes the eye because most early Staffords
bore it. The Gordon's, who had earlier ceased breeders Staffords,
employed their remarkable expertise in choosing the best puppies available
on the English market and shipping them to buyers around the world. Their reputation
for scrupulous honesty, punctual expediting of orders, and superb quality of stock
stood them in good stead, and in time they came to enjoy a near-monopoly in
the field.
Readers should take notice of registration numbers 54 through 60: due to
the scarcity of American-whelped litters coupled with an explosive
demand, six puppies arrived together in one large kennel crate in
California for re-routing to prepaid buyers in states from California
to Alabama and beyond, each selected not only for conformation and health but for
bloodlines compatible with the those of Staffords imported earlier -- a matter
of prime importance for a gene pool of narrow scope, one that made
possible to produce good Staffords in America from the very outset.
These six puppies comprised but a small percentage of the many Bandits
imports that formed the nucleus of the Studbook and helped propel the
Breed to a level of popularity that few -- if any -- in England or
elsewhere could have imagined at the time.
Marion Forester's New Zealand Staffords and George Smith Leicester
Staffords, although numerically fewer, also made vital contributions.
Joe Orday of New York, a founding member of the SBTC/USA and its first
President, owned breeding-age Staffords long before most early members
even heard of the Breed, so it comes as no surprise that his name
appears frequently in the breeders' column here.
Claude Williams of Ashton, Maryland, also had owned Staffords before the
founding of the club and played a major role in the early development
of the Breed, particularly on the East Coast.
The SBTC/USA Registry began operation on January 9, 1967, at 1125 North Mar
Vista, Pasadena, California, and by April 2, 1972, had 450 registered
Staffords, approaching the AKC "threshold" of 500
registrations for acceptance into the AKC Registry and separate Stafford
classes at AKC shows. Few breeds, if any, have ever gone from zero to sixty in
such a brief time span. However, AKC acceptance was not to be
forthcoming until another three years had passed, due to internal club
friction.
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Registrations 1-45
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Registrations 46-90
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Registrations 91-135
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Registrations 136-180
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Registrations 181-225
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Registrations 226-270
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Registrations 271-315
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Registrations 316-370
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Registrations 371-405
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Registrations 405-450
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