Old Hemp

Old Hemp, or simply Hemp ( German " hemp " ) was an English Border Collie. He lived from September 1893 to May 1901, was due to his outstanding abilities hats popular as a stud dog and is now regarded as the progenitor of his race. He was in possession of the breeder Adam Telfer, where he tended sheep as a working dog and it was an unusually quiet style of work which has been taken up by other breeders and today is considered to be common in Border Collies. Even Old Hemps descendants proved to be excellent herding dogs.

Life

Old Hemp was born in September 1893 in Cambo, Northumberland. His mother was a locked, "strong -eyed " dog named Meg, his father Roy was a black -white- brown Sheepdog, "loose -eyed " and friendly character. Old Hemps fur was in contrast to that of most of today's Border Collies three colors, although white was available only on the forehead, muzzle, chest, paws and tail tip ( the so-called trim).

At the age of six weeks Old Hemp first came into contact with sheep and quickly proved excellent hats qualities. In driving of sheep he kept quiet and friendly than other former Sheepdogs opposite herd. Sometimes he worked so intensely that he was trembling all over. This work style has become common within a few generations in almost all Border Collies and is now regarded as typical of the breed.

Hemps skills stunned his owner again. Telfer once remarked about Hemp as follows:

"He flashed like a meteor across the sheepdog horizon. There never was searching on outstanding personality. "

" He shot like a meteor across the Sheepdogs horizon. So an exception personality it has never been. "

So it was clear to Telfer, that he wanted to use his qualities because Hemp for breeding.

Also, the author Eric Halsall was impressed by Hemp:

"None who saw him [work] ever forgot him ... Almost faultless in [ his ] work ... he was born with seeking knowledge of his craft did he never required workout and went to his work naturally. "

" No one who has it ever does see work that could again forget ... At work he made virtually no mistakes ... he had already come with such knowledge of his craft to the world that he had no education needed, he was by nature of it. "

Progeny

Hemp is considered the progenitor of the breed border collie. The International Sheep Dog Society ( International Society for herding dogs ) began in 1915 a studbook in the Old Hemp, the ninth entry of about 300,000 is. The first he's just not because others before him, actually later dogs had been registered already.

Old Hemps hats abilities also attracted the interest of other dog handlers. It is estimated that he had more than 200 direct descendants, because he was in great demand as a stud dog. His features, his medium-sized physique and his coarse hair have been preserved in many of his descendants and have become characteristic of the breed.

Awards

Whether Hemp has ever participated in a Herding Trial is not known. One of his grandchildren named Sweep, also from Telfers breeding, won in 1910 with Telfer and 1912 with another dog handler the championship of the International Sheep Dog Society.

Later, Adam Telfer had another dog named Hemp bred, also an Old Hemps offspring. The younger Hemp won the 1924 International Championship. Almost all of the 29 dogs that won the championship from 1906 to 1951, was a descendant of Old Hemp.