Registered: Sep 2020
Location: Tenn -> Mich
Posts: 2780

This week’s article takes us back to the Bluetick breed and the mid-80s. In April 1986, one of the most well known Bluetick studs in history was born, GRNITECH ‘PR’ Coz’ Spare Time Spanky. Spanky is right at the top in most statistical category within the breed’s history, including 4th overall in the number of pups produced and 8th overall in the number of titled pups produced.

Like Hobo’s Hoss who we talked about last week, Spanky was a little late to the stud scene comparatively speaking. Though he had a litter in June of 1988 when he had just turned 2 years old, it would be another year before he sired his second litter in June of 1989, and it wasn’t until 1990 when females started being bred to him more consistently. His first titled pups were born in February of 1990 out of a 5-pup litter from CH ‘PR’ Bennett’s Pride Tillie. The 2 titled pups in that litter were GRNITECH GRCH ‘PR’ Bennett’s Pride Sue and CH GRNITECH ‘PR’ Maddog Banging Blue Spanky.

By 1991, Spanky was hitting his stride in the breeding pen. Starting in January with a litter from GRNITECH CH ‘PR’ Russell’s Blue Misty. This litter produced 8 pups with 3 of them titling. Those 3 were NITECH ‘PR’ Rich’s Sparetime Wild Bl. Jerry, NITECH ‘PR’ Echo Ridge Blue Banker, and NITECH ‘PR’ Otting’s Queen of the Blues. Then a springtime litter of 8 pups dropped in April of ’91 out of Spanky and GRNITECH ‘PR’ Rob’s Crazy. This litter also had 3 titled pups, NITECH ‘PR’ Smokey River Crazy’s Blue Zeb, GRNITECH CH ‘PR’ Smokey River Crazys Blue Fly, and GRCH GRNITECH ‘PR’ Smokey River Crazys Blue Dolly. Come summertime, in August, ‘PR’ Neibarger’s Dixie Blue had a 9 pup Spanky litter with 3 dogs titling, CH ‘PR’ Warfield’s Sparetime Crank, GRCH ‘PR’ Day’s Carolina Babe, and GRNITECH ‘PR’ Manns’ Wild-N-Blue Spanky. And finishing a strong string of successful litters was a September litter out of CH GRNITECH ‘PR’ Smiley’s Misti Blue. This was an 11-pup litter that had 3 dogs title out. Those 3 were NITECH ‘PR’ Aldridge Twin River Arkie, GRNITECH ‘PR’ Smiley’s Plain Jane, and NITECH ‘PR’ Kieslar’s Blue Spanky.

Over the next decade Spanky threw a lot of quality litters with top notch hounds. I would say the pup owners would attest to that. But for the sake of the article, lets fast forward to the end of the 90s. In May of 1998 ‘PR’ Cedar Ridge Blue Downy II had a litter of Spanky pups. Of this 12-pup litter, 3 titled including NITECH ‘PR’ Cedar Ridge Blue Troy, GRNITECH ‘PR’ Cedar Ridge Blue Tig, and NITECH ‘PR’ Girdlers Sweet Blue Sally Sue. 1 year later in May of 1999, NITECH ‘PR’ Tree Choppin Sissy had a 10-pup litter with 3 titling. Those 3 were CH ‘PR’ Midnight Blue Thunder, GRCH ‘PR’ Burow’s Blue Lead-N Lady, and GRNITECH CH ‘PR’ Cassandras Midnight Jenny.

As we so often mention here, semen collection has extended Spanky’s reign as a reproducer. Of the litters he had throughout the 2010s, there was one born in May of 2013 out of ‘PR’ Beckham’s Shoal Creek Baby. This 6-pup litter produced 3 titled dogs, including GRNITECH GRCH ‘PR’ Beckham’s Shoal Creek Earl, CH ‘PR’ Beckham’s Shoal Creek Sheba, and NITECH ‘PR’ Bell Bottom Blue Flipper. With a litter on the ground as recently as July of 2021, we more than likely haven’t seen the end of Spanky just yet.

Spanky’s Pedigree:

------- GRNITECH GRCH ‘PR’ Junkyard Blue David
--- GRNITECH GRCH ‘PR’ Russ’ Treein Blue Luke
------- CH ‘PR’ Junkyard Blue Cindy
GRNITECH ‘PR’ Coz’ Spare Time Spanky
------- GRNITECH CH ‘PR’ Germon’s Blue Shadow
--- ‘PR’ Junkyard Blue Peg
------- NITECH ‘PR’ North Star Blue Bonnet

Spanky’s Reproduction Record:

Number of Pups: 904
GRNITECHs: 22
NITECHs: 40
GRCHs: 15
CHs: 22
WCHs: 1

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Registered: Jan 2016
Location:
Posts: 624

Wow! No comments?

I never hunted with Spanky. I saw the dog when he was 23 mos. old at a BBCHA Spring hunt in Ashland Ohio. Randy Leonard was handling him at the time for Bart Nation. Good looking dog. Good acting dog as far as being around people and other dogs at the event. Talked to Randy and asked him how he was in the woods and what kind of track dog he was. His comment was “Spanky likes to be by himself. He don’t say much on track and he’ll take a ton of pressure on tree.” I asked how deep he hunted. His comment was “until he finds a coon.” I said he didn’t sound like much of pleasure dog to hunt. He chuckled and said he had a dog at home that he pleasure hunted.

That was in a day when nobody even had a suspicion there’d ever be such a thing as a GPS Tracking system for hounds.

One of Spanky’s Grand sires was Gr. Nt. Ch. Germon’s Shadow. He was bred by Butch Dyjack in CT. Shadow was a pretty nice dog and fully open mouthed on track the few times I had the pleasure of hearing him go. I hunted with him on a few pleasure hunts with his owner Al Germon fromFalls Village CT.

If Spanky was a dominant sire and threw his likeness into his offspring, guys today would likely be happy with the type of dog he produced. I like a good pressure tree dog but I prefer it to be at the end of a good track that I’d been able to listen to first.

__________________
Dan

Last edited by DL NH on 12-24-2022 at 09:18 PM

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Registered: Jul 2006
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Posts: 164

UKC , great article on Spanky , enjoyed it !
I guess I agree with DL NH as to minimal comments so will attempt to add my proverbial 2 cents worth . The last litter mentioned sired by Spanky / Cedar Ridge Downy 2 credit goes to my old friend Dave Locke , Ontario Canada , I was at the cabin with Dave when he and Mr Dean made the cross right in the front room with the wood stove cooking , Of the 3 finished hounds reported on in the article I was fortunate to hunt with them all and would like to also acknowledge Lorne Ferguson Canada on his GrNt Tig male from the cross . I can’t recall the year but Lorne and Tig competed at about every hunt in Ontario and earned enough points to be crowned the Ontario Coonhound Champion one year , a race very much similar to the Purina Points event of years ago . Possibly Tig may have been one of the very best sired by Spanky .
One more little comment , I did spectate a cast one night with 3 Grands in the cast , Northern Blue Curly , Spanky and a Walker Gyp which eventually withdrew half way through and got to witness 2 great Blue stud dogs at that time go head to head for the last half of that hunt with Jerry and Spanky coming out on top over Jack and Curly both accurate split treeing cooners for sure.
Great memories and with comments being said , I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and happy New Year
Cheers 🍻

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Registered: Jun 2003
Location: Dog House
Posts: 4112

I hunted with spanky a few times. Coondog.

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Registered: Feb 2005
Location:
Posts: 1745

Here's my 2¢
Spanky & Curly ....I drew these 2 ,& Pacman ......more than I cared too.........tough hounds with equally tough handlers.
Spanky & Curly hunted "walker style"....both possessed non-typical bluetick hunting skills the likes I haden't seen up to that time.

I Granded my 1st hound competeing against these dogs
regularly ......it was tough to say the least.

Drew Spanky & Curly here in SW MICHIGAN too many times .... ..talk about an action pack weekend hunts.
It more than not came down the the last drop .....Spanky won that nite.. .next nite Curly would win.....both hounds had no quit in them.

Drew Spanky & Pacman one year at Autum Oaks ....
If two different breeds of hounds ever hunted alike IMO it was those two.....quick ,get hooked tree dogs..
Jerry, Russ & Jack ....
I cut my teeth in these nite hunts competeing against these men.... Handleing some fine hounds .....

Thanks for mentioning Curly, Solid Northern......brung back alot of memories for me....that's one stud that didn't get the credit he deserved .

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