The Border Collie National
The Australian Border Collie National is the premier breed-specific event for Border Collies in Australia, bringing together exhibitors, competitors, breeders, owners and enthusiasts from across the country and internationally.
Held periodically under the auspices of the National Border Collie Council (Australia) and hosted by an affiliated State Border Collie Club, each National provides an opportunity to celebrate the Border Collie in all aspects of the breed — from conformation and breeding to its remarkable working ability, intelligence, trainability and versatility across canine sports.
While the National Championship Show remains at the heart of the event, successive Nationals have grown to incorporate an increasingly diverse program of breed-restricted performance events and activities. These provide an opportunity for Border Collies from around Australia to compete alongside their peers in disciplines including obedience, rally, agility, jumping, herding and other recognised canine sports.
More than a competition, the National is a gathering of the Australian Border Collie community. It provides an opportunity to celebrate the breed's history, recognise outstanding dogs and the people behind them, exchange knowledge, renew friendships and preserve a record of the breed and its development for future generations.
Held periodically under the auspices of the National Border Collie Council (Australia) and hosted by an affiliated State Border Collie Club, each National provides an opportunity to celebrate the Border Collie in all aspects of the breed — from conformation and breeding to its remarkable working ability, intelligence, trainability and versatility across canine sports.
While the National Championship Show remains at the heart of the event, successive Nationals have grown to incorporate an increasingly diverse program of breed-restricted performance events and activities. These provide an opportunity for Border Collies from around Australia to compete alongside their peers in disciplines including obedience, rally, agility, jumping, herding and other recognised canine sports.
More than a competition, the National is a gathering of the Australian Border Collie community. It provides an opportunity to celebrate the breed's history, recognise outstanding dogs and the people behind them, exchange knowledge, renew friendships and preserve a record of the breed and its development for future generations.
History of the Border Collie National
Since the inaugural National in Sydney in 2006, the event has travelled around Australia, with affiliated State clubs taking responsibility for hosting each National. Each event has created its own chapter in the history of the breed in Australia. Together, the Nationals provide an important record of influential dogs, breeders, exhibitors and competitors, while charting the continued development of the Border Collie across conformation, performance and working disciplines.
The National Border Collie Council is in the process of compiling historical records from every Australian Border Collie National for inclusion in this dedicated archive. This is an ongoing project, and many of the earlier Nationals were held before digital storage and online results became the norm. As a result, some records are incomplete or exist only in printed catalogues, photographs and the personal collections of those involved.
As material is located and verified, this archive will continue to grow, preserving results, catalogues, photographs, judges, award winners and other significant records from each National.
We welcome contributions from the Border Collie community. If you have catalogues, marked results, photographs, event programs, judge critiques or other historical material from a previous National that may help complete the archive, we would be very pleased to hear from you. Our aim is to preserve the history of the Australian Border Collie National and ensure these records remain accessible to the breed community for generations to come.
The National Border Collie Council is in the process of compiling historical records from every Australian Border Collie National for inclusion in this dedicated archive. This is an ongoing project, and many of the earlier Nationals were held before digital storage and online results became the norm. As a result, some records are incomplete or exist only in printed catalogues, photographs and the personal collections of those involved.
As material is located and verified, this archive will continue to grow, preserving results, catalogues, photographs, judges, award winners and other significant records from each National.
We welcome contributions from the Border Collie community. If you have catalogues, marked results, photographs, event programs, judge critiques or other historical material from a previous National that may help complete the archive, we would be very pleased to hear from you. Our aim is to preserve the history of the Australian Border Collie National and ensure these records remain accessible to the breed community for generations to come.
