12/06/2024
We are looking forward to having Rachel Collie join us. Rachel is doing her first progression into Group 5 and we hope she enjoys her day with us and a bumper entry.
I was born into a family who always had dogs, my mother bred and exhibited Boxers and we always had a Jack Russel for the farm, one of our boxers saved me from drowning as a 2 year old and I haven’t been without a dog since birth. We as a family got our first Bulldog in 1989 when I was five and a half, and so began the life-long obsession with this ancient breed. Our first, Beefer practically reared me, and we were never far apart. Since then, we have had many over the years, pets foremost and show dogs second. I dabbled in a bit of junior handling as a child, mainly with my Japanese Chin’s from 1996 onwards, but I also handled all of my mother’s dogs over the years but did not fully step into the show ring with my own bulldog till 2007, my baby Bomber, Beaudiddley Bouncing Bomb, a gorgeous red & white who died two weeks shy of his tenth birthday. Since then, I am in partnership with my mother Judith and we have had several Irish & International Champions, BOY IRL 2019 an English Champion in partnership with Susan Jay, who also won BOS @ BOY UK & IRL 2014. My own multi CH & IR CH & INT CH Newfound Lost Me Head At Thornford was Reserve Best Bitch @ BOY UK 2020/2021.
I have been involved with The Bulldog Club of Ireland for countless years, being on the committee for ten or more and Chairperson for a number of years from 2017 on, I became secretary in 2021. I have been show manager several times and cup steward since a teenager. I am also a member of several breed clubs in the UK and a founding member of Northern Ireland Bulldog Club. I am a life member of the Irish Kennel Club.
I began judging in 2011 at Open level and had my first breed championship appointment in 2015. I have judged in England, Scotland and in Wales, my last UK appointment being Bulldog Club of Scotland in Oct 2023. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, I lost 3 judging appointments. I am approved to award CAC (Green Stars) & CACIB in the all breeds in FCI Group 2. Kilkenny is my first judging appointment in Group 5 and I am looking forward to judging Samoyed. I have been “laminated” for many a year on Anita’s stewarding list!
I have completed all the mandatory stewarding, seminars, rules & regs, points of the dog, conformation & movement, requirements of a dog show judge, breed specific seminars, breed appreciation days etc since 2008, both under FCI & KC guidelines. I am also on the approved A3 Overseas Specialist judging list for the Bulldog Breed Council UK.
