The Smooth Collie of the Year Contest

The Smooth Collie of the Year (S.C.O.T.Y) Contest was the original idea of Smooth Collie Club committee member Isobel Griffiths and for the first ten years of the contest's life, Isobel and husband Tony organised and ran it. It was then taken over by the committee and run as a team effort.

One of the original objectives of the contest was to attract people to attend the Club's Annual General Meeting which follows the contest. This objective was successfully achieved and every year more than 50 members attend the AGM.

The second main objective was to bring together in one contest all the top show winners of the previous show year. The popularity of S.C.O.T.Y is such that exhibitors now try to qualify for S.C.O.T.Y as well as Crufts!

Another objective was to promote the breed to non-specialist judges and this is achieved by inviting well known or up and coming allrounders to join the judges' panel.

Lastly, the Club aims to hold an enjoyable social event and this it achieves very successfully. S.C.O.T.Y tickets are reserved well in advance of the contest. The atmosphere on the day is most convivial and the super buffet lunch enjoyed by all.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

The competition is open by invitation to dogs and bitches owned by members of the Smooth Collie Club of Great Britain who qualified by winning a Challenge Certificate or Reserve Challenge Certificate during the previous show year.

First Round dogs - the three judges will each examine and move every dog before awarding a mark out of 20 for each exhibit. The cumulative scores will determine which dogs will return to compete in the second round for BEST DOG, RESERVE BEST DOG and RUNNER-UP TO RESERVE BEST DOG. Scores will be kept secret.

FIRST ROUND BITCHES - to find the top cumulative scores for the next round. Scores again to be kept secret.

SECOND ROUND DOGS - The judges will confer and decide between the three highest cumulative scoring dogs (plus those whose scores tie for nay of the three places) and select BEST DOG, RESERVE BEST DOG and RUNNER UP TO RESERVE BEST DOG. The choice will be kept secret.

SECOND ROUND BITCHES - similarly, the BEST BITCH, RESERVE BEST BITCH AND RUNNER UP TO RESERVE BEST BITCH will be decided. The choice will again be kept secret.

Trophies and Rosettes are presented to the winners in the reverse order of Runner Up Dog, Runner Up Bitch, Reserve Best Dog, Reserve Best Bitch, Best Dog, Best Bitch and finally to the SMOOTH COLLIE OF THE YEAR.

After judging, there is a short break to enable photos of the dogs to be taken and then a buffet lunch is served.

SCOTY WINNERS 2011 - Fay Hutchings with Colliedach Molloney Ta Tu You (runner up to reserve best dog), Fiona Forbes with Ch/Int/Ir Ch Pelghart Paint it Black at Willowhurst (reserve best dog), Derek Smith (Rough Collie Specialist judge), Trevor Hayward with best dog and Smooth Collie of the Year Ch Sandcastles True Topic, Geoff Duffield (Smooth Collie Specialist judge), Jane Lilley (All Rounder), Claire Norman with Ch Foxearth Fashioned in Black (best bitch), Michelle Fort with Ch Shulune Imperial Legacy (reserve best bitch), Simon Burton handling Fay Hutchings Ch Foxearth Fluorescence at Molloney Sh CM (runner up to reserve best bitch).  Photo by Alopex.