Old story. These topics make me think back to days gone by. We were 'set up'. We went up north to bring a young male out for the first time supposedly on a first time out dog as well. We get there and it is a two timer who needs a third to get to a 4XW a few months later. We brought three people like agreed upon and they looked like they were tailgating for a football game. Lots of arguing and attempt at bullying. A real hostile crowd, the proverbial 'in the bee's hive'. They give me this males resume and his accomplishments. They ask what I have to say to that and I say, " I don't give a shit about what he did yesterday as long as he is on weight today." Sets the crowd off again. Around forty minutes things are not as they had planned and they call a turn on their own dog. The referee asks me to recognize and I say, " I didn't come here to watch me and you make handles, and I didn't come here to watch scratching back and forth. I cam here to kill shit in the box". (Young and much more brazen in my younger days). The crowd erupted, my dog had earned their respect and I rode his coat tail to a win. Those cats were solid dog men and I am glad I call them friends to this day. Sorry for the length and the rambling. EWO