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. After showing a friend’s Weimaraner – the “show bug” had bitten and shortly after I acquired my first 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 for 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 (All Breeds Best in Show winner & Reserve Challenge bitch Melbourne Royal 1987 at 8 months of age). Also prominent at that time were two males leased from Victoria – Aust Ch Kennoway Bill Bailey (Multi BIG winner and RUPBIS All Breeds) from John & Joyce Sullivan of Kennoway Kennels and Aust/NZ Ch Tullaview Trail Blazer (Multi BIG winner) from Patrice Smith of Tullaview Kennels. These “lease” connections were the foundation of establishing wonderful lifelong friends in the breed and the dog world at large.
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 Aust Ch Ballyann Buckleys Chance (RUPBIG winner) was also being shown together with her dam Aust Ch Kennoway Santefe.
1994 saw Peter Buckley (Bobanette Border Collies) and I married and our daughter Kathleen was born in 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) and Kennoway Brush Strokes (Multi Class In Group & In Show winner) in 2005. Our co-owned Konavan Ma Belle Amie (Class In Group & Class In Show winner) had a pleasing start to her show career, then retired to take up maternal duties. 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 take up surfing at Port Hedland, and Ballyann Up Up And Away took up residence with Debbie Younger (Monifieth) in SA.
I have handled many other breeds successfully for others over the years, and recently have campaigned Aust Ch Tullaview This Much is True (AI) for Glen & Sharon Jameson of Sheermyst Kennels, as well as assisting Patrice Smith & Courtney Spencer of Tullaview Kennels with their show team.
We are currently campaigning our new blue babies – Ballyann A Sea Fullof Diamonds and Ballyann A Sky Fullof Diamonds, and we are indebted to Jacquie Johns (Waveney Border Collies) and Danielle Inverno (Sashdan Border Collies) for making this litter happen.
I became a licenced Working Dog (ANKC Group 5) judge in 2011, gaining my Non Sporting (ANKC Group 7) licence in 2018 and Gundogs (ANKC Group 3) licence in 2022. I am currently studying for my Toy Group (ANKC Group1) licence in 2023/2024 and am also a Junior Handler judge and Convenor of the DOGS NSW Junior Handler Working Party. I have judged in almost every state in Australia (except for 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 (Gotrah Kennels) who 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. I subsequently 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 Border Collie Club in NSW called The Border Collie Society. This Club continued until 1984 but was eventually dissolved in deference to the Border Collie Club of NSW which was now in existence and affiliated with the RASKC (Royal Agricultural Society Kennel Control).
In 1983 my dear friend Peidje Vidler published her now well known book “The Border Collie in Australasia” and I am honoured to have contributed various photos for the book and to have had many conversations with both Peidje and her husband Bert covering many topics during the book’s research and preparation.
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. People 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 for others, 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.