Dazzler of Dunsinane
It all began in 1965 when a couple of comparatively
unknown breeders brought an unknown tricolour
bitch to my kennel and asked for advice on which
of my dogs to mate her to. As everyone knows
that couple was Mr and Mrs.Eglin and the bitch
was the later well-known Champion Witchcraft
of Rokeby.
However, we weighed up the advantages and disadvantages
of possible matings, and eventually decided
on Dazzler. This young dog, almost three years
old, had been shown as a puppy when he had enjoyed
a moderate amount of success, but since that
time had been unshown as he refused to come
back into good coat and his body was negligible.
He did, however, possess perfect conformation
and an excellent head, eye and expression, and
these were the deciding factors for the mating,
one which was to prove revolutionary in English
Collie Records.
From this litter came the three Champions Ch
Royal Ace, Ch Romney and Ch Rose Marie of Rokeby.
Then, in the face of all advice, Mrs.Eglin decided
to mate 'Romney' back to her own father and
we awaited the result with baited breath. We
need not have worried for out came the same
wonderful type again in Ch Ramsey and Ch Rosalinda,
a bitch one hopes to have only once in a lifetime.
Ch Royal Ace of Rokeby and
Ch Romney of Rokeby
This then was the beginning and from then on
it was DAZZLER all the way, many famous kennels
are founded on him and are still successful
at the present time. Strangely enough, although
all his stock looked alike, they did not resemble
him, himself, and another item which came to
light was that his brothers were incapable of
throwing anything like the same quality of stock.
A strange combination indeed was our 'DAZ'.
Sire :Ch Dorgano
Demander of Dunsinane |
Ch Defender of
Dunsinane
|
Ch Dunsinane Alaric
of Arranbeck |
Abbot of Arranbeck |
Astrakhan of Arranbeck |
Rinth Recluse |
Lyncliffe Loadstar |
Rinth Remembrance |
Foxshot Charmer |
Whitelea Winley |
Ch Amber Lad of Glenacre |
Ch Girly of Whitelea |
Foxshot Surprise |
Rowlyn Lad |
Danethorpe Darkly |
Dam : Leecroft
Leading Lady |
Look at Me of
Ladypark |
Ch Lochinvar of
Ladypark |
Eden Examine |
Ch Beulah's Golden Flora |
Ch Limpid of Ladypark |
Ch Libretto of Ladypark |
Lindy Lou of Ladypark |
Leecroft Black
Magic |
Ch Mywicks Meadow
Lancer |
Mywicks Monitor |
Shoinemaw Sheena |
Pride of May |
Lookout of Ladypark |
Golden Sky of White Tip |
When I was asked to write this article about
Dazzler I said that it was a sheer impossibility
to write an article about such a dog. He gave
us the greatest satisfaction in having bred
him but he drove us to the depths of despair
with some of his antics. Although he proved
to be the outstanding sire of his decade, I
am quite sure he had no pleasure in doing it!!
On several occasions, anxious owners would arrive
with a bitch full of the joys of Spring, only
to find that Daz would go and lie down in a
corner on seeing the bitch (especially if it
happened to be a Champion!). But on the other
hand if it happened to be a bitch of rather
doubtful parentage, then one could guarantee
that DAZ would be interested from the word 'GO'.
Then, of course, there would be the times when
he put on his 'coy' acts and no-one would be
allowed to be in the 'presence' until the bitch
was mated. Many were the days we spent hiding
behind a wall until our feet were frozen stiff,
for he would never consent to mating a bitch
indoors. I am sure that no dog could have been
as awkward as Dazzler at his worst. Much as
I often felt like using very strong words to
him, I knew that no voice must be raised in
anger or no bitch would be mated that day. Likewise
an uncooperative bitch would be completely ignored,
whilst on one occasion a 'too forward' bitch
who insisted on jumping at him and mounting
him, got bitten first before he mated her!!
Ch Dunsinane Robin Hood of Rokeby
Dazzler of Dunsinane x Ch Witchcraft of Rokeby
When his stud career came to an end, in spite
of everything I could not say that I was sorry.
One felt an awful fool when someone travelled
200 miles only to have the stud dog sit down
in a corner! There were the funny sides of course.
Beginners in the breed visited us and with bated
breath would ask 'Can we see Dazzler?'. We would
let him out, this small inconspicuous dog, and
watch their faces. the brave ones would say
'He has lovely ears, hasn't he' or some such
remark, whilst others would say 'Oh, well he
isn't as bad as I'd heard'. Only the eye specialist
was really unable to conceal disappointment
when I took DAZ along with my other stud dogs
for his PRA examination. When I told him the
dog's name to make out the certificate he spun
round and said with utter disbelief written
all over his face 'Not the Dazzler'.
Such is the story of DAZZLER, a dog who made
history in the Collie world. To-day most breeders
in the U.K. and indeed all over the world can
claim his bloodlines in their pedigrees several
generations ago. I no longer breed but sometimes,
looking around the rings I think to myself 'What
has happened in the last 25 years?'. For no-where
can I see a dog with the conformation and exquisite
eyes and expression which were DAZZLER.
Audrey F.Chatfield