2005 DoggPower Hall of Fame Inductee

- Mark Landers and his dogs Magic, Bam Bam, and Stumpy.

Mark Landers and three of his dogs (Stumpy, Magic, and Bam Bam) joined Gator Red as finalist for the DoggPower Hall of Fame – Class of 2005. Mark Landers is the owner of the world famous Mountain Gator Kennel (MGK). Mark has competed with the IWPA since the late 1980’s with his American Bulldogs and American Pull Dogs. He was the first person to ever compete with an American Bulldog in a weight pulling competition.

Mark’s dogs have won 22 IWPA National Medals over the past 16 years, including 13 National Champions, 6 – 2nd place finishes, and 3 – 3rd place finishes. But what is even more impressive then that is the fact that 81% of dogs he has entered into an IWPA National, placed in the top 3 (22 out of 27 entries).

Mark won his first National Western Dog Pull Championship in 1990 with Magic in the 60lb weight class. Since then his dogs have won 18 National Western Dog Pull titles, more then any other owner.

Not only has Mark found success on the pulling track, but his MGK line of Bulldogs is known around the world. A number of breeders today are still selling puppies based on the fact that it has MGK dogs in their background.

In the early to mid 90’s, Mark was a dominating force in the IWPA with dogs such as Bam Bam, Magic, Gator Red, and Stumpy.

Magic was also a three time National Western Dog Pull champion; 1990, 1992 and 1994. “Hands down, the best dog I have ever owned was She’s Magic and subjectively the best weight pull dog I have ever owned”, is how Mark describes Magic.

Stumpy Red (AKA Stumpy) was another of Mark Landers’ famous weight pulling American Bulldogs. Stumpy won two IWPA National titles in the 80lb weight class in her only two appliances in 1996 and 1997. Stumpy held the IWPA Wheel National record on a natural surface for 8 years at 3,685lbs. Her record was broken in 2005 by Dixie (Daryl Anderson) who pulled 3,810lbs in Kalkaska, MI.