The Bulldog Fraternity lost a good man during the early hours of August 28. Leeroy Voyles, the man behind Voyles' Little John ROM, lost his life in a tragic car accident as he was coming home. While the world will keep turning some, mine has slowed to barely a crawl over the last few days as the shock of losing a close personal friend, and one of the few mentors I had, has started to settle in finally. Leeroy and Little John both taught me a lot about dogs, what to look for, what not to look for, and his idea of what a game dog was. Traveling around a tri-state area with Leeroy, I got to meet and compete with Jr Bush, Slick of Hunter Red fame, JE Alexander, the Rickett Bros, and just a slew of good, quality men that shaped a young man's outlook for years to come in both dogs and life. I discovered the right way to win, and I got help in being humble and appreciative when I lost, thanks to Leeroy.
Leeroy bred some of the best dogs I've ever seen, and he's also bred some of the gamest dogs I've ever seen. Little John was the first actual producer I'd ever been around, and that dog set my idea of what quality dogs are in stone for years to come. He entrusted some of his better dogs to me to use for him when I was still all kind of green. The first legitimate bad dog I had, Dolly, came from Leeroy. It took many years for me to find another dog I knew was in the same league as Dolly. The dogs that Leeroy and Little John created went on to win all across the country, and over 95% of the breedings were done between Leeroy and his circle of friends.
Now, that circle has finally closed. Little John is gone, and his esteemed owner, and one of my best friends, has joined his favorite dog elsewhere. My heart is heavy with my own grief and heavy with grief for the family, which is like my extended family also. The world is a little darker now, and another small piece of me is gone. Here's to you Leeroy. Thanks for being there as a mentor, but thank you so much more for being one of the best friends I've had. I only wish you were here to continue on this journey with me like you had been for over the last two decades. May the fires of life take you home, old friend.
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