1950’s

The decade that saw the ending of food rationing in the UK following the Second World War. This enabled more people to keep dogs and so the number of pedigree and shown dogs grew at some pace. The 1950’s was also the time that CORYDON got started on it’s long journey.
The decade was dominated by 2 Kennels – Ladypark and Beulah.
Miss Grey of the LADYPARK’s dominated the stud scene with that incredibly successful stud dog CH LOCHINVAR OF LADYPARK, who
many of today’s breeders say was the greatest Rough Collie of all time.
I would argue that as he had a prominent blaze he would not be shown today and indeed would not have had any success at all once this decade had passed in to 1960’s, as it was then that blazes were much frowned upon and any collie with a blaze was just walked past in the ring by the judges. How quickly fashion can dictate what can win in the show-ring. It still happens today, with the demand by many judges for a Rough Collie to have a Border Collie head with the exaggerated stop that seems to be de-rigueur today. Hopefully it is just a passing fad by few of the less successful exhibitors trying to put their influence onto the Standard. I just have to assume that they are incapable of breeding to the Standard and have to have their little fling.
For me, the greatest debt we as breeders have, is to Mrs George of the BEULAH’s. It was she who kept enough collies through the war to enable breeders to have a nucleus of bloodlines to carry on a respectable breeding program. And of course it was a Beulah who was the dam of Lochinvar.

1957 This was my first Rough Collie that I bought as my own 21st birthday present in July 1957. He was 12 weeks old and had traveled from Yorkshire to Hertford by train. They did this in those days. I had bought him from the top kennel of the day and his name was LIGHT CAVALRY OF LADYPARK. He was not a great show dog but he had a wonderful temperament (for those days when the breed had far too many very nervous specimens). I would go shooting pigeons that at that time were a real menace, and he would retrieve them for me. I did show him quite a lot and he won a Best in Show award at his very last show. He taught me a few lessons as well. He did carry a very heavy coat, at least for the 1950’s, and he was well made and sound. I left him with my parents when I got married. Barbara had her Sandy (BIRCHBOUGHS BARON) that she wanted to keep as her parents were not keen on looking after him. The two dogs would not have got on.

1958 My first ever entered show was Crufts Dog Show in 1958. Bobby (Light Cavalry of Ladypark) was unplaced in a very large Puppy Dog Class. The judge was a very famous all-rounder Mr L C Wilson. But Sandy(Birchboughs Baron pictured) did get placed in a Class. The next show for Bobby was the East Anglian Collie Association Sanction Show. The judge was Mr P Dell. Bobby won a Reserve prize. I was over the moon about that and fixed the card over my bed. This was actually the second show that this society ever held. Now Miranda is the secretary of the Society. We had to wait until May for Bobby’s first Best of Breed. This was at the East of England Ladies Kennel Society. The judge was the very famous Joe Braddon. We had no more significant wins during this year.

1959 This photo of Bobby the representative of the breed in the Observers Book Of Dogs.

This year was very quiet on the show front. The only win, and it was a very memorable win, was at Chesham Open Show when Bobby won Best of Breed beating two of Frank Mitchell’s top Glenmist bitches. He was not best pleased!!!!! I was!!!!