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The 2000 British Cocker Spaniel National Field Trial Championshipby Geoffrey A. EnglishIt was off the county of Norfolk, Great Britain, for this year’s British Cocker Spaniel National Field Trial Championship. Norfolk is one of the most sparsely populated of all English counties, with a size of 2,069 square miles and a population of 740,000. Probably the most famous estate to be found in the county is that of Sandringham, the home of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth, and the home of the 2000 British Cocker National Field Trial Championship. This would be the third Cocker Championship on the Estate and Head Keeper William Meldrum and his under keepers did an exceptional job behind the scenes preparing for this year’s events at Sandringham Estate, not an easy undertaking. The Estate covers approximately 20,000 acres. The beat we were following consisting of great cocker cover, thick bramble and deep woods. Even William Shakespeare himself could not have picked a better setting for what was about to unfold for the 2000 British Spaniel Field Trials.  Handler Ian Openshaw and FTCh Parkbreck Perfection take top honors in this years English National Cocker Spaniel Championship. Photo by: Author The morning news announced weather for the upcoming day to be sunny, 46 degrees and breezy, a pleasant change from the week leading up to the trial. As the "Caravan" arrived at the grounds, one could not help but notice a thick frost lining the trees and grounds where this year’s events would take place. The scenting conditions for the cockers who ran first were less than ideal. The rabbits and pheasant that populated the grounds were holding tight under the frost-covered bramble and the rising temperatures caused the frost, that lined the trees and bramble, to melt and saturate the cover. The slightest fault in a dog’s nose or pattern would quickly send a competitor home. | ||
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