Agility with the Rough and Smooth Collie

Stacy Steven (Cambrogan) and Brooke (Cambrogan Blowin' a Hoolie)

Brooke started agility training at the age of 2 and a half in June 2021. Her first competition was April 2022. Brooke has a lot of enthusiasm and really enjoys the sport. She will never be the fastest on the course. No Rough Collie will be. But she is steady and accurate. And it's those qualities that saw Brooke win out of grade 1 and into grade 2 over the space of 3 competitions.

We have now been to 5 show days and Brooke regularly has clear rounds. I love this sport. It quickly becomes addictive. When it goes wrong it's often the handler's fault, like when I got eliminated for missing out a jump.

Talk about frustrating! But it just makes you want to keep trying and strive to improve.

It's a great way to spend time with your furry companion and strengthen your bond. And all wins are well earned and there's such a feeling of pride. We are almost halfway to getting the first agility warrant. Currently Brooke has 89 points and the bronze warrant is achieved at 200. I can't wait to see how our journey progresses.

Zoe with Zircon (Ingledene Aramis)

As a child I wanted a Rough Collie, my parents considered them too big so we had Shetland Sheepdogs instead. In April 2018 I was competing with my Shetland Sheepdog at an agility show and saw a stunning Rough Collie, so spoke to the owners and found out who had bred their dog. He was a Phreelancer. Only a few weeks later I unexpectedly lost my only Shetland Sheepdog at only 3 years old and found myself desperately in need of a new canine companion. Despite knowing several Sheltie owners I could not find any puppies available, so considered searching for the Rough Collie I had always wanted.

I called Lene Newman of Phreelancer Collies. She told me she had no puppies available, however did know that Val had some. I was straight on the phone to Val, went to visit her the following week and brought Zircon home three weeks after that!

I started Zircon with some ringcraft and he did some showing, winning puppy class at match nights at Crews Hill Ringcraft Club. He went to Boston Championship Show where he qualified for Crufts and he was placed 4th in the junior class in 2019.

However, I had always intended to do agility with him. I train with Tig Stephenson of Ridinghood Agility and Zircon featured in the pages of Clean Run magazine, illustrating an article she wrote for the magazine. We were also fortunate enough to attend some training with Nicola Garett, who also owns and competes with Rough Collies.

He was coming along nicely and had his debut show, in an allsorts class, in February 2020 and we all know what happened next!

I was fortunate enough to have space at home to keep training during the lockdowns, but Zircon's competitive career was put on hold. Last summer we started again, in allsorts and anysize classes, hampered by a minor surgery I had on my knee. This year we started with some anysize but progressed a few weeks ago into graded classes, starting in grade 2 as I was competing my Shelties up to grade 6 previously.

At our first graded show, we were eliminated in the agility but we had a lovely clear jumping round and I was totally amazed to find we had won the jumping class! Although we had not been fast, we were the only clear round!

At our second show, again Zircon was not super speedy. However, he completed all three courses clear, again achieving a place, 6th in grade 2 agility.

Our third show to date was Sunday. Again Zircon was not the fastest but he went clear in all his runs, this time placing 4th in grade 2 agility!

I'm hoping his speed will come with more confidence in the show environment. He is easily distracted as he is such a friendly and sociable boy.