Newhope - Crossfire
Kennel History
NEWHOPE BORDER COLLIES
The magic began when I was eight or nine. My parents had taken me to a fair where someone was doing a demonstration with his Border Collies. I was mesmerized, and decided then and there that I would have dogs like that some day.
Several years later, in 1975, I met Trigger, a clever little girl on a farm where I was working. Her owner didn't recognize her qualities and gladly parted company with her. She became my inseparable companion until she passed many years later, and became the matriarch of the Newhope Border Collies. My first litter arrived late in that year.
As time went on, I learned about my chosen breed - history, bloodlines, their work and much more. My mentor in those early years was Andy McLaughlin, a long time breeder and sheep farmer, who was Trigger's breeder.
Two of Trigger's pups stayed at Newhope, and they were the ones I tried my hand at sheep trialing with. Both were good farm dogs, and Fred was a creditable dog in the early days of the Ontario Border Collie Club (OBCC) trials. My husband Wayne and I were founding members of the OBCC.
Newhope's matriarch
Trigger, above
daughter Jeannie with a litter
son Fred
Fred was an amazing farm dog, with incredible "thinkability" .... he was able to think through a problem and find the best possible response. Dogs like him do not come along every day!
No account of Newhope's history would be complete without mention of our gorgeous red tricolour boy Bryn, a dog who stands out as the all-time best stud dog in our kennel. He was a very talented worker, awesome with our kids, and did both work demonstrations and social visits (schools, churches, hospitals) with equal ease. He was laid back in nature, confident, sure of his worth and dignified. An interesting fact, as evident in the photos here, is that his colour varied throughout the seasons, from deep chocolate to an almost reddish blonde.
Photo by Leslie Samson
We have enjoyed the companionship and working partnership with many other great dogs through the years - space does not permit mention of all, yet each of them helped to build the kennel to its present status.
Website created by Alice Guthrie (c) 2017
All photos by Alice Guthrie unless otherwise indicated.