Securing the Future

There is a tightly coupled relationship between a population’s history and its culture.  When its history is obscured or erased, it is difficult for that population’s culture to survive.  A few years back I realized that the history of the Old-fashioned Black and Tan English shepherd was being lost.  I wanted to separate fact from fiction.  So, I began to conduct nation-wide historical research.  Using commercial online services, I searched the historical archives of most newspapers in the United States, many of which go back to the mid-1800s.  After more than a year of detailed research, I had compiled a treasure-trove of historical information on the bloodline.  This is the point at which I published A History of the Old-fashioned Black and Tan English Shepherd^[1]https://obtesa.com/history/ and subsequently founded the Old-fashioned Black and Tan English Shepherd Association.^[2]https://obtesa.com/ 

During the course of my research, one common theme became evident; the nexus of cultural use and appreciation for the old-fashioned black and tan English Shepherd bloodline was located in the Southeast U.S., Ohio River Valley, and parts of Texas.  The highest degree of density being in the Southeast U.S.   So, I began running regional ads in agriculture-related publications.  Over time, these ads led to dozens of conversations with families who have kept old-fashioned black and tan English shepherds for multiple generations.  These families form the core of our bloodline’s cultural use and appreciation.  And it is these same families that are the focus of our OBTESA Breeder Incubator Program.^[3]https://obtesa.com/breeder/  These are the families who will secure our bloodline’s future.

Securing the future of the Old-fashioned Black and Tan English Shepherd bloodline depends upon two important facets. These facets are a) sound genetic management^[4]Sponenberg, D. Phillip, Jeannette Beranger, and Alison Martin. Managing Breeds for a Secure Future: Strategies for Breeders and Breed Associations. Second edition. Sheffield, UK: 5M Publishing, 2017. and b) robust cultural appreciation.   Once a foundation of documented history had been re-established, I felt it was key for OBTESA to re-establish a robust cultural use and appreciation.  To this end, OBTESA began publishing a quarterly newsletter.  American Farm Shepherds Illustrated^[5]https://oldshep.org/ has now been distributed for four consecutive quarters.  It is an eight-page, full-color periodical dedicated to the security and culture of the Old-fashioned Black and Tan bloodline. I hope you’ll enjoy reading about the history of our bloodline, and I hope you’ll subscribe to our quarterly newsletter. 

Today we’ll hold an OBTESA quarterly scheduled board of directors meeting. As president and founder, I have dedicated myself towards a secure future for the Old-fashioned Black and Tan English Shepherd bloodline. I hope you will join us in respect and appreciation for the history and culture of the rural people and farm dogs who form the Old-fashioned Black and Tan English Shepherd community.^[6]https://groups.io/g/obtesa

Tony Bierman