1987 was the year Beardies first came into our life. Jer’s dad came home one day with a 2 year old rescue Beardie called Ben. When I came to visit shortly after that, Ben and I became such good friends and when I was packing to go home, Ben climbed into my suitcase as if to say “take me with you”. Jer and I were married in August 1991 and it wasn’t too long before Ben came to live with us. Ben went everywhere with us, walks, the pub, on holiday and was well loved by everyone who met him. He was affectionately known as Gentle Ben. In January 2001 we experienced the heart breaking side of owning Bearded Collies when we lost Ben aged 14½.

                                          

 

                                                                       

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our Gentle Ben

 

It was over 2 years later when we decided to get another Beardie and the Kennel Club  put us in touch with Linda Peirson who was expecting a litter of puppies from the stunning CH Kiltondale McAuley and Wellknowe Crystal (Rachel). We picked a beautiful slate boy who we named after his dad as he was just going to be a family pet and best friend to our 3 children.

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                         

 

 

 

 

Young Mcauley with Mark and Lauren

 

McAuley came home to live with us in November 2002 and settled in straight away. We’d been in our house for 2 years at that point and had managed to get the garden just the way we wanted, but of course, McAuley had different ideas. It turned out that not only was he good at gardening, but he also had a keen interest in painting as we found out one day after he had “helped” Sarah and Mark with a painting they were doing outside which had turned his beard blue.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Whilst out for a walk one day in Callendar Park with McAuley we talked about and decided to get another Beardie but this time we decided we would have a go at showing. Once again we contacted Linda Peirson and she was in fact expecting a litter of puppies but they had all been spoken for so she put us in touch with Di Beech of Dychix Bearded Collies who was also expecting puppies soon. We picked a lovely slate bitch that we named Callie and she came home with us in October 2014. Callie’s dad was the handsome Glenspey Bullet Proof Soul At Corimist (Frankie) and her mum, beautiful Dychix Whistle Down The Wind (Lexi). Unfortunately, Callie and McAuley didn't get to spend much time together as a few months later McAuley had to be put to sleep as he was very ill with cancer. He was only 11.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

McAuley on one of his favourite walks at Gray Buchanans Park, Polmont

 

Our first show was The Bearded Collie Club of Scotland open show in Alva when Callie was 6½ months old. We had lots of help that day from Nicola Whelan and her sister Jacqui Young who own Callie's dad Frankie and we also met some great people from the Beardie World. Although we didn’t win anything that day we were definitely bitten by the bug. 2 months later in May at the Birmingham Dog Show Society in Stafford, Callie was given a 1st in Puppy Bitch under Tony Burscough (Kilfinan) qualifying for Crufts at her very first Champ Show. A few weeks later while taking Callie for her morning walk, I slipped and broke my ankle. As it was quite a complex fracture I was going to be out of action for quite some time. The following week Callie was due to go to an open show at The Magnum Centre in Irvine. Obviously I couldn’t take her so my lovely daughter Lauren entered the show ring for the very 1st time aged 13. Up to this point she had only had some experience with junior handling and ring craft classes but not the main show ring. She took to it like a duck to water and  has gained some good achievements with Callie including being placed 1st in class in a few champ shows, being shortlisted in a huge Junior class at Crufts 2015 and Callie is now well on her way to obtaining a Show Certificate of Merit with her success in open shows.

As it would have been unfair to take Callie from Lauren once I was well enough to go back in the ring, (ha ha, some excuse) we decided to get another puppy. It just so happened that Linda Peirson was breeding again soon (this is becoming a habit) with Firstprizebears Enfield (Lee) and Miner’s Lake Rising Star For Kiltondale (Somer). Elsie was born on 3rd May 2015 and she came home to stay on the 4th of July. She didn’t have much time to get qualified for Crufts 2016 before the cut off point but managed to get placed 2nd in Puppy Bitch at LKA at the NEC in December 2015.

We are now all looking forward to 2016 and in particular Crufts with both our dogs gaining qualification.

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In 2024 our youngest daughter Lauren came onto the affix. For this she created a logo design to show the meaning of our affix. The gold circle represents the Nobel Peace Prize, the background shape is the Braes area and the logo shows a Bearded Collie (Callie) and a Miniature Wirehaired Dachshund.

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This is our story so far. Watch our news page for updates etc.