Navillus Bearded Collies

Rio was the cornerstone of the Navillus line; she had a beautiful temperament and has passed it on to her progeny, who are, in turn, passing it on to theirs.  Rio was never very fond of showing, but she did manage to qualify for Crufts on a couple of occasions, however, she produced three lovely litters for me, from which I kept two girls; one from the first and one from the third.  Both have done well in the showring, and I am extremely proud of them, as I am of all my girls.

Rio came to Crufts with me in 2008 to help cover the Bearded Collie Discover Dogs Stand.  She thoroughly enjoyed her day of meeting and greeting Beardie fans from all over the world, and the day culminated in us, together with Sarah Ritchie and Dillon, being asked to help the BBC rehearse in the main ring for Best In Show.  We had it all ... cameras, lights, action, the REAL Best In Show judge, and all but one volunteer dog and handler.  Imagine, my Rio in the Best In Show ring at Crufts at the tender age of 9 years, showing her sox off ... it was brilliant!  Mrs Coxall chose Rio as her practice Best In Show and Dillon as her practice Reserve Best In Show, and Sarah and I floated home with pride ... as for Rio and Dillon, all they wanted was their dinner ... hey ho, that's what dreams are made of.

Rio was most definitely in retirement after that and could be found lounging on the sofa or my bed on a daily basis.  She enjoyed her walks, but never ran ... too much of a lady to break out into a trot ... and was second in charge of the house ... after me, of course!  Sadly she passed away at nearly 11.1/2 years of age, very peacefully in the night.