Bitch lines also appeared to solidify as
exhibitors increasing turned to known
winning combinations. Family 1 continued
to be a major force through both Danethorpe
Laugh of Ladypark, foundation bitch to the
PATTINGHAM kennel, and Ch Duntiblae Door
Knocker behind all DUNTIBLAE collies. Ch Rose
of Ladypark family 2 could be found behind
several lines, including GLENMIST and JEFSFIRE,
while a different branch of this family produced the phenomenal Ch Witchcraft of Rokeby, behind everything from that kennel. Likewise family 3 became the dominant influence behind the BRIRICH kennel, but possibly more extraordinary was the emergence of the hither too unknown Seedley Lassie family, now numbered family 16, which, in the early 1960s, produced a string of winning and producing bitches including the big winning Mywicks Satine of Simbastar and her litter sisters Danvis Sheba of Simbastar and Deborah of Dunsinane, all three gaining their title without much difficulty, the family still dominate in many of today’s winning lines. Finally Crosstalk Silver Belle, family 4, proved to be an exceptional influence with four, three bitches and one dog, of her offspring so dominating the future breeding lines of the blue merle that today almost all of this colour can trace back to one of Silver Belle’s CORVIROSS litter.
Smooth Collies fortunes although stabilising did not mirror those of their Rough cousins, and registrations during the same period stayed more or less static averaging around 80 per year, although attaining a peak of 102 in 1962. On the Smooth show front enthusiasts did see a marked increase in Kennel Club support with Challenge Certificate sets increasing from six at the start of this decade to eleven by its end.
