The GB Kennel Club Registrations, Stud Book and Crufts entries

In the beginning the magazine THE KENNEL GAZETTE listed the GB breed registrations. The first Sheltie registration, Badenock Rose, was in the March, 1909 issue under "ANY OTHER BREED OR VARIETY BRITISH, FOREIGN AND COLONIAL - SHETLAND COLLIE (ROUGH)". From October, 1909 to August, 1914 Shelties are found under "ANY OTHER BREED OR VARIETY OF BRITISH, COLONIAL OR FOREIGN DOG NOT CLASSIFIED ABOVE - Shetland Sheepdog". After that they have their own section "SHETLAND SHEEPDOG".
For the first time a Sheltie with photo (a little advert) is shown in THE KENNEL GAZETTE, April, 1928 (page 371): It is the tricolour Champion dog Hurly Burly of Miss Grey. It was followed by an ad of Clara Bowring's Larkbeare Spice Wig in the March, 1929 edition (page 262).

The first Shetland (Sheep Dog) in the "ANY OTHER BREED OR VARIETY OF BRITISH, COLONIAL, OR FOREIGN DOG NOT CLASSIFIED" in the KENNEL CLUB CALENDAR AND STUD BOOK 1914 is Kilravock Laddie (KCSB 155 T) of Miss B. Thynne. In the 1914 KC Stud Book Shetland Sheepdogs already have their own section.

The first all-breed Cruft's Dog Show was set up by Charles Cruft in 1891 (after he had organized great Terrier shows since 1886). This show in Islington already had over 2400 entries from 36 breeds. In the meantime it is the greatest dog event in the world and since 1948 it is organized by The UK Kennel Club. The catalogues from Cruft's Dog Show can be seen and downloaded from the Kennel Club Library website. I found the first Shetland Sheepdog entries in the catalogue of 1910 (also no Shetland Collies in "Any Other Variety" classes), although some sorces named Shelties at Cruft's a few years earlier (1906). Perhaps there is an exhibition confusion with another main show that was held by the Kennel Club?