DECEMBER 2003
 photo courtesy of Pat Skelton
Chief Sitting Bull #46973
1975-1996
By Betsy Ruble
In our November issue of "Llama of the Month" we learned that Dr. Doolittle was purchased in utero with his dam, Fluffy, from the Catskill Game Farm in NY state. Well the same goes for our feature this month, Chief Sitting Bull. He, too, was purchased in utero with his dam, Senta Berger
at the same time as Dr. Doolittle's dam. Chief Sitting Bull was born on May 27, 1975, just 12 days before Dr. Doolittle and 5 months before Zorro PL on the Patterson Ranch, Bend, OR. Since again, like with Dr. Doolittle, no one can say which stud was Chief Sitting Bull's sire, there has been speculation that they could actually be half brothers. None of these rumors have ever been proved.
 photo courtesy of Bill Vanetta |
As you can see in this picture, Chief Sitting Bull has no right ear. He lost it playing with other boys in his pasture as a young adult. The missing ear (is that an oxymoron?) shows up better in the Zorro PL picture from the link above. |
Chief Sitting Bull was the second featured Legendary Sire in Llama Life back in 1987 in the Autumn edition. To qualify to be a Legendary Sire in Llama Life, he would have had to have sired 100 cria or more. At that date, it was reported that he had sired 226 offspring, but that was before blood testing changed those records. |
 photo can be found in
Autumn 1986 Llama Life
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When he died, Kay Sharpnack published obituaries of him to let the whole llama community know that a Grand Ole Stud had passed. Below is a copy of the one published in Llamas Magazine, May 1996.
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ILR #46973
5/27/1975 - 1/08/1996
On January 8, 1996, Chief Sitting Bull was put to sleep at Hinterland after being diagnosed with a rapidly growing osteogenic sarcoma of the right mandible. Along with Dr. Doolittle (1975-1983) and Zorro PL (1975-1991) he helped found the llama industry as it is known today.
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Purchased in utero by Dick and Kay Patterson from Roland Linderman, Catskill Game Farm, Catskill, New York, Chief Sitting Bull (sire unknown / Catskill male) was born to wooly, Senta Berger, on May 27, 1975 at Patterson Llamas in Sisters, Oregon. In his lifetime he sired a total of 301 registered get, all bred by the Pattersons. A few of his best known offspring are: Lopez (Lolita), Huckleberry Finn (Rosalind Russell), Peter Ustinov (Ursula PL), Slivovitz (Apricot PL), Gabriel PL (Eva Gabor), Blackwood Little John (Maid Marion), Pavorotti (Petroushka), Tonkatsu (Tapioca), The Poet (The Price is Right), Russell (Rosalind Russell), Loma Linda (Linda Little Trees), Mummsie (Maureen O'Hara), Cucuracha (Cynthia), Polachinka (Petroushka), Avacado (Apricot PL), Preserves (Apricot PL), Loverly (Lover), Graham Cracker Smacker (Maureen O'Hara), Oui Oui (Mimi), Sisi (Mimi), When you're Near Me (Lover), Puff (Ursula PL), Emrich's Alpha (Mock Orange).
One of the first "woolies", Chief Sitting Bull had strong, correct conformation (no breakdown with age), excellent health, high fertility (he really did do a lot more sitting around in his youth than we originally thought). His sweet, quiet disposition and gentle nature will be missed. He is buried in a special spot on Hinterland.
-Kay Patterson (Sharpnack) |
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If you enjoyed this article and would
like to see your favorite llama featured, please send me an
e-mail with your
suggestions at: betsy@llamacrossing.com. Next month (January 2004) - The Fiduciary |
