Bob Neblett (1895-1980)
Robert Lee Neblett, better known as Bob, was born in Martin, Tennessee on November 9th 1895. He was one of five children, three brothers and one sister. Bob’s younger years, like most poor folks were difficult. His mother dying when he was seven put extra strain on his father, who was a carpenter.
At age 17, Bob left home and in november 1917 he joined the US Army. He served one year and 16 days overseas in World War I. After returning home in June 1919, he got a job in Murry, Kentucky and married for the first time. His marriage lasted seven years until the untimely death of his wife. It was during this period of Bob’s life that he would be introduced to a breed of dog that he would own, fight and breed for the next 58 years of his life.
The first dog that Bob owned was a pup that he acquired through his brother in law. The dog’s name was Buck, whelped in 1922 out of Tudor’s Black Jack & Cunningham’s Nell. Bob always had a lot of stories to tell about Buck’s ability, but he was never match fought, just a lot of convincing rolls and chain fights.
After one hour & four minutes, Bob had picked up a game but beaten Billy, with Bob being somewhat puzzled as to what went wrong. Bob was so puzzled he rematched the same dog a few months later! It was a replay of the first, with Bob picking up a game scratching dog that had been getting whipped just a little more convincingly. Bob then sent Billy to a dogman in Lousiana, since he lost everything he owned in the ‘Great Depression’ of the 1930’s.
In 1933 Bob moved from Kentucky to Detroit, Michigan. This is when he began to work in the auto industry. After moving, along with getting married a second time to Ina, Bob both purchased and acquired the Bulldogs that would form the basis for the game strain which produced the Neblett bloodline.
Bob’s bloodline was mostly of a Colby foundation, and came from two Bulldogs, the more famous of the two being Neblett’s CH. Bucky McCoy. The other male, a dark brindle dog that Bob bought as a pup from Joe Corvino, named after his sire, Neblett’s Braddock Jr. Bob’s CH. Bucky McCoy was a very smart defensive fighter along with being an excellent finishing dog that won 8 conditioned contests. The toughest of Bucky’s fights was his 6th fight against Cranker’s 2xW Black Diamond. Bucky stopped him cold in the pit at one hour 57 minutes, in August 1938.
Bob’s Braddock Jr. sired by Armitage’s (Corvino’s) Braddock, 14xW, out of Corvino’s By Blue, was a favourite of Bob’s due to deep gameness. Braddock Jr. had won two tough contests. Bob matched him at catchweights into a red dog owned by a Detroit detective. Bob had already seen the big red dog fight before, and although the red was a great deal bigger, Bob believed the red was a rank cur. The match took place in May 1939 with Braddock Jr. fighting off the bottom the whole fight, always in hold against the 12 pound larger dog. The contest had finally come down to an hour & 37 minutes, when Bob being a bit worried about Braddock Jr. being down so long, asked the red dog’s owner if he would consider a draw. The Detroit officer agreed almost as soon as the words came out of Bob’s mouth and began shaking Bob’s hand very quick like, as if someone had healed him instantly of cancer. Bob, at this point of the story would shake his head saying; “I had thought he had the fight won several times because of the turning and running that big red dog was doing, but that big old boy would scratch hard every time, when I could get Braddock Jr. to let him go”.
Bob had several other favourite Bulldogs that were exceptional in ability, one being a spotted, one eyed dog named Colonel, that Bob acquired from Harry Clark. Colonel won 6 conditioned contests, all showing class, ability along with well tested gameness. Colonel’s last match against Paul Sweeney had a very special place in Bob’s heart. Paul Sweeney had fought an unbelievable amount of dogs without a loss over an 11 or 12 year period. The old Colonel dog, who was six and a half years old at the time of the match, ended Mr. Sweeney’s long winning streak. The contest took place near Detroit and the duration of the contest was a bit over the hour mark, with a thousand dollars at stake, which was a fair piece back in 1939. The worst Bob could ever say about Colonel was that he never sired a single pup.
Some other dogs that Bob both bred himself and felt were way above average were two dogs: a male named Dusty and a female named Patsy. Dusty was a red dog with a black face out of Neblett’s Black Mike, a son of CH. Bucky McCoy & Pierson’s Dolly, which was out of W.C. Roper’s red nosed dogs. Although Dusty was never matched, Bob saw to it that he was tested hard. Dusty produced very game dogs. Patsy was claimed by Bob to be the best female he ever owned. She was a dark brindle female with a white ring around her neck. Patsy was sired by Neblett’s Black Bobo, who was a son of CH. Bucky McCoy. Her dam was Neblett’s Little Cookie, who was a pure Colby bitch that Bob bought from John Colby.
When the subject of other dogmen was brought up in a conversation, Bob would name Joe Corvino, by far the best dogman that he knew personally. There were others who stood out in Bob’s mind whom he also referred to. They were Charlie Tyler of Cleveland, Paul Sweeney of Ohio, Red Howell, Jim McKenzie of Tennessee, Fred Schroeder, Al & Dick Cole.
In late 1946 at the age of 51, Neblett moved from Detroit, Michigan to Neosho, Missouri. It was there he purchased some land, set up a business and built his kennels. Bob didn’t do anymore matches for one reason or another, although he did handle a dog in a fight once for fun against a well known dogman from Kansas City. The fight took place in Mississippi and the duration was a little over the hour mark. The dog Bob handled lost, and was owned/conditioned by Earl Skaggs. Bob felt if he had worked the dog himself or if the Skaggs dog was in a little better shape, he would have won with no problem.
Unlike many men, Bob Neblett always placed Pit Bulldogs in his life as a 'hobby', because 'business' was something you either conducted or had to take care of, not something that you loved. A feeling that Bob had which he voiced with pride was that he couldn’t own any other breed of dog and probably would never had owned a dog if it weren’t for the game, fighting pit dog. This statement was true in Bob’s life through his continuous dedication he showed to the breed. The evidence of Bob’s dedication came in the quality of Bulldogs he bred along with the visual purity of Neblett breeding in pedigrees. Few men claim to have bred dogs 40 or 50 years can hand you a pedigree with 75% of the dogs in that pedigree having the same prefix or their last name on them. Bob was a man who could!
On June 4th of 1980, early in the morning while mowing his lawn, Bob Neblett had a heart attack and passed on to glory a few hours later at the age of 85.
At age 17, Bob left home and in november 1917 he joined the US Army. He served one year and 16 days overseas in World War I. After returning home in June 1919, he got a job in Murry, Kentucky and married for the first time. His marriage lasted seven years until the untimely death of his wife. It was during this period of Bob’s life that he would be introduced to a breed of dog that he would own, fight and breed for the next 58 years of his life.
The first dog that Bob owned was a pup that he acquired through his brother in law. The dog’s name was Buck, whelped in 1922 out of Tudor’s Black Jack & Cunningham’s Nell. Bob always had a lot of stories to tell about Buck’s ability, but he was never match fought, just a lot of convincing rolls and chain fights.
After one hour & four minutes, Bob had picked up a game but beaten Billy, with Bob being somewhat puzzled as to what went wrong. Bob was so puzzled he rematched the same dog a few months later! It was a replay of the first, with Bob picking up a game scratching dog that had been getting whipped just a little more convincingly. Bob then sent Billy to a dogman in Lousiana, since he lost everything he owned in the ‘Great Depression’ of the 1930’s.
In 1933 Bob moved from Kentucky to Detroit, Michigan. This is when he began to work in the auto industry. After moving, along with getting married a second time to Ina, Bob both purchased and acquired the Bulldogs that would form the basis for the game strain which produced the Neblett bloodline.
Bob’s bloodline was mostly of a Colby foundation, and came from two Bulldogs, the more famous of the two being Neblett’s CH. Bucky McCoy. The other male, a dark brindle dog that Bob bought as a pup from Joe Corvino, named after his sire, Neblett’s Braddock Jr. Bob’s CH. Bucky McCoy was a very smart defensive fighter along with being an excellent finishing dog that won 8 conditioned contests. The toughest of Bucky’s fights was his 6th fight against Cranker’s 2xW Black Diamond. Bucky stopped him cold in the pit at one hour 57 minutes, in August 1938.
Bob’s Braddock Jr. sired by Armitage’s (Corvino’s) Braddock, 14xW, out of Corvino’s By Blue, was a favourite of Bob’s due to deep gameness. Braddock Jr. had won two tough contests. Bob matched him at catchweights into a red dog owned by a Detroit detective. Bob had already seen the big red dog fight before, and although the red was a great deal bigger, Bob believed the red was a rank cur. The match took place in May 1939 with Braddock Jr. fighting off the bottom the whole fight, always in hold against the 12 pound larger dog. The contest had finally come down to an hour & 37 minutes, when Bob being a bit worried about Braddock Jr. being down so long, asked the red dog’s owner if he would consider a draw. The Detroit officer agreed almost as soon as the words came out of Bob’s mouth and began shaking Bob’s hand very quick like, as if someone had healed him instantly of cancer. Bob, at this point of the story would shake his head saying; “I had thought he had the fight won several times because of the turning and running that big red dog was doing, but that big old boy would scratch hard every time, when I could get Braddock Jr. to let him go”.
Bob had several other favourite Bulldogs that were exceptional in ability, one being a spotted, one eyed dog named Colonel, that Bob acquired from Harry Clark. Colonel won 6 conditioned contests, all showing class, ability along with well tested gameness. Colonel’s last match against Paul Sweeney had a very special place in Bob’s heart. Paul Sweeney had fought an unbelievable amount of dogs without a loss over an 11 or 12 year period. The old Colonel dog, who was six and a half years old at the time of the match, ended Mr. Sweeney’s long winning streak. The contest took place near Detroit and the duration of the contest was a bit over the hour mark, with a thousand dollars at stake, which was a fair piece back in 1939. The worst Bob could ever say about Colonel was that he never sired a single pup.
Some other dogs that Bob both bred himself and felt were way above average were two dogs: a male named Dusty and a female named Patsy. Dusty was a red dog with a black face out of Neblett’s Black Mike, a son of CH. Bucky McCoy & Pierson’s Dolly, which was out of W.C. Roper’s red nosed dogs. Although Dusty was never matched, Bob saw to it that he was tested hard. Dusty produced very game dogs. Patsy was claimed by Bob to be the best female he ever owned. She was a dark brindle female with a white ring around her neck. Patsy was sired by Neblett’s Black Bobo, who was a son of CH. Bucky McCoy. Her dam was Neblett’s Little Cookie, who was a pure Colby bitch that Bob bought from John Colby.
When the subject of other dogmen was brought up in a conversation, Bob would name Joe Corvino, by far the best dogman that he knew personally. There were others who stood out in Bob’s mind whom he also referred to. They were Charlie Tyler of Cleveland, Paul Sweeney of Ohio, Red Howell, Jim McKenzie of Tennessee, Fred Schroeder, Al & Dick Cole.
In late 1946 at the age of 51, Neblett moved from Detroit, Michigan to Neosho, Missouri. It was there he purchased some land, set up a business and built his kennels. Bob didn’t do anymore matches for one reason or another, although he did handle a dog in a fight once for fun against a well known dogman from Kansas City. The fight took place in Mississippi and the duration was a little over the hour mark. The dog Bob handled lost, and was owned/conditioned by Earl Skaggs. Bob felt if he had worked the dog himself or if the Skaggs dog was in a little better shape, he would have won with no problem.
Unlike many men, Bob Neblett always placed Pit Bulldogs in his life as a 'hobby', because 'business' was something you either conducted or had to take care of, not something that you loved. A feeling that Bob had which he voiced with pride was that he couldn’t own any other breed of dog and probably would never had owned a dog if it weren’t for the game, fighting pit dog. This statement was true in Bob’s life through his continuous dedication he showed to the breed. The evidence of Bob’s dedication came in the quality of Bulldogs he bred along with the visual purity of Neblett breeding in pedigrees. Few men claim to have bred dogs 40 or 50 years can hand you a pedigree with 75% of the dogs in that pedigree having the same prefix or their last name on them. Bob was a man who could!
On June 4th of 1980, early in the morning while mowing his lawn, Bob Neblett had a heart attack and passed on to glory a few hours later at the age of 85.
Here’s a fine example of what the pure Neblett strain, crossed over had produced. Maloney’s CH. Strider was born out west in the yard of Jim Burton. He was given to a young boy as a birthday present as a pup. Strider was aptly named not only for his running ability, but also for the fact that ‘The Strider’ (of the Hobbit story book) meant the ‘Protector’, and Strider was just that. He was raised with children as a loyal house pet. Strider simply loved Butterfinger candy bars, and was both treated and behaved as if he was one of the kids. Even when it came time to line up due to misbehaviour, he took his place in the line with his head bowed as they all received a stern calling down.
As Strider grew into adulthood, he was left at home more and more often by the children, because as one small fry termed it “he can’t hold his temper”. He was adopted by a New Mexican dogman who later traded him to Don Maloney, under whose direction he earned his Championship. He was so loved that there wasn’t a dry eye evident when Strider peacefully died at 11 years of age.
As Strider grew into adulthood, he was left at home more and more often by the children, because as one small fry termed it “he can’t hold his temper”. He was adopted by a New Mexican dogman who later traded him to Don Maloney, under whose direction he earned his Championship. He was so loved that there wasn’t a dry eye evident when Strider peacefully died at 11 years of age.