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A Collies Online Feature: CCA Nationals Of The Past

Back in the Day: CCA National Specialties of the Past, Part 2,
(1960 - 1970)


By Sally Futh, Starberry Collies
starberry@snet.net

Photos from CCA year books 1960-1970


My favorite radio show, as many of you know, is Prairie Home Companion. (National Public Radio, Saturday evenings 6-8). Tonight Garrison Keillor was talking about the differences between when he was growing up and today, and all the things we have now—Performance Art, and words like Totally. And down jackets instead of wearing twenty pounds of wet wool. He can make absurd things funny, even when you are not so happy about some of the things going on in the world.

So . . . back to the day.


Continuing on to the 60s, a time of turmoil in the outer world, but growth and expansion in dog shows. The 1960 show was in Kansas City, Missouri, at another big coliseum/convention center, you all know the kind of place. Mary Kittredge and I drove out together and that in itself was a wonderful experience. She went on to Arizona afterward with Lois Hillman and two dogs, K. Temptress having been the chief competition for BOB which fell to Lois’ Ch. Country Lane M’Liss. Darn Minute had to settle for BOS with George Noppenberger calling it, but his daughter, Doc Greathouse’s Devonshire Dark Cheri took the points given out by Bob Smith. Judy Mansure of California and Maryland had WD with Merrie Oaks Manzanita. Cul Mor’s Kilcullen, again, topped a handful of smooths.



Next came Anaheim, California, 1961, in a public park, a wonderful outdoor show on the lawn, sun and shade, although we needed headlights for the last non-regular classes. Bob Wills had 21 rough specials and there were 141 in the classes for him and Billy Aschenbrener plus a good-sized puppy sweepstakes for Dr. Durfey. We had left Connecticut before entries arrived so I didn’t know dogs and bitches were going to be judged simultaneously. After an unsuccessful sweeps, I put Lil in the room near the ring and sat down to watch the puppy dogs. Suddenly I realized there were nearly 20 puppy bitches at the far end; sprinted back to the room, grabbed my surprised puppy off the bed and rushed to the end of the line. She sparkled in the sun and won the class, went on to Best Puppy under Wills and brought home the A.D. Alexander Challenge Trophy, a punch bowl that rivaled the Kem and has been borrowed for many weddings, christenings and Bar Mitzvahs. The gorgeous Wind-Call’s Silver Sapphire took the points but S. Royal Ballet was in the fight to the end.

Sandy Tuttle was next to me in the line and we had a great time coffee housing for the class’ duration and became lifelong friends. My pick for WD (but not Bob Will’’s) was the gorgeous Blazer of Buffington handled by a VERY young Nancy Holbrook; we too formed a long term friendship which continues to this day. Les Canavan took home (and gave to our tournament) the huge trophy for "Collie coming the furthest distance" with Royal Rock Gamblin Man, the ACCONEUS representative. As CCA secretary I also had to lug home the Morgan Challenge because the owner of BOB, Ch. Merry Hills Bruce O’Happy Home, was not a CCA member. As we boarded the plane carrying all our loot somebody said we had to be the Davis Cup golf team and we got multiple autograph requests.



Back to indoor shows for awhile: a suburb of Baltimore, the Pikesville Armory in 1962 with Mrs. Long and Gus Sigritz sharing the assignment. The Honigs’ Ch. Stoneykirk Reflection won, with his daughter, Ch. Mayoline Welcome Reflection BOS. Sandy Draper’s Cyn-San Signet was WD and Echo Hill High Hope was WB. CulMor’s Calpurnia was best of the few smooths.

Bob remembers Mrs Long’s kindness taking the trouble to comment on his entry’s future star potential—after he had only placed second in the class. My main memory of the show besides taking home the Hunter Trophy with S. Tarnished Silver was Mrs. Long’s dramatic handling of the big specials class. She had them filling the ring in parallel lines and moved forward her choices until she had Jamie and Bebe side by side; the whole ringside knew what she thought from first to last. compared to the way some judges fuss and fidget, what class!





In 1963 it was Chicago again and I had the privilege of sharing the assignment with Steve Field, with Haworth Hoch passing on the futurity entry of 91 and 30 rough specials. There were eleven smooths. The Honigs’ Stoneykirk Reflection won BOB with Carabines’ Ch. Erin’s Own Gold Rush BOS. Cherrivale Imperial was WD and my choice was the glamorous Ch. Glen Knolls Spun Gold.



All the way to the tip of Long Island with a then record entry of 237 roughs and 12 smooths; Edith Levine was show chair of the 1964 show for host club Collie Club of Long Island. One New Jersey entrant turned the wrong way going home and found himself even further out on the island when he realized there was water on both sides of the road! Ch. Clown Prince of Floravale was BOB for George Schroeder and Spun Gold BOS. Doc G. surprised all with Cagy Star as WD; Brandwyne Pandora started her unbeaten run to her championship with WB under Glen Twiford. Ch. Myrack Smooth Black Diamond beat Glocamora Morning Mist for Smooth BOV. Tom Coen made his CCA presence known, handling the futurity winner, and John Buddie also took advantage of the show being close to his home base.



Billy Aschenbrener returned to the judge’s podium in Denver, 1965, with Ben Butler doing bitches. Glen Twiford’s Ch. Wind-Call’s Night Hunter topped 24 specials, 208 total roughs, with BOS to Ch. Valley View Satin Slippers from New Hampshire. There were 9 smooths. Steve Field had both WD and WB, which I think was a first. Ada Shirley put Stoneykirk Star Barry first of 54 futurity puppies. In smooths, Ch. Paladin’s Black Amber beat Morning Mist.

Columbus, Ohio was the 1966 site and Clown Prince repeated under Dale McMackin. Total entry—290. WD was Arrowhill Oklahoma Tornado and WB Brandwyne Cindy Lu. Morning Mist was BOV of 13 smooths and there were 17 obedience entries. With 117 in the futurity, Cherrivale Pit was Ed Myers’ winner. The Kem Sweepstakes was held with the Columbus Collie Club specialty and it was won by Brandwyne Angelique.

The Hall of Flowers in San Mateo on San Francisco Bay saw us back in California for 1967 with a record smooth entry of 41, again topped by Morning Mist. Even more significant was the big black puppy who went WD, none other than Black Hawk of Kasan. I flew out and was privileged to meet him, all 80 pounds, in an enthusiastic paws-on-shoulders greeting before the show when I went out to Sandy’s to see her new hopeful and drive up into the snow-clad Sierras to visit her mentor, Jane Kuska. The Eastern contingent who drove out had to wait a day to cross the mountain pass and get to the show just in time. George Horn had BOB with Ch. Jadene’s Breezealong, Slippers BOS again. Barbara Schwartz had WB with Snack, the futurity winner, Impromptu Repartee, and Janet Leek WD with Possum, Brandwyne Bayberry Mister, so it was worth the long trip for our group.

1968 was local again, with Bobbee Roos chairing the show at Ft. Belvoir, Virginia. John Lindeman and Ralph Morrison were the judges with Dr. Borman doing the overload puppy classes and Bill Burgess the futurity. There were 279 class roughs and 49 specials, 13 and 8 smooths, 141 in the futurity and 41 in obedience. Ch. Noranda Daily Double, and Ch. Marnus Evening Breeze came out on top, with Hawk and Morning Mist heading the smooths and here’s a surprise for you, Macdega Point Blank was smooth WD. HiVu the Invader and Shadowmont Silverfire took the points in roughs. Chick Baker’s Echo Hill Majorette topped the futurity.



St. Paul Minnesota was the site of the 1969 specialty with Noel Denton and Edith Levine as judges; 184 in rough classes and 33 specials, 18 and 7 smooths, 72 in sweeps for John Honig and 38 obedience entries. Roz Durham took BOB with Ch. Robel’s Jason, BOS to Impromptu Repartee, WD to Sue Sturm, Lick Creek Trademark, WB to John Buddie with Judie Evans’ Kemrick’s On the Rebound. Hawk was Smooth BOV, Starberry Hullabaloo won the sweeps over Trademark after spending a nerve-wracking previous day on a fogbound plane in Newark. The joys of travel to the national specialty are not the best of memories!


1970 brings us to the end of the decade and the beginning of a new era. Svend Jensen judged dogs and intersex, George Dahl, bitches, and Ada Shirley the overload of smooth classes, 26, and rough puppy dogs. Bobbee Roos judged 125 in sweepstakes, putting Lee Aire’s A Real Happening to the top in puppies and the Hawk son, Ch. Dorelaine Smooth Domino, in juniors. There were a total of 257 in the rough classes with Antrum Alltheway and Blossom Heights Redmiss taking the points. There were 37 specials, won by Ch. Lick Creek’s Drummer Boy and Evening Breeze. But, it was a smooth who took top honors—Black Hawk of Kasan with Les Canavan broke the variety barrier going Best of Breed.

Last month I was complaining to Karen—and anybody I came across who would listen—about how much work it was to put this together. But it is has been fun, too, remembering the odds and ends that make up the fabric of going to the national. The best part, of course, is the friends you meet and the longtime friends you see, even if it is just once a year.

> A Word from Dickens: CCA National Specialties of the Past, Part I, (1954-1959)

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