Old Hemp (1 September 1893 – May 1901) was a stud dog considered to be the progenitor to the Border Collie breed. He was owned by Adam Telfer, and was used as a working dog to herdsheep. His style was different from that commonly seen during his era, as he worked far more quietly than the other sheepdogs of the time. This style was adopted and used by other breeders and trainers and became the most common style among Border Collies within a few generations, with his descendants becoming successful international sheepdog champions.
“Shepherds follow the links,
sweet turf studded with thrift;
fell-born men of precise instep
leading demure dogs
from Tweed and Till and Teviotdale,
with hair combed back from the muzzle,
dogs from Redesdale and Coquetdale
taught by Wilson or Telfer.
Their teeth are white as birch,
slow under black fringe
of silent, accurate lips.”
From Briggflatts by Basil Bunting (1966)
Not a good picture, but Amelia on the left, my first Border Collie girl looked almost to be the spitting image of “Old Hemp”. She and her brother were papered with ABCA showing lineage back to Scotland. She was the smartest most athletic dog I ever had. She left us in 2018 at the age of 16 1/2.
Thank You for Your Service Craig. Few people have the fortitude to be a Marine. And being on the 38th parallel in Korea, from what friends have told me is just like being in a war zone. North Korean infiltrators were always a threat. Never know when a crazy North Korean might try to kill you with an axe or any other weapon. Brutal North Korean soldiers tied up and executed scores of American POWs during their invasion of the South in June 1950.
knew the guy who started alligator adventure in myrtle, he would get nutria carcasses from eradication efforts down in the gulf for next to nothing and do gator feeding shows.
one day he was talking to a school group with a nutria in his hand behind his back at the top of the fence, and a hungry lizard jumped high enough to take it out of his hand… along with the tip of his index finger. he played it cool enough to pass off the school group and drive himself to the doctor to sew the remaining skin over the tip.
I’d have probably gone after the missing piece first.
thanks for sharing. lotta folks don’t want to talk about those type of life experiences and I get it. I think it’s important to hear about the way things were if a person is willing to talk about it though. I had just turned 1 year old when you were eating out of a can for Thanksgiving. thank you for your service!
that’s a tear jerker. Beautiful!! Why our kids have to get cancer is beyond my comprehension. I scared Joe’s time is running short… I sure hope he keeps his promise to cure cancer.
The wife picked up snipe hunting equipment this morning. I couldn’t find sandbags so the wife picked up some cheap pillow cases. Got our whistles and flashlights just need to make some clubs now.
