How Hi-Crest Collies Started

How Hi-Crest Collies Started

Hi-Crest started with a young man’s attraction to the temperament, sensibility, beauty and nobility of the collie. My first collie was purchased as a pet and I found myself immersed in the idea of showing and breeding. I was so interested in collie history and the individuals in the pedigree of my first collie. I joined the local collie club and became the keeper of the club library and I was able to devour all the information I could from the old CCA yearbooks and collie magazines. The Evolution of the Collie by Trudy Mangels became my bible. A picture was being formed in my mind on how to breed the next generation . This took many years to develop with the picture of Ch Tokalon’s Golden Ruler in mind and the many quality collies to follow which I was fortunate to see in person.

My first big win came 2 generations later with Ch Hi-Crest Knock On Wood, going WD/BOW at the 1982 national. I was still living at home with my parents and could only keep a limited number of dogs. In 1985 I moved to my present location and had all the room I wanted. I was in awe with Ch Starr’s Blue Jeans from the 1982 national and after a fun weekend of kennel hopping in New England, I decided to lease Starr’s Jet Set from Pam and Lou Durazzano. She was a 3/4 sister to Ch Starr’s Blue Jeans and was of sound mind and body and a lower stationed female with good quality. Unfortunately, Knock On Wood was not siring at that point in time and I decided to breed her to Ch Clarion’s Light Up the Sky, an impressive blue dog who helped teach me correct collie expression

From this cross came two females, Hi-Crest Silk ‘N Silver who went on to produce Ch Hi-Crest Ultralight, the dam of our Ch Hi-Crest Ultraviolet. The second female was Hi-Crest Lights The Way who produced Ch Hi-Crest In The Moonlight, CCA Award of Merit winner.

Next on the scene was a beautifully balanced sable male with a gorgeous expression, Ch Paradice’s Along Came Jones. I was lucky enough to purchase an out crossed female by him from Maret Halinen at 7 months, Ch Napier’s Liberty Bell who finished quickly and came from a quality packed litter. She was bred to Tulip Acres The Archangel, a Jones son, which produced Ch Hi-Crest Kryptonite, the sire of Ch Hi-Crest Ultraviolet. She was bred the second time to another Jones son, Ch Perry’s Sundather Tradition This breeding produced the lovely Ch Hi-Crest Surfer Girl, 2 time award of merit winner at our national. From Surfer Girl through Ch Hi-Crest Deja Blu comes our latest Ch Hi-Crest Blame It On Rio. She is sired by the first Brazilian collie to complete an AKC Championship, AM Br Ch Lakefield Love In My Heart Of Liable, who I purchased from Alex deCarvalho of Lakefield collies.

Ch Hi-Crest Ultraviolet won an award of merit at the CCA National while still a 6-9 mo old puppy. She proved herself very worthy as a producer as well with 3 rough female champions to her credit when bred to Clarion World Class, a Jones grandson. Ultraviolet’s last litter was sired by the beautiful Ch Clarion Incognito, one of the best blue merle males I had ever seen. Hi-Crest Infiniti was the result of this breeding who has sired 5 champions to date, 3 from our Ch Hi-Crest Tangerine Dream. He was bred to Ch Barksdale Luminary, who was leased to us from Nancy McDonald of Barksdale Collies. I loved this female when I judged her in the brood bitch class at the 2003 CCA with her 2 sons. We have Hi-Crest Barksdale Rebound from that litter, who produced Ch Hi-Crest Partly Sunny.

More recently we have taken an inbred bitch, Hi-Crest Pink Martini (pure sable merle) and have bred her to 3 different outcrossed tricolor males. As of January 2025 she has produced a champion from each breeding, totaling 4 with another close to her title. Her expression has dominated through these crosses.

The search for linebred families has surely dwindled and we feel lucky to have done these breedings and can combine the best as we go forward. The never ending quest continues, but with a clear picture in mind and a perseverance in selection, Hi-Crest Collies can be noted for their elegance, sweet expressions, light lean heads, proper coat , and temperament that makes them easy to live with.

I am very active in the local clubs as well as the collie national club: