Collie Club of America Awards Criteria & Applications
The Collie Club of America (CCA) proudly presents its prestigious CCA Awards, recognizing the dedication and excellence within the Collie community. The Certificate of Appreciation honors individuals for their outstanding contributions to the club and breed, while the Outstanding Local Collie Club award celebrates regional clubs that exemplify leadership and support. The Breeder of the Year award recognizes exceptional breeders who uphold the highest standards of health, temperament, and breed preservation, contributing significantly to the Collie’s future. Additionally, the AKC Outstanding Sportsmanship award acknowledges members who embody the spirit of fair play and camaraderie at events. These awards, bestowed annually, reflect the CCA’s commitment to fostering a vibrant, respectful, and passionate community dedicated to the welfare and advancement of Collies.
Contact:
Noreen Bennett, Chair
noreen@pawprinttrials.com
Register of Merit Performance Application (Online) >>
We are currently working on updating the list of ROM-P Sires and Dams. A revised list of updated requirements will be presented in 2025. In the meantime, please submit any qualified recipients using the form below. If you are unsure if a Sire or Dam has qualified, you can run a Progeny report available from AKC Link to AKC Progeny Report. It will list all offspring that have any AKC titles. We have also attached a list of all currently documented ROM-Ps.
The Register of Merit – Performance (ROM-P) recognizes those collies that have achieved an exceptional record in producing performance titled offspring. The purpose of the ROM-P parallels that of the ROM — to enhance the record keeping capabilities of the CCA and to honor lifetime producing achievements of sires and dams that have produced a specific number of performance titled offspring. Awarding a ROM-P to deserving producers gives the club a permanent record for collie history and serves as a learning tool for pedigree study and research
Requirements for ROM-P Sires
In order to be included in the Performance ROM a dog must have sired at least 5 offspring receiving an AKC Obedience, Tracking, Herding or Agility title, with at least two of those offspring having achieved a CDX, TD, HS, OA, OAJ or higher-level title.
Requirements for ROM-P Dams
In order to be included in the Performance ROM a bitch must have produced at least 3 offspring receiving an AKC Obedience, Tracking, Herding or Agility title, with at least two of those offspring having achieved a CDX, TD, HS, OA, OAJ or higher-level title.
Versatility Awards Form (Online) >>
All Requirements & Point Scale Table >>
The CCA versatility awards program is designed to recognize collies which have distinguished themselves in both the breed ring and in AKC performance events. These dogs possess the conformation, temperament, intelligence, and herding and working capabilities which represent the essential characteristics of the breed. There are three levels of CCA versatility awards: Versatility Award (VA), Versatility Excellent (VX) award, and Grand Versatility (GV) award. These versatility
awards are based on a point system which is used to weight each title based on its difficulty.
The CCA will award a certificate signed by the club President to any collie, rough or smooth, owned by a CCA member, or member of a CCA member’s immediate family, in good standing with the AKC who has fulfilled the requirements for one of these awards. A dog fulfilling these requirements will be listed in the permanent records of the CCA as a Versatility Award (VA) dog, a Versatility Excellent (VX) dog or a Grand Versatility (GV) dog, as appropriate. The versatility certificates will be awarded by the CCA President at the next annual CCA National Specialty Show.
Contact:
Nancy McDonald, Chair
nancy@collieexpressions.com
The Register of Merit title is conferred upon Collies that have produced a designated number of Champion progeny. For sires, the number is 20 champions and for dams, the number is 7 champions.
The purpose of the Register of Merit (ROM) program is twofold. To enhance the record keeping capabilities of the Collie Club of America and to honor the lifetime producing achievements of certain sires and dams that have produced a specific number of champion offspring. Following is an update of ROM numbers and additions. These are current through 2024.
By awarding a Register of Merit title to deserving producers, we will not only have a permanent record for Collie history, but it will also serve breeders as a learning tool in pedigree study and research. It is an elite honor bestowed upon distinguished sires and dams of the breed.
Rules and information
- The eligible number of champion offspring is 20 for sires and 7 for dams, as voted on by the Executive Committee
- Smooth and Rough sires and dams will be treated equally
- Smooth and Rough progeny will be treated equally
- Only American champions count in the tabulation
All statistics are taken from the records of the American Kennel Club, as reported annually. Dogs achieving ROM status may be recognized in pedigrees by using the acronym, ROM as a suffix. At this time AKC does not recognize the title or program. Foundation sires and dams prior to 1960 are calculated differently, ROM-PS and ROM-PD (Pillar Sire and Pillar Dam).
If there are any errors, corrections or omissions please notify the ROM chairperson immediately. The burden of proof shall fall on the owner of the dog. Keep in mind that the current tabulations are pulled from the years 1884 through 2024.
Each year, the Collie Club of America (CCA) honors an exceptional purebred Collie with the prestigious Shining Star Ambassador title. This award celebrates Collies who serve as Service Dog, Search & Rescue Dog, Therapy and/or Library Dog, Community Outreach Dog, or those who have bravely protected their family or community members—showcasing the breed’s intelligence, loyalty, and gentle heart.
Application Details
Deadline: Applications must be submitted by January 9, 2027.
How to Apply: Download the Guidelines/Application (PDF) >>.
Contact: Send questions or applications to ccashiningstar@outlook.com, debgates@earthlink.net, and corinneboon79@gmail.com.
Award Categories
The Shining Star program recognizes Collies in five inspiring roles:
- Service Dog
- Therapy/and or Library Dog
- Community Outreach Dog
- Search and Rescue Dog
- Protector for his/her family or member of the community
Recognition and Awards
One exceptional team will be selected each year as the CCA Shining Star Ambassador, embodying the program’s spirit of service and devotion. Additionally, the standout collie in each category will be recognized to honor their remarkable achievements. Self-nominations are warmly encouraged—open to all Collie owners, regardless of CCA membership!
Support from AKC
The American Kennel Club (AKC) proudly supports the CCA Shining Star program and will notify all owners of AKC-registered Collies, so you may receive a second announcement directly from them.
Need More Info?
Don’t hesitate to reach out to Corinne Boon or Deborah Gates for questions or assistance: debgates@earthlink.net or corinneboon79@gmail.com. Download the Guidelines/Application (PDF) >> to get started!
Committee Chair- Annette Rawlings
Nancy McDonald
Patt Caldwell
Carrie Lenhart
Michelle Struble
Overview
The CCA Board of Directors requested the Committee review the current system used to determine the club’s Breeder of the Year award. The Committee did a review of the system, made some adjustments to ensure proper calculations for the 2025 award, and concluded that there should be additional components taken into consideration to fully evaluate a Breeder.
This Committee consists of life time breeders with multiple generations in the breed. Four members are Judges, all are Breeder, Owner, Handlers. We all belong to local clubs, serve on Boards and Committees, for both the local clubs and the CCA. We also have members working in the CHF for years. One of our members was the Runner up Breeder of the Year under the current system. With our combined knowledge, experience, and passion for the Breed,we have determined what we feel is a fair and more character inclusive evaluation of a Breeder.
Goals
Our Mission– Recognizing that the Standard is our aspiration, the Breeder of the Year should represent individuals who display devotion to the ideals of the Standard by consistently breeding Collies that approach the values of the Standard, and also inspire others to learn and strive to emulate those values that represent the ideal Collie.
Our Vision– To embody and elevate the future of Collie Breeding by honoring those who guide others toward excellence, education and breed preservation.
Our Core Values– Preservation/Legacy Breeders are individuals whose identity represents a dedicated commitment to the posterity, longevity, integrity and future of the Collie.
Specifications
- One award will be given, with qualifiers recognized and published in the Bulletin.
- The time period for all requirements will be from January 1st to December 31st.
- Must be a CCA member in good standing for no less than 10 years.
- Initial qualifiers will be the top 20% of Breeders earning Championship titles in Conformation, pulled from the AKC year end report.
- Performance titles will be added to these top 20% Conformation Breeders, pulled from the AKC year end report.
- Health testing will be pulled from the Public Health, OFA-CHIC and PennHip. All of the preceding information will be gathered by the Committee, and recorded by the Committee. At this point an Invitation will be sent to the qualified Breeders along with a questionnaire, a CCA member judges list, and a report of their evaluation resulting in the invitation. There is a hard deadline of February 15th for the questionnaire to be returned to the Committee.
- The information on the returned questionnaires will be further recorded by the committee into the spreadsheet.
- All points will be tallied by the Committee and an award recipient decided, along with a list of recognized qualifiers.
Outstanding Local Collie Club Award Requirements (PDF) >>
Outstanding Local Collie Club Nomination Form Online >> | Word Doc >>
This award recognizes local collie clubs for their outstanding collie promotion and outreach. The foremost ambassador of collie promotion and outreach is the local collie club. Two local collie clubs will be recognized annually for outstanding collie promotion activities. Nominations will be accepted January 1 – January 31 (deadline). To allow all clubs to participate, there are two tiers based on membership and resources:
- Tier 1: Clubs with memberships of 25 or less.
- Tier 2: Clubs with memberships of more than 25.
Herding Instinct Certification Tests
A Herding Instinct Test introduces Collies and their handlers to herding at the basic level. It is designed to show whether or not a Collie, who may have never had any exposure to livestock, still has the natural instinct to perform the function for which the breed was initially created. It is a non-competitive introduction to carefully selected and easily handled livestock under favorably controlled conditions.
At a Herding Instinct Test, a person experienced with stockdog training supervises the introduction of individual dogs to livestock, usually ducks or sheep, to ascertain the dog’s reaction. The tester guides the approach of the dog to the stock and encourages the dog to herd the stock. The owner stays near the tester, but usually does not take an active part unless experienced with stockdog training. The dogs are typically tested first with lead dragging and then may be let off lead.
A dog who, after a period of introduction, shows sustained interest in herding livestock, either circling or attempting to gather it, or following it about to drive it, will pass. A dog who works quietly, who barks (either a little or a great deal), or who may feint as though to nip is acceptable. A dog may be loose-eyed or may show some degree of eye. A variety of approaches and styles is acceptable.
It is to be remembered that many dogs through simple inexperience will make mistakes in their first exposure to livestock, but at all times the tester must see clear-cut evidence of herding instinct.
Explanation of Procedure
In advance of an organized Introduction to Livestock, Herding Instinct Test, or an AKC Herding Test, an owner of a Collie 6 months of age or older interested in having the dog receive a CCA Herding Instinct Certification Title (to be referred to as “HIC”) will secure from the Secretary of CCA, the HIC Chairman or a CCA District Director a copy of the Application for Herding Instinct Certification form. Upon the dog’s successful completion of the test, the owner will have the application form signed by the Judge and the Secretary of the event.
Any organized Introduction to Livestock, Herding Instinct Test, or AKC Herding Test sponsored by any legitimate club or group is acceptable. Acceptable sponsoring organizations do not have to be licensed by AKC and are not limited to Collie clubs. The Secretary of the sponsoring organization must sign the application for certification provided by the dog’s owner. Securing this signature will be the owner’s responsibility.
All AKC licensed Herding Judges and AHBA Judges are approved to sign the certification form. Experienced members of CCA or others who are not licensed Herding Judges will be approved on a case-by-case basis by the Working Collie Committee to act as Judges at organized Introduction to Livestock and Herding Instinct Tests and may also sign applications for certification.
The owner will send the completed form and a check to cover processing: $5 for CCA members and $10 for non-CCA members, to:
Beth Elliott
HIC Chairman
16375 Roller Coaster Rd.
Colorado Springs, CO 80921
Phone: (630) 673-7643
trinitycollies@comcast.net
HIC event sanction form
This form is used to request that the CCA sanction an upcoming herding instinct certification test event. The form should be filled out and sent to the chairman of the CCA Working Collie Committee for approval.
HIC test form
This form is used by the tester to record herding instinct evaluations. A copy of the completed form is given to the owner of dog. The owner of a Collie that passes should send a copy of this form, signed by the tester, to the chairman of the CCA Versatility and HIC Committee along with the appropriate processing fee to receive a CCA Herding Instinct Certification certificate.
HIC test report
For CCA sanctioned HIC events, this summary report form should be completed and sent to the chairman of the CCA Working Collie Committee after the completion of the event.
Non-CCA application
This form is used to apply for a CCA HIC using the results from a herding instinct certification test sanction by an organization other than the CCA. A copy of this form and the evaluation form that the owner received should be sent to the chairman of the CCA Versatility and HIC Committee along with the appropriate processing fee to receive a CCA Herding Instinct Certification certificate.
Certificate of Appreciation Nomination Form Online >> | Word Doc >>
This award recognizes CCA members for their outstanding service to CCA. Nominations are open throughout the year to a CCA member who is recognized for his/her assistance in making the wheels of our organization turn so well. The Certificate of Appreciation will be awarded quarterly.
CCA Delegate to the AKC, Harold W. “Hal” Sundstrom announced at the 2007 Carolinas CCA National Executive Committee meeting that AKC has a new initiative for member clubs entitled “The Outstanding Sportsmanship Award”. Its purpose is to “honor individuals who have made a difference in the world of purebred dogs every year”. The Medallion Award may be presented at any time by members clubs. As the year ended, CCA President Patti Merrill had polled the EC for its procedure preferences to implement the award program.
This award honors individuals who deserve special recognition and have made a difference in the sport of purebred dogs, embodied the AKC Code of Sportsmanship, and have been active and valued members of the Collie Club of America.
Do you know a CCA member who has …
- Made the CCA club better
- They have volunteered or helped the club in some way
- The member has exemplified Sportsmanship at a local and national level
- They have impacted the breed and the people around them in a positive way
- The member always puts the Collie first and inspires others by example
The nomination should include specific examples to support the candidate for consideration. Additional emails of support of the candidate are encouraged, and although the number of emails is not important the validation of the outstanding actions are often deciding factors for the committee.
If you have nominated a special person before, you are welcome to try again – we always have more fantastic nominees than we do medallions.
Send your nominations and any questions you might have to: tallywood@telus.net
