English Springer Spaniels – Reflection, Celebration, and a Vision for the Future

English Springer Spaniels – Reflection, Celebration, and a Vision for the Future

REFLECTION

The English Springer Spaniel crossed the Atlantic accompanied by the dreams of those who admired this all-purpose workman hunter. Bringing game to the table by day and a companion at the family fireside after the day’s work, the English Springer Spaniel was a do-it-all dog. Competition didn’t enter the picture until the 1920s and the advent of competitive field events. Form followed function, and the new Breed Standard, crafted in the 1930s, described the beautiful, moderate, balanced, and functional spaniel athlete of that day. As the 1930s progressed and Conformation competition grew, things began to change as breeders selected toward competitive goals. However, the dogs remained a true dual type. During the 1940s, our last Dual Champion earned his title.

The 1950s saw the refinement of the American show Springer and the American field-bred Springer. Both “ends” of the competitive spectrum share responsibility for the divergence from true type that we see today. Field Trial competitors selected, from our root stock, those qualities that led to high performance. It’s not easy to evaluate today’s Field Trial-bred Springer Spaniels by comparing them to the AKC approved Breed Standard. Their standard is field performance.

Similarly, the show enthusiasts began to make their own selections. Exaggeration created an ultra-glamorous dog that became rapidly competitive in Sporting Group rings, drawing the interest of new exhibitors and breeders. Some maintained a commitment to dual function, and their breeding programs produced fine hunters that remained representative of the Breed Standard. As we moved through the late 1960s and into the ‘70s, however, most show dogs had begun to lose key elements of functional type.

CELEBRATION

Despite our divergence in the 1930s… despite choices that took us away from true dual type… despite exaggerations and changes not consonant with our Breed Standard… we have a great deal to celebrate as we look back. We have the English Springer Spaniel Field Trial Association, our parent club, begun in the ‘20s from Field Trial interests and now embracing and celebrating all the competitive activities that versatile Springers perform. Our parent club uniquely honors field, performance, hunting, and show interests, with the wisdom and foresight to keep the heritage of these great dogs foremost on the agenda. We respect individual interests; responsibility to the breed is paramount.

The 1980s saw the advent of health and genetic education, and the 1990s birthed our English Springer Foundation, providing significant leadership to raise and re-grant funds for Springer health, education, and genetic research. Our competitive events have become increasingly well managed, and we are working hard to identify, recruit, and involve a new group of leaders into whose hands the future of Springers may be confidently placed. We celebrate our differences and acknowledge individual accomplishments. There is great hope for the future.

A VISION FOR THE FUTURE

It is a decade into the future. A dog-handler team approaches the line, ready to run in their first Field Trial. The handler is a young woman or man of 25. The English Springer Spaniel’s pedigree combines imported and American show and hunting stock with old Midwest Field Trial lines. The pair makes a credible run and moves on to the second series. They don’t advance further, but the owner-handler is pleased with the performance and the gallery cheers enthusiastically. The next day, this same owner-handler shows the same Springer in Conformation and wins two championship points. Again, an appreciative gallery celebrates this accomplishment. This dog is the product of a breeder’s dream. He is sound and healthy in every way. He both looks and works like an English Springer Spaniel.

Watching at ringside, and on the line, are a host of Springer enthusiasts from decades past whose vision, enthusiasm, and hard work have brought the English Springer Spaniel into a new era—an era in which common goals, hopes, and dreams have crafted a dog as comfortable and productive in competitive venues as it is in its family environment.

May we have the wisdom to encourage a broad diversity of participation and involvement, and may we have the fortitude to dedicate ourselves to the great dog described in an elegant and comprehensive Breed Standard. Our ultimate success will be measured by the dogs themselves, and the passionate, reciprocal devotion that they continue to inspire in us all.

Let’s “dream big” so that our Springers might reflect the very best of what we, and they, can be.

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