At the Suffolk County Show a group of Collie exhibitors discussed the possibility of establishing a Rough Collie Club to serve the large East Anglian region comprising Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and part of Essex.
1956:
The EACA’s inaugural show -
The East Anglian Collie Association was registered by the Kennel Club on 3rd July, with Bobbee Roos elected as inaugural Secretary.
1957:
Mrs Frisby took over Secretarial role after Bobbee Roos returned to America, a post
she held until ill-
1958:
Fred Buckle (burwydne) replaced Mrs Frisby as Secretary until his untimely death three years later.
1963:
Jim Sargeant (carramar) replaced all-
1964:
1967:
Jim Barnard (Washbay) elected as Secretary.
The EACA established its popular annual Dinner and Dances which continued for the next fourteen years.
Pat Barnard (washbay) elected Secretary, fulfilling the role for
the next sixteen
years.
1970:
Joyce Sargeant (carramar) replaced husband Jim as President.
1969:
1975:
The EACA granted Championship Show status.
John Parrott (larkena) elected EACA President with Jim Barnard (washbay) as Chairman.
The kennel club reduced the number of cc’s available for Rough Collies, from forty
to thirty-
1978:
EACA’s Silver Jubilee year, with a special Open Show in place of our Championship Show, judged by Founder Members Alan Jeffries (JEFSFIRE) and Club President John Parrott (LARKENA).
1982:
1984:
Championship Show status restored after six year gap.
The EACA established its Trade Stand
The EACA’s ‘Pup of the Year’ competition and dinner dance was introduced as an annual event in January.
1990:
Pat Hutchinson (karibuni) elected Secretary after Pat Barnard
indicated a wish to
retire.
1986:
Eye testing clinics were introduced at the Championship Shows.
1995:
THE EACA donated £200.00 towards the cost of the new Small Animal Hospital at the Animal Health Trust, Newmarket.
The club established two Sanction Shows each year -
the eaca scheduled its first open show in January. This was judged by Mrs KJ Tweddle (ARCOT) and attracted an entry of 91 Collies making 250 entries. Once class of Smooth Collies was scheduled (one entry) and four classes of Shetland Sheepdogs.
Sheltie classes discontinued due to poor entries
the club’s last sanction show held. Mrs JE Cable (LEEPARK) judged.
1971:
the Kennel Club ceased to ‘sanction’ shows in 1999
Sanction Shows
entry to Sanction Shows was limited to members, and the classification was limited
to
exhibits which had not won out of
Post Graduate, the highest
class scheduled.
These shows were a popular
starting point for
novice exhibitors.
The more experienced
used them as a training ground
for a new puppy or young adult,
while those most experienced exhibitors would often spend an
evening or afternoon doing a little
'Future Star' spotting.
Early Beginnings
After the initial ad-
meeting at Suffolk County
Show a more formal
meeting was
called
where it was agreed a Club should be formed. 25
each paid
the necessary
£2 membership fee.
Midland Collie Club, with the support of
Mr E J Allsopp (merrion), agreed to become
the
official sponsor, a necessity
under Kennel Club rules for a proposed new club.
Of the three names
submitted, East Anglian
Collie Association was the one accepted
on
3rd July 1957, making it the third youngest registered
Rough Collie Club.
EACA’s Founder Members included:
John Parrott -
Alan Jeffries -
Iris Combe -
Joe
Mycroft -
Pru Green -
Hilda Goodwin -
Bobbee
Roos -
Miss E de Belle Ball -
Ralph & Vera Fendley -
Hazel Collins -
better known today as
Hazel Hunt -
the kennel club discontinued compulsory pre-
1973:
Smooth collie classes were scheduled thereby our Shows were promoted to Sub-
junior handling classes introduced but discontinued after the
Kennel Club ruled entries
could no longer be taken on the day.
1987:
the eaca changed its championship show date from November to early August.
Smooth collie classes, without Ccs, were reintroduced to our Championship Shows.
In 2007 the Kennel Club,
introduced its new slogan:
‘Fit for Function – Fit for Life’
In those breeds served by
several clubs, the Kennel Club
further insisted that an
overall Breed Health Coordinator should be appointed. Their role is to correlate
data from
all clubs.
The EACA commissioned Barbara Jones, a Collie owner and artist, to paint a water colour of three Rough Collie heads, one in each of the recognised coat colours, to be used as the Club’s new logo.
The EACA’s Ruby Anniversary was celebrated with a week-
1997:
Brian House was elected Secretary replacing Pat Hutchinson who, after eleven years in the role, expressed a wish to retire.
Eye Clinics at our Championship Shows were discontinued.
The EACA’s Golden Anniversary Year. The Championship Show provided many ‘specials’ for exhibitors and a range of additional high quality gifts were available on the Club Stand.
2007:
A major change in East Anglian Collie Association management whereby Miranda Blake (corydon) and Lisa Pettit (lakebank) agreed to share Secretarial duties.
2008:
2013:
The EACA’s Health Register was introduced to the Club’s web site and open to all. The database records details of each dog together with a record of its health tests.
The EACA’s web site links directly to the Club’s closed face-
health coordinators. A new Kennel Club directive stated that all Breed Clubs must appoint a Health Coordinator so Pat Hutchinson was elected to fill this role. A Health Stand was introduced to all our events, providing advice on recently established DNA tests and other Collie health concerns.
The EACA introduced a CEA database for genetically tested Collies.
2015:
The EACA introduced a mentoring scheme for SAC judges, the mentor being not only a committee member but also a Championship Show judge of Rough and/or Smooth Collies.
2016:
3 Special award classes (sac) introduced at all our shows to provide additional judging opportunities for novice (‘C’ list) judges.
The EACA’s Diamond Jubilee. The August Championship Show’s commemorative catalogue
will contain three-
2017:
Welcome • Membership • Events • The Collie
The EACA sadly lost 3 long-