Our Beginnings
Ch.
Drumlin Southern Comfort, a beautiful sable merle, was Charlene's first show dog. Kelly was not
an easy dog to show, because he had a strong self will, but he did enjoy
it, and obviously Charlene did too. He possessed the true Collie temperament,
loyal, trustworthy, protective, but he also possessed a very good sense
of humor. He lives on in many of his children and grandchildren, but there
will only ever be one Kelly.
Fritz's
Lil Miss Kel, or Comfy to her friends, was probably Charlene's biggest
love. Sired by Kelly, she was from one of Charlene's first litters, and was also a sable merle. Although
she never did finish, Comfy was always the boss lady around here, even
up to her final days. Pictured here at 7 years old, Comfy was always full
of life, just like her daddy. And just like her daddy, she will always
have a special place in our hearts.
And
then along came Caitlin, Starr's Yankee Rose. Through a friend we lucked
into acquiring this very special girl. A Breezy granddaughter surprisingly
she was not a show dog herself. Although Caitlin did produce many champions,
and greatly improved the look here at Chavanda. Caitlin had a heart of
gold, and possessed that true Collie temperament, of a loyal, loving dog.
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A younger Crystal |
Last year as a Veteran |
Ch.
Fritz's Imported Crystal, now retired, is the true representative of what
we feel a Collie should be. Beautiful, graceful, easy mover, and that sweet
Collie temperament, with a hint of bad attitude. Crystal and her sister,
Ch. Fritz's Dark 'n Stormy were a big part in our receiving the Pedigree
Breeder of the Year award for Rough Collies in 1993. Crystal's winning
ways have not stopped with her, now her kids and grandchildren carry on
with her looks and attitude in the ring or on the sofa.
Ch.
Fritz's Dark 'n Stormy, a Caitlin daughter, never did enjoy showing all
that much, although she did get her title. Stormy was from Caitlin's first
litter, which produced just her and Crystal, above. Both Stormy and Crystal continued their
mothers tradition of producing Champions. A real sweetie, Stormy would much
rather be in a whelping box than a show ring, which was the complete opposite
of her sister.
Ch.
Fritz's Blue Chevy II CGC, was a big ole loveable dog. Benny had that typical
Collie trait of just wanting to please so bad. We taught him some
basic obedience, which he surprised us by excelling at, although he quickly
became bored with the repitition. He also finished in his puppyhood, but
didn't make it back to the specials ring until the 1997 C.C.C.
National Specialty at almost 7 years of age. He certainly did not forget
a thing, and although he didn't win, he had a lot of fun trying. Goodbye sweet Benny
we sure do miss you.
And
then came the smoothies. Ch. Fritz's Bailey's Irish Cream, was the result
of our first smooth breeding, and she was a big part of our falling in
love with this variety. Bailey finished at 8 months of age, with a group
3rd, and picked up a 3 point major her only trip to the U.S. At 7 years
of age, her exquisite head, expression, and great movement has not diminished
in the slightest. She is now the top girl here, although she has
retired from both the show ring and the whelping box. Bailey still enjoys
teaching the new puppies their manners, and nobody here catches a frisbee
as well as Bailey does.
Ch.
Fritz's The Naked Gun, is Bailey's brother. So being from our first smooth
litter, Poppa almost made us never want another rough again. From when
he was just a few months old, and had to have his sweater on to go outside
to go potties, to getting his tongue stuck on a cold metal post, Pops was
and still is a true character. He quickly earned his championship title,
and later produced a few champions in both varieties, including Pebbles.
Retired now, Poppa loves a game of frisbee even more than his sister, as
long as he gets a quick cool down in his pond.
