Breeding History

The Wyndlair Foundation

This History of the Wyndlair Bloodline

Beginning in the late 1980s and early 1990s, we both were both actively breeding and handling of Collies from a variety of pedigrees – including Highcroft, Vennessee, Pebblebrook, Clarion, Incandescent and others. Those efforts resulted in dozens of champions, top specialty winners, ROMs and more. At the same time, we had the opportunity to handle Shetland Sheepdogs, English Setters, and many other Working, Sporting & Terrier breeds. We were introduced to breed virtues we came to value and learned faults we weren’t willing to tolerate. During those years our vision of the ultimate Collie continued to evolve and develop.

The modern Wyndlair bloodline was developed in the early 2000s by crossing descendants of the old Countryview and Tartanside families. That family cross had been extremely successful nearly two decades earlier, producing several typesetting dogs including Starr’s Dark Crystal, ROM, Ch. Countryview Motion Picture, and Ch. Countryview Monumental.  We used the illustrious Ch. Southland’s Bowen Island, ROM – 2002 CCA Best of Breed – as our foundation pillar sire. Bowen was tightly bred on daughters of Ch. Tartanside Th’ Critics’ Choice, ROM, and we crossed him to bitches of specific phenotype & genotype (Countryview/Tartanside/Candray/Hi Vu) to produce the foundation of the Wyndlair family. We experienced great success beginning from those Bowen litters. In years following, we linebred back to that first generation and selected those individuals that most closely approached our mental image. Refinement and improvement continued. Later, the introduction of the Classique bloodline (hailing from Brandwyne/Gaylord descent) further improved our family’s head detail and elegance.

Wyndlair Collies are distinctive, elegant, and detailed, but not extreme. The Wyndlair body type is one of a proud picture – athletic and balanced with deep, curved body lines. The Wyndlair head type is long and inclined to lightness, smooth on the sides, flat on top, with a tight lipline, full underjaw, and clean cutback. Expression is a vital virtue and we will not accept an expression that is harsh, dull or offensive. We firmly believe a great Collie can’t have an average expression. Through careful selection and strategic outcrosses, we have created a consistent breed type that fulfills our interpretation of the Breed Standard.

Wyndlair breed type has been most evident in the progeny of Wyndlair Avalanche, ROM (sire of 30 American champions), in his finest son, GCHB. Wyndlair Point Given – 2014 #1 Rough Collie (Hawkins System), and in his granddaughter, GCHB. Wyndlair Classique Incandescent – 2014 CCA BOS/BOB – The Top-Winning White Collie in Breed History. Our current program is based on these individuals who have each etched their place in breed history.