In the Beginning

For many years during the 1970’s and early 1980’s the Scottish exhibitors of Tibetan Spaniels had to travel to shows in England to exhibit in breed classes and to attend Championship Breed Shows.

Many were members of the Tibetan Spaniel Association and founder members of the Northern Tibetan Spaniel Club, which was originally formed to support exhibitors in the north of England and in Scotland.

Nevertheless, everyone in the Scottish Tibetan Spaniel fraternity frequently commented on how good it would be to have a breed club based in Scotland.

The ball was set rolling in 1983 when Miss Yvonne Border (now Mrs Y Rawley) through her connections with the Scottish Kennel Club arranged a meeting with Mr A Sim, the then Secretary of the Scottish Kennel Club. Yvonne, Mrs Vi Armstrong, and the late Mrs Aileen Young attended the meeting with Allan Sim who could not have been more helpful. He gave the ladies lots of good advice on how to set up a club, made suggestions on what the club’s aims should be, and offered information on framing a constitution etc.

He also provided assurances that the SKC would support the club’s application. If they could muster 25 members the minimum number required by the Kennel Club. An advert was placed in the canine press to arrange a meeting at the Plough Inn Larbert and over 60 people attended, eager to see the creation of, and join the breed club.

At that meeting on the 26th of June 1983 a committee was formed. Mrs Aileen Young resigned as the Chairman of the TSA to become the Chairman of the Scottish Club, Mr Kenneth McKie was voted on as Vice Chairman, Miss Yvonne Border as Hon Secretary, Mrs Violet Armstrong as Hon Treasurer and Mr A Young as President. The other members of that first committee were: Mrs Jean Bennison, Mrs Elizabeth Clark, Mrs Margaret Harrower, Miss Patricia McKie, Mrs Freda Main, Mrs Fiona Mathison, Mr James Peat, Mr Bryan Stevenson, and Miss Sheila Thomson.

A constitution was drawn up, names chosen for the new club and an application for registration was submitted to the Kennel Club.

While waiting, no shows could be held but meetings were permitted, so the first event arranged was a Strawberry Tea Party and Photographic competition held at Blackford on Sunday the 19th of August 1984.

The club very quickly received recognition from The Kennel Club and were able to hold their 1st Open Show in May 1985. The judge was Mrs June Tomlinson. BIS was Changilli Lho La who went on to gain her title, BOS was Simpasture Laurel, Best Puppy Balgay Koo Kee and Best Veteran Balgay Artali.

Holding two open show and a summer party for the next three years the club was then granted Championship Status and the first Championship show was held in April 1988. Although Yvonne Rawley had by this time moved to England and had resigned as Hon Secretary, and the committee thought it fitting to invite her to judge our first Championship Show. BIS was Amcross Punsonby, BOS Wildhern Winter Jasmine and Best Puppy Wildhern Eildon Mystic.

Twenty-five years later, Yvonne also judged our Silver Anniversary Show.

The club is now looking forward to celebrating the Ruby Anniversary of its formation in 2023.