Rough Collies had once been one of the
most popular breeds on the Kennel Club
register, but by the beginning of this
decade registrations had declined to such
a level the breed was no longer eligible
for a Breed Club Championship Show.
Smooth Collies were equally depleted,
their registrations hardly more than 25%
of those achieved at the beginning of the
century, and both breeds would see even lower figures before the tide of popularity would turn. By 1932 Smooth fortunes were at such a low ebb, the breed averaging only five sets of tickets throughout the decade, the Smooth Collie Club committee approached the British Collie Club with a view to amalgamation, and although the proposal did not attract universal support from all Smooth fanciers, the two clubs did join forces.
Regional Breed Club fortunes remained fluid, with clubs appearing on the scene for a few years before disappearing without trace. The Scottish Collie Club was one society to buck this trend, surprising everyone by seeking, and being granted Kennel Club recognition for the first time in 1939, after more than 50 years outside their jurisdiction. One other new venture to prosper, despite the prevailing climate, gave collie enthusiasts a new National Breed Club, with a southern bias. The Collie Association, founded by Mrs Zoë Rhys, Mrs Nadine George BEULAH and Miss Clare Molony WESTCARRS held its first show, an Open event, at Tattersalls – Knightsbridge – London SW1 on the 19th April 1934, four months after being granted their title.
