This tricolor dog is behind sire line CHE, which includes almost all modern US Shelties and a few modern British dogs. He was never registered, but appears on numerous import pedigrees as by Irvine Ronnie ex Chestnut Lassie, both registered Shelties and full siblings, though from different litters. While an exact birthdate is not available, Chestnut Rainbow's dam was whelped in March, 1921, and he had puppies on the ground early in 1924, so 1922 seems a good guess for his birth year. Although Chestnut Rainbow sired a number of litters out of different bitches, his most critical litters were out of a Collie bitch, Chestnut Sweet Lady, who "officially" was a full sister of his dam, Chestnut Lassie. The first of these litters, with dam given as Chestnut Sweet Lady, included the dogs:
- Redbraes Rollo (Line CHE Part I)
- Chestnut Lucky Boy (Line CHE Part II)
- Nut of Houghton Hill (Line CHE Part III)
- Chestnut Bud (Line CHE Part IV)
and the bitches
all of whom bred on heavily. Chestnut Rainbow was also bred to a bitch called Rubislaw Lady Fayre, who is believed in truth to be the Collie, Chestnut Sweet Lady, under another name. This time the result was the outstanding producing bitch, Eng Ch Tilford Tontine, the first and for many years the only British bitch to produce four Champions (and a fifth who finished in the US.) She headed Family 4. Chestnut Rainbow's other offspring appearing in modern pedigrees are:
- Bo-Peep of Houghton Hill (ex Mother Hubbard)
- King Cole of Houghton Hill (ex Mother Hubbard)
- Daw of Houghton Hill (ex Mother Hubbard)
- Blue Ray of Houghton Hill (ex Blue Floss of Houghton Hill)
- Meg of Houghton Hill (ex Blue Floss of Houghton Hill)
- Speyside Scott (ex Lady Bessie)
- Speyside Heatherbell (ex Lady Bessie)
- Rubislaw Rosa (ex Rubislaw Lucky Girl)
- Bayview Vicky (ex Chestnut Lady)
Note that Houghton Hill, breeder of five of the Shelties above, also linebred heavily on Chestnut Rainbow's son, Nut of Hought Hill (sometimes referred to as the "wee one" of the litter.)
Chestnut Rainbow's contribution to modern US lines through all of the above can hardly be overestimated. This dog appears as many as two million times in some modern pedigrees, and most modern Shelties are very close to 23% Chestnut Rainbow.
Because Chestnut Rainbow is so near the head of modern Sheltie pedigrees, I have set up a full pedigree, with links to the actual registration information on registered ancestors.
Nesting
Topper (unr)
Ashbank Olla
Nesting
Lassie (unr)
Berryden
Prince
Robertson's Trim
Lerwick
Siguard
Cary II (unr)
Ashbank Roy
Titch (unr)
Braehead's Lass
(?)
Ogre (unr, Fam 14)
Berryden
Nellie
Laddie (unr)
Jim or Trim
(robertson's)
Olive (unr)
Dunrossness
Queen
Flora (unr)
Irvine Ronnie
Help (unr)
Dunrossness
Ronald
Laddie (unr)
Jim or
Trim (Robertson's)
Olive (unr)
Dunrossness
Queen
Flora (unr)
Ashbank Laddie
Mathewson's Fanny (unr)
Elsick Beauty
Thor (unr)
Jake
(unr)
Madge (unr)
Berry (unr)
Jack (unr)
Inga
(unr)
Berrie (unr)
Lerwick Jarl (unr)
Mick (unr)
Joe (unr)
Thub (unr)
Bee (unr)
Fettor (unr)
Fancy
(unr)
Old Bab (unr)
Lerwick
Hakon
Lerwick Mira (unr)
Lerwick Tweed
Lerwick Daisy (unr)
Tess
Wait (unr)
Chestnut
Queenie
Highland
Flugga (unr)
Lily (unr)
Fanny (F
3)
Chestnut Rainbow
Chestnut Lassie
(full sibling to Chestnut Rainbow's sire, Irvine Ronnie)
sbowling@gi.alaska.edu