Charlotte Laning Vrethammar — Conformation

NCBCF Supported Entry

My family’s first Bearded Collie – Bifrosts Bianca – was a granddaughter of historic Beardies – Bracken Boy of Bothkennar, Wishanger Crabtree and Filabey Hamish. The first litter in our house was born from her in 1972, registered with my mother’s kennel prefix Trollflöjten (Swedish for Mozart’s opera The Magic Flute). I was a kid at the time and our Beardies became my constant companions. I can honestly say that had I chosen the breed, it would not have been Beardies, so I am eternally grateful to my Mom who picked this most wonderful breed, which she did just from a photo in a dog book. My entire life would have turned out differently, had she not made that decision. Sure, there are other very nice breeds, but there is nothing quite like a Beardie.

In 1985 I registered my own kennel prefix – Old Smuggler’s. I started out with a great great granddaughter to Bianca and has since then bred seven generations of Old Smuggler’s, all descending from her. Old Smuggler’s is now the second oldest active Bearded Collie kennel in Sweden.

In 1994 I moved to the US with my family and dogs. The same year I published a book about the breed, to date the only book in Swedish about our wonderful breed. I got my judge’s license from the AKC in 2008 and after returning to Sweden in 2009 I went through the Swedish Kennel Club’s judge’s education program in order to be able to add more breeds. Today I judge about 25 breeds and have had appointments in the US, Canada, Australia, Finland, Denmark, Norway and of course Sweden. Needless to say, my favorite appointment is a large Beardie entry, especially with dogs that I have not seen before.

I have only been back to the US a few times since I left in 2009 and can’t wait to see what has happened in the breed since I left.

See you in California!