REVIEW OF 2023 –
2023 was an interesting year, as previously stated, as a breed we do need to try and promote our breed a little more and this was done by a BBC Breakfast TV programme featuring the Rough with our own Miranda Blake and Roger, centre stage. The reasoning for this was the drastic fall in registrations which could well mean we are now to become an “AT RISK” breed as designated by the RKC. Figures concerning this were published some time back and are still available on Collie Life site.
Details, including names etc will follow but here is a basic summary of the year:
There were 39 Ch shows offering CC’s, therefore 78 possible recipients of a CC, although 1 set were not awarded in dogs. Sorry to report that apart from 1 adult group place, for Ch Samhaven Ballahanna Banjo, a Veteran G3 for Ch Tiganlea Tinkerbelle at Revdvikki and a Puppy G2 for Gataj Turn Back Time and PG4 for Roughrigg Red Lagertha, although many did stay to represent our breed in the groups, some others decided otherwise either due to travel or family issues, although I did hear a few commenting that to stay was not worth it!
There were quite a few new “First Time” judges, some 8 new names added to our list of 252. Of these, some were fortunate to be asked to officiate twice, at single sex club shows, 4 were termed “Non-Specialist” with the remainder who either had to wait to officiate due to “Covid” and the remainder, some having been in the breed for many years, all enjoyed their day centre stage.
We had 28 separate ladies winning CC’s, resulting in just 3 New Champions, in dogs there 24 separate winning males with 4 New Champions, so just 7 gaining that elusive 3rd (or more) during the year, perhaps one of the lowest for some time.
Quite a few, both dogs and bitches gained just a reserve CC, 36 in total, although some were champions and some existing CC winners and others were first-time winners.
Out of interest, the colour breakdown over both CC and RCC winners, of which there were 88, 15 were Blue Merles,17 Tricolours and the remaining 56 were all Sable and white. Our new Champions consisted of 2 s/w males, 3 s/w females, 1 tri dog and 1 tri bitch. However, come 2024, there are many of all colours just sitting and waiting for the ticket to the upper house.
The new Champions were: Ch Arklethill Delilah at Ileyda, Ch Beldones Looks Like Fun, Ch Chelborn Wish List and Ch Phreelancer Phaith Hill for the ladies. In males there was Ch Karafaye Scotch Blend at Thistlewing, Ch Paulara No Where Man and Ch Takhisis Dream Weaver.
Those who started out in 2023 and won 2 CC’s during the year included: Alfsden He Lives In You, Artzaiak Second Hand Rose for Salsina,  Beldones Touch of Class, Collingvale Chin Chin Lynmead, Corisian Parisian Magic, Corydon Clarissa, Gataj Good Time Girl, Phreelancer Phormal Dress, and all of these carry forward to 2024.
Previous CC winners, also winning a 2nd CC this year were: Sherlock Holmes for Moon River for Chantique, Corydon Pol Roger, Phreelancer Chill Factor for Elshajo and Ladnar Inkspot.
Now to the main winners, in dogs, winning 6 CC’s was Ch Samhaven Ballahanna Banjo and a G4, taking 3 CC’s were  Ch Brooklynson El Dorado and Ch Takhisis Dream Weaver. All of the following boys took 2 CC’s; Alfsden He Lives In You; Corisian Parisian Magic; Ch Gataj Struck By Lightning; and Ch Oakland Blue Style du Clos de Seawind for Zolkhan.

For the ladies there were a few more, including: Artziak Second Hand Rose for Salsina; Ch Beldones Looks Like Fun; Beldones Touch of Class; Ch Chelborn Wish List; Collingvale Chin Chin Lynmead; Corydon Clarissa; Gataj Good Time Girl; Ch Jopium Love Heart JW ShCm and Phreelancer Phormal Dress.
There were a few winning just either their 1st CC or a further CC to add to their collection and these included: Aqualita It’s A Miracle; Beldones Rocket Man, Beldones Toucher du Bois; Corydon Pol Roger; Gataj Out of The Woods; Gataj Turn Back Time;  Ch Karafaye Scotch Blend at Thistlewing (new Champion); Ch Ladnar Mustriharder; Magical Moon of Lowlands Green Valley for Chantique; Marvalan Spirit of Rock;  Monsolana Franz Von Assisi for Peblu; No More Heroes du Clos de Sea-Wind; Phreelancer Chill Factor; Sherlock Holmes from Moon River at Chantique;  Skabona Mix n Match and Skabona Stairway To Heaven.
Lots of ladies collected a single CC during the year, some won 2 or more others were existing Champions, some won that elusive 3rd to take them to the upper house  and some winning their 1st such award, these winners were: Ch Arklethill Delilah at Ileyda; Ch Artziak Selena de Salsina ; Avonfair Secret Love Letter to Salsina; Ch Beldones La Vita Bella for Hanvale; Beldones Magical Bliss; Ch Brilyn Mollycoddles; Call Me A Dreamer in Blue for Ileyda Della Verde Scozia JW; Chantique Déjà vu; Gataj Good Time Girl, Ch Gillyflower Della Buca Della Fate; Ch Hanvale Polly Shelby; Ingledene Sno Wanda; Ch Kourika Kover Girl; Ch Ladnar Inkheart; Ladnar Inkspot; Mejola Main Event; Riverside Song Extra Sweet at Rahlissa; Serenlas Chloe; Skabona What A Lady at Joshren.
Others winning just a RCC were: Ballahanna Bon Jovi at Elshadene; Breckamore Pitch Dark; Camanna Cellmate; Camanna Chasing Clouds Over Mejola; Chantique Abracadabra;  Chantique Magical Mystery; Chelborn Gambler’s Wish; Delfluvia Blu Reign for Paulara; Demelewis Double Take; Gataj All That Sparkles; Gataj Time After Time at Rahlissa; Ingledene Fantasy of Blu; Ch Jugband Blues du Clos de Sea-wind via Aaronwell; Ladnar Dreamchaser, Lillyway Latimer at Nithview; Lynmead Famous Lover collected 3 RCC wins; Ch Mejola Fate and Fortune; Mertrisa Cool Love; Millubie Razzmatazz and Millubie Rewind; Most Majestic Timeless Touch at Samshernik; Ode de Lancôme of Lowlands Green Valley for Chantique; Ch Paradise Girl du Clos de Sea-Wind for Gataj; Riverside Song Unbelievable Gay at Stavods; Ch Roughrigg Rag n Bone Man took 3 RCC wins. Ch Saganan Blue Diamond collected a further 2; Samhaven Sister Sarah to Ballahanna; Serenlas Angel with Casatentola also added a GIB Ch title to her 2 rcc wins; Shanaburn Country Road; Ch Starlenga All About Me; Starlenga Harry Potter for Elshajo; Takhisis Lady of Mystery; Thistlewing Magic lady and Thistlewing Smokey Quarts added 3 to his tally; Ch Tiganlea Tinkerbelle at Revdvikki and finally Wicani Altitude with Imaginist.

2023 BREEDING: SIRES AND DAMS
The Beldones kennel of Brian Hawkins and Odile Foy topped our 2023 table by housing the following males, all of whom sired CC (and rcc) winners.
Ch Beldones Black Illusion sired 2 new champions in Ch Beldones Looks Like Fun and Ch Phreelancer Phaith Hill who won 4CC and 2 Rcc between them
Ch Beldones Double Diamond was the sire of the dual CC winning Ch Hanvale Polly Shelby JW
Ch Beldones Blue Echo with 2 CC’s for Ladnar Inkspot; Beldones Napoleon sired just the rcc winner of Riverside Song Unbelievable Guy at Stavods
Honky Tonk Man of River Tweed, sired a new Champion in Ch Takhisis Dream Weaver who won 3 CC’s and 2 rcc, along with the CC winning Ch Beldones La Vita Bella for Hanvale (1+1); Beldones Touch of Class (2+1); Beldones Toucher du Bois (1) and the rcc winning Samhaven Sister Sara for Ballahanna.
The Beldones Ladies did their buit to promote the kennel with Beldones Corradina whelping Beldones Magical Bliss and Beldones Rocket Man along with Beldones Touch of Class from a separate litter
Ch Beldones Duchess of Dreams is the dam of Takhisis Dream Weaver, a new Champion, Beldones Enable is the dam of Beldones Toucher des Bois;Ch Beldones Fit For Fun had Ch a Ch daughter in Ch Beldones Looks Like Fun, Beldones Fun’n’Games at Roughrigg already the dam of Ch Roughrigg Rag’n’Bone Man who added a further 3 rcc’s to his tally and finally Ch Beldones La Vita Bella for Hanvale is the dam of the dual cc winner of Ch Hanvale Polly Shelby – so many congratulations to Brian & Odile for their top awards for 2023.
Back to other kennels and sires:
Ch Brooklynson El Dorado sired Serenlas Chloe, winner of 1 CC along with her sister, Serenlas Angel of Casatentola who won 2 Rcc’s’ and then campaigned abroad to gain her GIB Ch title
Corydon The Ringmaster had winners in Corydon Clarissa (2) and Phreelancer Phormal Dress who also won 2CC’s
Corydon Winning Factor is also the sire of Mejola Main Event and Corydon Pol Roger who had CC each in 2023.
Ch Jopium Stole My Heart at Lingwell  is the sire of Ch Jopium Love Heart who won 2 CC’s and numerous BVIB awards and also sired the RCC winner of  Lillyway Lattimer at Nithview

Lynmack Thunderstruck sired the CC winners of Ch Brilyn Mollycoddles(1) and Ch Gataj Struck By Lightning (2)
Magical Moon of Lowlands Green Valley for Chantique produced Avonfair Secret Love Letter to Salsina (1); Corisian Parisian Magic (2) along with the rcc winners of Chantique Magical Mystery and Takhisis Lady of Mystery, who took 1rcc each.
Ch & Int Ch One Extraordinary Blu di Cambiano sired the following CC winners: Ingledene Sno Wanda, Phreelancer Chill Phactor and Ch Ladnar Mustriharder along with the rcc winning Ingledene Fantasy of Blu.
Ch Paulara No Where Man sired just 2 rcc children in Camanna Cellmate and Delfluvia Blue Reign for Paulara
Perfect Timing du Clos de Sea-Wind for Gataj sired: Gataj Good Time Girl (2+3); Gataj Out of The Woods (1+1); Gataj Turn Back Time (1+2) and the rcc winner of Gataj Time After Time at Rahlissa.
Ch Roughrigg Rag’n’Bone Man is the sire of both Beldones Magical Bliss and Beldones Rocket Man both of whom took CC’s
Stonehaven Pride Golden Touch at Salsina is the sire of both Artziak Selina de Salsina and Artziak Secondhand Rose for Salsina who won 3CC’s between them.

Guest Blue Star de Cathyja is the sire of both Millubie Razzmatazz and Millubie Rewind both of whom took a rcc at the same show

Brood Bitches,
Apart from those listed above for Beldones, there were the following ladies who produced from their stint in the whelping box: Artzaiak So Charming whelped the two sisters, both of whom won, Artzaiak De Selina de Salsina and Artziak Secondhand Rose for Salsina 

Gataj Girl’s Best Friend, apart from winning well herself is the dam of both Ch Gataj Struck By Lightning, 2cc  and Gataj All That Sparkles who gained a rcc. Another winner producer at Gataj was Nasty Girl du Clos de Sea-Wind for Gataj who is the dam of the following: Gataj Good Time Girl, Gataj Out of The Woods, Gataj Turn Back Time and Gataj Time After Time at Rahlissa who between them all annexed 4cc’s and 7 rcc wins during 2023
Ch Ingledene Spirit of Ecstasy produced both the CC winning Ingledene Sno Wanda and the rcc winner of Ingledene Fantasy In Blue
The late Ch Ladnar Inkheart, Crufts CC winner of 2023 had whelped both Ch Ladnar Mustriharder and Ladnar Inkspot who between them won 2cc and a rcc. Another from the Ladnar kennel, Ladnar Full Circle is the dam of the Ch Inkheart whilst Ladnar Trust In Me is the dam of the dual and rcc winning Alfsden He Lives In You
Ch Phreelancer Phaith Hill is the dam of both Phreelancer Chill Phactor at Elshajo (1cc and 2rcc)  also Phreelancer Phormal Dress who won 2cc’s and a reserve.
Dam of Top Dog 2023, Ch Samhaven Ballahanna Banjo, winner of 6 cc’s is also the dam of the rcc winners of  Samhaven Sister Sara with Ballahanna and Ballahanna Bon Jovi at Elshadene and she is Samhaven From The Top Drawer.
Serenlas Yves St Laurent is the dam of the CC winning Serenlas Chloe and her sister, Serenlas Angel of Casatentola who gained 2rcc and a GIB Ch title.
The rcc winning due of Millubie Rewind and Millubie Razzmatazz both from Serbia had Millubie Key To My Heart for their mother.
Another dam from abroad, Riverside Song Julia is also the dam of both the CC winning Riverside Song Xtra Sweet at Rahlissa and Riverside Song Unbelievable Gut at Stavods who took a rcc.

Carole Smedley
(Antoc)

email: ca.antoc@btinternet.com