The 2000 British Cocker Spaniel National Field Trial Championship

It 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

Judges for this year's Championship were David Pope and Tim Crothers. Both are accomplished Spaniel men in their own right. David Pope, owner of Drury Kennel, was brought up in a typical English shooting family and has been trialing dogs for nearly twenty years. Most notably on David's trailing resume was his win of the 1987 British National Any Variety Field Trial Championship with FTCh Drury Girl. Tim Crothers, owner of Birdrowe Kennels, is no stranger to Spaniels as well, training gun dogs since 1974. He has enjoyed considerable success in the field trial community, winning the Irish Kennel Club's Spaniel Championship in 1987 and 1989.

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.

	A thick frost greets the competitors and the gallery. Photo by: Author

Each competitor entered the cover slowly and covered the beat cautiously. Ian Openshaw and FTCh Sandford Tara of Maesydderwen [bitch] started out early and showed that they would be ones to reckon with. Ian started out and covered the course carefully and purposefully. Each cast was expertly planned to cover the ground that was likely to hold game, for passing game is a sure way to send you packing for home. Ian's first contact was a nicely flushed hen pheasant in thick bramble and in a heavily wooded part of the course. A single shot from the guns brought the pheasant down within about 40-45 yards. The cover was thick but the retrieve was to hand only seconds after Ian sent FTCh Sandford Tara of Maesydderwen for the downed pheasant. The second contact was a quick moving hen pheasant that was stopped by the right-hand gunner before making it to the field about 55-60 yards away. Ian and Tara did another splendid job picking up the second bird and were then asked to retrieve a bird on the brace mate’s beat, FTCh Findlay’s Flyer. She handled the eye wipe with remarkable ease and showed that she would be a figure in the placements.

Eye wipes, as they are affectionately called in English field trials, are done when the one dog fails to perform a retrieve. The brace mate (the dog running on the other course) is asked to make the retrieve that was not picked up by the first dog. If the second dog makes the retrieve, the first dog is out of the trial or "wipes his eye". If neither dog comes up with the retrieve, the judges go out to where the game fell and if they find the game that was shot, both dogs are out. However, if the judges are unable to find the game that was shot, both dogs continue and are judged on how well they hunted the fall area for the game.

This years winner,FTCh Parkbreck Perfection, awaits the go ahead from handler Ian Openshaw. Photo by: Author

Carl Colclough and FTCh Kelmscott Swoop worked a narrow belt of fallen trees and bushes to produce a hen pheasant that eluded the gunners. The second bird was a blind retrieve from a wild flush on the other side of the course. The third and final bird, which was shot and landed in thick Hawthorne, looked like it was going to present problems for FTCh Kelmscott Swoop - not so, she handled with ease.


Just when you thought the action on the course could not get any more intense, Ian Openshaw, running under Tim Crothers with FTCh Parkbreck Perfection, put on a game finding seminar for the gallery. Within minutes, the team of Ian and FTCh Parkbreck Perfection found and produced 5 birds, 3 of which were tough runners falling in the thickest cover of the day. Their performance was sure to leave an impression on the judges at the end of the day.

Robin Laud, with Fenlord Gypsy Beaut Fossy, stepped to the line under David Pope. Robin keeps all his dogs close and seems to be at one with his dogs. Fenlord Gypsy Beaut Fossy was an extraordinarily stylish bitch who seemed to run larger than life. As the day warmed up, the thick frost that lined the course melted, making for tough scenting conditions. However, Fenlord Gypsy Beaut Fossy seemed to produce game rather easily while other cockers were having a bit of difficulty. The fourth and final contact for Robin and this remarkable bitch was a large hare nearly her size. She handled this hare without issue, carrying it with all the confidence and pride in the world. Why shouldn’t she? She just put herself into contention for this year’s honor.

During the second series, the dogs who had not been eliminated were called back to run under the other judge. Talk was in the air as to who to keep an eye on. My personal favorites were still in the running FTCh Dolgarreg Aron, Fenlord Gypsy Beaut Fossy and, or course, FTCh Parkbreck Perfection. The second series lived up to Championship caliber. On their second series husband and wife, Ian and Wendy Openshaw, met under less than ideal circumstances. Wendy and FTCh Dolgarreg Aron had a rather tough mark, landing at the top of a knoll in thick cover and was unable to produce the bird. Husband, Ian, was asked to perform an eye wipe, and did it with very little difficulty.

	Second place, FTCh Sandford Tara of Maesydderwen, carries a nice cock pheasant back to Ian in the 2nd Series. Photo by: Author

As the second series concluded, the judges announced two dogs for the run-off. FTCh Sandford Tara of Maesydderwen handled by Ian Openshaw and FTCh Kelmscott Swoop handled by Carl Colclough, were called to the line by the judges for a run-off. Both handlers casted their dogs off, while FTCh Sandford Tara of Maesydderwen was tracking a bird, FTCh Kelmscott Swoop produced a hen pheasant that was shot 50 yards or so over a small knoll. Ian gave FTCh Sandford Tara of Maesydderwen a hard vocal reminder before honoring her brace mate’s flush. Swoop came up slightly short on this runner and seemed more interested in working into other birds. The excitement of the run-off caused a buzz among the gallery. Had this run-off ended in controversy? Ian and Carl both joked a little as photographers and writers crowded the gentlemen. Both handlers agreed that the run-off had not been for first place honors, which was confirmed when placements were announced.