Foxbarton Lady In Waiting JW ShCM CDex (Bliss)

Foxbarton Royal Lion JW x Mossyfern Easy Breeze from Foxbarton
D.O.B: 29.12.03 ~ Hips 3:2 ~ KC Stud Book Number 1242CQ
Genetically Normal for CEA/CH, CL & TNS ~ Gonioscopy Graded 0 ~ PRA  Tested Normal

My sweet Bliss

Crufts 2016 - 2nd Place under Penny Forster-Cooper (31 in Class)
Crufts 2015 - 3rd Place under Juliet Mockford (26 in class)
West Of England BC Club - Veteran Of The Year 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 & 2015
5 Times Winner of Best Veteran In Show
Best Working In Show - Southern BC Club 2013 & 2016
Best Working In Show - West of England BC Club 2011 & 2013
Best Veteran - National Working & Pastoral Breeds Champ Show 2013
Dog Of The Year - West Of England BC Club 2011 & 2012
Best Veteran - Bournemouth Champ Show 2011
Res Best Veteran In Show - Border Collie Club of GB Championship Show 2012
Crufts 2011 - 2nd Place Under Sonya Saxby
UK Border Collie Top Awards 2008 - 9th Top Brood Bitch
Crufts 2009 – VHC under Jean Entwistle
Crufts 2008 - 2nd place under Angela Gillespie
Crufts 2007 - 2nd place under Judith Gregory
Top Show Dog - Wessex Border Collie Club for 2006
Dog of The Year - Midlands & West of England Border Collie Clubs for 2006
Best Bitch In Show - Wessex Border Collie Club Show 2005
Res. Best Puppy In Show - Border Collie Club of Great Britain Show 2004

Holder of the Border Collie Gold Utility Award (for)
Obedience ~ Reliability ~ Agility ~ Nosework ~ Gundog Test ~ Conformation ~ KC Gold Good Citizens Award

Working Trials ~ L to R: The 6' Scale, The 9' Long Jump & The 3' Clear Jump Click on the thumbnails to see larger versions

Bliss, aged 11yrs, showing how a Collie should move!

The puppy I kept from Willow’s 3rd and final litter, Bliss began her show career at 6 months, winning Minor Puppy Bitch at South Wales Championship Show, qualifying her for both Puppy of The Year and Crufts 2005. Only in the ring for the latter half of 2004, she was nonetheless awarded Puppy of The Year for both the West of England and The Midlands Border Collie Clubs, and for Midlands, she was 2nd Top Show Bitch and 3rd Top Overall Border Collie.

Still in Junior, she won 3 classes and Best Bitch at Wessex Border Collie Club Show, in June 2005, then won Yearling Bitch at The Three Counties Championship Show and was awarded her Junior Warrant and Stud Book Number by the Kennel Club, which qualifies her for Crufts for life.

Bliss by name, she is Bliss by nature. Pretty as a picture, she went Best Puppy in Show at 3 Companion Dog Shows and she's clever too - just for fun, we entered Pre-Beginners Obedience at MBCC and had to run off for 1st place! Bliss got her Gold KC Good Citizen Award at 15 months.

In April 06 she produced 9 beautiful B&W pups to Sh Ch Caristan Moet Chandon JW and I just had to keep Fizz (see Foxbarton Lady Chandon JW ShCM). Back in the ring by October, she won the Germal Trophy and Best of Breed at Beckenham and at both Crufts 2007 and 2008, she gained 2nd place under breed specialists Judith Gregory and Angela Gillespie respectively.

Bliss's second litter, also by Sh Ch Caristan Moet Chandon JW, arrived in August 2007. Two boy pups caught my eye, one of which was Blaze (Foxbarton Taittinger JW). Do look at his page - I've had such fun showing him for his owner, Val Hawker and he has done very well.

In June 2008, I started Working Trials training with Bliss. She was enjoying it so much that, just as a training exercise, she did her first Trial, eight weeks later - the CD Open Stake (Companion Dog) at Midlands Border Collie Club. She's such a quick learner, she got sufficient marks in all three sections to qualify for her Certificate of Merit. Just a month later she did her first Championship Working Trial and qualified again, this time to add the letters CDex (Companion Dog Excellent) to her name.

Bliss rounded off 2008 by winning the Best Working Trophy at Southern BC Club's November Show. And in the UK Border Collie Top Awards For 2008, the cumulative Championship Show points amassed by her daughter (Fizz) and her son (Blaze) have put Bliss right up at No.9 in the listings.

Richard Kinsey judged the 50 bitches at Wessex BC Club Show 2009. In his preamble before his critique he wrote: "I found too many lacking in muscle and conditioning, after all they are still working dogs..." So it was very gratifying that both Bliss and Fizz won their classes and got glowing critiques (see Fizz's on her page). He wrote of Bliss: ""Working Bitch, 1st Tiller's Foxbarton Lady In Waiting, fit as the proverbial butcher's dog, probably the best muscle condition bar one. Has all the right body ratios, strong but feminine head, well put together front and balanced rear, that showed in her accurate easy movement. Unfortunately left her coat at home, but that only made it easier to see how well made she is".

Back in 2002, Rolf Frank (Germany) judged Bliss's sire (Foxbarton Royal Lion JW), the Border Collie Club of GB Minor Puppy Dog Of The Year. Back here to judge Bitches, at Midlands BC Club Show in Oct 2013, he wrote of Bliss: "Almost 10 years old, quality bitch who is still full of energy. Just the kind of old fashioned type I like so much. Well proportioned head with prick ears and very typical, mild expression. Everything on her is where it should be and she was able to out move most of the younger ones I judged today. Went on to win Special Working and in a unanimous decision with the Dog Judge, Best Veteran."

Now a Great-Great-Grandam, Bliss turned 12 Yrs old in December, 2015. She still loves the show ring, she's still winning, and she's still showing the youngsters how it should be done! I am so proud of her.

West Of England BC Club Veteran Of The Year 2014 & Best Veteran In Show 2015

Rex & Granny Bliss, and their 2013 West of England Awards Rex: Best Opposite Sex BC Of The Year & Puppy Dog Of The Year Bliss: Veteran Of The Year & Best Any Other Colour Bitch & Best Any Other Colour In Show 2014

West Of England BC Club 2012 Awards - Border Collie Of The Year;  Veteran Of The Year & Best Any Other Colour Bitch & Best Working In Show 2013

~ ~ * ~ ~

Pedigree of Foxbarton Lady In Waiting JW ShCM CDex