Jerry - Halohound Legend's Legacy - D.O.B. - 12.6.21

Jerry is a lovely boy and at the time of writing is 5 months old. We're currently working on him being happy in lots of different environments as well as learning to love training. He is quite a sensitive soul and was initially worried about other dogs, but with lots of very careful socialisation he has now decided they are 'safe' and some might even be 'fun'! 

Background - After Eze it took me nearly 5 years to find the right 'fit' for my next competition dog (in fact half of that time was me deciding whether I was ready for my next competition dog!) I was looking for great health, high intelligence and work drive, high speed and agility, but biddable with a sweet temperament to fit in with the family, especially a chihuahua. This is astonishingly difficult to find in border collies and it was only when a good friend of mine said she was breeding her 2 collies (who I love) that I knew I had found my boy. 

The 'Legend' in his name comes from his Father the absolute HTM Legend 'Skiffle'. Skiffle won pretty much everything there was to win including the HTM Crufts finals 10 times, and coming 2nd and 3rd in Freestyle and Heelwork at the Open European Championships as well as team gold medals for both the heelwork and freestyle competitions. He was never out of the top 10 in international competition, and he was an absolute sweetheart as well. On his Mother's side he is very distantly related to Eze and his Grandad is the current HTM World Champion. His Mum is a fantastic dog too and I think will become famous in her own right (after a delayed start due to lockdowns,) as she's highly intelligent as well as a very sweet dog with huge social intelligence. 

Jerry's pet name was Eze's unofficial middle name, usually when he was being naughty as a youngster with 'Ezekiel Jeremiah Oxtoby' shouted down the garden! We wanted to honour Eze in our naming of Jerry.

Jerry will never have any shoes to fill other than his own... but the footsteps he walks in from his parents through to my own Eze, are huge. Welcome little one, I'm looking forward to many years of fun together. x 

Competitions - 2024 - Jerry has just competed in his first HTM Freestyle competition which he won. He tried really hard and was such a good boy. 

Family Life - 2024 - Jerry is an utterly delightful, funny, chatty, playful, loving, goof-ball at home. He's still not learnt to look where he's going (usually looking back over his shoulder to be herding the other dogs!) resulting in him running into the parked car on the driveway, the dishwasher, the other dogs, us... We live in hope he'll learn this helpful skill soon but we're not holding our breath! He's also very cuddly and still a big baby (being upside down on the sofa next to me as I type.) He is also a COMPLETE TV addict. He likes animals, loves cartoons, and so far his favourite seems to be the star and the small cartoon goat on Disney's 'Wish'. Our TV viewing has gained various new films, purely for him! 

Benji - Legacy's Bringer of Joy - D.O.B. – 8.10.16

Some dogs are just meant to be part of the family and this definitely applies to Benji. He is a long haired, black and white (we think!) Papillon / Chihuahua (who is often mistaken for a Border Collie puppy) and was abandoned at 4 weeks old and raised by a friend of mine. Very sadly during this time Eze died and on Christmas Day my friend called me over to say ‘He’s yours if you want him.’ He came home with us in January and we are so glad that he did as he has been the perfect dog to help mend a broken heart.

Competitions - 2024 - Benji has just started competing and has been a really good boy, already gaining points towards intermediate level in HTM Freestyle. 

Performances - Benji has been to a variety of different venues and has been a very good boy and worked beautifully. He has done displays at Stand Alone Farm, and Ware Town Fair. He has an excellent foundation of training and is now starting to work on more specific advanced training.

Family – Benji is such an incredibly sweet little dog. He is funny, playful, cuddly, loving and adores both people and other dogs. We are delighted with the sweet dog that he has grown into, and if he decides he would like to, we look forward to his future as a working and competition dog too. x

Wilma - Legacy's Chunky Monkey FS N. Ex. - D.O.B. - 27.12.13

Wilma is our rescued Basset Hound and arrived when she was just over a year old being FAR more than her previous owner could cope with. She arrived and immediately proceeded in exhausting our 2 Border Collies and Great Dane by being very high energy and playful, and then proceeded to make up her own house rules! She is as delightful as she is naughty and is the most cuddly dog we have ever had. I am relieved to say that she has settled down a lot and is making great progress with her training.

Competitions – Wilma had just started competing in HTM Freestyle when 2020-2021 happened. We were particularly pleased with her attitude in the ring and are excited about her future in HTM. During 2023 she's won up to Intermediate level in HTM Freestyle. Wilma also trains in Mantrailing and loves hunting down her missing person to find her sausages!

TV – Wilma has done filming for Victoria Plum, Ikea, Anchor Butter, Bristol Street Motors, Wilkinsons and has also done a video and photoshoot for Mulberry. On set she is the perfect dog getting the work done in one or two takes. She works hard, is fully focussed and highly trained.

Displays - Crufts (part of the KC Dog Activities HTM Display Team,) Dogs Unleashed, Just Dogs Live, the Animal Health Trust, Owls in the Park, Stand Alone Farm, Ware Town Fair, and various smaller events. She has also done a couple of photoshoots. She's very happy to work with people and other dogs. 

Family – I have never known a dog with such a strong on / off switch to work. When she is working she is focussed, hardworking, co-operative, and highly trained. When she isn’t in work mode she is… ‘her own unique person’! She is very funny and if I just say we are currently collecting ‘Naughty Wilma Stories’ for a book you’ll get the idea. Stories include stolen church cakes, dragging various parts of the garden in to decorate the house, and moments at both Crufts and the dining halls of TV studios when I look down to see a lead, a collar… and no dog! She is loved by directors because she is so good, well behaved, and easy to work with, but she is loved by her many fans for being so funny. We love her because she is so loving and funny and such a fabulous girl. x

Shai - Legacy's Heaven Sent Shai HTM I. Ex. - D.O.B. - 25.3.11 (Shai is short for 'Shiloh' meaning 'Sent'. It also sometimes means ‘Peace’ and Shai can also mean ‘Gift')

Shai, our little blue merle Border Collie, was rehomed to us at almost 2 years old when his old owners could no longer cope with him as he was very busy and had had no training. He always had the sweetest nature, but was somewhat wild when he first arrived and we spent the first year with him getting the foundations right before working on any competition training.

Competitions – Shai is currently competing at advanced level in HTM Heelwork and has competed in the Crufts HTM Heelwork Finals in 2020, 2022, and 2024 (showing beautiful teamwork in 2024 and finishing 5th in the UK,) and also competes at advanced level in HTM Freestyle. More recently he had fun doing a couple of Competitive Obedience competitions (both of which he won) and has also done some agility training. 

Performances - Dogs Unleashed, Just Dogs Live, the Animal Health Trust, Owls in the Park, various trade stands at Crufts, Stand Alone Farm, Ware Town Fair, and various smaller events.

Family – Shai really is the sweetest natured dog being very keen to please, and loves life to the full (his tail never stops wagging!) He is also my shadow and wherever I am he is almost always curled up at my feet. He has the most beautiful temperament with dogs and people and is completely trustworthy with both. He has earnt the nickname 'Sweet Shai' by all who have got to know him and is most definitely 'Heaven Sent'. x

Heavenly Family - Ru - 'Legacy's Ruach FS I. Ex., HTM I. Ex.,' 4.4.07 - May 2020 ('Ruach' means 'Breath of Life' or 'Wind of God’)

Ru was the perfect gentleman of a dog, and to know him was to love him. He was a white Great Dane with blue merle markings in a harlequin pattern, and was re-homed to us age 6 months (including the breeder we were his 4th home, poor boy.)

Competitions - Ru was the only Great Dane in the UK to compete in HTM other than our other Dane Caleb, and to the best of our knowledge was the most advanced Great Dane ever to compete in HTM / Freestyle in the world. He worked in Advanced for both HTM Heelwork and Freestyle and qualified for the Crufts HTM Freestyle semi-finals in 2015.

Performances - Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials, Belton International Horse Trials, the CLA Game Fair, Dogs Unleashed, Just Dogs Live, Crufts (part of the KC Dog Activities main arena HTM Display Team for several years,) The Lincolnshire Show (in association with the Kennel Club,) the East of England Food and Farming day, the Animal Health Trust, Owls in the Park, Stand Alone Farm, Ware Town Fair, and various smaller events. He has also been featured in Your Dog magazine, Dog Cast Radio, The Daily Telegraph (in association with the Kennel Club) and done various photoshoots both for the UK and the USA.

Family - Ru had his Kennel Club Good Citizen Gold Award, and was excellent with both people and dogs, loving cuddles from people (and treats!) and being a great stooge dog in behavioural consultations. He was a very highly trained dog, with a lot of advanced HTM moves. He was an absolute delight to work with, having the same puppy smile that Caleb also used to have and he made me smile in every training session. He was the most adorable big baby with the sweetest nature ever (who loved to be tucked up on the sofa with his own duvet - spoilt? Never!) Our sweetest irreplaceable big baby boy who we adored. x

Heavenly Family - Eze - ‘Legacy’s Eze Ezekiel HTM I. Ex., FS A. Ex.,’ 15.7.06 - Nov 2016 

The dog that made my dreams come true. This blue merle Border Collie arrived at 8 weeks old and was tremendously hard work for the first 2 years… however when we then learnt to work as a team he was my absolute dream dog, (with the most beautiful brown eyes.)

Competitions - He took me to the 2014 and 2015 Crufts Freestyle Finals finishing 5th in the UK in 2015. (He also qualified for the Crufts semi-finals 2016 and 2017 although he was unable to attend due to illness.) He was part of the HTM Freestyle Team from Great Britain at the 2013 Open European Championships in Holland, and 2014 in Germany. He was an advanced HTM Heelwork dog, advanced HTM Freestyle dog with excellence award, competed in agility (winning in grade 3 in the few competitions that we could fit in between HTM shows,) and won his first competitive obedience competition.

Performances -
His performances included Belton International Horse Trials, Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials, the CLA Game Fair, Dogs Unleashed, The Lincolnshire Show (in association with the Kennel Club,) Just Dogs Live, the East of England Food and Farming day, the Animal Health Trust, Owls in the Park, the Grantham Carnival, Young Farmers, various trade stands at Crufts, plus many other smaller shows. He was also featured in Your Dog magazine, and was on BBC Radio Lincolnshire.

Family - He had his Kennel Club Good Citizen Gold Award, and was always excellent with people and learnt to ignore other dogs. He loved all water and one of his favourite activities at the beach was wave catching… even in the middle of winter! He loved his training just as much, and was a very intelligent, hardworking and tremendously focused dog who was working at the very top of his field having mastered highly complex training. He never let me down and would never say he was too tired or didn’t fancy working that day and I could walk onto the biggest stages with confidence as long as he was with me. My work was tremendously difficult after he died because I felt as if I was trying to work with one hand tied behind my back without him and it has taken me 2 years to want to train or compete with any of my other dogs after him going. Most of all I still miss and will always love him… just because he was 'our boy'. x

Heavenly Family - Caleb - 'Ichthus CalebAntony,’ 2001 - 2006 

Our 'big baby’ blue merle Great Dane who joined the family at 8 weeks old. Such a very sweet boy who was a bomb-proof stooge dog with other dogs and also good with people. He was Christina’s first HTM freestyle dog taking her out of starters into novice at their very first competition, and was the first (and only, apart from Ru) Great Dane to compete in HTM in the UK. He was tremendous fun to work with, loving his training sessions with a delightful puppy smile. Amongst many other things he taught Christina how to motivate dogs, as well as to let every breed shine in what they can do. Most of all he was our big baby, being such a delightful, cuddly boy and we will always love and miss him. x

Heavenly Family - Asaph - 'Ichthus Asaph HTM N,’ 1998 (ish) - 2012

Our beautiful and very special German Shepherd who we rescued age 2+ years old and who started Christina off as a dog trainer (she was the dog Christina had waited 20 years for.) She competed in Intermediate HTM Heelwork (Christina's first heelwork dog) and also trained in agility. She was an excellent swimmer who loved water, she adored toys, had her Kennel Club Good Citizen Gold Award, and was a great teacher of good manners to young dogs. She was always loving and kind to people and helped many people overcome their fear of dogs (and had the kindest eyes.) She performed at Belton International Horse Trials, Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials, the CLA Game Fair, and Dogs Unleashed, as well as numerous smaller events. Most of all she was our friend and family member for many years, and is very much loved and missed. x