Our official show pictures came from the National, and they are beautiful!
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| Nolan (center) with his siblings and Sire, Noah (far left) |
(Fellow bloggers….these pictures are high quality images, but they don’t upload that way. Any idea how to fix this? You can see the high resolution images on our Instagram, Winterberry.Collies)
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| Rosie |
The Collie National is over until next year. While we didn’t come home with new titles, our collies made us so proud! With over 650 collies entered, any wins at the National are a huge honor, and our collies didn’t disappoint!
Nolan’s class was early on Wednesday morning. Our 18 month old puppy stepped into the ring with my daughter and looked like a seasoned show dog. He moved gracefully around the ring, and didn’t set a paw wrong. Nolan won 1st place in his class, and we could not be more proud of our boy. We received so many compliments on him, people came up to our grooming area asking to meet him.
Wednesday afternoon was our puppy Morgan’s turn to shine. She was entered in the very competitive 9 - 12 month rough sable puppy class. With 14 beautiful puppies entered, it was a quality packed class! Morgan did not get awarded a ribbon, but she looked beautiful and handled her first National with confidence and lots of sass! Her sass is courtesy of her Mom, Peyton. (In the video below you can see Morgan and Rosie)
On Thursday our beautiful Rosie stepped into the ring. She has this sweet, soft expression and moves so well, it wasn’t a surprise when the judge awarded her 2nd place in her class. Rosie and Morgan share the same Sire and they are very similar. Rosie is 3 years old, so she has a beautiful adult coat.
Nolan got to go back into the ring with his Sire, Noah, for the rough stud dog class. This is a fun class to watch, along with the Brood Bitch class, as the collies are judged by the offspring they produce. As it’s a family affair, they are shown with 2 or more of their “get.” We love Noah so much, and are so proud of his son, Nolan, that we bred our ZuZu to him. Noah is the sire of the puppies from our recent litter.
It was a fun and exciting week, and we can’t wait to see how our collies do in the upcoming Spring shows. Hopefully we will have some more exciting announcements soon!
With everyone planning, preparing and packing for their trips to Tulsa this week, I’ve been rereading old collie magazines. Looking at the collies who won at past Nationals, I can’t help but feel excited while trying to guess who may win this year! I’m unable to attend the Collie National this year, I’ll be watching the live stream from home, but my daughter will be there! She will begin the long journey to Oklahoma this weekend. She is bringing three of our collies, and we are hopeful that they will win one of the coveted National ribbons!
The Collie Club of America National Specialty is held each year at the end of Winter. Collies, and their people, travel to whichever location is hosting the National. Sometimes it’s held nearby, and sometimes it requires a day or two of driving. The travel and show expenses can quickly add up, and for many this is their big vacation of the year. So why do we do it?
There are many reasons to attend a National dog show for your specific dog breed. Beyond the excitement of watching the competition, a National can provide invaluable information. Here are some of the top reasons:
1) While attending a National, you can evaluate the top collie bloodlines in person. This enables you to see how different collie lines compare in structure, coat, and expression. You can observe the various traits that define strong lineage, such as head shape, movement, and temperament. Seeing the collies in person, observing them as they run around the show ring, is a more accurate assessment than judging from photos or pedigrees alone.
2) You can talk directly with breeders about the lineage, history and goals for their collies. This helps you learn how successful kennels maintain consistency across generations. By speaking with the breeders, you can develop a better understanding of how their past champions have influenced their current and future lines.
3) While watching the competition, you can begin to identify the proven show and performance lines by watching which lines consistently win in conformation, agility, obedience, or herding. This can also help you to distinguish between show lines vs. working lines.
4) Attending a National can also help you build relationships with reputable collie breeders. You can meet established breeders face-to-face, and ask about their upcoming litters or stud dogs. This helps you build trust, which is essential if you're planning to buy, breed, or co-own one of their collies.
5) While attending the National, you can learn about breed-specific health concerns and genetics. This affords you the opportunity to learn about common collie issues like Collie Eye Anomaly. You can learn about which genetic testing, health clearances, and responsible breeding practices should be performed for the collie.
6) While observing the different collie breeders and handlers, you can get great insight into how collies are kept in top physical condition. You can also learn about coat care techniques for rough vs. smooth varieties.
7) Attending the National also gives you the opportunity to evaluate collie temperament across different lines. You can observe collie behavior under the pressure of crowds, noise, and competition. This helps identify stable, confident temperaments, which are critical for a successful breeding program and for a companion dog. You can see first hand how different lines handle stress and social interaction.
8) And finally, you can document and track different bloodlines. You can take photos and notes on standout dogs and pedigrees. You can track which sires/dams are producing winning offspring and build your own reference for future breeding decisions.
The Collie National is over, all the collies are back home and Spring has finally arrived here in New England. Our Rosie (Creekwood’s Sunshine and Roses, FDC, BCAT, FITB) and our ZuZu (Creekwood’s Fireheart, FDC, BCAT, FITB) made us very proud at the National.
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| Peyton |
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| Nolan |
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There is a collie specialty show this weekend in Connecticut, but after that we will only be competing at all breed shows for the Summer. The collie specialty season won’t start up again until the Fall. Fingers crossed for ZuZu, as she is entered on Sunday and just needs one single point to finish her championship!
With the dog shows slowing down, I thought it was a good time to try something new. I took Addison for her very first herding lesson! It was one of my goals that I set for 2025, and I’m excited to give it a try! Addi really enjoyed it, but we both have a lot to learn. The instructor told me that learning how to compete in herding was going to be the most challenging thing we have ever done, and the most rewarding. (Ignore the barking, they had a Great Pyrenees in the next pasture, and he was protecting his flock.)
Towards the end of the lesson, when Addi was tired and the sheep were tired, they all stood there looking at each other. Maybe as a thank you for the fun game, or maybe to make sure there were no hard feelings, Addison leaned close, and gave one of the sheep a kiss on the nose. She is such a sweet collie. Our next lesson is in two weeks, I can’t wait to see how it goes!
Wanted to share news from the National…
Our Rosie won 4th place yesterday! Winning a class placement (1st - 4th) at the National is a huge honor, and we were so excited for our beautiful girl! When you are surrounded by beautiful collies, and the judge picks your collie out of the line up to award a ribbon, it’s an amazing feeling.
Today was ZuZu’s turn to step into the ring.
And our beautiful girl won 1st place! We are so proud of Rosie and ZuZu, they showed their hearts out, and our coming home with two beautiful ribbons! ZuZu didn’t win Winner’s Bitch, so she stills need 1 more point to earn her championship. But we are confident she will earn that last point soon. What an exciting National this has been for us!
Tomorrow is Peyton’s turn to shine, and Saturday is puppy Nolan’s turn. This afternoon my daughter is showing a rough boy for a friend of ours. She is doing such an incredible job handling our collies at this huge show, I’m so proud of her. Hopefully we will have more news to share!
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| ZuZu would just like more treats! |
This week collie breeders and owners are all gathering in Syracuse, NY. Traveling from all across the country, as well as visiting from other countries, people are joining together for the Collie National. The CCA National is the largest collie event of the year. It’s the time to celebrate our beautiful collie breed and spend the week surrounded by all things collie!
Yesterday was “move in” day. All the exhibitors began arriving to set up their grooming areas, and to bring in their beautiful collies. For some, it’s just a space to groom and crate their collies, for others they decorate their space with care. But no matter how they organize and decorate their areas, it’s the collies that are the main attraction. Visitors can wander up and down the aisles and meet the breeders and get to see the collies up close.
My family has our grooming area all set up, and our collies are so excited to be there!
With over 700 collies entered, the building echoes with the happy barks of all the collies! The conformation, and obedience judging started today. The herding and agility competitions started earlier in the week. Tonight is the Top 10 ceremony, where the top 10 winners in conformation, performance and junior handling are all honored for their accomplishments in 2024. And then tomorrow, Friday and Saturday the breed judging continues until the final Best in Show winner is chosen. It’s a very exciting week, everyone is hoping to come home with a bit of ribbon and bragging rights that their collie won at the National. But win or lose, the entire week is full of friendship, fun and new memories made with our beloved collies. This afternoon Rosie will be stepping into the ring, tomorrow ZuZu will be shown, Friday will be Peyton’s turn, and then Saturday morning little Nolan will be in the puppy class. Keep your fingers crossed for us, as we attempt to win a ribbon at the National!
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| Rosie is busy getting ready! |
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| The Girls! |
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| Holly, Abby and Scarlett |
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| Kori, pretty girl! |
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| Ryder |
