The Memoirs of Jan Libourel

[Artisan Fan]



Originally Posted by Manton

More like Forrest Gump with a high IQ. Always seemed to end up -- or place himself -- where something important and interesting was happening.
It's a very american caracteristic if I may say so myself. I always thought one of the major strenght of your nation was that most people were willing to try pretty much anything once at some point in their lives (some old WASP-y rule, AFAIK).

This may be more relevant to California than the rest of the country.

 

[LSmith]

I would be interested to know when was the last time you saw a Boerboel and why do you think it would be a compound dog and nott suitable for a working breed?

Also wanted to say hello to Jan, knew him during my Tosa years, my dog was Miko-- from Anna at Fire Mountain

 

[JLibourel]



I would be interested to know when was the last time you saw a Boerboel and why do you think it would be a compound dog and nott suitable for a working breed?

Also wanted to say hello to Jan, knew him during my Tosa years, my dog was Miko-- from Anna at Fire Mountain

Oh, hi, Les! Good to hear from you. You'd have to ask lefty about the Boerboel. I've only met a couple. Seemed like nice dogs but I was in no position to assess their working ability.

You were very into Bandogs for awhile, weren't you?

 

[lefty]

Quote:

I would be interested to know when was the last time you saw a Boerboel and why do you think it would be a compound dog and nott suitable for a working breed?

Also wanted to say hello to Jan, knew him during my Tosa years, my dog was Miko-- from Anna at Fire Mountain

Any large rough dog will make a great compound animal - a Boerboel charging a fence is intimidating. The Boerboels that I saw were beautiful athletic dogs but lacked solid nerve in a man-pressure situation. That was sometime ago when they first arrived so they might have improved on this aspect somewhat.

Still, cool dog and you could do worse.

lefty

 

[LSmith]

Bandog-- yes, matter of fact last time I saw you was with Donald when he stopped by your office with the bandog, we tried them for awhile and then went with the Americanbulldog, although I enjoy that breed we miss our Tosa and have been looking at getting back to Mastiff's, probably the Boerboel.

 

[smacc1]

I always strongly suspected that the Corso was an invention of Michael Sottile, but I think that took place in the late 1980s. By the time I really got into the rare-breed subculture (1994-5), the Corso was well established with all the attendant mythology that it was an ancient Roman breed preserved in its purity in the backwaters and byways of Sicily and Calabria.

Can it be possible we had some contact, but you have blurred me in your mind with somebody else since I was not active in the dog culture when the Corso was being "invented" or "discovered."

Pretty sure it was you. This would have been around 96 when I first saw your name. You were skeptical of the "ancient" lineage of the Corso.

Mickey Sottile was a small time gangster and dogfighter who was, as you said, prominent in the Neo world. The story goes he was traveling through the Italian countryside and came across a breed he had never seen before working cattle. He bought an entire litter and these became the "super six" of the US Corso world. No one has been able to verify the lineage of these dogs, but that didn't stop Sottile, Ed Hodas and others from exploiting the hell out of whatever dogs they could find or create.

These ones are big, let's call them Neos.
These ones are smaller, let's call them Corsos.
These ones look like Rotts, let's charge extras for the rare colour.

Not that the Italians weren't culpable. When the American started showing up with fistfuls of cash looking for the "real" corso, the Italians would shave a sheep and call it a Corso.

Those were heady days.

lefty

Hi Lefty, I would love to find out more details on the history of the corso as I have also been disappointed with some of my findings, especially the health issues with the breed. If you are still around and would be able to provide any further details of the above it would be appreciated!

Thanks!

 

[Piobaire]

Are you also the JLibourel that is partial to "analingus" (to females of course)? Can't find the thread but if so, you are definitely a complete man.

******* Ed.

 

[lefty]

Hi Lefty, I would love to find out more details on the history of the corso as I have also been disappointed with some of my findings, especially the health issues with the breed. If you are still around and would be able to provide any further details of the above it would be appreciated!

Thanks!

Not much I can offer up as it's been so long and I doubt I know anyone in the corso world any longer.

lefty

 

[Bhowie]

Meet 78-year-old Steel Mace Fitness Enthusiast Jan Libourel

Introducing our new friend Jan Libourel, a 78-year old steel mace enthusiast. Jan reached out to us a few weeks ago to let us know that he is really enjoying his new 20LB SFS Mace. After chatting via email, we asked Jan if he could tell us about his fitness journey and how he got involved in...

www.setforset.com

 

[lefty]

That was cool. Thanks.

I've "known" Jan for close to 20 years now and I had a completely different picture of him in my mind.

lefty

 

[NorCal]

That was cool. Thanks.

I've "known" Jan for close to 20 years now and I had a completely different picture of him in my mind.

lefty

Funny, that looks spot on to the image in my mind. For some reason, I always picture him in a Panama hat though.

 

[imatlas]

Funny, that looks spot on to the image in my mind. For some reason, I always picture him in a Panama hat heavily armed though.

 

[JLibourel]

Funny how this one popped up! I was actually looking for Lefty's Random Dog Thread, on which I was hoping to post a dog food question. Haven't been very active in forum culture in recent years. For one thing, I have all pretty much all the clothing I could reasonably want, and with these damn covid lockdowns, I have almost no occasion to dress decently.

Since Corsos have come up in this thread, I'll say that for years I maintained that I wouldn't take one for free, even with a lifetime of free food and veterinary care thrown in--very cringing, skittish, spooky and generally shy they were. In the past couple of years, I have revised my opinion of them upward. There is one in my neighborhood that seems like a nice steady, friendly dog, not much personality, but a pleasant beast withal--a friend to my retrievers. More recently, I met a couple of others like that. Not long ago at the vet's I met one that was just enchanting. If I were still in market for a another dog, I'd like one just like him--all the swaggering self-confidence and exuberant, extroverted friendliness of a good old-time fighting pit bulldog!

 

[lefty]

I think they have been "worked on" by a few breeders and with the numbers now in the country I don't doubt there are a few good ones.

I moved away from bigger dogs and for the past few year have been hanging with some terrier guys who rat on farms and a few gundogs as I upland hunt more.

lefty

 

[smacc1]

I think they have been "worked on" by a few breeders and with the numbers now in the country I don't doubt there are a few good ones.

I moved away from bigger dogs and for the past few year have been hanging with some terrier guys who rat on farms and a few gundogs as I upland hunt more.

lefty

Well I did finally find some evidence that the corso was made up at least half way by the Sottile family. If you have anything else to add please let me know. I have been working tiredly to put the pieces together as many large corso breeders are full of it that the breed was never crossed. Trying to educate myself and others on why some have weak temperaments and some are a very awesome breed.