BULLDOG CLUB OF LOUISIANA
An ad was placed in a New Orleans newspaper inviting
those interested in the breed “Bulldog” to a meeting at the Beach House
Restaurant on Sunday, August 9, 1951.
A group of 12 met and decided to form a
bulldog club to be named the Bulldog Club of Louisiana.
The following officers-were elected:
Charles T. Nelson, president; B. Nettelton, vice president; and Mrs. Lewis
Holmes, secretary-treasurer. The Board
of Directors was: G.A. Duplantis, Alvin Lichtenlag, Lester Christian and Ralph
Guff.
The annual dues were set at $3.00 for
individuals and $5.00 for couples.
An application for a sanctioned match
was submitted to the AKC for approval, and the first formal "A" Match
was approved and held on November 18, 1951, in New Orleans. The judge was Dr.
Bourg Wadell, a local veterinarian. The entry was 26 dogs. Best In Match was:
Charleens Susie of Draftsman, owned by Mr. & Mrs. Charles T. Nelson. This
bitch later completed her championship.
A second "A" Match was held
on May 4, 1952, with Mrr. Jack Burencohr judging an entry of 26 dogs. Best In
Match was: Charleens Beau.
On August 22, 1952, the club was
incorporated, and The Bulldog Club of Louisiana's charter and bylaws were
approved and sent to the AKC.
On November 4, 1952 a white elephant
sale was held and Mr. Ben Mathews, a Bulldog breeder and judge, was the
auctioneer. The fundraiser was a huge success. A bed pan with a hole in the
bottom of it even brought in a few bucks.
On November 15, 1952, about 15 months
after its formation, the Bulldog Club of Louisiana Inc, held its first
Specialty show. The judge was Mr. Floyd Lanham, who judged an entry of 47 dogs,
including four champions.
The show was held at Germania Hall in
New Orleans. The superintendent was Mr. A.D. Richardson. The entry fee was
$4.25, and a total of 40 trophies were offered and 48 plaques were made by Mr.
Christan and presented to each exhibitor.
The Best of Breed and Best of Opposite
Sex winners both came from the classes: Nuggetaires Huckberry, owned by Everett
McNeese of Dallas, Texas; and Marquissa, owned by T.E Minhinnette of Alabama.
As an interesting antidote, the Best
of Breed winner passed out due to heat exhaustion. The show veterinarian had to
be called, a shot was given, and the dog revived in time to be presented with
the Best of Breed award.
Best in Sweepstakes at this show was:
Belwood Buddy, owned by Mr. Earnest Schofield. The sweepstakes classes were
judged by Mr. Ben Matthews. Later that evening a judges dinner was held at the
Court of Two Sisters in the city's French Quarter.
In August of 1954 the Bulldog Club of
Louisiana invited specialty clubs in the area to a meeting for the purpose of
forming a specialty association. Seven clubs met and the Specialty Association
of New Orleans was formed.
The Bulldog Club of Louisiana hosted
its first National Specialty on April 3, 1955. The judges were Frank Carolin,
West Orange, New Jersey, and Roy Wingo, Daly City, California. A coin flip decided who would judge Best of
Breed and the dog/bitch classes.
The entry was 52, including five
champion specials. Mr. Carolin selected Ch. Huckberry Linday Nugget, owned by
J.R. Wilburn of Texarkana, Texas. This dog was shown by Red Harvey. Best of
Opposite Sex was: Ch. Hardins Dagmar, owned by Everett McNeese.
There were three beautiful girls on
hand to present the trophies. Following the show, a dinner was hosted at The
Latin Dining Room. Attending were Dr. E. M. Vardon, president of the Bulldog
Club of America, and Paul Maddox, vice president of the BCA..
On October 23, 1976 the club
celebrated its 25th anniversary by hosting a specialty at Rummel High School in
Metairie, Louisiana.
Mrs. Marylyn Dundas judged an entry of
43, plus nine champions. Best of Breed was: Ch. Marinebull's All The Way, owned
by Mr. and Mrs. Karl Dingman. Best of Opposite Sex was: Hetherbull Arrogant
Whim, owned by Mr. and Mrs. Robert Hetherington.