This page is dedicated to the dogs that have sadly crossed over, we have had the pleasure of sharing a brief spell of our lives with them. They have meant a great deal to us and they have given us a lot of good times and we hope that they had a good time also.
Moth
(Ellencliffe Moth)
 |
Our eldest girl Wendy must take
the blame for starting our love affair with the Border Collie, She asked
for one for her 18th birthday in 1981. We couldn't understand how
anyone would want what at that time was seen as a mongrel, but we conceded
and bought Moth. On that day the love was born. Moth produced some good
working/showing stock including two magnificent blue merles. Brian &
Maggie. But most of all Moth showed us what a truly versatile breed the
Border Collie is. In our opinion no other breed shows the depth of love
for the human companion than the Border Collie. We thank Moth for showing
us the way.
Brian & Maggie
(Beesting Minor Miracle & Beesting Minnie the Minx)
 |
These were two of the first border collies that we ever bred, their mum was Moth. They both had the darkest brown eyes very unusual in a merle. Brian was a nutter a typycal working sheepdog, he used to love to chase other dogs,one night I took him to work and he spotted a dog walking past the top of the street and off he went, going down the middle of the road during the chase,this at midnight with me in full persuit, a good job the police didn't appear, but when he caught up he just stopped and wagged his tail and had what appeared to be a silly grin on his face, I could have strangled him at times. but he was great, asmashin companion. Maggie? she went on to do obedience and how she did I don't know we never really heard of her again,this happens it's a shame, but what can you do?. They where two of the best marked merles of their day.
Jack
(Alpha at Beesting)
 |
Jack was one of our first borders
and he was the best, he never gave us a days worry always a gentleman.
We remember him for his quiet disposition, no matter what a child would
do to him he would not retaliate. Children were 110% safe, you can't say
that about most dogs. He has even gone to stop one of his kennel companions
and another from fighting. We remember when one night, the wind blew down
the side fence and while the other dogs tasted freedom Jack came to the
window to tell us that they had escaped. If he had one failing it was his
love of water this very nearly cost him his life when he was younger.
We had gone to a small fishing
port called Beaumaris, on the Isle of Angelsey, to watch the International
finals of the Sheepdog Trials. We had parked the van on the car park at
the side of the harbour, when we opened the door Jack shot through like
a bullet, straight for the sea. None of us knew that the sea was at least
20 feet down from the top of the wall, but Jack soon found out, you could
see the sheer desperation in his eyes as he screeched to a halt at the
very edge, but as in every Tom and Jerry cartoon, to no avail, he teetered
on the edge, you could see the absoloute desperation in his face as he
slowly went over. I had to go down an iron rung ladder attached to the
wall and wait for the water to come up and run him up the wall so that
a man could grab him, only Jacks pride was hurt. But we didn't have a camera.
Jack you gave us a lot of pleasure
enjoy your rest you deserve it.
Fleck
Beesting
Fleck
 |
Jean first saw Fleck as a 7 week
old puppy on a local farm, she was lovely and had been bought as a cow dog.
Jean said that if ever they wanted to rehome her she would be very
interested. 12 months later she got a call, told me about Fleck and we went
to see her. She was a sorry sight, all her bones where showing, it seems
that she had been kicked by one of the cows and after that had refused
to work them, from then on she was neglected. We took her home and gave
her all the love and attention that she craved and she thanked us every
day of her life.
Fleck was the Dam of a Show Champion
and a Res CC winner, the Grandam of a Show Champion and a Res CC winner,
one of her G.Grand daughters has 3Res CC's to her credit. Not bad for a
rejected cow dog.
Lizzie
(Komargo Ryans Daughter)
 |
We picked Lizzie (liz) up on a Saturday afternoon from Birmingham, and on the Sunday when we went to feed her she seemed a little off colour , we put this down to the previous days journey. On the Monday she was worse so we went to the vet with her and she stayed there for a week in intensive care,Liz had Parvo, a couple of times we nearly lost her, but the vet and the nurses pulled her through.
When she came home she had a hole in her front leg where the needle had been, she still needed a lot of TLT (tender loving care). She survived but the vet said it could have left her with a weak heart, that was a long way in the future, but the future is now here 9 yrs on and it was cancer not a weak heart that claimed her. After all that she had suffered she had to go so young just 9yrs old, it isn't fair.
We have the biggest hole possible in our homelife now she has gone, she was only shown 5 times and she won at the highest level,sure she gave us our Champions, but more than this was the eyes, the way she looked at you, when you were getting ready for bed and it was time to go to the loo, she would stand there and look at you, the eyes where saying me too?? you must be joking!!.
If she heard anything during the night she would come to the side of the bed and wake Jean up, Not me I had her trained, we had to have a look, She would get Jean up at the same time every morning even if she wasn't working. But the best part was the fact that she would wake Jean up when she was going to a show, no matter what the time.
Liz was a great friend and companion for Jean, but we are both missing her one heck of a lot even though we have other dogs around the house, the house is empty, we love all the dogs but Lizzie was and always will be something extra
special.
