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Hall of Fame
#135
2005 ASCA Nationals...
High Combined Champion
Duck Champion
Reserve Sheep
Champion
DOB 3-25-96
OFA Good
AS-13437G38M
Eyes Clear
22 inches, 50 pounds
Red Bi, Minimal White
Like the Seminole Chief of the
same great name,
Osceola is destined for fame.
Swift as an arrow, graceful as a dove -
Mischievous too, he steals Roger's gloves!!
The look of eagles is in his
eyes
From his amber stare no one can hide.
He's honest, brave, and protective, too --
You need not fear when Osceola's with you!!
He has the heart of a lion, but
is gentle as a lamb,
He handles rank bulls and the roughest old rams.
He works all day with energy to spare
When you need him, you know he'll be there.
He can jump, twist, turn and
spin,
There's no fence that can keep him in -
His burnished red coat gleams in the sun
As he flies through the pasture at a wide-open run.
Following in his sire's
pawprints
Will be a tough task, but he's up to it --
Our next great sire will be hard to defeat
Just like Osceola, the Seminole chief.
The above poem, which
was written by Elaine as an advertisement in the Aussie Times, just about
sums up Osceola. He is easily the quickest and most agile dog we’ve ever
owned or bred, and it’s true that there’s no fence that can keep him
in - even a six or eight footer. He can clear a five foot fence
effortlessly, and with one leap and a little push with his hind feet goes
over a six foot or higher. This poses a problem at times, but also comes
in handy when we don’t want to have to open gates. Roger just tells him
"over" and over he sails. Watching Osceola move is like watching
a thoroughbred - he’s perfect synchronization in motion, like a well
oiled machine - no wasted energy; with effortless strides he seems to
float over the ground. He stretches out, flattens close to the ground, all
we see is a red streak going across the pasture.
Conformationally,
Osceola is extremely correct and according to the ASCA breed standard, is
what an Aussie should be. He is moderate in bone and coat, has a beautiful
head and neck, perfect "cat" feet with arched toes, a super
topline, and a beautiful scissors bite. Osceola’s very dark liver red is
unique in that it doesn't fade in the sun. In contrast, he has light amber colored eyes that are filled
with kindness except when he’s protecting his territory -- then they
glow like coals of fire. True to the Aussie breed standard, Osceola is very protective of his territory and
does not allow strangers to enter his yard - they are enemies unless we tell him it’s okay.
He looks very forbidding when he’s in his "protective" mode
and we don’t have to worry about him being challenged (he’s been
called a Tasmanian Devil). When Roger’s away, he’s the one that sleeps
in the bedroom with Elaine because she knows no one will come inside over
Osceola. On the other hand, he understands the difference between being at
home and on the road -- he’s traveled all over this country and when he’s
at shows and strange places, he is friendly to everyone; even children can
pet him. The only thing he doesn’t like is for a strange person to lean
on his Suburban when he’s in it!!
As a worker Osceola is
not a dog for the meek or novice person as he can be very pushy. He works
wide but also likes to get in close sometimes. He heads
and heels but prefers to head and is so fast that Roger has to think ahead
and have his timing just right or Osceola will get ahead of him and the
stock. As ASCA stockdog judge Preston Kissman once said, "He takes
his flanks in microseconds." We haven't clocked his speed yet
but he’s the only dog we’ve ever seen that can outrun a Barbado
sheep. Osceola was bred to work cattle and cattle are his specialty; in
the real world when he's working rank cattle, he makes the contrary ones
pay dearly for being ornery. He also works sheep and goats here on
our farm. Ducks excite him but he does very well on ducks. He is
especially good at rating the different kinds of stock and instinctively
knows what the handler wants done. Like
his sire, although he is plenty tough, he has never really harmed any
livestock with his biting. He knows exactly how to nip, whether on
the nose or heel, to get the point across without causing damage.
Osceola has a good personality; he is
mischievous and likes to play, especially fetch.
One of his favorite tricks is to steal Roger's glove when Roger is out
working. He runs off with it, flips it up in the air and catches
it, then brings it back. He is quiet, never makes a fuss and is not
boisterous, is very obedient - although he does get excited sometimes when
working and doesn't hear his commands the first time they are given.
Osceola reminds us of
a cuddly teddy bear. He likes nothing better to come inside and spend time
with us. Immediately, he goes to his toy box and gets his nylabone and
holds it with both front feet while chewing it. Then he will stretch out
on his side for a few zzzz’s. He’s really good at persuading us to
scratch his back; he will back up to our chairs until his rear is between
our legs, and just stand there, smiling up at us, until we scratch his
back. He also likes to play fetch when Papa Bear will let him use his
tennis ball. He is especially affectionate and tolerant with small
puppies. He will play with them for hours and allow them to crawl
all over him, pull his ears, and do whatever they want. He's never
cross or snippy with them. One time, he
rode all the way to a trial in the same crate with a young puppy that was
a holy terror. He got in the back of the crate and let the puppy
have plenty of room in the front. The next thing we knew, the puppy
was asleep with his head laid on Osceola. Osceola is not dog
aggressive and gets along really well with all our male dogs; he never
starts a fight.
Osceola does one thing
that makes Elaine feel very special. Normally she's the first one
home in the afternoon and turns Bear and Osceola out for a run. When
it's time to go back inside Osceola never fails to solemnly present her
with a very special offering -- a dried cow patty. Well, at least he
always makes sure it's dried out!!
When Osceola was a
puppy, we sent him and his half brother to a prospective trial competitor
for them to decide which pup they wanted. They decided to keep his half
brother, and Osceola was returned to us. They just don’t know what they
missed...
In the spring of 1998
Osceola placed 5th in the Louisiana Cattle Futurity in Baton Rouge,
Louisiana. Of the futurity entries, he was the first one to obtain his
WTCH and he also has his RD, RTDsc, and PATDsc. He already has numerous
wins and High in Trials to his credit, and is only just beginning to enter
his prime. Osceola is a formidable contender for the ASCA National Finals
and as of the March/April Aussie Times is listed as #1 in cattle, sheep,
and ducks in the year to date Finals standings.
So -- meet our next
foundation sire. He has everything we’ve tried to produce -
conformation, working ability, good looks, temperament, and trainability.
Click
on the pictures for a larger view. |
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The
look of eagles. |
Anticipation!! |
HOF
Sire WTCH Hangin' Tree Blue Bear CD RD RTDsc PATDsc CGC |
HOF
Sire WTCH Hangin' Tree Black Bear RD RTDsc PATDsc |
Hangin'
Tree Buddy |
Ericsson's
Vacquero |
Ericsson's
Cowgirl |
HOF
Dam Zephyr's Angel Blue |
HOF
Sire WTCH Las Rocosa Merlin Hart CD RDX ATDh |
Zephyr's
Midnight Blue |
HOF
Dam Hangin' Tree Cinnamon Teal OTDds STDc |
Hangin'
Tree Huckleberry |
HOF
Sire WTCH Hangin' Tree Red Zephyr RDX |
HOF
Dam Zephyr's Angel Blue |
Hangin'
Tree Lass |
HOF
Sire WTCH Hangin' Tree Red Zephyr RDX |
HOF
Dam Zephyr's Angel Blue |
HOF
Dam Slash V Bittersweet Sis STDdsc, "Aggie" |
WTCH
Slash V Spirit of Aggieland RD |
CH
Slash V Little Rock CD |
CH
Slash V Rocky Top |
Myrup's
Gabby |
HOF
Dam Slash V Semi Sweet OTDcd STDs, "Ticki" |
HOF
Sire CH Jones Reddy Teddy CDX OTDdsc SCHI |
Martin's
Red Fudge STDc |
Slash
V Paper Doll |
HOF
Sire CH Silverledge Slide Me Five STDc |
Taylor's
Luke the Drifter CDX |
Silverledge
Mindy Taylor |
HOF
Dam Slash V Semi Sweet OTDcd STDs, "Ticki" |
HOF
Sire CH Jones Reddy Teddy CDX OTDdsc SCHI |
Martin's
Red Fudge STDc |
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