Having my own collie had been a longstanding wish. I remember cherishing this ideal while still in kindergarten! It wasn’t till I was 15 years old that I bought my first puppy. I was not very lucky as she died within a month as the result of distemper. Another year went by before I could afford a second chance. This bitch called Twickelonie Tara was by Lynaire Mister Moonlight out of a Dutch bred mother. With her I bred my first litter in 1983, the sire being the English import Meranne Rough and Tumble. Pick of the litter was the tricolour bitch puppy Sea Dreamer’s Black Angel (Mandy).

For Mandy’s first litter I decided upon Mybern Marine Boy as the ideal sire. He had recently been acquired by Gitka de Leers from Lansingh fame. In this kennel I came to know exquisite gold sables such as Lansingh’s Keep in Touch, Nice Value and Zoë Zeminda. I fell in love straight away – these where the collies I wanted to breed and possess my own!
Another important factor in developing my own ideas was my contact with Willy van den Akker and Jim Krijgsman, owners of the well-known Baden Court prefix.

By 1988 I had become a regular visitor of their kennels. Jackaroo van Koridwenn and Baden Court Day Dream were two of their dogs that made an unforgettable impression on me. When a year later Baden Court Day Dream was mated to Champion Cramar the Commander at Lynway I didn’t hesitate one moment when I was offered the opportunity to have one of the bitches from this superb litter.
This was how Baden Court Kiss and be Friends came to live with us. She was to become the founding mother of my sable line. All my seven sable bitches at present trace their lines back to her.

Around that same time I started to develop an interest in blue merles as well. In one of the international handbooks I saw a photo of Champion Troydon  Pebbalmyll at Mybern.

This modern type blue with almost sable head qualities raised my interest even more. From Mike and Bernice Harris I was lucky to buy Mybern’s Marie Bloo by Champion Jankeith Gideon at Mybern out of Mybern Moondyle, a Pebbalmyll daughter. From the same litter Willy van den Akker, Jim Krijgsman and Anke Blommers got their lovely Champion Mybern Movie Blue.