Our Border Collies:
The first border collie to arrive in Italy was Flag ISDS 158420 in 1985. I bought her from a neighbor in Scotland, and she came to live with me in Rome. After a year or so two more Border collies joined our group, They came from England this time, thanks to Norman Seamark who has contributed a lot to our knowledge and work. Sweep ISDS 165933 and Brooklyn Tara ISDS 170189 have taught me so much. Tara in particular as she was completely different from Flag, and was headstrong in her wish to work as she thought best.
My first litter in 1988, produce some lovely working dogs, with a coloring not often seen today. The white was mottled.
In 1990 after having had to go all the way to Switzerland to find a mate for Tara, I decided we needed an other male.
Thanks to our friend Thomson McNight we had the fortune to acquire Edenvale Dan ISDS 162684.Dan has been the best work companion I have ever had. Generous, never let me down, a strong steady worker who would walk up to any animal be it sheep or cattle. From these four dogs have come most of the foundation stock of the working dogs in Italy of the last fifteen years. Now sheepdog trials are becoming known and many people now breed border collies, few how ever breed for work nearly everyone breeds for show/agility and now and then will breed to a dog with ISDS papers and call it a working dog.
One litter should be mentioned with particular thanks to Odette Lieber Conous (Switzerland)for having helped, encouraged and steered me in the right direction. Mostly how ever I thank her for having allowed me to use her Bill as a mate for Tara. This mating has produced some of the most outstanding dogs in Italy.
Two in particular should be mentioned as they appear in the pedigrees of a lot of the top dogs today.
Rome 1990-The first, Flag, Brooklyn Tara, Sweep; the first born in Italy Cluarans: Benjamin, Bee and Axel.
