Old Lassie (Roberts)

This family was the original Family 1 of Dareen Bridges families, but she like Margaret Osborne who also had this family as her first had some of the old bitches in the wrong place. But it is still a very important family as it is one of the very few that can trace back from today to the 1870’s. Actually, this is not quite true as the latest bitches in this line that I can find are Ch Antoc Soul Diva that was born in 2013 and Coahabeg Helen Of Sparta that was born in 2014. I cannot find any later bitches in this line.

They both trace back to Denny Lively Bird but different daughters of that most prolific bitch. The Antoc bitch goes back to Lively Birds daughter Denny Dinah sired by Ch Poplar Perfection. While the Coahabeg bitch traces back to another Lively Bird daughter Eden Emily that was sired by Ch Laund Limit. Eden Emily actually had her name changed twice. It happened in those days. The line though is very important because of two bitches. One of them is in this line Denny Lively Bird while the other is a granddaughter of Bird through her daughter Eden Emily. This is Ch Eden Elenora the dam of 5 Champions including the dog that all Collies in the World go back to in direct male line Ch Eden Emerald.

It is rather sad that both Antoc and Coahabeg have stopped breeding and it appears that no one has taken over these two lines that have been going for 150 years. This is a line of 44 bitches yet only two were Champions. And one of those was the bitch at the top of this list.

I have included both lines. The first from the original Lassie and the second from Denny Lively Bird. Both lines come directly from Denny Lively Bird . And there are more lines from this bitch. They are not as up to date as the first two but they did carry on for many generations before they died out. I have included these line here as they were from four different daughters of Denny Lively Bird. She is definitely one of the most prolific of all the bitches that I have managed to trace.

Robert’s Lassie was the dam of a dog called Carlyle that became a very dominant sire during the 1870- 80 period. He was the sire among others of Wheelers Old Bess who is so dominant in Family I.

I have put a three-generation reverse dam pedigree here of Denny Lively Bird. Why was she so good a producer? The more I look into her effect on the breed the more I find. All I can say is that the 14 bitches that came before her in this line produced nothing other than the bitch that followed in the line. I have to accept that she was owned by Mr Robson who used her intelligently by using the best stud dogs for her. There are 8 daughters three of whom had their names changed. One of them twice as she started her life as Cathkin Chris then her name was changed to Laund Lizzie and then to Eden Emily and she was the most productive daughter of this Denny Lively Bird because she was the dam of Ch Eden Elenora that was one of the very few Champion bitches to actually breed Champions.

REVERSE DAM PEDIGREE of: Denny Lively Bird
Sex: F
Date of Birth: 01/01/1914
Colour & Markings: S/W
Owner:  Mr F Robson

Denny Lively Bird 
|   +--Denny Darkie 
|   +--Denny Dinah 
|   |   +--Denny Dimple 
|   |   |   +--Brookside Bess 
|   |   +--Letham Lady 
|   |   |   +--Letham Luella 
|   |   +--Denny Diana 
|   |   +--Ropewood Delight (Laund Laurie) 
|   |   +--Laund Linda 1729CC
|   +--Eden Emily (Laund Lizzie (2) (Cathkin Chris) 
|   |   +--Broomland Beauty 
|   |   |   +--Mignonette 
|   |   +--CH Eden Elenora 
|   |   |   +--Eden Esme 
|   |   |   +--CH Eden Etiquette 2 
|   |   |   +--CH Eden Enrapture 
|   |   |   +--CH Eden Elegance 2 
|   |   |   +--Eden Elma 1 
|   |   |   +--Eden Emery 
|   |   +--Eden Embrace 1 
|   |   |   +--Seftonian Sushine 
|   |   |   +--Eden Eileen 2 
|   |   |   +--Eden Elita 
|   |   |   +--Eden Erica 
|   |   |   +--Eden Elvia 1 
|   |   +--Eden Esk 
|   +--Laund Lightly (Seedley Sprightly) 
|   +--Veletta 
|   +--Kenna 
|   |   +--Greta of Athelney 
|   |   |   +--Oakham Louise 
|   |   +--Lady of Athelney 
|   |   |   +--Rose of Athelney 
|   +--Seedley Spritely 
|   +--Laund Laurelled 

So many of these bitches had a number after their name. This was because there were other registered bitches with the same name.

Denny Lively Bird was instrumental in helping to make the Eden kennel one of the most important Rough Collie kennels of all time. Her most important daughter was called Eden Embrace. She was the dam of one of the most important bitches the breed has ever had in Ch Eden Elenora. It is this bitch’s sons that are so important especially Ch Eden Emerald that is behind all of this Countries Rough collies and also almost all of the USA’s Rough Collies. Ch Eden Elenora was the dam of five Champions from two litters both by Ch Poplar Perfection. Two were male Champions. One of them Ch Backwoods Fashion had his name changed from Eden Eric even though he had won a first prize at Crufts in his original name. He was really the dominant sire in this country between the two World Wars. Strangely of the three Champion bitches from Elenora two did not produce anything of note. Very strange because of the influence of the two Champion dogs.

The Eden kennel is very dominant in this line. Mr Robson really was a very good breeder. It is most unfortunate that there are so few proper breeders left to improve the future of the breed.CH Eden Eleanora is by far the most important bitch in this line. She was the dam of five Champions. Two dogs and three bitches. Two of the bitches did not breed on at all but the two dog Champions were to have a huge effect on the breed. The first was called originally Eden Edward.

Eden Edward won a first prize at Crufts with that name but he was bought by the Backwoods man who changed his name to Ch Backwoods Fashion. His sire line then went on to Ch Antoc Vicar of Bray. The other Champion dog was called Eden Emerald and his line is the most dominant line both here and in America. He won his title here before he was exported to the USA. When he arrived in his new country, he was found to have a skin problem that would not heal. Therefor he was never shown over there, but the breeders liked what they saw, and he was used extensively to the position where his stock were better than the Collies in his home country. This  put a stop to the mass exporting of dogs from here to the States. With this in mind I have to wonder why his Champion sisters did not produce winners as well. What I can say is that Ch Eden Emerald joined Ch Christopher and Dazzler of Dunsinane as the most important and influential sires of all time in the breed.  However on second thoughts surely the sire of the Eden dogs should replace them. This was Ch poplar Perfection who was quite unique in that he was Best of Breed at the last Crufts during the First World War held in 1917

Eden Emily was the second bitch to be named Laund Lizzie. Therefore, in my database she is down as Laund Lizzie 2. Why the Kennel Club allowed names to be repeated I do not know but it makes research very difficult.   

Another bitch from this mating, Eden Esme, had another line that carried on for fourteen generations until 1961 with the birth of Alvit of Arranbeck that was sired by Ch Antoc Tawny Tattoo.

Then it was another 7 generations in this line before we come to another top producer in Miss Muffet Of Faux.. She had three daughters that were to start their own line. These were Maureen of Faux, Mignon of Faux and Miss Mischief of Faux. Maureen was the most important one as she is behind all of the bitches in the list above. Although Miss Mischief of Faux was also a spectacular dam as she was the dam of Alphington Glamour that was the start of the Helengowan success and the dam of Moselass of Faux that was at the head of the Coverdales string of Champions. While Mignon of Faux was the granddam of the Arcot line of Champions. Miss Muffet of Faux has to join the list of great dams.

This is a different line starting with Delorraine Demoiselle that was in the first line. She was also the dam of Deloraine Corena Christalyn starting her own line that ended in 2005. The Rickwood kennel based their breeding on this line.

There are so many line coming from this family yet they have all died out. This is a major problem when kennels retire and there is no one to carry on the line. Both Antoc and Coahabeg were going strong until they decided to stop breeding. I have to wonder why other breeders allowed these two famous lines to die out.

What I do find amazing is that most of the famous sires of their day did not have very long lines in front of them. In fact apart from the three mentioned above no other dogs started their own line to carry on for more than just a few generations, yet the dams I am writing about were much more successful in this fact.

Just for a laugh I have put in this reverse pedigree of Ch Eden Elenora. It is worth going down the list just to see how many of the greats in the UK and the USA came down from her. There are hundreds of names including some of the most important the breed has ever had.

5 generation Reverse Pedigree of: Eden Elenora
Sex: F
Date of Birth: 18/02/1920
Colour & Markings: S/W
Owner: Mr F Robson 

CH Eden Elenora 
|   +--CH Backwoods Fashion (Eden Edward) 
|   |   +--Backwoods Feature 
|   |   |   +--CH Backwoods Fellow 
|   |   |   |   +--CH Backwoods Fanfare 
|   |   |   |   +--Beulah's Golden Shade 
|   |   |   |   +--Beulah's Nightmail 
|   |   |   |   +--Eden Elsinore 
|   |   |   |   +--Eden Elaine1 
|   |   |   |   +--Eden Elgar 
|   |   |   |   +--Eden Emperor 
|   |   |   |   +--Eden Empress 
|   |   |   |   +--Eden Essential 
|   |   |   |   +--Knottyash Sensation 
|   |   |   +--Backwoods Fireman 
|   |   |   |   +--Blue Poppy 
|   |   |   |   +--Bluette of Waldemar 
|   |   |   |   +--Laund Lascalla 
|   |   |   |   +--Jubilee Black Vision 
|   |   |   |   +--Backwoods Blue Prince 
|   |   |   +--Backwoods Florabella 
|   |   |   |   +--Beulah's Golden Florida 
|   |   |   +--CH Backwoods Flutter 
|   |   |   |   +--CH Backwoods Flower Girl 
|   |   |   |   +--CH Beulah's Silver Merienda 
|   |   |   |   +--Beulah's Silver the Merrick at Bellhaven 
|   |   |   |   +--Silver Bouquet 
|   |   |   |   +--Backwoods Fisher Girl 
|   |   |   |   +--Beulah's Silver Marina 
|   |   |   +--Loughrig Livid 
|   |   |   |   +--Loughrig Landseer 
|   |   |   |   +--Loughrigg Landseer 
|   |   |   |   +--Parkside Policeman 
|   |   |   +--Backwoods Future 
|   |   +--CH Fashion's Superior 
|   |   |   +--Backwoods Farrier 
|   |   |   |   +--Backwoods Fritter 
|   |   |   |   +--Beulah's Golden Florida 
|   |   |   |   +--CH Freshfield Flair (Walsden Recorder) 
|   |   |   |   +--Loughrig Lavinia 
|   |   |   +--Backwoods Fredora 
|   |   +--Kennington Niger 
|   |   +--Tonge Nancy 
|   |   |   +--Laund Lorky (Tonge Trier) 
|   |   |   |   +--Delwood Barrie 
|   |   |   |   +--Delwood Suzanne 
|   |   |   |   +--Laund Linett 
|   |   +--Ruby Athelney 
|   |   +--Gorton Selete 
|   |   +--Backwoods Fashionable 
|   |   +--Babette O' Beulah 
|   |   +--Backwoods Fresh 
|   |   +--Sunray of Sedgemoor 
|   |   |   +--Laund Lamson (Baron Superior) 
|   +--CH Eden Emerald 
|   |   +--Eden Educator 
|   |   |   +--Eden Electron 
|   |   |   |   +--Ashwood Donald 
|   |   |   |   +--Blue Mischief 
|   |   |   |   +--Bruce of Waldemar (Beau Perfection) 
|   |   |   |   +--CH Eden Electora (Prevaling Fairy) 
|   |   |   |   +--Eden Blue Blossom 
|   |   |   |   +--Eden Edeth 
|   |   |   |   +--Backwoods Far 
|   |   |   |   +--Laund Lanta (Cahristine) 
|   |   |   |   +--Laund Lestor (Lena Dawn) 
|   |   |   +--Eden Extreme 
|   |   |   |   +--CH Glenack Kingfisher 
|   |   |   +--Eden Edelweiss 
|   |   |   +--Eden Elysia 
|   |   |   +--Eden Everlasting 
|   |   |   +--Eden Expert 
|   |   |   +--Eden Explorer 
|   |   +--El Capitan of Arken 
|   |   |   +--US Ch El Troubadour of Arken 
|   |   |   |   +--US Ch Future Of Arken - sire of US Ch Honeybrook Big Parade 
|   +--Eden Esme 
|   |   +--Eden Elsa 
|   |   |   +--Eden Eve 
|   |   |   |   +--Rathgael Ruby 
|   |   +--Eden Ella 2 
|   +--CH Eden Etiquette 2 
|   |   +--Eltham Park Pierette 
|   |   |   +--Peabody Emily 
|   |   |   |   +--Jennifer of Ashtead 
|   |   |   |   +--Loughrig Lucia 
|   |   |   +--Winstonian Wot's Wanted 
|   |   +--Eden Esquire 1 
|   |   +--Eden Exchequer 
|   +--Backwoods Faultless 
|   +--CH Eden Enrapture 
|   |   +--Eden Engadine 
|   |   +--Eden Enshrine 
|   +--Eden Ernest 
|   |   +--Eden Earl 
|   |   +--Eden Ebonite1 
|   |   +--Eden Ermine 1 
|   |   +--Steve of Sandy 
|   +--Eden Eclipse 
|   |   +--Eden Eugene 
|   +--Eden Eddie 
|   +--Eden Epinard 
|   |   +--Eden Edmund 
|   |   +--Eden Esmond 
|   |   +--Netherkeir Muriel 
|   |   +--Reedham Duke 
|   +--CH Eden Elegance 2 
|   +--Eden Elma 1 
|   |   +--Eden Eugene 
|   +--Eden Emery 
|   |   +--Eden Ethelfrida 
|   |   |   +--Eden Examiner 
|   |   |   |   +--Vanity of Killartry 
|   |   |   |   +--Eden Enamour 
|   |   |   |   +--Eden Eric 2 
|   |   |   |   +--Killartry Shaun 
|   |   |   +--Eden Edda 
|   |   |   +--Eden Elderberry 
|   |   |   |   +--Eden Essoline 
|   |   |   |   +--Eden Eleanor 
|   |   |   |   +--Eden Estelle 
|   |   |   +--Eden Eldora 1 
|   |   |   |   +--Eden Eldorado 
|   |   |   |   +--Eden Emulator 1 
|   |   |   |   +--Eden Epilogue 
|   |   +--CH Eugenie of Knocke 
|   |   |   +--Elaine of Knock 
|   |   |   |   +--Golden Diuchess 

Because of line breeding many of the names are repeated. some several times. But what an influence this bitch had on the future of the breed. In my opinion she was the most important bitch the breed has ever had because there are so many present day lines going back to her.

The most famous USA Collie line starts here with the son of Ch Eden Emerald . He had Alstead added to his name on entry into the States. Now he is known World Wide as GB Ch Alstead Eden Emerald. The influence this dog had on the breed in both countries is in culpable.