Unlike the majority of breeders who had been forced to reduce their
kennels to one or two dogs through the war years, Mrs. George (a somewhat
autocratic lady ) managed to keep her kennel of thirty Collies intact.
She had her own ideas about breeding Collies, such as that good coats
could only be obtained by keeping the dogs in heated kennels, puppies
should not be allowed on grass or they would get worms, and long tails
could only be achieved by good feeding as that was the last place
the nourishment reached! Shades of the Heineken advertisements!
During the war Ch. Beulah's Golden Sultan and Ch. Beulah's Silver
Don Mario were sent out to the U.S.A. where they quickly gained their
titles. Before he left Don Mario was to sire one litter of great significance,
for it contained the big winning Lyncliffe Lancer, bred and shown
by Mr. & Mrs.Cliffe. It was his son, the shaded sable, Eden Examine,
who was one of the three post-war sires who were to dominate British
post-war breeding. The other two were Ch. Mywicks Meadow Lancer and
Dazzler of Dunsinane.
Mr. Robson continued his great influence on both sides of the Atlantic.
At the beginning of the war he had sent out the elegant tri, Ch.Eden
Diadem who was to prove a great sire in the States. In England he
left a blue merle son, Maroel Blue Mandarin, who had the unusual attribute
of dark, instead of the normal wall eyes of the blue merle. Mated
to my Beulah's Night Flare daughter of the great Beulah's Night Victorious,
only one puppy survived an attack by the mother, and she became Lilac
of Ladypark, from whom all the lovely dark eyed, beautifully coloured
Shiel Champions were bred by Miss P. Osborne.
Foresight to Combine
Immediately the war was over Miss P.M.Grey left her post of hospital
matron and devoted all her time to her Ladypark Collies. She had the
foresight to combine the refined headed Collies of the North, with
the bone, coats and soundness of the Southern Beulah Collies. She
purchased from Mrs. George an eight week old sable bitch puppy, later
to become Ch. Beulah's Golden Flora, who was sent to Eden Examine.
Success was instant. Out of the first litter came Dr. and Mrs. K.Collin's
shaded sable Ch. Lad of Ladypark, out of the second came her own much
loved golden, Ch. Lochinvar of Ladypark.
Ch. Lad sired six Champions including the very sound, showy golden
Ch. Ugony's Golden Son O' Lad of Rifflesea. Son O' Lad had an unfortunate
propensity for poaching and to save him being shot by an irate gamekeeper,
it was considered wiser to return him to his breeder, Miss D. M. Young.
In her hands he quickly amassed eleven C.C.'s and was the only Collie
to go Reserve Best in Show at a Championship Show. He was influential
in producing some eight or nine Champions for her, culminating in
the lovely Ch. Collydene That's My Sheila of Ugony, a C.C. winner
as a puppy and now the winner of eight certificates.
Lad's other famous son was the tri, Rifflesea Royalist, out of the
mother of Lilac of Ladypark. Miss Maloney and Miss Osborne did some
very nice line breeding to this dog and he was to sire the merle,
Ch. Westcarrs Blue Minoru, whose influence in merles is still very
much in evidence. Frank Mitchell founded his highly successful Glenmist
kennel on a sable bitch by Ch. Lad out of Ch. Rose of Ladypark, which
he purchased from Dr. and Mrs. Collins at the age of eight weeks.
She was called Ch. Rifflesee Reward of Glenmist C.D.Ex. Not only did
she win her show and obedience titles but was also the dam of three
Champions for him, of whom the most notable was probably Ch. Sapphire
of Glenmist. Sapphire, when mated back to Rifflesee Royalist produced
Ch. Lovely Lady and Ch. Pattingham Gay Lady of Glenmist, who was the
dam of the great Ch. Pattingham Pacemaker who made history by winning
the Working Group at Crufts.
Such Quality
About
this time, Mrs Aileen Speding's Antocs came to the fore, founded largely
on Glenmist and Larkena breeding, and producing such quality Collies
as Ch. Antoc The Vicar of Bray, Ch. Antoc The Boyfriend and the big
winning tri, and very successful sire, Ch. Antoc Midnight Cowboy.
Lochinvar sired no fewer than twenty six Champions at home and abroad
and for a decade the Ladypark Collies of Miss Grey dominated the show
scene. Some of the best were Ch. Liberty of Ladypark, Ch. Lena of
Ladypark, Ch. Libretto of Ladypark and the lovely headed Ch. Limpid
of Ladypark. Their influence was felt worldwide.
Eden Examine was to have another influential son in Abbot of Arranbeck,
the fore-runner of all the Dunsinane Collies for Mrs. Audrey Chatfield.
From this kennel, founded on two bitches, Rifflesea Rowena and Ch.
Rifflesee Regality of Dunsinane, came a stream of Dunsinane Champions
that have won for their breeder over fifty C.C.'s and have had a tremendous
impact on Collies all over the World.
Examine's great grandson, Ch. Mywicks Meadow Lancer was a shaded sable
that perhaps lacked a little in body and coat, but was possessed with
a beauty of head and expression that was a revelation to breeders.
Once again, we had a sire that was to raise the Breed to new levels.
He was the sire of one of the most successful tri-colours ever bred,
the lovely Ch. Satine of Simbastar, but it was through his prepotent
sons that he was to make his greatest contribution.
Beautifully Coloured
Amongst the earliest of these was Albergo of Aberthorne, owned by
Mr. J. Tait and a great influence in his strain. One of the most notable
was Mr. & Mrs. Jeffries', Ch. Jefsfire Lucky by Name, whose contribution
has not always been recognised. He sired five Champions including
the magnificent tricolour Ch. Thistleblue Bluelands Boy who started
the successful tail male line of Ch. Bririch Black Kelno, Ch. Blue
Rock of Bririch and Ch. Bririch Blue Unit for Mrs. Hickson.
Meadow Lancer also sired Ch. Rhodelands Boy who in turn sired one
of the most elegant and beautifully coloured merles ever whelped,
the great Ch. Carramar Boy Blue (ten C.C.'s ), who was the sire of
seven Champions and who is behind several of the most successful merle
kennels, notably the Clickhams and the Stelroys.
Ch. Duntiblae Dog Watch was another sable sired by Meadow Lancer who
carried on the line for Mrs. Cochrane, with his son, Ch. Duntiblae
Dog Star and grandson, Ch. Duntiblae Dingo. All these lines have been
influential but it was through Ch. Defender of Dunsinane and Ch. Dorgano
Demander of Dunsinane that Eden Examine was to have his most permanent
effect. It came in the shape of a small and somewhat insignificant
looking sable called Dazzler of Dunsinane, who passed on a most beautiful
type to his ten Champion children. The success of his sons as sires
is quite astonishing. It has been calculated that 80% of all winners
are descended from them. Mrs. Eglin's Ch. Royal Ace of Rokeby sired
no fewer than twelve Champions and a most dominant tail male line
was established through his son Ch. Biririch Gold Edition down through
Ch. Kidlaine Konrad, Ch. Aberthorne Arrester, Ch. Mybern's Minstrel
and his two sons, Ch. Brilyn Super Tramp and Ch.Mybern's Mundane.
Dazzler's son Ch. Ramsey of Rokeby was noted for the sweet expressions
he passed on to his ten Champion offspring, and a line of great sires
has come from him, particularly through Ch. Brettonpark Whatzizname.
Sangreat Sorrocco and Ch. Ch. Arranbrook Mr. Chips of Aberhill, who
is already the sire of eight Champions. Geoff Mildon's Ch. Westlyn
Wayside Boy of Geoffdon is another son of Ramsey's who has sired no
less than six Champions. The tri-colour son Ramsey, Ch. Corydon Quinault
has had a great influence for good on the Breed, both here and in
Australia. Dazzler's son Sandiacre Softly Softly, winner of one C.C.
was a sire noted for the lovely bitches he produced and sired in all
five Champions.
Amongst other Dazzler sons were Ch. Dunsinane Robin Hood of Rokeby
and Brettonpark Highlander of Dunsinane. Highlander was the sire of
eight Champions of whom the most successful sires have been Ch. Drum
Major of Dunsinane, Ch. Jefsfire Clean Sweep and Pelido Black Prince.
The roll of honour is not yet complete and fresh names are still being
added to Dazzler's record.
In these days when fashionable new breeds are constantly being introduced
into Britain, it is good to know that our native Collie, can hold
its own in the popularity stakes. From those few working dogs of a
hundred and twenty years ago, the modern show Collie has spread to
all corners of the World. Britain is still the acknowledged source
of the best dogs and the numerous Collies that have left these shores
and become Champions in their new countries, testify to the skill
and integrity of British breeders.
