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HISTORY OF CLAN ABBY ( back to top )

In the early 1970's we moved to Hawke's Bay, and Peter and I had promised our daughters when we had a home with a good piece of land they could have a dog. We brought a Rough Coated Collie from Mrs Vera Sloan. "Beauty" and I started with obedience. After winning Special Beginners, "Beauty" had to retrieve the dumb-bell, and my instructor Mrs Agnus Beacham knew I was hooked, but "Beauty" would never retrieve (I know now you have methods to overcome this). "Beauty" was so soft and gentle, and excellent with our four daughters.

We decided to get a Border Collie, knowing nothing could beat their intelligence. We purchased "Ch Strathcarron Fern CDX" from Peg Mackenzie in Timaru.

We needed a male of consolidated lines and we imported "NZ Ch Checkmate Clansman" at seven months from Melbourne. "Maney" was a small dog, and was mated later to "Cara" which produced the first "Clan-Abby" Champion - "Ch The Laird Of Clan-Abby", also in this litter was "Ch Miss Haze Of Clan-Abby".

Through contacts, we approached Mr and Mrs Jack and Joannie Thompson of Melbourne, who owned the famous "Aust Ch Checkmate Gay Lady". We were fortunate enough to purchase from them "Gay Lady's" daughter - "NZ Ch Cheviot Joanne"(Imp Aust). We brought "Joanne" to New Zealand in whelp to Top Victorian dog, "Aust Ch Crestvale Sono Thunder". It was from this litter, that New Zealand first All Breed "in show" winner was born - "Ch Thunderboy Of Clan-Abby". We later imported "Ch Cheviot Gay Lord" from the Thompson's.

Knowing what we needed to improve on, we contacted two great ladies in Melbourne. The late, Mrs Dot Stewart and Mrs Molly Wormald. Through them, we purchased, "Aust / NZ Ch Rullion Joy". She possessed a suburb front and ears, and helped to consolidate these two problems in the breed. "Rullion Joy" was later mated to "Ch Thunderboy Of Clan-Abby", and from this mating so many champions appeared.

"Ch Thunderline", "Ch Aberdeenboy", "Aust Ch Lochlinnhe", Ch Top O The Heath", and "Ch Top O the Brae".

Our four daughters have all cared for and handled the dogs. Our relations know and have the greatest respect for the Border Collie, and they can pick our dogs anywhere in New Zealand.

PRINCIPALS ON BREEDING  ( back to top )

We do not breed with our bitches until they have reached two years of age, as this is recommended by the Border Collie clubs in Australia. We hip-score our breeding stock around two years of age. At this date we have hip-score our Border Collies. For the past six years, all of our stock at "Clan-Abby" have been eye tested by Dr Craig Irving – the only qualified eye specialist in New Zealand at present – and all stock are clear of hereditary eye disease. CEA is a BREED PROBLEM – not a kennel or country problem. Likewise with ( CL )

The Border Collie does not have a large gene pool, and we have imported dogs for stud purposes to increase the gene pool. When you do this you also increase your chance of bringing in other problems.

Many breeders ask "why do you hip-score and eye test?" This is the only way to breed successfully, because only then do you know that you are only breeding with good sound stock. TYPE, TEMPERAMENT and SOUNDNESS are main the main priorities for a top kennel.

OUR BREEDING ACHIEVEMENTS ( back to top )

Our greatest achievements include the honour of being Top Border Collie breeder in the UK 1990-1991-1992 with only 6 "Clan-Abby" border collies in the UK at the time.

We have bred nearly 50 New Zealand Champions; 15 Australian Champions ( 9 of these are Aust / NZ Champions); 5 Finnish Show Champions; 6 English Show Champions; 1 South African Champion; 1 Zambian Champion; 1 Zimbabwe Champion; 1 Japanese Champion; 1 Obedience Champion and many obedience titled dogs. Our most recent success to date was to breed the first GRAND CHAMPION Border Collie in the world – namely "NZ GRAND Ch Joy’s Casanova O Clan-Abby".

"Clan-Abby" exported the first Border Collie back to the United Kingdom. Our UK success include breeding both the Dog and Bitch CC winners at Crufts in 1991, Dog CC and Best of Breed at Crufts 1993, Dog CC at Crufts 1994, and a great achievement was to breed the sire of the R/Up Best in Show winner at Crufts 1994.

We have been top Border Collie breeders for the Dominion Collie Club every year since 1978.

Our New Zealand flag files around the world in the Unite Kingdom, Finland, Japan, South Africa, Raratonga, Zimbabwe, Australia and the United States of America. Progeny from these dogs are also in Germany, Spain, Italy, Canada, Russia, Norway and Sweden.

To the breeder of the future, look after this breed, and remember we are only lent the breed for our lifetime. WHAT WE DO WITH THE BREED, is what we leave for the next generation.