Pelido Blue Pavan at Samberry

Winner of the East Anglian Collie Association’s 1st Puppy of the Year competition 1990

The East Anglian Collie Association
owes its existence to a small group of
fanciers, including Mrs Iris Combe
‘Tilehouse’, Mr and Mrs Fendley ‘Ralvera’
and Miss de Bell Ball ‘Killartry’, exploring the possibility of
establishing a club capable of serving Collie fanciers in the region. Further meetings were arranged, often at the home of Mr and Mrs Parrot ‘Larkena’ before
a steering committee was selected. With acceptance of their second choice of title Kennel Club recognition was granted in July 1957, with Mrs George H. ‘Bobbee’ Roos, well known to American enthusiasts for her ‘Wickmere’  Collies, as
secretary. Forced to resign within the first year due to her husband, then
an American Airforce Pilot, being recalled to his homeland base,
the East Anglian Collie Association endured a succession
of secretaries after Mrs Roos; stability eventually attained
after Mrs Pat Barnard ‘Washbay’ took on the post in 1965
holding it for the next twenty-one years to become the
club’s longest serving officer.

 

Initially the club concentrated on encouraging fanciers in its
immediate area specialising in the then popular Sanction show,
which would often be judged by experienced Collie specialist
judges. Gradually a more ambitious approach was adopted
and by the early 70s both Limited and Open Shows had been
added to the club’s list of events.

 

1975 saw the East Anglian Collie Association hosting its first
Championship show for which they had engaged two judges, one for
each sex, a wise precaution when one considers 284 Collies were
entered. The officers and committee’s justifiable elation at achieving
Championship status were soon deflated when a change in the way
the Kennel Club calculated Challenge Certificate allocation reduced
the number granted to Rough Collies and three clubs, including the
East Anglian Collie Association saw their status return to Open Show level.

After a sustained degree of lobbying by both club and the Rough Collie Breed Council, plus a general rise in show entries and therefore Challenge Certificate allocation Championship status was eventually returned in 1984. The officiating judges Mr Jimmy Tait, ‘Aberthorne’, dogs and Mrs Freda Thomas, ‘Dundrennan’, bitches making up both Incredibly Blu di Cambiano and Chrisarion Corndolly
on the day.

 

Members of the East Anglian Collie Association have always enjoyed a strong social and educational side to the society’s activities. Eye testing
sessions were once common place, and even to day you will find
frequent educational events including seminars on various health
issues, grooming demonstrations etc. The highlight of the social
calendar is the annual Puppy of the Year competition inaugurated
in 1990 and originally designed to find the top winning puppy from
the previous season. Combined with a gala dinner and dance it
quickly became a focal part of the Collie Year. Today this competition,
which is now confined to members, is a daytime event aimed at finding
the Top Puppy and Best of Breed winners from shows staged within
the East Anglian Collie Association area.

The East Anglian Collie Association has the single simple objective of:

To promote the responsible breeding and exhibition of Collies
(Rough & Smooth).

 

Dedicated to furthering Collie interests in East Anglia, membership is open to all.

For more details about what the East Anglian Collie Association has to offer
please contact the secretary
or visit the East Anglian Collie Association pages on Collie Net