Downmoore Rough Collies

My first collie, Finnish Obedience Champion Running Bear Atomic "Viki", was born in 1988. With him I first inspired about training obedience and a little bit agility. We visited also some shows with varying success. Viki gained his Obedience Champion title at the age of a little bit over four years. Obedience competition rules changed just when we moved to the winners class and we had to compete one more class (special winners) to gain the title. He won the Finnish Collie Society's Best Rough Male in Obedience competition two times. We tried a little bit agility too when agility was a new sport in Finland. We were not so successful in it but agility was relaxing and fun compared to obedience training. When I was young and keen I educated myself to do some ring stewardess and obedience training but when the pack at home grow all my spare time goes with them.
	Because Viki wasn't a show dog, I wanted another collie and so Int Fin S N Ch Golden Mist Black Lombardi "Blacky" came to me in 1990. With Blacky I trained a little obedience when he was young and he got two times first prize in novice class. Blacky gained quite easily his Fin Ch title. In spring 1995 he was leased to kennel Steadwyn in Sweden. Blacky spent one year there and was showed in Sweden and Norway during that time. He came home with new S & N Ch titles. Int Ch title was one cacib short so we still had to make one trip to Norway and managed to get the last cacib. He sired some nice offspring in Sweden and Norway while staying abroad. After he came back home he sired six litters in Finland, among them two litters under my prefix. Prefix Downmoore was confirmed in year 1996 but the first litter was born few years later.
While Blacky was away from home I went to see him at kennel Steadwyn in Easter 1996 and at the same time there was a litter. Little blue merle girl caught instantly my eye and I started talking Anja into giving me that girl. Two months later I was back in Sweden and picked that precious girl to Finland. That girl who stood out from the whelping box then is Int Ch NordW-01 Steadwyn Dawn of Love "Fame". Fame really filled the expectations being Collie of the Year 2001 in Finland, winning three SBIS, one of them Finnish Main Specialty and numerous BOBs and group placings. Fame and Blacky procuded the first Downmoore litter of seven pups in 1999. They have done well in the showrings. Champions of the litter are Int Fin N Ch Downmoore Flame of Fame, Int Ch Downmoore Fatal Love and Fin Ch Downmoore Forgotten Dream. Beautiful litter but hips turned out to be a problem.
	For the second Downmoore litter I bought an adult bitch from Sweden, Steadwyn Passion "Persson". Persson was mated to Blacky and they got five pups in 2001. From this litter I got the sable male Int Nord Ch Downmoore Above The Law "Moses". Health was good in this litter but I wasn't happy about the temperaments of the girls.
Fame's line continued when I bought breeding right to the tricolour girl of Blacky and Fame who had good hips, Downmoore Fool For Love "Folli". Folli was mated to Int Fin S Est Ch BaltW-03 Corydon Will Carnegie, who has left good hip statistics and is outcross to Folli. Four pups were born in 2003. Sable male Int Nord Dk Ch Downmoore Carried Away "Scott" has done fantastic in the showrings and gained his Ch title as early as possible. I left breeding right to his tricolour sister Fin Ch Downmoore Cross My Heart "Ebony" in hope to continue Fame's line. Health is still little varying in this litter, mainly good. Surprisingly one of the litter had problems in elbows when x-rayed, luckily symptonless so far.
	Fourth Downmoore litter's dam, Carnoustie's All For Pleasure "Blaze" I bought after Blacky's dead. I wanted a bitch to whom I could use some of the Blacky's sons. Coincidence or not, Blaze has the white blaze in her head as Blacky had. Blaze was mated in 2005 to my favourite Blacky son, Int N Dk Ch NordW-03 Steadwyn Diamond Lover. Unfortunately only one pup was born, hence the name Downmoore Limited Edition. Sad end to this story, Kenna got sick with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency at only one year old.
Fifth litter is the third Downmoore generation. Ebony was mated to my own sable Dolmaris Heir of Love "Dustin" who has very good health background. Seven pups were born in February 2006. I left breeding right to sable girl Downmoore Dusk Till Dawn "Enna" who has BOB-puppy placements, her brother Downmoore Dark'N Dusty "Thori" was BOS-puppy Main Collie Specialty 2006.
	Sixth litter is my gene pool -litter. Dam is import from Canada, Prairiepine Northern Star "Rain" and father is Moses from the 2nd litter. Rain gave birth to ten puppies in April 2006. I like very much the temperaments of this litter. Downmoore No Comments' "Conn" first year out in the show rings has been stunning, so far 5 CC, CACIB, 2 BOS, 2 BOB, BIG-2. My breeding right bitch Downmoore Northern Soul "Tawa" started her shows with rCC.
Seventh litter is Rain's second litter. This time I looked for the male with whom I could improve some head details compared to Rain's first litter. Norwegian Int N Dk Ch NordW-06 Privat's Olympic Gold was chosen father to be and nine puppies were born August 2007.
Nowadays I'm quite a fan to examine my breeding stock and I also try to get at least 50% of my breeding eyechecked as adult, hip and elbow x-rayed, mental tested and showed. Not all results are superb but all, good or bad, are published.

I sell my pups officially eyechecked, ID-marked and health checked by vet. In my contracts I use partial guarantee for eyes, hips, elbows and pancrea.