Judge's Biographies

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STEEL, Fiona (Invercoyle)

I have been involved and lived around dogs for most of my life; there has rarely been a period in my life that has not involved dogs.

Allan & I were first owned by a Beardie in 1983 when we came across a dog needing re-homed, turns out she was bred by Liz & Billy Gault (Lochbarra). We took on 2 further re-homes which were also Lochbarra dogs. After this and went on to have our first litter and from one of those bitches who became our foundation in 1989, which when we first got involved in showing. We showed and occasionally judged for many years but eventually taking a break in 1998 due to family and work commitments.

We lost the last of the Invercoyle line in 2010 and were devastated as we had no dogs in our life. We were very fortunate, as a few months later to be offered the privilege to be owned by one of Jenny Osbourne’s (Osmart) last litter bred by Jenny herself (although now the Osmart line continues with her Grandaughter Robynne), we then returned to the show ring with Osmart Belle in Black Satin at Invercoyle. Since then Coney has started another Invercoyle line and her son & daughter also live with us.
I also served on the committee of The Bearded Collie Club of Scotland back in the early 90s as Chairperson, and returned to the same club on the committee in 2010 and still serve as a committee member to this day.

I started judging in 1997 and I am on the B-list of The Bearded collie Club of Scotland, I enjoy judging and see it as an opportunity to continue to learn and hopefully influence this wonderful breed.

My other interest is taking action photography shots of this wonderful breed and love to show the world what they get up to when they are not in the ring!

STEEL, Janet (Spinningdale)

I have owned Bearded Collies for over 30 years. In that time I have served on the North of England Committee, of which I was a founder member.

I have bred only 2 litters, one from my foundation bitch, Briaridge Blue Rose. From her litter I kept a bitch who became Spinningdale Sunset Song. She had her only litter in 1992 and from that litter came Spinningdale Sunset Sonata. Both girls were successful in the show ring with Sunset Sonata still taking awards in her vintage years at the age of 15.

Having decided not to continue breeding, I purchased in the year 2000 Menander Starstruck of Spinningdale who gained 1 CC with Best of Breed and 2 Reserve CCs.

I began my judging career in 1986 and have gone on to award CCs I the breed having judged at both General Championship and Breed club shows.

SULLIVAN Ellen (Navillus)

I’ve had Beardies since 1981 and to date, shared my life with 11 of them, all are much loved family pets first and foremost.

I started showing in 1981 and my affix, Navillus, came after the arrival of my first “showgirl” in 1998 – she became my foundation bitch. She taught me a lot about Beardies and produced 2 out of the current 6 SBN’s I have gained since them. All of my SBN’s are descendents from this lovely girl.

I judges for the first time in 1990 at Companion Show level and judged many shows at this level until I felt confident enough to try an Open Show in 2002. I was passed in 2012 to give CC’s in Bearded Collies, my first appointment being SCCA 2013.

I am an active Committee Member of the BCC since 2002, currently being Show Secretary and Yearbook Editor.

It would be a great honour to judge the Bearded Collie Club Champ Show – a task which I would undertake with pride and integrity.

TAYLOR Mick (Bruernish)

In partnership with my wife, we have owned and shown Beardies for over thirty years, and gained BOB at Cruft’s with a Champion bitch in 1987. Our Bruernish affix was granted in 1982, and we bred our first litter in 1989; in all we have bred four litters and qualified seven Beardies for the KC Stud Book. Sadly we were unable to campaign our home bred CC winner to his title due to family health problems.

I first judged Beardies in 1984, and awarded CCs for the first time in 1996, and have judged them on a regular basis both here and overseas since then.

I am now passed to award CCs in four other Pastoral breeds, (Australian Shepherds, Border Collies, Rough Collies and Polish Lowland Sheepdogs ), and was honoured to judge the latter at Cruft’s in 2005.

It has been my good fortune over the years to have judged most of the other breeds in the Pastoral and Working Groups, both Groups and Best in Show at Open Show level, and have judged Club Shows for both Briards and Old English Sheepdogs.
I am currently on the ‘A3’ List for Old English Sheepdogs, ‘B’ Lists for Briards, Hungarian Pulis, Pyrenean Sheepdogs (Long Haired), Shetland Sheepdogs and Bernese Mountain Dogs.

I always enjoy judging these, and other breeds in the Pastoral and Working Groups, but Beardies are, and always will be my first love; we have co-existed with twelve wonderful Beardies over the years and it has been a privilege to know them all.

TAYLOR Sandra (Bruernish)

Between 1980 and 1982 four Beardies from the Davealex kennel came to share our lives and my love of the breed has endured since then. Our first bitch, Davealex Royle Bianco at Bruernish gained her title in 1985 and was declared Best of Breed at Crufts in 1987 where she was shortlisted in the then Working Group.

Our Bruernish affix was granted in 1982 and we bred our first litter in l989; in all we have bred four litters and qualified seven Beardies for the KC Stud Book. Sadly we were unable to campaign our home bred CC winner to his title due to family health problems.

I first judged in 1984 and was passed to award CCs in 1997 since when I have judged on a regular basis. I also award CCs in Polish Lowland Sheepdogs. I consider myself lucky to also judge other Pastoral breeds, Groups and BIS at Open Show level.

Mick and I have been involved with the breed for well over thirty years, we have co-existed with 12 wonderful Beardies and it has been a privilege to know them all.

WALKER Shelagh (Douglasdale)

I have been involved with Bearded Collies for 40 years. My first beardie being Corsecott Shona (Mountain Dew of Tambora x Westernisles Loch Ainneart) born in 1973.

I already had been bitten by the showing bug, having dipped my toes in the water previously with a mini-longhaired dachshund. With Shona we often found ourselves competing against her litter sister (Corsecott Tawny Tanya), a foundation bitch of Liz and Billy Gault. In those days most of us turned up at a show with a few grooming tools, a show lead and a blanket for the dog to lie on beside our chair ….. what a difference these days!

We bred from Shona a few times and produced some nice puppies. Ailsa Gill had her first beardie from one of these litters and Kathleen Delaney got Douglasdale Deerhunter who was a super boy.

I started judging in the late 70’s, when Beardie classes were not as thick on the ground as they are now. The highlight of those early judging appointments was when I judged Beardies at a Scottish Breeds Open Show in the early 80’s …. Approx 100 entries over 8 classes.

I have judged at open shows for BCCS, North of England BCC and Midshires BCC and in 2013 I was delighted to award CC’s for the first time at Border Union Ch. Show.

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