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Jere was a stickler for movement and of exquisite church embroidery for
woe betide any dog who didn't match which she was world famous.
up to his high standards. His other Examples of her fine gold work can
great love in life was thoroughbred be seen in Salisbury Cathedral and at
horses and, like many of the old Houghton village church beside her
school of horse and dog folk, one-time home, the Manor House.
understood the underlying anatomy
of a correctly made dog and therefore Mollie for many years held the post
a good mover. When Jere died in of president of the Keeshond Club and
1981 a trophy was wanted in his helped to see it through some difficult
memory. Mike Stockman wrote a times in the early 1960s. In the 1970s
piece in the Summer 1983 newsletter she was an able vice-president. She
where he recounted that he was a worker as well as a leader and
remembered Jere at any show firmly for many years ran the Club stall at
placed behind the judge where he shows.
could best see the movement of all Mollie and Jere were also perfect
exhibits. “Woe betide the judge who hosts to other members and twice
didn't perform to expectations!”
opened their home for a Keeshond
social day. The first such event
After consultation with Mollie it was
decided that the most appropriate was held at Downton Manor near
Salisbury and the second when they
memorial would be a trophy for the
best mover at the Keeshond Club lived at Fountain Court, Bramshaw,
Championship show, so the Jere in the heart of the New Forest.
Collins Memorial Salver was A charming account of the Fountain
conceived to honour one of the Court day mentions that it had
kindest men any of us could ever wish coincided with the Southampton
to meet and to reward that which he Open show at which Dutch Uncle had
valued so much in a dog, the perfect won Best of Breed and Best Exhibit
gait. on the first day. He should have
returned on the day of the Keeshond
Mollie had been dogged with ill health social but remained at Fountain Court
and had survived two bouts of throat with his owner to entertain his guests.
cancer. Her last home was in
Salisbury with Barbara where the last Mollie Collins had achieved what
litters were bred. She still showed few could ever dream of, to build
her Ven Emma until the year before two famous kennels capable of
her death and judged the Salisbury winning top honours on both sides
Open show. With her death in of the Atlantic, yet through all her
October 1985 Barbara had lost a successes, never lost her total love
friend of 50 years and the Keeshond of the breed that owned her. She
world one of the kindest and most once remarked that the strength of
knowledgeable of people. Mollie was the kennel lay in its bitches and their
from a generation of gentlewomen aim was to continue to breed a line
who learnt the finer crafts as part of beautiful bitches with ideal
temperaments. I feel her string of
of her education for life. She learnt
fine embroidery at school in Europe champion bitches showed that this
and on her death left behind a legacy was very true. Molly finally summed
up her feelings in an article which
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