THAT WAS THEN, AND THIS IS NOW

[kansasdexters]

How important is it to know history? Well, if you don't want to repeat the same mistakes over and over --- it is very important. If you want to be able to discern for yourselves factal information from fictional claims, it is very important.

If I have piqued your interest, then please read the following link on "Standards" for Dexter cattle, page 8:

www.dextercattle.org/bulletin_archive/bulletins_1991_2000/1997%20November-December%20ADCA%20Dexter%20Bulletin.pdf


Patti

[copperhead]

Really interesting, Patti. I was struck by number of ads that specify "small", it seems like we are going for large now. Our standards are so much bigger now.
P.J.

[cddexter]

ah, good old Fred. He always had a way of bringing things home to what was important and what wasn't. At that time, we were still in the short/long stage, with a lot of ill will to anyone who talked about dwarfism. There was even a rule that you couldn't use the word dwarf. The blind leading the blind. I well remember non-dwarf Dexters as often in the 45-48 inch range...you don't see a lot of that these days as we now have a test for chondro and people are breeding small without using the genetic girdle to accomplish it. I noticed that even though the E+ gene had been identified and made public in 1998, there was still this thing about black noses being 'wrong', usually by those with little e red cattle, looking for something to discredit the other reds--market fear?

As you can see, height wasn't an issue until later on. Dexters were defined by weight. Have we learned anything in the 20 plus years since?

cheers, c.

[lonecowhand]

Sounds like Good Old Fred wouldn't have minded any changes at all to the breed, if it made money. "what was important..." Have we learned anything in 20 years?
What have we lost? Occasionally it's good to celebrate and appreciate what is, without trying to change it.

I did like to see that Dexters cost between $400-$800 back then!

[Olga]

I think it is important to remember that, then and now, the great majority of Dexter breeders are wishing all the best for the breed. Just because one has a novel approach doesn't mean that their goal is only to enrich themselves or sabotage the breed's future. Often enough, we find that our views evolve with time and acquired knowledge.
This considered, I don't find wrong with the gist of Fred Chesterley's ideas.

[kansasdexters]

Please read the President's Message (p. 4) in the Fall 2003 ADCA Bulletin, if you want to learn about the challenges the ADCA was facing at that time in its history:

www.dextercattle.org/bulletin_archive/bulletins_2001_2010/2003%20Fall%20ADCA%20Dexter%20Bulletin.pdf

[kansasdexters]

The original breed descriptions for the Kerry and for the Dexter can be found in the 1911 publication of the American Kerry and Dexter Cattle Club:

www.dextercattle.org/bulletin_archive/bulletins_1911_1920/1911%20October%20American%20Kerry%20and%20Dexter%20Club%20Bulletin.pdf

[zephyrhillsusan]

Patti, the 1911 Bulletin is really interesting. Thanks! There is obviously lots of information on the ADCA website, and I see a lot of good changes on there that I need to check out, like all the archived Bulletins.

[hollydzie]

Very interesting, thanks for posting this. It seems like the bulletin contained a lot more information then than the current ones do. When I was receiving both ADCA and PDCA bulletins I always found that the PDCA had good articles about general Dexter ownership. I no longer receive the PDCA's

[kansasdexters]

Hi Holly,

The ADCA Bulletin editor welcomes contributions on articles and information. If you'd like to see more information being included, then please submit an article and encourage others to contribute news and articles on a regular basis as well. The ADCA Bulletin is what we make it.


Patti

[cddexter]

Gene, I'm confused. Following this thread, I moved over to the link you posted, which was NOT of the article, but of Judy being Judy, full of her usual verbal tai chi, and Barb being silly enough to try tio inject some logic. Why would you think anything of this nature was worth posting on this board? c.

[kansasdexters]

I started this thread to discuss Dexter breed history. Please stop hijacking this thread. Please discuss Dexter breed history on this thread, or start your own thread if you want to discuss something else. Thank you.

[legendrockranch]

Patti, hope you don't mind me going off topic, I felt I have a right to defend what was posted. Apoligies

Aug 11, 2014 10:40:28 GMT -5 @genebo said:

I thought that the policy changed, and no more member written articles would be accepted for the Bulletin after some complained about S.A Walkup's excellent article.

So just where did you read that no more members written articles would be written? There is quite a bite of difference between articles that are based on knowledge versus personal attacks on what some breeders choose to raise.
So I am still waiting to hear how my e-mail sent to board members landed in Judys hands and than on her board.

Had to delete a post, it was identical to this, however quotes were all in one box.

[legendrockranch]

I have to admit, I love seeing all the older breeders names mentioned, sadden however to know some of them are no longer around.

Barb

[J & M Chambers]

Aug 11, 2014 19:20:45 GMT -5 kansasdexters said:

I started this thread to discuss Dexter breed history. Please stop hijacking this thread. Please discuss Dexter breed history on this thread, or start your own thread if you want to discuss something else. Thank you.

Well played Ms. Adams.

Patti, I would be very interested in reading more, whether in bulletins or elsewhere - and the little I have seen would be elsewhere, about the developmental history of the breed as a functional dual purpose animal and the Dexter breed version of Thomas Bates, the Cruickshanks, the Coates, etc. We hear of the Doesmead and the Knotting herds among others in the relatively recent past as a couple herds that were focused on production traits and qualities but a focused history to the extent that it exists would have a very rapt audience of at least one here in Nebraska.

Perhaps, as the history I'm aware seems to at least suggest as a possibility, while the breed as such is by no means a 'young breed' that it has never broken out of its adolescence so to speak. That for a large part of the breed's history those herds that were major influences on the breed were focused primarily on what I would call show and type traits with the primary market for major herd stock being the show ring. Are the Dexter breeds' Collings Brothers still in our future; is Booth among us now?

Jeff