Tracie – BALLYANN
My relationship with our beloved breed began in 1980 with my first Border Collie – Minimbah Panda CD who I trialled in the obedience ring. Not long after I had the opportunity to try my hand showing a friend’s Weimaraner – it did not take long for the “show bug” to well and truly bite and shortly after I acquired my first Border Collie show bitch, Minimbah Queen Ohearts. This set off a chain of events that had me hooked on all things Border Collie and would make an indelible imprint on my life at that time and into the future.
After establishing my Ballyann prefix I enjoyed success in the show ring throughout the 1980’s with my homebred Aust Ch Ballyann Tumbling Dice (Multi Class in Group & In Show winner), Aust Ch Crestvale Blue Harmony (the first Blue & White champion titled Border Collie in the world & Reserve Challenge bitch Sydney Royal 1986) and Ch Kennoway Santefe (Reserve Challenge bitch Melbourne Royal 1987 at 8 months of age & All Breeds Best in Show winner). Also prominent at that time were two males leased from Victoria – Aust Ch Kennoway Bill Bailey (Multi BIG winner and RUPBIS All Breeds) and Aust/NZ Ch Tullaview Trail Blazer (Multi BIG winner).
In the early 1990’s through my friendship with Claude & Robyn McManus and Peter Buckley of Bobanette Kennels, I took over handling their Aust/NZ Ch Dajarra Laser Lad (imp NZ), as well as Aust/NZ Ch Bonny Earl of Carlanrig (imp NZ), both of whom enjoyed extremely successful show campaigns in Australia. My own homebred Aust Ch Ballyann Buckleys Chance (RUPBIG winner) was also being shown together with her dam Aust Ch Kennoway Santefe.
Peter Buckley (Bobanette Border Collies) and I were married in July 1994 and our daughter Kathleen was born in June 1995. We showed sparingly for the next few years until the arrival of Aust Ch Kennoway Lochln Mclochln (BISS, BIG & RUPBIG winner) in 1999. He was followed by Aust Ch Kanawalla Australya Fair (BISS & BIG winner) in 2002, Aust Ch Kennoway Colour Me Tartn (RUPBIG & Border Collie National 2006 Reserve Challenge bitch winner), Kennoway Brush Strokes (Multi Class In Group & In Show winner) in 2005, with our co-owned Konavan Ma Belle Amie (Class In Group & Class In Show winner) having a pleasing start to her show career. Our 2007 litter did well in the show ring, with Aust Ch Ballyann Bebackbymidnite HIC (Multi BIG, Multi Class In Group & In Show winner) and Ballyann Colour My World HIC being shown by us in NSW and Aust Ch Ballyann Tartn Atmidnite (BIG, Multi Class In Group & In Show winner) shown by Moystonhill & Kennoway Kennels in Victoria. We were privileged to co-own a daughter of Aust/NZ Ch Kennoway Baileys Bandit, Aust Ch Kennoway Tartan Faithful (AI) HIC (Multi class In Group winner) with Kennoway Kennels. Ballyann Up Up And Away and Ballyann Past Your Bedtime (Baby In Group winner) who were both sired by our Aust Ch Ballyann Bebackbymidnite, were exhibited in 2010, until Ballyann Past Your Bedtime jetted over to WA to her new family, and Ballyann Up Up And Away took up residence with Debbie Younger (Monifieth) in SA.
I have had the pleasure of handling many other breeds successfully over the years, and recently enjoyed campaigning Aust Ch Tullaview This Much is True (AI) for Glen & Sharon Jameson of Sheermyst Kennels. I also occasionally assist Patrice Smith & Courtney Spencer of Tullaview Kennels with their show team.
More recently we have been indebted to Jacquie Johns (Waveney Border Collies SA) and Danielle Inverno (Sashdan Border Collies Victoria) for their assistance and enduring friendship resulting in our “Blue Twins” – Ballyann A Sea Fullof Diamonds (Specialty Class in Show winner) and Ballyann A Sky Fullof Diamonds (Multi Class in Group & Sweepstakes winner).
I became a licenced Working Dog (DOGS AUSTRALIA Group 5) judge in 2011, gaining my Non Sporting (DOGS AUSTRALIA Group 7) licence in 2018 and Gundogs (DOGS AUSTRALIA Group 3) licence in 2022. I am currently studying the Toy Group (DOGS AUSTRALIA Group 1) and am also a Junior Handler judge and Convenor of the DOGS NSW Junior Handler Working Party. I have judged in every state in Australia (except for the ACT and the Northern Territory) as well as New Zealand and Finland.
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Peter – BOBANETTE
In 1977 a serious motor vehicle accident resulted in me being hospitalised for 3 months followed by 9 months of rehabilitation. During this difficult time in my life, my family bought me a Border Collie pup Aust Ch Gotrah Celtic Drift CD from Peidje & Bert Vidler of Gotrah Kennels (who by chance were located 15 minutes from where we lived). We became constant visitors at their kennels as well as close friends and after much coaxing and coaching from the Vidlers, we slowly but surely discovered the show world, and as they say “the rest is history”. We were fortunate to win Challenge dog with Drift at Sydney Royal Show in 1979 and I was subsequently introduced to Claude & Robyn McManus who had established Bobanette Kennels in 1972. We became close friends and it was not long before I joined them as a partner in Bobanette in 1979 and thus began a life long passion for our endearing breed.
In 1979 I was a founding member of the first NSW Border Collie Club. Named “The Border Collie Society”, it quickly became known overseas, with many Border Collie devotees from other lands joining. This Club continued until 1984, but was eventually dissolved in deference to the “Border Collie Club of NSW” which had since come into existence and became affiliated with the RASKC (Royal Agricultural Society Kennel Control). I was the Border Collie Society’s newsletter editor and as a result I became “over the water” friends with the wonderful Margaret Collier of Borderbreeze Kennels UK, who was the long time newsletter and Year Book editor for The Border Collie Club of Great Britain. In the early 80’s Margaret invited me to write articles for their Year Book which I was honoured to do right through this decade.
In 1983 my dear friend Peidje Vidler published her well known book, “The Border Collie in Australasia”, and I am honoured to have contributed various photos for the book. There were many conversations with both Peidje and her husband Bert covering many topics during the book’s research and preparation stage.
Throughout the 1980’s Bobanette had some wonderful dogs including Aust Ch Gotrah Charger, Aust Ch Bobanette Celica CD, Aust Ch Bobanette Trademark, Aust Ch Bobanette Centurion and Aust Ch Bobanette Show Talk. As a side project we were in communication with Firelynx Border Collies in the UK and in 1983 we imported a number of straws of frozen semen from Eng Sh Ch Asoka Navajho of Firelynx (Buck) – the UK’s second Show Champion. We subsequently imported a 20 month old son of Buck in 1985 who became Aust Ch Firelynx Navajho Storm.
1988 saw World Expo ’88 held in Brisbane, coinciding with the Australian Bicentenary Wool Conference in Sydney and the 34th International Congress of Meat Science and Technology in Brisbane. Visitors came from all around the world to attend these events, and we subsequently had a visit from a gentleman from Uruguay involved in the wool industry who was interested in importing a Border Collie dog and bitch to use on his large sheep farm near Montevideo. The rest is history: a young bitch pup of ours, Bobanette Tequila, flew out from Sydney in August 1988, together with a young dog pup from the Gotrah Kennels of Peidje and Bert Vidler.
During the early 1990’s romance blossomed and Tracie & I were married in 1994 (complete with a Footrot Flats Border Collie plush toy adorning the front of our wedding car and a Border Collie with a sparkling wedding tiara on the cake!). Our daughter Kathleen was born in 1995.
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Kathleen
Kathleen was born into the world of Border Collies and she has been an integral part of our kennels from an early age. She was showing at the age of seven and in 2006 won the Junior Handlers 10 – 13 years Class at the Sydney Royal Easter Show with Aust Ch Monochrome Currency Creek – loaned from Macnallem Border Collies. Kathleen has exhibited a number of breeds, including Cavalier King Charles Spaniels belonging to Konavan Kennels, but her heart lies with Border Collies and her newest love – Papillons. She returned to the show ring in 2022 with her blue Border Collie baby Saxe and is now the proud mother of her own future Junior Handler named Tyson, who was born in June 2023, and just adores our Border Collies.