Miraje Dunedain Ranger At Anadune AW(S) Nov Ex OA NAJ NF CGC

Aragorn

14 December 2003 — 30 November 2019

Aragorn was the easiest dog I've ever lived with, he was my first Border Collie and, while I knew that Border Collies love to please, Ara was special — he spent his whole time wanting to please me. He would sit in the wheelbarrow while I taught obedience classes, patiently waiting out of the way but ready to jump out the second I asked him to demonstrate something. And he would be so pleased that he could do whatever I asked of him for me. As a puppy, he watched me training Bilbo and was desperate to have a go: with very limited training, so he didn't get overwhelmed, he won his first Pre-Beginners at the age of 7 months. He loved playing tug at the end of his round, tuggy games were the best thing ever.

Aragorn was taking part in conformation, obedience and agility — he had not been shown a lot in conformation, we were waiting for him to mature but then he decided that he knows there are better things out there (agility and obedience) and just didn't enjoy breed shows! He had done very well in obedience despite the number of obedience shows in his first year being kept quite low. When he reached 18 months, he started competing in agility.

He won out of both Elementary and Starters at the age of 20 months, only a month after he started competing. In 2006 our priority shifted towards showing Gala, but even with limited outings to agility and obedience, Aragorn had some very nice places in Intermediate (agility) and A (obedience). He reached grade 6 in agility in 2008 (at 4 years old). A couple of videos show Ara's lovely tight turns, responsiveness, and speed (Suffolk Five Rivers Sep 2007: Grade 5 agility, videoed by my friend Amanda and CATC Apr 2010: 20'' Excellent STD). He injured himself doing agility just before the start of the 2008 season, and he slowly returned to agility — his first proper run at a show got him a win at Grade 5 jumping. Although he won out of Grade 5, and done well in Grade 6, he suffered the same injury again. He found the surfaces in the US just too hard, and ended up having to be fully withdrawn from agility while he was living there. In 2011 he was passed by the vets as being able to return to sports, and therefore enjoyed himself once again back on the UK agility circuit until he was fully retired at the end of the 2012 season.

He had his (and my!) first session on sheep at the end of 2008 and showed natural instinct — due to his injuries, we didn't let him herd much in later years, but I am thankful that I realized in time that he was likely to be leaving us soon and managed to let him have a few more herding sessions. Videos of him aged almost 16 still able to move (and enjoying it!) the sheep are very precious.

Aragorn sired some great puppies, having produced a nice litter of drivey pups for Fenborders in 2007 — his daughter Jazz qualified for Crufts at her very first show at 6 months, and his son Gus was working Grade 3 agility. He had a litter in the US with Am Ch Cloverdale Bradaigh Cailin, his daughter Godiva (Cloverdale N' Godiva Kaitlin Mckenzie) became an AKC champion and competed in agility very successfully, his daughter Lindsy (Cloverdale Come To The Party) has her CD, and his son Gavin (Cloverdale Barra Briant) has his AX and AXJ titles. His daughter with our Gala, Trio, got her OAJ and OF titles in four weekends (by 18 months), she retired from agility aged 10 with a MACH-6, and his son Drifter is very versatile, having both a obedience CDX and agility MX and MXJ titles.

I realize how lucky I was to have you in my life, and I will always be grateful to your breeder for letting me have you, my RaRa. Tennis balls and sheep, and anything we did together, GornyGorn, I miss you so much, my very special boy.