In the production category it appears that Mark of Success might make it to the top five in the puppy category. This is the first year that House's Rain Cloud has been tracked and his get may get him in the top five in the derby category. Guard Rail's Shadow was tracked last year, but his first pups didn't make it. This year they are starting to win in the derby category. Davis Final Touch's pups appear to be following through in their derby year.
Nothing new apears to be emerging in the shooting dog and all-age categories although as of this commentary Miller's Showcase and Barshoe Brute have displaced Miller's Chief and Black Crude in the all-age category. In the shooting dogs as sires group Bryant's Spy Man's last year pups are following through as derbies and have him in the top five. Railway Andy is also joining the top five in the derby category. Elhew Strike may rejoin the top five in the shooting dog category after missing out last year.
The pointer breeders, still reeling after losing Black Crude, suffered another blow with the loss of Mark of Success, one of his sons. Although he actually would not be qualified for consideration for The Almanac because he didn't meet all of the performance requirements, he is being tracked simply because he is a son of Black Crude. It is very possible that he might have inherited some Crude's extreme prepotency (see last years update). For the same reason Triple Crude is being tracked and he is currently in the top ten in the derby category. Unless the owners of Black Crude's sons promote them as such and promote them enough to be utilize the breed will lose the gene pool of the what appears to possibly have been the most prepotent sire of all-time. There is a great potential existing now in that there are Crude daughters which are competitive on the major circuit. The same is true in the males. If they would be bred together the offspring would be genetically equivalent to sons and daughters of Black Crude, and the gene pool might be saved.
The second quarter Registration Booklets have been received and analyzed. Of the dogs tracked only Miller's Silver Bullett and Rail Dancer have had more than five pups registered with a '97 whelping date. With so few it would be meaningless to comment on possible trends for this year. It is worth noting that the '96 whelping date data is being "beefed up." Please note that the most recent annual registration data is always limited. The millennium issue of the "Almanac" will contain cumulative data from each year which, in some cases, may differ from that reported in the annual updates because of postponement of registrations by owners. This years data on '96 whelpings will probably cause Ironclad not to be in the top five in popularity for '96; it appears that Miller's Crossbow may join that group. In shooting dog circles Slate Creek Doc, being tracked for the first time, will probably join the top five in popularity. Elhew Snakefoot is making a serious run at the aging Rail Dancer in popularity although, in light of puppy wins, it appears that he (Snakefoot) doesn't have the prepotency of Rail Dancer. They're about equal in registrations, but Dancer's pups are winning about twice as frequently. As it currently stands, by any legimate measure, it appears that Rail Dancer is the proven most prepotent living sire. Any measure that doesn't reflect frequency of breeding is not legitimate.