World Breeders - Francehill - 2003

"It was love at first site", remembered Margaret Norman her very first meeting with the breed, that would steal her heart forever. She was still a child, when she got her first sheltie, a blue merle dog, called Sky Blue of Crawley-Ridge. She did obedience with him. This childwood companion however was not the founder of Francehill. This was a lovely sable, Discreet of Exford, and a year later, Glamour of Exford, a blue merle. A prefix for her kennelname was easily found: Francehill was the next road to her home in Camberley, Surrey.  

Margaret:
"My guide was Mrs. Sangster of the Exford shelties. She suggested that I used Hilarity of Exford on Discreet, then Ch. Exford Piskiegge Taw. A tri colour dog was kept from this and was my first home produced Francehill – Francehill Crysalis. He won a lot of awards and I was very proud of him. He lived to be 16 years old and was very special. My showteam was Crysalis, a tri and the little merle, Francehill Glamour of Exford.

At the moment Margaret has three dogs, the blue merle Francehill Wedgwood, a tricolour, Francehill Turnabout, and a young sable, Francehill Only Me. All have done a bit of winning and Margaret is very proud of them. She has seven bitches, Ch. Francehill Willow Pattern, a blue merle, her two daughters, Francehill Isabella a tri, and a merle, Francehill Made of Ice, who is mated to Jacquard You Give me Fever. The sables, Francehill Maid of Honour and Francehill Jolly Good, both modest winners, a black and white, Drumcauchlie Finewood of Francehill, who has won her classes whenever shown, and from her I have a nice tricolour puppy by Ch. Morestyle Monsoon, namely Francehill Total Eclipse. To complete her family there is the ‘pensioner’, Francehill Gilt Edge. Known as 'Petal', she reigns supreme at Hilltop.

Francehill Wedgewood (showing blue flecked eyes), left, and 'Petal' in her younger days right.

Margaret:
"My aim is to produce shelties of the right size, but sturdy and with inherent good health. That true wedge head is my aim, though hard to achieve, and they must have ‘Francehill’ ears, carried well on the head and used alertly at all times.

I almost never inbreed. I can remember a mother/son mating in the 80’s, but that may have been the only occasion.

Line breeding does help to stabilize type, but can also stabilize faults as well. If your breeding bitch is lacking temperament, or natural good health, then it would be foolish to mate her to something with similar faults. I have often tried a good outcross with excellent results. You can always come back into your line in the next generation.

Like every other breeder the world over, I have made mistakes, but no matter, just try a different dog next time and compare the results."

Francehill Willow Pattern as a puppy and as an adult

Shelties have changed. They got huger coats. Shape and construction have vastly improved. Looking at the top shelties in the ring today, I asked Margaret if she thinks it possible that there might be some appositions with respect to the standard (or its interpretations) in the coming decennium.

Margaret:
"I find the question hard to answer – it is giving the impression that shelties of yesteryear were not so good. Maybe the quality in depth was not so apparent but bring ‘Fancy’  (She’s My Fancy at Shelert (1971), who was modelling for the standard) back to life now and she would soon become a Champion.

What about the McIntosh’s Ch. Ebony Pride of Glenhill, or Albert Wight’s Ch. Sharval the Delinquent – both tri-colour dogs of superb quality and soundness.

I recall seeing Ch. Helensdale Wendy at W.E.L.K.S., where she won the CC under F.M. Rogers. She looked glorious and in fact it was that vision of Wendy that made me buy Helensdale Frolic – and that was the best purchase ever. He brought about a ‘new look’ in coat, temperament and glamour to shelties in Southern England."

The Standard is meticulously reviewed and a profusion of beautiful black and white and color photos grace the excellent, world-class text -- a pure delight for every fan of the breed.

Being British, living in the U.K., breeding and judging shelties following the British standard, I was pleasantly surprised that ‘The Complete Shetland Sheepdog’ also contained a chapter about shelties in North America (by Sue Anne Bowling). I asked Margaret where this interest in American shelties come from.

Margaret:
"This is an interesting question – though I can not take the credit for the chapter in question, though the photos were my selection."

Do you think crossing American and British lines will lead to some sort of ‘universal’ sheltie type?

Margaret:
"We don’t want to get paranoid about anything, this hobby is to be enjoyed by all. To understand the American attitude you really should go there – apart from the specialties, most of the shows are judged by all-breed judges. They appreciate style and movement, so a type has evolved where presentation, showmanship and ‘flashy’ movement are a must. I highlight movement, because here in U.K., we ask for effortless gait, a low daisy-cutting action, nothing with huge drive and jerky extension could win here – but would our quiet little shelties attract the U.S. all-breed judges’ eye? I think not. However what wouldn’t I give to see a ring full of those wonderfully bent stifles and low hocks that the Americans have perfected! Dream on." 

I asked Margaret about the status a judge has in the U.K.

Margaret: "Judges in the U.K. have to earn their reputation – it must be one of the longest apprenticeships in any business, as I see it you need to ‘qualify’ yourself by showing good dogs, then you will be asked to judge some of the branch matches."

If you do OK, an Open Show appointment will follow, do OK on that and more Open Shows follow. Then you may feel like sitting the judge's assessment that several of the breed clubs are running. Pass this and you automatically go on the appropriate judges’ list.

Usually to achieve a championship appointment you will need to have judged a breed club open show. All this takes a long time, possibly ten years. You can see that a U.K. judge is thoroughly experienced and used to judging large entries."

"Most of us are exhibitors as well as judges. Speaking personally, I will now only accept a championship show appointment every other year – my next will be at Crufts in 2006, an honour in itself to judge the one breed at Crufts twice in a lifetime, my previous appointment at Crufts was 1974. Of course, the show you are judging at you can not exhibit! I almost always show my own dogs, they are my babies and respond best to Mother!"

Margaret was first nominated as a committee member to the English Shetland Sheepdog Club at the age of 20, and she is currently the longest serving committee member of the club.

I asked Margaret how she thinks about the difference between all breed judges and specialists.

MARGARET:
"There are good and not so good in both all-breeds or specialist judges. An all-breeds judge should have studied the breed standard, just as you suppose the specialist has. Personally I like to exhibit under an all-breeds judge just as I enjoy showing under a specialist. Perhaps a specialist might be nit-picking on a certain point, though it is up to all of us specialists to adhere to the standard and judge accordingly.

Perhaps one funny thing that happened was sending one of our then senior breeders to move and see her petticoat drop lower and lower, until it fluttered to the ground. It speaks highly of the British character that she stopped, stepped out of the garment and put it in her pocket, and then carried on as if nothing had happened."

I asked Margaret how she thinks about the health problems shelties breeders have got to deal with.

MARGARET:
"Of course there are problems with CEA, occasionally PRA and a scare every now and then H.D. To set out to eradicate a problem may open up the door to other ills. I would urge all breeders to be vigilant and listen to owners of those pet puppies. We don’t want a strain of shelties clear of CEA, but dying at 7 or 8 years of heart, liver or kidney problems.

I have had visitors whose main aim was to count teeth, bring out their measures, shine torches in their eyes – all this but not noticing the dog as a whole. How sad. My advice is always to look at the dog as a whole."

Francehill has produced more champions than any other British present-day kennel, including Champions in all three colours. Are there still challenges?

MARGARET:
"Now, this must sound a very laid-back statement. My plans for the future are to be happy, to enjoy the company of the Francehills, to appreciate what I’ve got and to do my very best to see that they are in the best of health, loved, groomed and walked each day.

I love having visitors to Hilltop and ‘talking shelties’ to other fanciers with a balanced outlook. About the young hopefuls, I shall continue going to a few shows.

I am somewhat housebound these days as I never leave my shelties unattended, so rely on friends and neighbours to housesit at Hilltop if I want to go out to a show. This limits the campaigning – but we still like to make an appearance."

With my best wishes, sincerely

MARGARET NORMAN

Thank you Margaret, for having enabled me to make this
lovely world breeders' portrait. Ineke.