Collie Breed Magazine - Showsight

responsible for many signi fi cant " fi rsts" in the breed. In 1970, at the National Special- ty in Worcester, Massachusetts, he became the fi rst smooth collie to win Best of Breed over the roughs. He was also the fi rst smooth Collie to win an all-breeds “Best in Show” and he was the leading Collie sire, rough or smooth for more than two decades. 10) THE LASSIE PHENOMENON No list of signi fi cant Collie events would be complete without mentioning "Lassie" and the tremendous in fl uence this one dog has had on the breed. For many, the name “Lassie” evokes warm childhood memories and is especially meaningful to children who grew up watching the movies in the 1940s and those who grew up watching the television show in the 1950s and 1960s. Lassie's important role as a loving protective member of the fam- ily, represented traditional values such as family and home, courage, loyalty and honesty. He soon became an American institution, famous the world over! Not only do we have Lassie to thank for put- ting the breed at the top of the popularity charts, but many people, including some of our top breeders, became interested in Collies thanks to the magical appeal of this Collie dog.

BIO Gayle Kaye is a successful, longtime breeder and exhibitor of Collies. A well- known and award winning author of sev- eral Collie books, she has written hundreds of articles on the breed. She judged “Breed and Intersex” at the 2013 Collie Club of America National Specialty in LaCrosse, Wisconsin. Currently she is a National breed club Officer and Co-Chair of the CCA Judge’s Education Committee. AN AmERICAN INSTITuTION, fAmOuS THE wORLD OVER!” “Lassie’s important role as a loving protective member of the family, represented traditional values, such as family and home, courage, loyalty and honesty. HE SOON bECAmE

Ch. Black Hawk of Kasan was responsible for putting the Smooth Collie on equal footing with the rough.

of smooth popularity witnessed during the 1970s, came with the birth in 1966 of Ch. Black Hawk of Kasan. Owned by Sandy Tuttle of Kasan Collies, he hailed from the San Francisco Bay Area, long known as a hotbed of Smooth activity and devel- opment. Hawk put the smooth Collie on the map. One by one show records and sir- ing records fell by the wayside. Hawk was

Lassie pictured with Roddy McDowell in the movie “Lassie Come Home”, c. 1943.

262 • S HOW S IGHT M AGAZINE , A UGUST 2014

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