Multi-BIS/BISS Ch. Twin City Secret Ambition, ROM

Multiple All-Breed & Specialty Best In Show Winner

2003 CCA Award of Merit

2004 Top Ten Winner

Graham’s specials career was supposed to start a year earlier than is actually did. However, Ch. Southland’s Bowen Island came of age faster than expected and demanded 2002 be his year. The rest is history…

Graham’s specials career began in 2003. Graham had gone Reserve Winners Dog at the 1999 CCA in Springfield, MA under j. Phyllis Autrey. We were anxious to put Graham on the big stage to demonstrate the fine specimen he was. He proved equally as dominant of a special as Bowen, winning specialty BISS after BISS and capped it off with a CCA Award of Merit under Judge Joan Graber. He continued that dominance in 2004 when he expanded his dominance to the All-Breed Ring scoring a number of major Herding Group 1s and 2s, and 2 All-Breed Best in Shows. He also won Specialty Best in Shows over the largest entries of the year. He finished the year in the Top 10 in all systems (Hawkins, Canine Chronicle – All-Breed & Breed, and Dog News). In 2004, he was shown at just a few select specialties winning multiple BISSs leading up to the 2005 CCA where he was retired.

Graham was a challenging show dog, never wanting to give more than 80% effort in the ring. He always had “girls” in the back of his mind, and we tried every trick in the book to get his complete attention for a few minutes in the ring. It never really worked. We often commented that we wished the Collie World would be able to see the dog we watched in the backyard. He was a sight to behold. Many who saw him in his natural setting compared him to a Carol Phelps statue…regal, proud, impressive. He was a picture-book Collie, athletic in body with a muscled, strong, arched neck.

Having handled a couple of top-producing breed sires, we were often asked to compare our specials, as well as their producing ability. While we avoided comparisons, when people asked what Graham produced, the answer was easy. He produced winners. His progeny won at every level across the country. He is also one of the few ROM sires to produce three (3) CCA winners. He was the grandsire of one of the top champion-producing sires in the history of the breed, Ch. Barksdale Lochlaren Liaison, ROM. He also influenced Wyndlair Collies, appearing in the pedigree of 2014 #1 GChB. Wyndlair Point Given and 2011/2012 #1 GChP. Wyndlair Cherokee Vindication.

Most special about handling Graham was the opportunity to forge a deep relationship with his breeder/owner, Carl Williford. Carl is an extremely accomplished Collie breeder/judge, and someone that holds himself and others to an incredibly high standard of excellence and ethics. A man of great faith and character, “Uncle Carl” remains an important part of the Stelter family.