The first 10 Champions in Scotland

Little did I know that when we made up Toby on the 11th June 1991 that he was the 10th Champion made up by a Scottish exhibitor. After hearing this I thought it would be interesting to see who the others were and also to find out who have all won CC’s and RCC’s since Mrs A Young (Balgay) first introduced the Tibetan Spaniel to Scotland in the 1960’s. Mrs Young’s first Champion was Ch. Sivas Zodi – breeder Miss S Selby, gaining his title at Three Counties from judge Mrs A.L. Wynyard. Zodi gained 6 CC’s and 4 RCC’s between 1968 and 1972. Next Balgay Champion was Balgay Tsed-Pa (bitch), she was made up at Blackpool 1983 after taking three straight tickets at May SKC, Border Union and Blackpool. Mrs Young also bred Balgay Aka-Ru, a bitch who gained 2 RCC’s, Ir Ch Balgay Ali-Ka-Li who gained 2 CC’s and 2 RCC’s but alas died young (most people think he would have gained his UK title). Balgay Artali collected 1 CC and 3 RCC’s and Balgay Ardhui a RCC. Also owned by the same kennel was Huntglen Rosaree Akasha bred by Maj. Hubbersley who won 1 CC and 3 RCC’s.

Champion No.2 for Scotland was Champion Friarland Lu-Lha, owned and bred by Mrs V Armstrong (Friarland), she gained 3 CC’s and 3 RCC’s, Friarland Mhy-Ling (dog) owned and bred by Vi had 2 CC’s and 2 RCC’s and alas also died young before he had a chance for No.3, once again I am assured he would have made Champion. Other RCC winners bred by Mrs Armstrong were Friarland Bro-Ak (dog) RCC at 1983 SKC and Friarland Jennah (Bitch) owned by Mrs S Furley (Labule) RCC at the Tibetan Spaniel Club of Scotland 1990. Friarland Bo-Peep of Sharbonne was the foundation bitch of the Sharbonne Kennel and was Champion No.3 for Scotland with 3 CC’s, 4 RCC’s and Best of Breed at Crufts in 1981 under judge Colin Poole.

Champion No.4 was Sharbonne Kai Anne 3 CC’s and 1 RCC. Miss Y Border (Sharbonne) also gained 2 CC’s and 2 RCC’s with Reinbridge Lukla of Sharbonne (dog) and a RCC with Sharbonne Paddington Bear (dog), both owned in partnership with Mr J Peat. Miss Border moved to England in the summer of 1986. She also bred RCC winner Sharbonne Endless Joy dam of Champion Tamrae Pirate at Reinbridge JW (dog) owned by the late David Chapman and Bred by Miss S Thomson (Tamrae). From a second litter came Tamrae a Little Promise (bitch) owned by Sheila she gained 2 RCC’s in 1991 at SKC and Darlington.

Champion No.5 was Balgay Tsed-Pa who was mentioned earlier.

Champion Changilli Lho-La JW (bitch) was No.6 bred by Mrs L.M. Newcombe and owned by Mr B Stevenson (Amadrew), but handled to her title by his wife Myra and going on to a Scottish record of 10 CC’s and 12 RCC’s between 1983 and 1990. Mr and Mrs Stevenson also own Shan-Dee of Amadrew JW (dog) bred by Mrs Armstrong he gained a RCC at Birmingham City as a puppy.

We now come to No.7 who was Champion Niam Aurora (bitch) 3 CC 1 RCC, her first CC and BOB came from a puppy class at Belfast in 1984. Mr and Mrs Main (Niam) also had 2 RCC’s with litter sisters Niam Fern and Niam Frangi Star and had won a group at Border Union with Ting Ling Li (dog) in 1977 before we had CC’s at this show. Ting Ling Li had a RCC at SKC in 1977.

No.8 Champion was a first for Scotland Mr and Mrs Dick’s (Niord) home bred male Champion Niord Ricochet who won his title in 1987 and took 6 CC’s and a Res in the Utility Group at Border Union in 1988 under Dr B Raven. Other Niord CC and RCC winners are Niord Rebecca at Niknar 2 CC’s and 2 RCC’s owned by Mrs C Rankin (Niknar), Niord Mai-Me-Ka litter brother of Rocochet a RCC at SKC May 1986 Niord Ka-Ri-Ta (bitch) RCC at Birmingham 1990, Niord Saki of Appen owned by Mrs P Scott (Appen) RCC Belfast 1985. Mrs Scott also has the honour of owning Champion Kensing Puma of Appen 7 CC’s 6 RCC’s bred by Mrs Jane Lilley she won the bitch CC at Crufts in 1991 under Mrs A L Wynyard.

We have now come to No.10 Champion Ted-Dee Boy-To-By-Us JW bred and owned by Mr W.J. Gregory (Yennek) and handled by myself, we have gained 6 CC’s 2 RCC’s and the second home bred male in Scotland. We also have the pleasure of qualifying for the Scottish Kennel Club Top Dog Competition 1992 (joint 16th place) with the top 16 show dogs (all breeds) competing. This is the first Tibetan Spaniel to do so and I hope he is not the last. The last dogs to get a mention in this small history of the breed in Scotland is Miss Crawford’s (Aelnova) Wildhern Eildon Mystic of Aelnova who gained a RCC at the Tibetan Spaniel Club of Scotland show in 1991. He was bred by Mrs L Micklethwait. We have also been joined by Mr and Mrs Stanley (Neheim) and their Champion Neheim Soko Nor all his CC’s were obtained while in Shropshire.

To give you some more food for thought I will just mention that we only have four sets of CC’s on offer in Scotland and the 4th set only since 1988 at our Club show. So for our exhibitors to have gained a total of 60 CC’s and 63 RCC’s is not mean feat when one thinks of the distances we have to travel to compete and hopefully campaign a dog to its title.

Supplied by Jane Gregory with grateful thanks to June Tomlinson and her invaluable Breed History Records and to all the Tibetan Spaniel exhibitors in Scotland, without them and their dogs we have no history.