Well... the thing is... people who are invested in TRUE, working Border Collies, could honestly NOT care less what is or is not acceptable in the ring. Border Collies have only recently been shown in the AKC, and many reputable kennel clubs haven't accepted them.
The point is, the working dogs have not changed in appearance to speak of, for hundreds of years, without kennel clubs or conformation getting involved. Conformation dogs, on the other hand, differ incredibly from original Border Collies. Working breeders believe that it is working style that sets the breed apart, not conformation, although their conformation HAS remained very consistent without showing.
Working Border Collies can have floppy ears, prick ears, rose ears, wonky ears, etc. As long as they do not impair the dog's ability to work. Prick ears are predominantly common, as far as I've seen.
This is a friend from another forum's BC, Happy. She is a working BC from Canada... and I always thought she looked strikingly similar to Old Hemp.