The Beilby Male Lines
In 1935, H.N. Beilby documented the original male lines of the Staffordshire Bull Terrier. These lines formed the foundation of the breed as it entered the Kennel Club. Today, only two of these lines survive:
M-Line (Brindle Mick): One of the last surviving original lines. Known for producing balanced, moderate dogs with correct Stafford temperament.
R-Line (Ribchester Bob): The only other surviving Beilby line. Historically associated with athletic, functional dogs.
The remaining Beilby lines — including the S, T, H, and others — are now extinct. Their loss represents a major reduction in genetic diversity and historical continuity.
Irish-Type Working Bloodlines
Many dogs referred to as “Irish Staffords” are actually English Staffordshire Bull Terriers bred down from dogs that resided in Ireland. These lines preserved athleticism, drive, and working ability long after the show ring shifted the breed toward heavier, exaggerated features.
Working Strains That Preserved True Type
Dublin Red: Developed by Willie Delaney from dogs like Brindle Devil and Battling Duchess. Athletic, intense, and known for rich red coats. Produced dogs such as Red Commando, CH. Red Warrior, and Red Joe.
Psycho (Northford/Psycho Line): Rooted in Irish and British trial dogs like Black Tiger and The Great Geronimo. Known for extreme drive, athleticism, and determination. Includes Ricky B’s CH. Psycho.
Dry Branch: A South Georgia strain built from the Intrepid bloodline. Regarded as some of the gamest Staffords in the U.S., bred strictly for working ability.
Intrepid: A foundational American working line known for resilience, drive, and functional structure. Many Dry Branch dogs descend directly from Intrepid stock.
Dynamite: The Dynamite strain traces its roots to the early 1960s with Pete Sparks’ SBT Rocket — one of the earliest imported Staffordshire Bull Terriers brought to America. Rocket became the cornerstone of the line. Decades later, Stan Thorn continued the heritage through Intrepid Georgia Buck, Keystone Beauregard, Intrepid Irish Casey, Intrepid Rooster Cogburn, and Minerva of Yankeefire, with guidance from Nancy Malec (Yankeestaff) and Irma Rosenfield (Dynamite Staffords).
The Steadfast Bloodline
The Steadfast line represents one of the few modern efforts to preserve the true working-type Staffordshire Bull Terrier in America. Established in 1999, Steadfast Staffords continues the heritage built by the dogmen who shaped the breed’s arrival in the United States.
"Pedigree: What your dog is supposed to be.
Conformation: What your dog appears to be.
Performance and temperament: What your dog IS."
(Steadfast Staffords)
The Steadfast Bloodline traces back to the foundational imports brought into the U.S. by Joe Ordays, Al Brown, and Pete Sparks. In 1959, Ordays and Brown imported littermates Shanty of Dublin and Arrogant Devil from working Irish lines. Sparks’ dog SBT Rocket became one of the most influential early imports and a cornerstone of American working Stafford heritage.
Joe Ordays arguably made the greatest impact on the working Staffordshire Bull Terrier in the U.S. His dogs — including Arrogant Resistance, Arrogant Devil, Ordays Leo, Ryan’s Jasper, Ordays Bambi, Ordays Battling Beauty, and Lady Ordays — all stand behind the Steadfast pedigree. Even late in life, Ordays owned Staffords, including Ordays Rusty, littermate to Dynamite Ethal Waters, who plays a major role in the Steadfast line.
Steadfast Staffords acquired the last — and what they believed were the best — representatives of the Ordays bloodline. From there, careful selection began, focusing on preserving the true-to-type, working form of the Staffordshire Bull Terrier. The Steadfast line is built from the strongest Irish-rooted working bloodlines ever brought into the United States.
This work would not have been possible without the guidance and support of several key figures in American Staffordshire Bull Terrier history: Steve Stone (founder of the SBT in the U.S.), Ken Hodgin (Intrepid Staffords), Nicky Tompkins (Dry Branch Kennels), Stan Thorn (Dynamite Staffords), and Ricky B.
As Pete Sparks famously said:
"I would worry more about WHO I got the dog from than about the dogs themselves."
The Steadfast Bloodline continues this philosophy — preserving heritage, honoring the dogmen who came before, and maintaining the true Staffordshire Bull Terrier as a functional, athletic, courageous Bull-and-Terrier.
Why Bloodline Preservation Matters
The Staffordshire Bull Terrier’s identity is tied directly to its bloodlines. As original lines disappear and modern trends exaggerate features, the breed risks losing its heritage. Preserving historical lines — and documenting working strains — ensures the Stafford remains the balanced, courageous, athletic dog it was meant to be.