1970’s

This was the decade that put CORYDON on the Collie map.
We won our first ever Challenge Certificate, and made up our first ever Champion.
We won our First Group Win and our first Breed Club Championship Show Best in Show Win.
We made up 5 Champions in this decade.

1970 A very poor year as our dogs only won two Best of Breed awards. The first was with Corydon Quo Vadis at Chesham Open Show .Then Corydon Countryman won Best of Breed and Reserve Best in Show at the London Collie Club’s Open Show. We also showed a young blue merle bitch called Corydon Cornflower. She won the odd first prize, before we exported her. We sold her To Herr Rall in Germany where she proved to be an outstanding dam by producing two of his most famous Champions.

1971 Our dogs did quite well this year as they won Best Opposite Sex awards at Club Shows. Firstly Corydon Quo Vadis won at the East Anglian Collie Association Open Show, followed by Corydon Qui Vive doing likewise at the London & Provincial Open Show. Best of Breed awards were won by Corydon Don Vicisti, Corydon Countryman (2) Corydon Qui Vive and Corydon Quo Vadis.

1972 This was quite a year as we moved from near Peterborough to Lincolnshire but close to Newark in Nottinghamshire. Our new abode was a single story building built in 1920 but had over an acre of land with it. Small village so no problem with dogs as they all had their own dogs. A very quiet year on the showing front as our dogs only won three Best of Breed awards. The first was Corydon Quo Vadis at the big Newark & Notts Agricultural Show, this always had a big entry. The second was with Corydon King Hector at Newark Open Show and this was followed by our new purchase Barnville Blue Barnet at Corydon who won at Sherwood Foresters Open Show

1973 This was a truly unforgettable year as our dogs won their first ever Challenge Certificate. This was Corydon Quinault at Bath Championship Show under judge Frank Mitchell. It had taken seventeen years for us to win a CC, but at least we learnt the hard way and now we are the Top. He won from being entered in the Graduate Dog Class. Unusual for a dog entered in such a low class to be awarded the CC. Our dogs also won two Best in Show awards. The first was Corydon Qui Vive at the East Anglian Collie Association Limited Show with Diana Cochrane the judge. Secondly Corydon King Hector was Best in Show at the British Collie Club’s Limited Show under judge Mr Simister. Hector also had Best of Breed wins at Sleaford and Westwoodside.

1974 This year we went mad because our dogs won four Challenge Certificates, three Reserve CCs and six Best in Show awards. We had to wait 17 years to win a CC then we win with three different exhibits. The CCs were won by Corydon Qui Vive at Paignton, under Mr Hucklesbee and by our new puppy Corydon Hippolyta winning at the Scottish Kennel Club under judge Kath Jefferies and at the West of England Collie Club under Alan Jefferies. Not to be outdone Corydon Quinault won the Dog CC at Bournemouth while his dam won the Res Bitch CC at the same show. Judge was Mrs T Taylor. This show was fun because when I arrived at the benches there was no number or bench for Qui Vive. On enquiring at the Secretary she advised that I extend the bench for Quinault that was at the end of the bench line. This I did so both mum and son were on the bench. At the end of the show this bench had the Dog CC and the Reserve Bitch CC clipped on the back. Must be the only time that this has ever happened. The other Reserve CCs were won by Hippolyta at Southern counties with judge John Parrott and Corydon King Hector at Welsh Kennel Club under Kay Alexander. Qui Vive won four Best in Shows. These were at East Anglian Colie, London & Provincial Collie, Yorkshire Collie and British Collie. Corydon Bouquet in Blue won Best in Show at East Anglian under May Young. Then Hippolyta won Best in Show at the Midland Collie Club under Pat Wilkinson.

1975 At last, we made up our first Champion. This was when Ch Corydon Hippolyta won the Challenge Certificate at the London & Provincial Ch Show under judge Mrs F Chapman. This was actually the very first Ch Show this Club was allowed to hold. They had been founded in 1906 . Their neighbour Club the London Collie Club had started in 1947 but they held their first Championship Show in 1955. I have question how The Kennel Club allowed this. However Hippolyta won the CC at the London Collie Club where she went Best in Show under Vera Hickson. We soon had another Champion as Hippolyta’s dam Ch Corydon Qui Vive won the CCs at Paignton under John Parrott and the next week at the East of England Ch Show under Mr Butchart. Both times she went on to Best of Breed. Hippolyta also picked up four Reserve CCs. These were at Birmingham National under Jim Broderick, Leeds under Harold Linley, Border Union under Kay Alexander and Scottish K C under Margaret Osborne. Not to be outdone Corydon Bouquet in Blue won the Reserve CC at National Working under Ralph Fendley. Altogether a rather good year. We also introduced a tricolour dog that was to have some influence, this was Corydon Old King Cole

1976 The year started off very well as Corydon King Hector won Best in Show at the East Anglian Open Show under Iris Combe on the 19th January. He followed that up with two Reserve CC awards. The first at Lancs & Cheshire Collie Club under Jenny Osborne (of Bearded Collie fame) and then at the Yorkshire Collie Club under Des Rippon. But much more important was Ch Corydon Quinnault winning the Dog CC at the National Working Breeds under Lew Casely. He was also Best of Breed and finally Group 3. This was his last show ever. He went to Australia not long after with the stipulation that he was not to be shown. He did sire a large number of Champions in his new country. Another CC was won by Corydon Bouquet in Blue. This time at the Welsh Kennel Club under Mrs J Harris. Corydon Old King Cole won the Reserve CC at the Scottish Collie Club under Vera Hickson. He was then Best Puppy in Show. He beat some well known winners in the upper classes that day. The year was also memorable as we introduced a new puppy that had a big impact. This was Corydon Polyhanna. She won a Reserve CC at Darlington under Pat Mildon. She was also Best in Show at the Midland Collie Club Open Show under Vera Hickson. Hanna as we called her amassed over 60 Junior Warrant points but like too many prolific puppies she never made the big time.

1977 This was a real let down year after all the winning our dogs had had during the previous three years. We had to wait almost until the last show of the year before we even won a Reserve CC. This was by Ch Corydon Hippolyta at the Collie Association under Mrs P green. Earlier Corydon Old King Cole won a Best in Show award at the East Anglian Collie association Open Show under Lisa Burtenshaw. However, we did introduce a new dog puppy that was to have a very big effect on the breed. This was Little Caesar at Corydon, he later gained his title and sired many big winners. He later went to Australia where I am told he was the leading sire of all time.

1978 This was a very much better year as we introduced one of the very best Rough Collies of all time. This was Corydon Handsome Hero. He won three CCs this year and was to dominate the show scene for the next couple of years. His Challenge Certificate wins this year were at West of England Collie under Frank Davies who also made him Best in Show. His next was at Lancashire & Chesire Collie under Mr J Pearson who also made him Best in Show. His third and qualifying CC was at the LKA under Ada Bishop who also made him Best of Breed. So he was now CH CORYDON HANDSOME HERO. He also won the Reserve CC at Driffield under Mrs J Cable. But the first Reserve CC of the year was won by Corydon Polyhanna at Northumberland & Durham Collie under Vera Hickson. Then Little Caesar at Corydon won the Reserve CC at Southern Counties under May Young before he was Best in Show at the Midland Collie Club Open Show under Mr R Mitchell. Then Corydon Old King Cole won the Dog CC and Best in Show at the Yorkshire Collie Club under Mr J Broderick. I have a feeling that Hero should have won but he did not like the slippery floor. They put mats down after he had been in his class. So we ended the year with four CCs and a new Champion.

1979 Another very good year with the highlight being a Group win at an all breeds Championship Show. This was at the East of England Show where Ch Corydon Handsome Hero won the Dog CC and Best of Breed. He then went on to win the Group under Mrs C Sutton a very well known all rounder judge. I remember it well because when it was Hero’s turn to be looked at she asked me to move him round the ring and then asked me to do it again. When she had looked at all the exhibits in the ring she came straight to me and picked Hero as the winner. Normally judges will pull out about five exhibits then place them. But this time she did not. This was as far as I can make out only the sixth time since the end of the first World War that a Rough Collie male had won a group. So many of these all rounder judges just ignore this breed. I can understand this because so many of the winners are just plainly unsound. Any way we made up a new Champion. This was Little Caesar at Corydon who won at the Midland Collie Club under Jack Wigglesworth, Birmingham National under Geoff Mildon and then at the Collie Club of Wales under Lisa Burtenshaw where he went on to Best in Show.. Thus becoming CH LITTLE CAESAR AT CORYDON. He also won Best in Show awards at London Collie Open Show under Mrs V Plimmer, London & Provincial Open Show under Stella Clark, Collie Association Open show under Mrs A Smith and East Anglian Collie under Alan Clark. So ending the year with five Best in Show awards. Corydon Polyhanna was Best in Show at the London Collie Club Sanction Show under Jean Lawson. Hero also won Best of Breed at City of Cambridge and then going on to Reserve Best in Show all breeds. Later in the year we introduced a dog that was to win a CC under rather dramatic circumstances later on. this was Corydon Handsome Hugo.