by Heather DeVito
I would usually end the article with the group photo but this time I decided it would be a great introduction . After all , THIS is what it ’ s all about - coming together , as one - for not only our clubs but for the American Pit Bull Terrier .
On Saturday , February 17 , 2024 , attendees had traveled across the coun- try , some even across the globe , to be in attendance at the convention of APBT fanciers .
In previous years , we had consoli- dated the meetings into one day but this year , and at the request of some of our guests , we decided to extend it to two days ... and boy was the weekend packed with activities !
Saturday morning we had the introduction of the ADBA Board of Direc- tors followed by our Past , Present and Future video , and Hank Greenwood , President of the ADBA , gave the con- vention introduction . Then , it was time for awards !
First , we started with our Lifetime Achievement recipients . We had two this year :
Floyd Boudreaux has a lifetime of association with the American Pit Bull Terrier . You can say that Bulldogs are in this man ’ s bloodline itself as his fa- ther , Clayton Boudreaux , owned and bred these dogs himself for 40 years .
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Clayton ’ s APBT bloodline was known for the gameness that his dogs pos- sessed .
Floyd & Blind Billy
Floyd remembers that his first dog that he owned was in 1945 when he traveled from Louisiana to be a part of Maurice Carver ’ s show in Texas . He acquired the famous dog , Blind Billy , in 1953 , when the family traded some game cocks that his uncle had to Earl Tudor for the dog . Billy was a year- old pup at the time and a direct son of Tudor ’ s Dibo out of Dibo ’ s half-sister and niece , Tudor ’ s Minnie . Minnie was sired by Dibo ’ s brother , Heinzl ’ s Ari- zona Pete out of Dibo ’ s dam , Heinzl ’ s Bambi . Blind Billy would prove to be the foundation stud dogs of Floyd ’ s breeding program .
When asked about some of his men- tors within the fancy , Floyd spoke of Leo Kinard , George Saddler and Sad- dler ’ s son-in-law , Curley Hayes , Joe Corvino , Bob Hemphill and Earl Tudor . Floyd related , “ Leo was a bootleg- ger in Mississippi , and I remember him having lots of whiskey , Champaigne , wine , and other beverages around when I would visit . Leo ’ s wife was diagnosed with cancer and Leo spent his fortune chasing the latest and best treatment for her with no positive results . After his wife ’ s death , Leo had little left but his kindness and his character as a dog man . Leo died in his mid-60 ’ s , relative- ly penniless .”
George Saddler was a businessman from Mississippi with few friends with- in the APBT fancy . Floyd was one of his few friends who Saddler mentored . Saddler was a great conditioner and taught Floyd the value of ‘ hand walk- ing ’ when conditioning a dog . Floyd describes Joe Corvino and Bob Hemphill as ‘ gentlemen ’ within the fancy , al- ways dressed in suit and tie . Gameness was the core value in the dogs for both of those gentlemen . Floyd remembers