The Yearbook 2014
We have a new yearbook and once again my congratulations to
Michelle Esch Brooks for getting the book out on time. We had gotten used to yearbooks being
late for so long, that it came as a real shock when Michelle took over. It seems to be a case of the apple not
falling far from the tree.
This old dinosaur must admit to being confused by some of he
contents of the yearbook.
Obviously some guidelines have changed over the years. The number of different titles and
awards for which dogs are eligible are staggering. In the Parade of Stars apparently the same dog can be shown
on numerous occasions for various wins.
It used to be one picture and you picked the win that you valued most.
The titles for things not related to conformation are
seemingly endless. Not everyone
dotes on conformation or even understands our standard and obviously we have
folks with other interests.
Proving that Collies have a brain is not a bad thing, but how many
degrees do you need to make that point?
Apparently some titles can be awarded posthumously since one therapy dog
shows being whelped in 1990. (This
may be a typo)
The dogs themselves, as usual, are a mixed bag of good and
not so good. Since pictures can be
misleading we know this doesn’t come as a big surprise. Too many dogs show the neck and front
that Steve Field called “a cobra waiting to strike!” Some photos show dogs with legs that look like Clydesdales. Hardly what you would call lithe and
active with no useless timber.
Some heads with under jaws that look grotesquely strong.
Lest you think all I do is criticize, I call your attention
to Kathy Moll’s committee on Breeder of the Year. Many have long felt that awarding things like Breeder of the
Year, Top Stud, and Top Bitch need to be done on a percentage not just by raw
numbers. Raw numbers encourage
breeding lots of Collies and don’t hit the target we wish to recognize. Please give this your support so even
small breeders can get recognition.
One thing that really tickled the old dinosaur’s fancy was
to find an award for Collies that hunt rats. Now sheep, ducks, agility, therapy, good citizens and all
the others were no big surprise just a bit overwhelming, but rats are another
matter. When I was a very young
dinosaur my first registered Collie was a granddaughter of Ch. The Duke of
Silver Ho. Apparently the Duke was
a Collie rescue by Ameera Croakman,
a noted breeder and handler.
His granddaughter who I owned was a terrible speciman from a show point
of view, but was my pal. My constant companion, she went on
horseback rides and roamed the woods with me. She learned to hate rats when she sniffed one I had caught
in a trap and was bitten on the nose!
No rat that she encountered after that lived more than a few
seconds. If the AKC in their
infinite wisdom had only started rat hunting back then, I would have finished
another champion.
I’m looking forward to my judging assignment for the Midwest
Collie Club in May. Though many of
our current titles and degrees may be a bit overwhelming, the Collie standard
and Conformation judging are old friends.
Since it’s getting on toward mowing season and we have about three and a
half acres my blogs may be a bit scarce.
My new baby chicks arrive in early May and the old dinosaur takes longer
to do chores than he used to.
Steve Field stopped writing when he realized how much he didn’t
know. I know there’s a lot I don’t
know, but still love sharing ideas with you.
If you dig around long enough you’ll know what I believe in
is what I write about and what I always hope is that my ideas may somehow
benefit this breed of ours. The
comments from a vet on line about our breed tells you how some people might
feel about where we’re taking our dogs.
He also mentions Cocker Spaniels as another breed that’s lost it’s
way. A good article in “Dogs In
Review” show the dog that made Cockers popular, Ch. My Own Brucie. He doesn’t look much like Cockers
today! Think about where we’re
going in terms of the breed not titles or awards.
Think about it!
