Hershberger - Sailor Boy - Yadkin River

The three names are sometimes used by people to describe in their mind the same strain of hounds. But it isn't that simple. Dick Hershberger had a number of fine hounds. One was Hershberger's Little Butch a hound that was bought when Spot Jr. was lost. Spot Jr. finally was found, but Butch wasn't related to Spot Jr.

Then there was Nite Ch. Hershberger's Texas Babe. His best female and the female his best cross came from between Texas Babe and Hershberger's Okla. Spot. But Babe wasn't related to Spot Jr., she was a granddaugther of Mack Twain. Then there were other females that had the Hershberger name, but they too weren't related to Spot Jr.

The two dogs that are in so many dogs pedigrees and are the names people see when you are talking about a Hershberger dog is Hershberger's Spot Jr. or Ch. Nite Ch. Hershberger's Okla. Spot a son of Spot Jr. To really be correct about a dog being a Hershberger bred dog one of these dogs should be in their pedigree. A lot of the name hounds that claim Hershberger in their bloodline goes back to the cross of Ch. Nite Ch. Hershberger's Okla. Spot and Nite Ch. Hershberger's Texas Babe.

Hershberger's Spot Jr. had another son that created a stir by winning the 1961 ACHA World Championship. That was Stan's Sailor Boy. Then a son of Sailor Boy, Stan's Sailor Jr. won the 1964 ACHA World Championship and the Sailor Line of Dogs were born.

Hershberger's Okla. Spot is in a lot of dogs pedigrees that Stan's Sailor Boy isn't. The same as Stan's Sailor Boy is in a lot of dogs pedigrees that Okla. Spot isn't in. But the common thread is Hershberger's Spot Jr. the father of both hounds.

Back in the 60's another line of dogs was being formed. Yadkin River. Many say and claim the Yadkin River Strain to be the Sailor Strain or Line of Hounds. It is not quite that simple. Other strains that could have a claim to Yadkin River is Finley River, House, Banjo. All of these strains are in the dog that has done so much for the Yadkin River Strain, Nite Ch. Yadkin River Jeff.

The people that worked with, named, and created this strain refer to it as the Wright's Sue line of dogs. Here is where the Sailor Line may have a stronger claim to the line. A son of Stan's Sailor Jr. (Wrights Pistol Pete) was bred to a granddaughter of his littermate brother (Brack's Blaze). For sure they had more Sailor Blood in them and it was bred fairly close. So it could be fair to say the Yadkin River Strain is the Sailor Line.

The dog that is the common thread here is Hershberger's Spot Jr. Below is a stud ad on him.



HERSHBERGER'S SPOT JR.