Owning collies was a childhood dream. I grew up with 'Lassie' and 'Lad, a Dog' and the little Toy Fox Terrier we owned just couldn't compete! I knew that someday I would own a collie who would be beautiful and intelligent and who could do everything: herd sheep, win dog shows, save children, you name it! By 1983 I had a kennel name and a plan. I had purchased a sable female from Lochlane Collies and had plans to breed her to one of their beautiful champion males. It was in the repeat of this breeding in 1986 that Ch. Chimera's Double or Nothing, CD, HX, VX was born. He was known as 'Hefty' and he was truly the beginning of Chimera Collies.

The following excerpts from the April 1995 Cover Story of the "The Collie Review" tell his story:
"Hefty was my chosen puppy from a litter of boys. I told everyone he was going to do it all for me. When he was six and a half months old, we packed up, went to our first show and came home with Reserve Winners Dog. Then came a couple of specialty shows. Since I was very much a novice yet, I asked one judge for a constructive criticism of my puppy. She hemmed and hawed, finally saying he was a nice puppy and I could show him for a while. If he didn't work out he would make a nice pet, right? A month later we had two majors, a Best of Breed, and a Group Three. He finished his Championship several years later at the very show where he began his show career.

The summer of 1987 I gathered my courage and began training in obedience. This attempt was my first, and we didn't have the benefit of normal classes. Sometimes a few of us would get together in a parking lot and work together, pass along bits of wisdom, etc. Come September, I decided to enter a three-show weekend to see what we needed to work on. We came home with a third, a fourth, a High Scoring Collie award, and a CD.

There was one more jewel needed for my coveted 'Triple Crown'. Hefty was Herding Instinct certified years before I could finally get him ready for competition. First, I insisted he finish his championship. Then there was that little problem of finding the money for training and entries. When he was six, he went to train with Pam Wolf and within three months he completed the Herding Started title with a High In Trial. The ultimate goal being the Herding Excellent title, we opted to skip the Intermediate level. The day after finishing his HX, Hefty again went High In Trial for a four point Herding major. In his career, Hefty has worked sheep, goats, cattle, ducks, and geese. He wanted to work hogs, but it had been raining and Pam didn't want to have to ride home with him afterwards, so the opportunity was declined.

I am very proud of these accomplishments. Hefty has been a joy in so many little ways. He is my ambassador. We've been to many schools and day care centers to demonstrate the care and training of a pet. Once, when a teacher called class to come sit in a circle, I called Hefty into the circle beside me and told him to lie down. He did so immediately which caused one little boy to turn to the teacher and exclaim, "He's a good listener!" The teacher thought perhaps I should leave Hefty there to teach by example."

Hefty was the first champion collie to win the Herding Excellent title. He has a daughter, Ch. Chimera's Justa Lil Bit More, HX, who followed in his footsteps.

In 1994 Hefty and I traveled to Niagara Falls to the Collie National Specialty Show to receive his Versatility Excellent award. We didn't make it to the ceremony due to Hefty falling victim to poison. He spent several days in intensive care. We never determined whether the poisoning was accidental or on purpose or if he was an intended victim or random. Although he recovered, he was never quite the same and we lost him several days after his twelfth birthday. We have children and grandchildren to carry on the dream, but there will never be another quite like Ch. Chimera's Double or Nothing, CD, HX, VX. He was the first...