Obedience
The Working Section runs Obedience Training Days with trainers chosen for their understanding approach to the training of Shelties. We also run an Obedience League where ESSC members who subscribe to "Sheltie at Work" can submit their wins and places throughout the year and the six highest points in Pre-Beginners to Championship 'C' get a rosette.
In previous years the Section held Limited Obedience classes at the ESSC Spring Open and Autumn Championship shows. From 2019 the ESSC will be running the Obedience at the Championship show themselves, as the Working Section will no longer be involved. Links to results and photos from the shows can be found below and in the Archives.
Obedience Training Day 2021
The last Obedience Training Day was held on Saturday 6th November 2021.
Venue: Hale Institute Village Hall, Wings Road, Upper Hale, Farnham, GU9 0HN
Trainer: Sarah Delany
Lesley Lubbi's Flame (Amberblaze By a Lady of Layash) 
Sadie Fair's Thomas (Lavika Land of Love A.Ex)
'Sheltie at Work' Obedience League
Click here for the 'Sheltie at Work' Obedience League
'Sheltie at Work' Obedience League Results
Previous years' results can be found in the Archives page.
Autumn Championship Show
You can see the results of recent shows below and previous years can be found in the Archives page.
| Champ Show 2016 | Champ Show 2015 | ||
| Photos 2018 |
Spring Open Show
The ESSC decided, due to the lack of entries, that Obedience Classes would no longer be held at their Spring Open Show.
You can see the results for the last two years from the links below and prior years can be viewed on our Archives page.
Obreedience
'Sheltie Superstars' 1st at Crufts 2020
The very first year that this event was held a Sheltie Team also got 1st place.
Carol Dare with Lavika Mirror Image
Jean Tuck with Tooralie's Masquerade at Craygill AW(P) Beg.Ex RL3.Ex
Vanessa Hardin with Sheltysham Medley of Gold AW(G) RL6.Ex
Rosemary Turner with Iliad Isa Tease at Khamysker RL2 WT.Intro
Rowena Steady with Tooralie's Just The Tonic P-Beg.Ex RL3.Ex
Callie Mather with Bluehollow Moondaisy RL4.Ex
Well done! Thanks to the ESSC for sponsoring the shirts and leads, and thank you to all who supported the team and cheered them on.
There are eleven Shelties that have reached the accolade of becoming Obedience Champions:
Fred Ratcliffe - Ob. Ch. Master Ian
Fred Ratcliffe - Ob. Ch. Ghillie Of Mospe
Mrs C C Glasse - Ob. Ch. Honour Bright Of Surreyhills
Muriel Pearce - Ob. Ch. Yelruth Annfield
Mrs Macmillan - Ob. Ch. Safety First From Shiel
Mr C D Strachan - Ob. Ch. Rory Of Lerwick
Joan Sharpe - Ob. Ch. Black Diamond Of Bothkennar
Fred Ratcliffe - Ob. Ch. Masterpiece Of Mospe
Jean Harris - Ob. Ch. Our Shep
Hazel Riley - Ob. Ch. Rodhill Frosted Cherry
Carol Trueman - Ob. Ch. Stornaway Sno Wonder
In addition there have been another eight Shelties who have won C.C.s mostly with two wins each:
Edna McCrae - Katrina Skye Maiden
Linda White - Rockafella
Eileen Rotheram - Golden Gregory
Linda White - Rainelor Raven
Sheila Gorman - Heavitree Hickory
Sheila Gorman - Hebe Of Heavitree
Mavis Mills - Beechhurst Dixie Belle
Moonen Shiel CDex, UDex, TDex Margaret Osborne
Margaret Osborne’s Moonen Shiel started her training in 1936 and is still the only Sheltie to have qualified CDex, UDex and TDex and also be a winner of a CC in Working Trials. The test included retrieving a 2½ lb dumbbell on the flat and an 8oz dumbbell over a 6ft scale jump, no allowance was made for small dogs!
There were then no Obedience CCs but Shiel was tied for first place in the Obedience class at Crufts in 1939, the first time these tests had been open to all breeds. She was well on her way to being a dual champion in Obedience and Working Trials, but unfortunately the war intervened.
Rosemary Sey’s Sheltie, Golden Boy of Inchmery who was unbeaten in the Breed ring, was also trained for Obedience by Margaret Osborne. He won his second Breed CC at one of the last shows held before the war and they were invited on television to put on a display of the combination of beauty and brains, something very close to Rosemary’s heart. This may well have sown the seed for the foundation of the Working Section by Rosemary and Tony many years later.