Wil de Veer Talking with Fred Sindelar
Introduce yourself please.
Greetings from Louisville, Kentucky, home of the Kentucky Derby, the fastest two minutes in sports. Here we enjoy hunting, fishing and University of Kentucky Basketball. My wife Evelyn and I live in a modest but comfortable home with our four adult show dogs and a very snobbish cat named Smokey.
I will be retiring from the Ford Motor Company in 1996 and plan to be a fishing guide at Kentucky Lake, a three hour drive from my home. I have fished many tournaments and know many good fishing trips on this lake and good ole fishing tales like the fish that would not die.
Our son Roger had caught this wild fish, a real fighter. When I tried to fillet the fish with a very sharp knife the fish became wild again and caused me to cut my hand badly. I was determined to really cut on this fish so I thumped the fish hard against a post on the dock to be sure it was dead and was then able to cut two big fillets off the bass. But when I threw what was left back into the lake it started swimming away! Roger just laughed and swears he saw it two days later chasing after another bait.
How did you become interested in the American Staffordshire Terrier?
Well back in 1968 I had a Pitbull named Daisey. I was having a house built and the builder had his dog with him. It was a Staffordshire Terrier. The word American was not added until 1972 by the American Kennel Club to prevent confusion when the Staffordshire Bull Terrier was recognized by the AKC.
Anyway I could see the difference in our dogs right away. There was a unique quality in the way that the Staff carried himself. He projected great strength yet was agile for his size. He was socially curious, a true gentleman, but I could see courage in his eyes that let me know that this dog would defend his master without any second thoughts.
The dog was bred by a veterinarian named Dr. Roll in Indiana. When my Pitbull bitch had pups I took them over to Dr. Roll to crop their ears. Dr. Roll had a litter of Staff pups and I again saw the difference between our litters. I sold Daisey and all her pups and bought one of his pups. Mister Buster was a pet quality dog, a great companion. I did not know anything about the show world.
My next Staff was Ch. Mistina, out of a Ruffian Gallant bred bitch from California named Candina who was bred to one of Dr. Roll's males, Ch. Kerry's Major Thor.
Was this your foundation bitch?
Yes. Mistina was my foundation bitch. A year later I bought her litterbrother, Ch. Sir Jolly Roger. These two dogs were the best ambassadors of the breed at that time. You could not fault them. They loved to show!
Some big timers would even pull their entries so my unknown dogs would not go on record as beating their top ranked dogs. At one show a big breeder put a large amount of cash in my hand for Ch. Sir Jolly Roger. I refused to sell him. One month later he slipped and fell off wet steps and broke his leg ending his show career. He lived to be nine years old, producing good sound dogs.
How many times did you breed Ch. Mistina?
She was bred five times. Some of her champions include Ch. Sindelar's Captain Bligh, Ch. Sindelar's Diamond Riever, Ch. Sindelar's Doctor Mudd, Ch. Sindelar's El Frado and Ch. Sindelar's Heide Ho, who was the top producing bitch in the history of the breed.
How many champions did Heide Ho produce?
The latest count is 25 champions out of only four litters. Heide Ho's daughter, Ch. Sindelar's Misty Mudd, has produced 15 champions to date. If I would try to put a count on the number of champions I have bred, the number would be over 50 champions to date.
How many litters have you bred?
I have bred only 15 litters since 1976. Ch. Mistina produced 30 pups, Ch. Sindelar's Heide Ho had 40 pups. One notable dog, Ch. Sindelar's Yankee, went Best of Breed at the World Show 1995.
Who is your all-time favorite?
I would have to say Ch. Sindelar's Touch O'Class Orion. A striking red and white, powerfully built Am Staff with excellent movement and balance.
What are your thoughts on breeding?
You must be very careful. Repeating successful combinations is important. The Heide Ho x Redbolt combination produced consistent quality.
Who has the greatest influence, the bitch or the dog?
I used to think the bitch, however some stud dogs leave a very strong stamp on their offspring.
Describe the American Staffordshire Terrier.
An Am Staff should be strong, courageous and loyal. Intelligent, socially stable and protective of its family. Not aggressive, but it will not back down if challenged. A versatile dog that adapts well to different environments.
Advice
The Am Staff is a special breed, not for everyone. It requires dedication, responsibility and commitment.