The AKC HAS tried to take over Border Collies.
“In December 1994, at a meeting where the Border Collie was not even on its agenda, the AKC Board of Directors voted to recognize the Border Collie, to begin registering it in February 1995, and to begin conformation showing of Border Collies in October 1995. Although AKC had always maintained that it is the parent breed club, intimately familiar with its breed, that adopts the breed standard and sets the policies for its breed, on this occasion AKC did not designate a parent club for the Border Collie. AKC, which of course had no previous familiarity with Border Collies except for issuing them ILP numbers, itself adopted a breed standard that defines what a Border Collie should be and how it should look. AKC did not designate a parent club for the Border Collie until August 1996, when it finally chose the BCSA. Since all the Border Collie registries were opposed to recognition, none of them furnished their studbooks to AKC. Consequently, AKC has been registering Border Collies based on papers sent in by their owners.”
http://www.bordercollie.org/akc.html
Even now, happily, only about 10% of registered Border Collies are registered with the AKC. Please do not say Border Collies worked to get AKC registration. I also remember the battle over Australian Shepherds and the AKC. You could also look at JRTs.
BTW - the United States Border Collie Club: “The Club is not and has never been a registry, though it has cooperated as closely as possible with the three U.S. Border Collie registries (the American Border Collie Association (ABCA), the American-International Border Collie registry (AIBC), and the North American Sheep Dog Society (NASDS). It also cooperated with the AKC over the years in fielding requests for information from the public about Border Collies and in resolving problems that arose in obtaining Indefinite Listing Privilege (ILP) numbers for Border Collies whose owners wished to show in AKC obedience and tracking competitions. Because the USBCC opposes AKC registration of Border Collies for showing in the breed ring, the USBCC’s de facto breed club status came to an end when the AKC voted (over USBCC objection) to fully recognize the Border Collie and begin registering them in 1995.”
>Consequently, AKC has been registering Border Collies based on papers sent in by their owners.”
http://www.bordercollie.org/akc.html
Even now, happily, only about 10% of registered Border Collies are registered with the AKC. Please do not say Border Collies worked to get AKC registration.<
The AKC “show” Border Collies are actually European, or Australian/New Zeeland imports. They look markedly different from the majority of border collies on our farms, and even in AKC’s herding, obedience and agility trials.
They really should be a separate variety. You’re right, I doubt one of the import show dogs could ever win a sheepdog trial over the working dogs. Don’t look at them as the ruination of the breed; look at them as simply a different type of collie.