At the same time national clubs saw
entries plummet threatening
championship status and making club
finances precarious. This situation
encouraging officers from The Collie Club,
the Northern Collie Club, and the
unregistered Rough Blue Merle Collie Club to consider amalgamation. After further debate on a suitable title, constitution, and rules, agreement was reached in 1924 when the Kennel Club promised its support by allocation Challenge Certificates to any new society. The British Collie Club, having inherited the parent clubs’ cups and trophies, held its first Championship Show in February 1925, where Mr W Houghton awarded the Challenge Certificates to Champions Thane of Athelney and Eden Enrapture, both earning their fourth ticket on the day. The Collie Club’s 60 guinea Challenge Trophy, now presented to the Best In Show winner, on this occasion was given to the dog Thane of Athelney. Interestingly these awards were repeated the following year when Hugo Ainscough PARBOLD stood centre ring.
Few kennels had survived the war, of those that did Mr Lord’s SEEDLEY, transferred to kennelman Mr R. Rudman on Lord’s death, Fred Robson’s EDEN and W. W. Stansfield’s LAUND dominated the Rough world, whilst the Rev. T. Salter MOUNTSHANNON and Mrs Hume-Robertson PORCHESTER kept blue merle interests to the fore.
