REBEL’S GR CH SHADY LADY

Any modern day fancier would be well served to compare the record of The Rebel to anyone during the same time period. In fact, compare it to anyone, from any time period, and see how it stacks up.

Ricky Jones was noted for having, for lack of a better description, a ‘split personality’. On one side he was a great, fiercely loyal friend. However, once he stepped inside that box with his dog, well, he became a fierce and formable opponent. There were many that described his actions as “unsportsmanlike conduct”. The Rebel did not see it that way at all. He stated that a man and his dog were a team and had to work as one. While his dog did what they could do to discourage their own opponent, Ricky Jones felt that it was his responsibility to do all he could do within the rules to discourage the other handler. He stated that, in his experience, a dog will quit the very second his handler does. Never the less, The Rebel became known in history as one of the greatest competitors of his era. It is a fact that, it was The Rebel that added to the history books great dogs such as Grand Champion “Sandman” and Double Grand Champion “Tornado”. Many stories have been told and written about these two great dogs, but none to my knowledge has ever been told or written about the great female that holds her own records in history. That female is none other than Rebel Kennels Grand Champion “Shady Lady”.

Some fanciers have wondered what it was The Mountain Man and The Rebel must have been thinking or planning, when The Mountain Man backed his famed “Spider Bite’em” female up to Rebel’s “Sundance”. They stated, whatever it was, it was history in the making.

Well, here is exactly the way it came about. A fancier by the name of Young had purchased “Sundance” directly from Mamie Loposay, the wife of the deceased J. R. Loposay. “Sundance” was an outstanding dog and The Mountain Man had already seen him in action a couple of different times. The Mountain Man stated that, without exception, “Sundance” was one of the most devastating stifle dogs he had ever witness. He liked the dog so much that he planned to buy him for himself. He told Ricky Jones about this great dog and worked out a deal with The Rebel to go a buy the dog for him and either bring it to him or arrange to have it brought to him. Well, half of that happened. Ricky Jones did in fact go buy “Sundance”, but then he kept him for himself. The only option The Mountain Man had at that time, he took. He shipped “Spider Bite’em” to Florida and had her bred to the 2 time winner, at that time, “Sundance”. Now, the rest is history. The litter produced such great dogs as Harriger’s “Lil Dumpling” & “Sheena”, Mountain Man’s (Harriger’s) famed stud dog “Elwood” and of course “Shady Lady”. 

However, that day Rebel Kennels’ “Shady Lady” would be going for her 1st contest. She would face off to Mossell’s “Carmen”. These females weighed in at 37 pounds with Havana Chico selected as the Referee. “Shady Lady” was sired by Rebel Kennels Champion “Sundance” and whelped by The Mountain Man’s “Spider Bite’em”, the sister to Rebel Kennels’ own Champion “Spookie”.

One of the later reports listed “Carmen” as being campaigned by Red Kennels & Mossell’s “Carmen” not just Mossell. However, in either case, Mossell’s “Carmen” was a red female that stems from some of Anderson’s Champion “Tonka” breeding that came by way of Laminack. Upon release “Shady Lady” jumps off to a very fast start and “Carmen” was never even in this fight! Fast handles are made and “Carmen” will not run her first scratch at the four (4) Minute Mark and “Shady Lady” is declared the winner.

It was at a five card show later that fall in 1988 that the ticket would read Red Kennels’ “Nantucket” verses Rebel Kennels’ “Shady Lady”. The females weighed in at 37½ pounds and The Tennessean was selected to Referee this contest. “Nantucket” was a nice looking buckskin, said to be sired by “Little Jeep” (Jeep x Kate) whelped by a “Kingfish” bred female. Evidently Red Kennels did not take their four (4) minute loss with Mossell’s “Carmen” very well. As recorded, this one did last longer.Once again, upon release “Shady Lady” comes out hard and fast. “Nantucket” leave the pit at the Eleven (11) Minute Mark and “Shady Lady” is declared the winner of her second professional contest.

(This was the same show that Rebel Kennels’ “Samson” and his littermate sister “Dolly” both won Best of Show Awards. “Samson” Best of Show, “Dolly” Best Female.)

By the end of 1988 word had spread far and wide about this hard mouthed female by the name of “Shady Lady”. Most fanciers thought that was all she was, a hard mouth female. By this time, there were a lot of fanciers determined to stop her.

It was at the Palmetto Show in the spring of 1989 that the ticket would now read Rebel Kennels and B.& B.’s “Shady Lady” facing off to Gilbert & Bert “Bolita”. Havana Danny was selected to be the Referee for this contest, as the females weighed in at 37 pounds. Bert is handling “Bolita”. “Bolita” is sired by “Kong” and nothing has ever stayed with her more than 18 minutes. Upon release “Bolita” comes out hard and shows that she can bite! She almost immediately hits a bleeder on “Shady Lady”. In spite of a very bad bleeder, “Shady Lady” stays all over “Bolita” and proves that she has a bite of her own! Bert concedes the contest and picks up on “Bolita” at the Nine (9) Minute Mark, leaving Shady Lady” to be declared the winner and now Champion. Out of a three card show, Rebel Kennels “Shady Lady” was voted Best in Show.