Towards the end of 1933, a group of Southern enthusiasts considered the time was right for a new National Collie Breed Society with a southern base. So an application to register the ‘Collie Association’, complete with the necessary 21 shilling [£1.05] fee was received by The Kennel Club on 2 December 1933, and approval granted on the 16 January following.

The founding members came from both the Rough and Smooth worlds, and, as was then customary, the club catered for both varieties, and in its original application for registration, the stated aims were given as:

The founding committee were not slow to understand that for this to be achieved they must approach the task on several levels.

In the early post war period the Collie Association aimed to encourage every collie breeder and/or exhibitor in all disciplines, frequently scheduling competitive Obedience at their shows. Bearded Collie classes were also included in an effort to encourage those who were then attempting to rebuild this ancient British herding breed.

The Collie Association achieved a first in 1968 when their Championship Show was judged by two people, after Mrs Speding had drawn a record entry the previous year. This previously unheard of development, after becoming a fixture at Collie Association shows, has since been copied by all other Collie Breed Clubs.

In 1968, following request from Members residing in the South West Area, an official Kennel Club recognised South West section of the Collie Association was formed, with Mrs Peggy House [Ravensbeck] as Secretary.

The South West Section was well supported and the section flourished with Cups being donated by members in the area, including ‘Ugony’  from the late Miss May Young, Westcarrs, Rainpark and Dindella, to mention just a few. Frequent social events were organized, in particular gatherings following shows and garden parties, with dogs were the ‘Order of the Day’.

Despite its popularity, membership declined and in 1976, the South West Section of the Collie Association was closed, and although a few of the Cups or Trophies have been transferred to either the Open or Championship Shows the majority remain on offer to Members residing in the original South West area at our Supported Show, including The Tweedie Cup for Best Tricolour and the Tweedie Trophy for Best Dog, both presented by the late Mary Cooper, herself a Collie Association Member and avid supporter of Guide Dogs for the Blind.

Much of the above has been extracted from an article by Dareen A. Bridge called 'To Make the Collie Popular' which documents the history of The Collie Association, you may downloaded a copy, in Abode’s Acrobat PDF format, by clicking the PDF icon below.