Rebecca Ingersoll | Twisted Acres

Interview with Rebecca Ingersoll, Breeder of Twisted Acres

1. Please tell us a little bit about yourself. Where do you live? How many years in dogs? How many years as a breeder? What is your kennel name?
2. In your opinion, is your breed in good condition overall? Any trends that warrant concern?
3. As a Preservation Breeder, can you share your thoughts on the sport today? How’s the judging these days?
4. How important are Performance Events to you as a Preservation Breeder? As an Exhibitor?
5. In your opinion, is social media good for the sport? Is it harmful?
6. What are the biggest challenges facing the dog show community as a whole today and how can these be addressed?
7. What are some of the positive changes you’ve seen in the sport over the past decade?

Rebecca Ingersoll

1. I currently live in Benson, Arizona. I have had dogs my entire life, but got my first Border Collie in 2000 and my first Mudi in 2014. My first litter was in 2016. I am Twisted Acres Border Collies and Mudi.

2. There are a lot of very good Border Collie breeders and I see a lot of very nice litters being produced. I would say they are in good condition overall. The Mudi has exploded in popularity since we achieved full recognition in 2022. So, lots of newcomers to the breed jumping in and planning to breed. We are still having growing pains, but I have seen an improvement in the breed since we moved up, and judges have told me the same. In Border Collies, I would say there is a smooth coat trend right now. I am very happy to see them being shown, but don’t jump on the bandwagon and get one just to have a smoothie. However, I think there will be a need to improve on them, because most were not bred with Conformation in mind. I have started to see a few nice ones being shown. In Mudi, I would say that size is an issue still. Lots of oversized being shown. Also, the obsession with merle still.

3. I love Conformation and the true purpose of it. I have met some of my best friends through showing dogs. I have also experienced some of the worst people in the sport. Competition can truly bring out the worst in people. Overall, I believe the judges are doing a great job and truly want to judge a dog correctly. I am thrilled to have a lot of shows to choose from, but getting older, it gets harder to do as many.

4. I currently can only do Conformation and breeding. I am all in favor of performance events as long as the owners aren’t pushing a young puppy who is not ready. I have had the pleasure of participating in performance events in the past with my Border Collies and had a blast. I have now made Conformation and breeding my priority, so I am not able to do any other sports. Currently, as an exhibitor, performance events give me the opportunity to see one of my pups who does not do Conformation. As an exhibitor, I think trying to do sports and shows on the same day is very difficult and very expensive. I have seen lots of people have to choose, Conformation or Performance, because of a ring conflict and then have to forfeit their entries.

5. I think social media can be good, if used correctly. If not, it can destroy a person if not kept in check. Lots of keyboard warriors who can post anonymously, and people will say things hiding behind a keyboard that they would not say to someone in person.

6. It is getting harder and harder to be a breeder. I think it is important to recognize the bred-bys as much as the others—no dog shows without us!

7. I am happy they split the Bred-By onto Puppy and Adult. I am proud of my bred-bys and want to finish them out of the Bred-By Class. However, I usually have several, so it is nice to split up the puppies and adults. I also think that when a Best Bred-By is offered as a special attraction that we should be able to have our Specials in it! I have only seen one club do that; Lexington over Labor Day. It would increase the participation because of it. I like the addition of being able to get CH points from the classes in Groups.