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Southern Border Collie Club – Our History
The Southern Border Collie Club was founded in 1979; the founders' meeting of what was initially called The Border Collie Society was held on the 25th February. In her opening words Mary Gascoigne remarked that now things were moving the new club would be able to 'gain strength and momentum and eventually become the main force in the Border Collie world'.
At the Club's first AGM in 1980 Chairman Iris Combe said that the club was Mary Gascoigne's 'baby' and 'let's hope it grows from strength to strength'. It did and continues to do so.
During 1982 the club planned and held its first breed Seminar; this was held in August and although attendance was low it was regarded as a success for a first attempt – speakers were Joyce Collis, Felix Cosme, Monica Boggia and Mary Gascoigne. Our seminars go from strength to strength, now ably organised by Secretary Karen Angier. For details of the next seminar please email
Karen.
A major milestone in the club's history came in 1984 when the club was granted Championship Status for 1986, the judges appointed were Iris Combe who judged dogs and Group Captain Sutton who judged the bitches.
The club has always supported the other Border Collie clubs and in 1987 gave its support to Felix Cosme in his successful attempt to form the East Anglian Border Collie Club and then supported the formation of the Border Collie Club of Wales in 1990.
In 2000 founder members John and Mary Gascoigne both decided the time had come to stand down from the committee after 21 years; sadly theirs was not to be a long retirement as Mary passed away in early 2005.
SBCC played an active part in the formation of the Border Collie Breed Council and to this day SBCC is still an active, participatory member.
The club has hosted the Border Collie of the Year contest, in 1991 and 1999 and 2008. It has represented and run the breed stand at Discover dogs at Earls Court for many years. The stand has grown in popularity and our aim at Discover Dogs has always been to promote the "Health and Happiness" of the Breed. This has proved to be successful and won Royal Canin best stand in 2006. It has also finished in 3rd in 2007, 2nd in 2008 and in 2009 won the best breed stand at show awarded by the Kennel Club.
SBCC and its members have also been successful in agility with the club winning the team competition at Crufts in 2008 and 2009. It has also hosted the KC herding test last year. The club also holds two open and one breed championship show and an obedience show each year. It still runs agility and obedience classes.
The Southern Border Collie Club has passed the milestone of its Silver Jubilee in 2004 and although the committee has changed over the years the aim is still to promote the health, happiness and working attributes of our breed. Our membership is varied and many compete in agility, flyball, obedience, heelwork to music, working trials and breed. Others are involved on the working side – sheep work, PAT Dogs and Search & Rescue. The committee are all hardworking and run the club around their full time occupations. All are passionate about their dogs and the breed and are committed to continuing the aims of the club which are:
'to preserve the working attributes of the breed, to encourage responsible ownership, to endeavour to safeguard the breed from exploitation by breeders, the promotion, general care and well being of the breed both on the field and in the show ring'.
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