LA VIDA COLLIES

ESTABLISHED 1972, Collie since 1967.

I allow myself to quote Charles Dickens in David Copperfield, where he says: "My earliest recollections when I look back into my infancy" (and add for myself) "are my absolutely love for animals....!"
When I was two years old, and far too young to really remember myself, my father told me that I was but by a ram! That didn't scare me, at the age of 7, we got our first collie, I don't remember his pedigree, but he was a kind, big and strong dog. He followed me everywhere, he was both my nanny and my best companion.
At 11, the second world war broke loose, and our beautiful garden full of flowers were transformed into a ZOO! This was like Eden to me, with pigs, one goat, sheeps chickens and rabbits. It was my job to feed them, and I cried bitterly each time an animal had to be slaughtered, but we had to eat during the war.
When I was 16, peace came to Norway and Europe, and my father bought me a lovely German horse, a pure Hannoverian of first class, he was a "fuchs" (Foxy-red), and a good companion for many years to come.

When I was 18, I met my future husband, after a while we got married, and bought an appartment. We were not allowed to keep animals there, but we kept (secretly), a Guinea Pig, they were at that time called "apartment-dogs".
My husband had a Collie bitch when he was a boy, and it was my favourite breed too, so we decided, that when I took over my childhood home, that we could have a Collie. His bitch was called BELLA.

In 1967, my husband was killed in a terrible car accident, and my children and I moved back home to my father, who, by then, had become a widower. We bought a shaded sable rough Collie bitch, and named it BELLA. She was by Clayswood Charles of Ladypark, and she grew up to have many faults, like pricked ears, big, light brown eyes and an awful tail! We loved her just the same, she had a very nice temperament, but we decided never to let her have a litter.

Two years later we bought a golden sable bitch, she was by CH Aberhill Titanic Boy of Dunsinane ex CH Jaysim Elegance. After a while, we took over the latter, she was in whelp and gave birth to our very first litter.

In 1975, I was given NCH Flame of Daisow as a gift, she became MOSTVINNING NORWEGIAN ROUGH COLLIE in 1978, and once went 2^nd BEST IN SHOW, numerous breeds. In those days, you rarely saw a rough Collie even be placed in the group! NCH Flame of Daisow was by CH Geoffdon Westlynns Wayside Boy and NCH Dundrennan Wishful of Geoffdon. Flame had, among other litters, three with Int. Norwegian Finnish CH Geoffdon Jonathan, he was by CH Duntiblae Dogem of Geoffdon. Jonathan's father was both Flame's halfbrother and grandfather!

In March 1979, my most beloved Geoffdon Startrek came to live with us, and I have never regretted that! He was to become an unique sire. He was by Geoffdon Legal Tender (litterbrother to CH Geoffdon Lawmaker, the sire of the famous and well known CH Karava Kornishman), by CH Arranbrook Mr Chips of Aberhill ex Geoffdon Isabella. Startrek's dame, Geoffdon Mystic Charm, was by CH Aberthorne Arrester and Altricia Angie Babe of Geoffdon. Startrek was to become the rough Collie sire in Norway with the greatest number of puppies ever! He, and my fundation bitches, are the source of almost every rough Collie in Mid-Norway! Up until today, his children, grandchildren, g.g.children, g.g.g.children and so forth dominate the breed in these parts of Norway!

He inherited especially his excellent temperament and movements, I have never before or after seen a rough Collie with a hind action like his!

Since 1989, the Norwegian "arena" has "belonged" to our lovely CH Brilyn Major Tom of Lynnswed. Lars Linden, kennel Lynnfield/Lynnswed, told me about his dame, CH Lanteague Black Magic at Brilyn (!) when she was still a puppy, and he promised me a tricolour dog puppy when she had her first litter.

In January 1988, she was mated to CH Tashadon Tommy Tucker, CRUFTS-WINNER, and in March -88, she gave birth to a lovely litter of 9.

CH Major Tom came to Sweden when he was 8 weeks old, and one month later I went to Lars to see him for the very first time. He was absolutely gorgeous, and so were his litterbrother and littersister, both sable/white. It was very, very hard for Lars to decide which one of the dogs I was to take to Noeway, but in the end he let us have the tricolour one. A "fairytale" began, he was to become the famous CH Brilyn Major Tom of Lynnswed, the CHAMPION-PRODUCER himself ! During his life he sired 11 champions in all three colours. He is dead now, but shall never be forgotten by us ! He is resting peacefully in our beautiful garden, side by side with Geoffdon Startrek ! they are both sleeping under a cover of beautiful flowers.

Our homebred tricolour dog, La Vida's Coeur de Lion, (doublebred from Geoffdon Startrek) sired 1 Champion, a lovely blue merle bitch, CH Klinthuset's Shimmering Linda Lei, she was BEST IN SHOW for Anne Hollywood at the Norwegian Collie Club's main championship show in 1997. another sable daughter of his, Miss Shellina, has 5 CC's, she only need the one that counts for her Championship.

La Vida's Believe It Or Not (Sylcroft Sammy Bear at Brettonpark - La Vida's Ophelia, 1 CC) has sired a double-champion, N obedience Ch and Swedish obedience Ch.

Lynnfield Winter Ace at La Vida, came to live with us in 1990. he is by Lynnfield Independent Lover - Maneric Camilla. He has sired 1 Champion, a sable dog.

Tri-Lynnfield by Lynnfield on your Credit - Segerdalens Hawaii Blue, have sired 4 Champions. He had only a few litters, as he died very young, only 4 1/2 years of age. It was a great loss when he died ! I am sure he would have continued to sire champions, he had a lovely pedigree, Dolen Silver Crusader was his grandfather, and his g.g.father was Spanish Champion Tashadon Hot Chocolate, a famous CH Tashadon Tommy Tucker son.
During the last 15 years, our studdogs have sired altogether 25 Champions in all three colours !

We have imported from England:

GEOFFDON STARTREK, tricolour dog.
GEOFFDON PEGASUS, tricolour dog by Ch Geoffdon Westlynns Wayside Boy ex Geoffdon Isabelle.
GEOFFDON POLLY PERKINS, tricolour bitch (Littersister to Pegasus)
GEOFFDON MINUTE WALTZ, sable bitch (littersister to Startreks mother)
MEISGYN MIDNIGHT STALKER AT RIFFLESEA, our newcomer last year. (Rifflesea Rawen Flawless - Aberton Black Lace) his grandfather on his fathers side is: CH Percheron Benjamin Black at Amalie, his grandfather on his mothers side is Gwendale Triple Trouble at Steelhurst. Our new "star" is named HUNTER (after Hazel Hunt) and we think he comes from a very interesting combination !

He is expecting his first litter after April the 20^th, so we hardly wait to see his off-spring. We hope he shall have the same value as progenitor as our other stud-dogs have had!

From Sweden:

CH BRILYN MAJOR TOM OF LYNNSWED, tricolour dog (needs no further presentation !)
LYNNFIELD WINTER ACE AT LA VIDA, (Lynnfield Independent Lover . Maneric Camilla)
LYNNFIELD QUALITY IN A GOLDEN SUIT, (Brilyn Field Marshal - Dolen Superdream). Brilyn Field Marshal is by CH Mybern Merideon ex CH Brilyn Dawn Delight, and Dolen Superdream by CH Brilyn Supertramp ex Spungold of Dolen.
TRI-LYNNFIELD (Lynnfield on your Credit - Segerdalens Hawaii Blue).

All our stud-dogs have produced Champion off-spring except for 2 of them, and although Geoffdon Startrek has produced the greatest number of puppies so far, the most famous sire of them all is without doubt CH BRILYN MAJOR TOM OF LYNNSWED ! He is, in particular, in his own class !

Another thing that strikes me, is that CH Brilyn Major Tom of Lynnswed has been most sucessful when he has been used on one of the daughters of Geoffdon Startrek !

We had our first litter in 1973, but I must admit, that we have not bred many champions !! Many CC-winners, some with 3 CC's or more. Their owners have never completed, it seems that they, after a while, are no longer interested in Dog-shows!

So - our stud-dogs have to be "blamed" for all the Champions they have produced in connection with what have been bred by us !

At the moment, we have 6 rough collies here at our small kennel:
Sweetmint's Carpet Knight (CH Brilyn Major Tom of Lynnswed - Lynnfield Whatzername at Sweetmint), tricolour dog.
La Vida's Foppish Fellow in Blue (Sweetmint's Carpet Knight - Rising Nova's Blue-Eyed-Nova), Blue Merle dog.
La Vida's Y Not Gordon (La Vida's Raison d'Etre-(he has sired 2 Champions)- La Vida's the Soft Sex), golden sable and sable dominant.
Kesaragis Above Any Allusion (Sweetmint's Carpet Knight - Great Lakes Beatrice Born Alone), shaded sable (CC for Ferelith Sommerfield (Hamilton) and resv CC for Jimmy Tait at our main CH-ship show in May 1999.
Meisgyn Midnight Stalker at Rifflesea (Rifflesea Raven Flawless - Aberton Black Lace), tricolour.

The bitches are:
La Vida's Capital Point (La Vida's Y Not Gordon - Baby Bunting) shades sable.
La Vida's Daily Delight (Crubow's Kissing Bandit - All or Nothing) golden sable.
La Vida's Eccentric Edition (La Vida's Y Not Gordon - Paliando's Happy Ending)
Paliando's Happy Ending (Tri-Lynnfield - La Vida's Blue Geordie Girl (the latter a CH producer) tricolour.
We are expecting a litter by Meisgyn Midnight Stalker at Rifflesea ex La Vida's Eccentric Edition in June, and hope to keep a tricolour bitch from this combination.

Looking for good stud-dogs and brood-bitches, we in particular, are building our experience on our lovely breed from three things:

The type that we prefer, is the one we call "the classic". This is, to us, the type that is built on the sheep-dog principle, a good mover in any kind of country, a good mover with good angulation and drive. One has to be very comcerned about the small details. We never mate two Collies with the same faults! For instance short tails or bad underjaws. Unrespected a good head, it is no good to us without dark eyes and a sweet expression, and lack of underjaw! Tails, for instance, seems to be a big problem. When we talk about the classical type, we try to combine the "old" type with the more modern type. Their movements have to be so good that it seems they are "floating on air"! Our main intension have, through 33 years, to breed classical Collies. We are very concerned about good angulation both in front and rear. The right lenght, and the right hight. This is only part of what we are trying to retain when we discuss combinations between the two of us.

The most important for the breed that we love so very much, is to retain, as breeders, our Collies of to-day as the beautiful breed they once were ment to be by breed-lovers!