Ch Sylbecq Draught Guinness at Foxearth's progeny won 118 CCs.  He is pictured here with ten of his eleven UK champions: (left to right) Ch Glenmist Movie Maestro, Ch Newarp Silver Twilight at Bothways, Ch Mistoff Martini, Ch Newarp Dark Midnight, Guinness himself, Ch Foxearth Flourish, Ch Newarp Dark Romance, Ch Newarp Silver Moonbeam, Ch Newarp Dark Crusader at Jesena. Ch Elcho Evendawn of Southcombe and Ch Andrew of Francolls

She then wanted something bigger that a Dachshund and looked for something elegant, considering Salukis among others, when she noticed one day in her vet's surgery a poster with different breeds from around the world and immediately focussed on a Smooth Collie.

The breed had instant appeal to her, and a friend who had been to Crufts gave her the Smooth pages from her catalogue so she could contact someone in England.  In the meantime she had been persuaded to get a Rough so that she could get to know the breed, and took on a dog who was from a half brother to half sister mating on Rokeby lines with whom she did well.

Her interest in Smooths had been scorned by some of the Swedish Rough breeders who considered the Smooths to be "so ugly", so Birgit was adamant that her first Smooth should be a top class specimen.  Another Rough was made into an International champion while she was waiting for the elusive Smooth, and Maneross Golden Gouda was obviously a beautiful bitch.

Sandiacre Sky Hostess also went to Birgit and proved a great success; indeed she is behind the very successful Steadwyn lines which have done so well in Sweden, and now also in Italy with Mia Ejerstad, daughter of the kennel's founder.

Having corresponded with a British Smooth breeder who didn't have anything suitable at the time, Birgit was put in touch with Trevor who agreed to let her have Silver Fountain who went to Sweden at ten weeks of age in 1973.

Birgit was married at the time "sort of"! (Incredibly she has a 20 year-old grandson!)  She had eight dogs, but began visiting England and met Trevor for the first time.  The couple can't quite agree on the chain of events, but Trevor claims that he had to have Birgit to get Silver Fountain back.

While being shown in Sweden, Fountain had been judged by many British Specialists, several of who really rated her.  Diana Cochrane judged shortly after doing the breed at WELKS one year and commented that she better than anything she had judged in that entry, suggesting she should be sent back to England to be campaigned there against stronger competition.

At one show Rainer Vuorinen had given her BOB and went on to judge the Roughs, During his Rough Collie judging, he called Birgit and her bitch back to the ring where he proceeded to tell the Rough Exhibitors that this is what their Roughs should look like under the coat.  Fountain was a group and RBIS winner in Finland.

Fountain came into quarantine and with a long list of "do's and don'ts" from Birgit for Trevor.  She was quarantined near Derek Smith (Clickam) who kept a close eye on her, and subsequently went to Trevor who showed her with the anticipated success.

Meanwhile, Birgit had imported to Sweden Talcott Fugitive, a male, and Treewood Golden Delight, a bitch.  Both became International Champions and helped found Smooths in Scandinavia through their various Glennfields (Birgit then Jeneby's affix in Sweden) offspring.  Glenfields Gordiet Girl was the first Smooth to be imported into Finland.  Interestingly, some of their descendants returned to Foxearth in 2000, but more of that later.

Silver Fountain won her first CC under Walter Bradshaw in Blackpool in 1976. her second with BOB at her next show under Lily Turner and won her title at Crufts the following year under Audrey Chatfield.

Trevor had by now bought from Jane Gent a young winning bitch, Ch Jalondas's Jacanapes, who he made up in 1977.  She was mated to Ch Blue Heritage of Hughley and this produced a litter which contained two memorable bitches, Ch Foxearth Jubilant, who did so much top winning for Geoff Duffield, and Ch Foxearth Jubliate at Mallicot, who came back to her breeders who made her up.  Having entered her for Blackpool, her previous owners brought her to that show to be collected by the Hayward's who promptly showed her to win her first CC under Ray Arthur!  Having won her title and been bred from, she later went to Italy to a friend of Birgit's where she became a great influence on Smooths in another country.

Recalling Geoff's acquisition of Jubliant, Trevor points out that Young Mr Duffield came to see the litter of puppies, determined to get "a show dog and a guaranteed champion".  Trevor gave no such guarantee charged him £40 and in 1978 alone - her first year of showing - Jubilant won five CCs with four BOBs and continued to add many more to her list as the years rolled by.  Litter brother Jubilation became an International Champion in Finland , winning BIS all breeds first time out at ten months.

Trevor had won ten CCs with Blue Heritage who was the first Smooth since the second world war to win the British Collie Club Trophy which was normally the province of the Roughs.  He was bred in quarantine from a Canadian import and originally bought by a syndicate, though registered in Mrs Rhys' name.

Trevor considers Jacanapes to be the real foundation bitch of the Foxearths.  She was by Ch Peterblue Nigel, had already won two CCs along with BOB at Crufts and Trevor paid £75 for her.

Silver Fountain was mated to two different Peterblue dogs with no great success, but a later litter was to be of much greater significance.

The Dancerwood-bred Astrellita Love Affair was then bought in from Stella Clark as at the time the Hayward's had no sables, and subsequently mated to Ch Chicnoir Midnight Sultan.  Trevor and Birgit's breeding mentality is clearly visible when they tell how they used Sultan when he was almost six, despite the fact that no one had ever used him as rumours had been spread that the was sterile!

The Hayward's bred five puppies by him.  Two brothers had a great impact on the breed - the sable, Ch Foxearth Gold Fever, who won his title in 1980, and his tricolour brother, Fenix, who won one CC during the same year and later went to Italy where he came an International Champion and significant sire, but not before he had been used as a stud dog in his home country.  The Hayward's kept litter sister Flambera who won a clutch of RCCs.

In 1981 some other Smooth Exhibitors, Roy Baker and Mike Vincent, had appeared on the scene with a spectacular bitch, Sylbecq Fleur De Lys, who became a multi-ticketed champion.  As she was by Hughley Honeydew ex Ch Dancerwood Crown Jewel, the Hayward's were obviously delighted when her owners asked if they could use Gold Fever on her.  From the litter they took back a tricolour male, Sylbecq Draught Guinness at Foxearth, who won his first RCC as a puppy under Aileen Speding.  He finished his title in 1982.

Before she had been exported, Jubilate had been mated to Gold Fever and this resulted in Foxearth Winnings the Game at Bothways who was made up in three weeks by Valerie and Jack Turner.  his sister, Firegem, went to Pat Duncan who made her up in 1984.

The policy at Foxearth seems to be that dogs will willingly be exported to vouched homes in adulthood, regardless of whether or not they are made up, and at very sensible prices (talking to Birgit and Trevor, and hearing about the number of puppies and studs that seem to have been gifts to friends, they could never be described as commercial), but only when they have been incorporated into the breeding programme if necessary.

Go to Page 3

Back to Page 1