|
The Border Collie comes from the border country between England and Scotland. While many breeds of sporting and toy dogs were being breed by the nobility of these areas over 400 years ago, the Border Collie was the shepherd's dog. The term "collie" means "useful" in Gaelic, and the ancestors of the modern day Border Collie were the useful farm dogs needed for moving and maintaining the sheep about the farm.
The first sheepdog trial of record was held in Bala, Wales in 1896. This is the beginning of the breed as we see it today. The farmers and shepherds in the United Kingdom formed the International Sheepdog Society in the early part of the 1900's. They began holding regular sheep dog trials for the fun and sport of friendly competition. The dogs competed locally, where wins provided a means for moving up to the finals. There the finalists competed for the title of International Supreme Champion.
Many of the early winners of the title ISDS Supreme Champion were exported to New Zealand and Australia, where sheep ranching was the backbone of the economy. Today those dogs' lines are entering into the USA where they are meeting with other descendents of those dogs who remained in the UK. For example, Don 17 was the winner of the ISDS Supreme Championship in 1911 & 1914. He was exported to New Zealand. Before he left the UK, he was bred, and his offspring produced Spot 308, the Int. Sup. Champion of 1923. Spot 308 was exported to Sam Stoddart in the USA, and is a foundation sire for many lines of USA bred border collies today. Don 17 continued his winning ways in New Zealand and is currently in the lines of all of the top ranked conformation Border Collies in the USA. All Border Collies the world over can trace their beginnings back to the original dogs registered with the ISDS. Specifically, they all trace back to Ol' Hemp #9, who is considered the father of all Border Collies the world over.
|
|
