19th January 2025
United Spaniel Association
Finishing Place: 8th
Score: 29 points

13th April 2025
Sheffield GSD Society
Finishing Place: 4th
Score: 39.75 points

26th April 2025
Best Paw Copt Oak
Finishing Place: 7th
Points: 32.25 points

17th May 2025
Loughborough DTC
Finishing Place: 5th
Points: 39.75 points

3rd August 2025

The Diamonds in the Rough obreedience team got their best results so far with a 3rd place today at Hatchford brook obedience show.
Thank you so much to all the team for your amazing commitment and your love of our fantastic breed

5th August 2025
Solihull DTC
Finishing Place: 6th
Points: 45.5 points

13th August 2025

3rd place at Litchfield DTC show yesterday. Sadly I couldn't be there due to work commitments - it gets in the way sometimes! - but the team was Tara and Briar Rose, Kathryn and Rio, Dave and Isi and Claire and Blaze. One more heat in October and then we wait to see if we're 'invited' to compete at Crufts! Jane Spendelow

24th August 2025
Worcester DTC
Finishing Place: 4th
Points: 42.75 points

13th September 2025
Lichfield DTC
Finishing Place: 3rd
Points: 46.9 points

Sheffield GSD Society 19th October 2025 44.5 point 5th place

Today (19th October 2025) Diamonds in the Rough attended their final heat of the year. Achieving 44.5 points in total, there was only 1.5 points between them and the winning team so a close heat score wise! They have finished 7th in the leaderboard this year and all team members are very happy with what they've achieved in their first year competing together. Crufts gets final decision on who competes at the grand final at Crufts in March so the team anxiously await the decision.

21st October 2025

Our Diamonds in the Rough final obreedience heat at Newark on Sunday. 4 humans campaigning collie brains and versatility. Sunday seen myself , Jane, Kathryn and Claire meet for one final time.

We came 5th on the day. The exercises: Barra : scent , Baby : send to bed , Jax : stop recall/ play and Blaze ; retrieve. It's not been easy. We have 5 permanent members spread across the country and 2 reserves thanks to team members family. Each heat you need a team of 4 plus a reserve or 2 incase something happens. In every heat we have been to we haven't managed to have a reserve just incase (sickness / car trouble you never know). But we smashed it. Missing heats due to time and distance (every one for me is 5+ hours away, I had to draw the line at the far far south ones) and some clashing with dog shows. We have had the team captain break her leg and still show up to hobble round but it's been fun. The dogs have had fantastic work ethic. My own dog Barra took part in her first heat at bang on 12 months, having only just started proper obedience I had to teach her retrieve myself and hope for the best. We have tried to fairly work our dogs based on their greatest strengths.

Unlike most other teams we can't even really meet and practice basics like heel work as we aren't close enough to get together. But we still smashed a final 7th place in the top 10 (and the team who came 6th by a marginal number of points only beat us as they were the only team to show up to a heat and got 10 points for doing so). The leading team managed 12 of the 14 heats and whilst a new team for this year they had experience being together in previous years before splitting across 2 teams. So I think it's fair to say we have had done ourselves (and the breed) proud and should be going to Crufts (pending official invitation). Some photos below from Sunday. If your interested in joining us please get in touch.

Big thanks to the team captain Jane Uffspring, dedicated duo Kathryn Notley and Claire Sharon Walton who have attended many of the heats Tara Clare our final "permanent" member and also Dave, Kathryns partner and Tammy , tara's sister who without both we wouldn't have managed. Also big shout out to Tara who is competing on the Saturday at Crufts in the good citizen dog scheme finals. Fantastic achievement. Smash it Tara
Stacy Steven

Above 'Barra' bounding into action down the line of articles and toys to bring me back her own

Barra facing away from the line of articles as her handler Stacy retrieves her own toy to handover to the judge

Jax on route to being told to stop and do not move

Then rewarded by playing and showing his lovely nature for interaction

Breezy bins and in sync heek work. Love how all the dogs and people are on the same leg going forward together

Halted in action

Jane and baby on the send away/ send to bed. Baby doesn't need told twice. She's on her mission!

Diamonds in the Rough obreedience team 4th place (out of 10 finalists) Crufts 2026 When the team got together for the first time in January 2025 we all said how wonderful it would be to qualify for Crufts. We worked hard throughout the year to get to as many heats as possible - this isn't easy with many of us having to travel for many hours to get to a show. We struggle to practice in between as we all live so far apart with team members as far apart as Glasgow, Nottingham and Suffolk! We all practice independently and with training clubs and all of the team have started to compete in other fields like rally and obedience - very successfully. What has really struck me is how much I've enjoyed the competitions - competing with a team really throws you all together and we are all good friends now. The other teams are so supportive and friendly too - it's a lovely atmosphere. We finally finished in 6th place in the obreedience table and our qualification for Crufts was confirmed. Exciting! Crufts was a brilliant day for us all, if just a bit stressful! Not only are you wanting to do the best with your own dog but you are also desperate not to let your team down - quite a lot of pressure! The competition starts with a parade of the qualifying teams and then the heelwork exercise - truthfully not the best we have done, I think the stress was getting to all of us! Following the coordinated heelwork each team has to do their 4 set exercises. Firstly, send to bed (dog has to go to their bed/mat on cue approximately 10 metres away and stay there) - Jane Spendelow and Baby. 2nd stop and play (dog has to wait on cue, recall towards to handler and then stop immediately on cue, wait until the owner returns and then play as a reward) Kathryn Notley and Jax. 3rd the retrieve (dog has to wait while the handler throws a dumbell, be sent out to to retrieve it, sit with it in front of the handler until they take it and then return to the side) Claire Walton and Blaze. Finally the scent exercise (a scent item is placed in a line with 5 decoy items without the dog being able to see, the dog is then sent out to find the item, bring it back to the handler and sit in front until it is taken and then return to position) Stacy Steven and Barra. All the set exercises went really well and we got some really good scores - each exercise score is out of 10 so this can be a big loss if it goes wrong - fortunately none of them did! The whole team were delighted to be called into the awards in 4th place including reserves Tara Clare and Briar Rose and Dave Barnett and Isi - what an achievement for our first year together! We were also all delighted for the winning team MRU with their Manchester terriers - particularly as they had sadly lost one of their team members to cancer just a month before Crufts, one of her last wishes being to be with the team for Crufts 2026. The whole team want to thank the wider collie community for their massive support both on the day and throughout the year. Not only do I feel we got the biggest cheer when we entered the ring - we did notice many collie folks there - but we also managed to crash the live feed due to the amount of people watching the rough collie team! We are very proud to have represented the breed at Crufts 2026 - it's been an amazing year and we can't wait for next year! Jane Spendelow - team captain Diamonds in the Rough

For more information please contact

Jane Spendelow
Uffspring Rough Collies

07751 172666
e-mail janespendelow@googlemail.com

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