Based in London’s Stamford Hill district, Mr R. H. Roberts established his kennel during the early 1920s. Turning to the LAUND kennel for his foundation, Princess became the first collie to be registered with the ASHTEAD affix, details published in the Kennel Gazette of Feb 1922. Born 25 April 1920, by Ch. Laund Laird ex Laund Lillith, and bred by Mr W. W. Stansfield, Princess came from an illustrious background, having CC winning litter siblings in Laund Lally and Laund Lordly. If Princess, and a short flirtatious partnership with Mr C. H. Pike proved disappointing, Ashtead Primrose bred by Capt. C. L. Roberts from Laund stock, and the home bred Ashtead Blue Belle from Mountshannon lines, both registered in 1924, exceeded all expectations to become the kennel’s true foundations.
During this period it was both common and acceptable to purchase rather than breed future show stock. Reputations resting on kennel owners’ ability to spot likely youngsters at the smaller members only shows, then more numerous than now. This was not the case with Mr Roberts who was always a breeder first, any purchased invariably tracing back to Ashtead breeding on at least one side of their pedigree.
Initially known for a string of beautiful feminine tricolour bitches, Ashtead is now remembered for the home bred sable and white dog Ashtead Applause, by the Laund Lucas son Master Robert, and out of Ashtead Primrose. Applause, born November 1924, appeared in one of the kennel’s earliest litters, gaining his Stud Book number with a 3rd in Open, and 2nd in Limit from Mr L. H. Hayter [ATHELNEY] at the Metropolitan and Essex Canine Society show 1925. He had to wait a further three years before gaining his crown with CCs at L.K.A., Bristol Kennel Ass., and Taunton & District shows in 1928.

Put to all Ashtead broods, regardless of colour, Applause quickly gained an enviable reputation as a sire of quality stock. The mating to half sister Jean of Ashtead, out of Ashtead Primrose, repeated on at least three occasions gave the breed three tricolour bitch champions in, Ashtead Violetta, Viola of Ashtead, and Eden Endora, plus sable and white Ch. Alphington Merrymaid, of these only two remained in this country. Violetta stayed at the home kennel, whelping three litters to kennel mate Ch. Netherkeir Starboy which produced two champions in Ashtead Eminence and Amelia, plus CC winning Laund Laxey. Amelia gaining prominence as the grand-dam of Southport Sceptre who established a successful show and stud career with Mrs Ilch in America. Merrymaid, bred by Mr R. Rudman out of Ch Seedley Sleet, started life as Seedley Snack, before undergoing a name change. She was to prove her merit to her adoptive kennel, becoming Mr Newbery’s first champion, and whilst never whelping an outstanding show winner, she could be found behind several of this countries immediate post war champions.
Having no champion sons, Applause’s influence over the male line came down through, Ashtead Applauson, Amazement, Approval, Aristocrat, Applauson of Tembi, and Hallwood Standard. Of these probably the most important being CC winning Ashtead Aristocrat, sire of Ch. Eden Diadem, who would undoubtedly have played a more significant role in the breed’s development had the second world war not intervened.

With American breeders still eager to purchase winning stock, or their progeny, several Ashtead bred collies crossed the Atlantic. The most famous must be Laund Loyalty of Bellhaven, the only collie to win Best in Show at Westminster, Madison Square Gardens, New York. Convinced that this win could never be bettered, despite Loyalty’s tender age of nine months, and at his very first show, Mrs Ilch retired her import before gaining his title, and although widely used he left little of any importance.
Applause’s influence was of a more enduring nature, with two UK champion daughters crossing the Atlantic. Eden Endora joined Mrs Clare Lunt’s kennel, where she gained not only the suffix “of Alstead” but also her American title, conversely Viola of Ashtead, was more successful in the whelping box, giving Mrs Ilch Am Ch. Bellhaven Black Lucason, by Am Ch Lucason of Ashtead o’Bellhaven (Lucas of Ashtead ex Jean of Ashtead), litter brother to Laund Loyalty of Bellhaven. He in turn became one of America’s leading collie sires extending the Laund Limit / Anfield Model influence into the post war period.
In common with many of their contemporaries, Ashtead based its breeding on lines tracing back to Ch. Anfield Model, who was then considered to have the most perfect head and expression ever produced, however it is known that his temperament was less than ideal. Repeated inbreeding to this dog produced collies that became successively more nervous, and untrustworthy, which may explain why this extremely successful line failed to thrive, either side of the Atlantic, into present stock. Today’s enthusiast only able to find occasional reference to Ashtead behind Ch Lena of Ladypark, Laird’s Rose, or Lilac of Ladypark. The situation in America being little better, with only the Applause son Ace of Ashtead, found behind Am. Ch. Silver Ho Parader, to whom most existing American collies trace.

Mr Roberts showed a remarkable talent for exploiting any commercial interest that could possibly promote his kennel’s standing.
James Sunders’ in his review of the kennel, Dog World Annual 1931, highlights the role played by the young Ashtead Blue Ensign, in the Royalty Theatre production of ‘Champion North’, saying:
“His beauty and his fearless and open nature have already been admired by large audiences, which demand his reappearance at the close of each performance”

and whilst Ensign never gained his Stud Book number, he made a significant contribution to Miss Clare Molony’s WESTCARR collies. In 1935 another blue merle, Ashtead Blue Print, who did gain a title, was featured in one of Spratt’s advertisements, accompanied by a letter of endorsement over Mr Roberts’ signature. However the two most enduring promotional aids both featured Ashtead Applause
Hutchinson’s authoritative ‘DOG ENCYCLOPÆDIA’, originally published in parts, gave collies an extensive entry. The modern collie represented by three pages devoted to Ashtead collies, including a full page head study of Applause. More original must be the Royal Doulton Collie figurine released as part of their Champion Dog range, produced in three sizes from 1931. Modeled by the renowned canine artist and sculptor Frederick Thomas Daws, a master of canine anatomy, who is better know for his portrait studies of famous show dogs, where his distinctive bold brush stroke style, lent itself to long haired breeds. The Rough Collie, one of the earliest and longest running from the series with the medium sized model still in production until 1985, featured this famous example of the breed.

There is no evidence that Mr Roberts ever held office in the various clubs of the day, nor is he listed as one of the Collie Association’s founding members. We know he was a generous supporter of the London and Provincial Collie Club, and respected judge, officiating at Cruft’s on no less than three separate occasions.
Active from 1922, he supplied both breeding, and show stock to many of the top kennels and exhibitors either side of the Atlantic. The summer of 1939 saw a flurry of registration activity which could readily be explained by the impending war with Germany, with its consequential need to reduce stock levels, and many are the possible explanations for the kennel failing to re-emerge after the war.
Luckily for the breed Mr Roberts was tempted back into the centre of the ring in 1949, judging collies at Birmingham’s ‘National’ where he gave the tickets to Laund Beulah’s Goldenstarr, later exported to Finland, and Eden Elation, made up on the day. After which his reappearances becoming an annual event until 1952, when Selstoma Safeguard and Ugony’s Golden Gloria, both gaining the magical third, became the last Rough Collies to be handed challenge certificates from Mr Roberts’ hand.
Stud Books suggest Mr Roberts allowed the affix to lapse, but by 1950 ASHTEAD had been granted to Airedale Terrier breeder, Mrs I. C. Aitkens, who still held it in 1961, the last year affix lists were published. Whether this lady was connected with Mr Roberts is impossible to say, for living in Ashtead, Surrey, she may simply have adopted the village name.
Dareen A Bridge
‘EMMSMOOR’
© 2003