by Keith Erlandson-4-
It is said that up until that time, no two gentlemen could agree upon what the function of a spaniel should be. As the spaniel has been a hunting dog since the very earliest times, it is inconcievable that there could have been any dissention on that score, so I can only assume that the differences of opinion should have lain over whether a spaniel should be required to retrieve or not. My belief is further compounded by the legend borne by the early Field Trial award cards which stated 'FOR ANY VARIETY RETRIEVING SPANIEL', seemingly an admission that there were many other spaniels that did not retrieve.
Field Trials for all gundog breeds were concieved with the laudable intention of improving the breeds. They do give the breeder a goal to work towards, so once it was established that a Field Trial spaniel, running in single dog or brace Stakes was required to retrieve tenderly, serious Triallers bred their Spaniels with this end in view. There was however an escape clause in relating to team stakes, where a team of Spaniels hunted the ground in unison but only one dog was required to retrieve the Game. Non retrievers or hard mouthed dogs could by this route help to win team recognition. Another aspect of the Field Trial era was that with the exception of the Sussex Spaniel, which for some obscure reason, was allowed, and is still allowed to give tongue when hunting, Kennel Club Regulations require that a spaniel should hunt mute. We cannot be quite certain how early, pre-Field Trial Spaniels performed in this respect as one early authority writes of spaniels working 'With busy, laborsome noyse' but what this does not clarify is whether the Spaniels of that day gave tongue when hunting or was it the crashing through the cover that made the 'noyse'. Whatever the truth of the matter was, with the aforementioned exception of the Sussex Spaniel, al1 other Spaniels must not give tongue so Field Trial breeders have selected against this fault over the decades.
Another of my mentors, the late Jobn Kent of the 'Chrishall' prefix, actually competed in the inaugural Spaniel Trial in 1899 and throughout a long and successful career made a significant contribution to the development of the English Springer Spaniel, notably through his post-war stud dog F.T.Ch Silverstar of Chrishall. He was also successful with Cockers and Labradors. Another sportsman who was in on the ground floor of the spaniel Trial movement was C. A. Phillips with his 'Rivington' Springers and Cockers. All Phillips' spaniels were working dogs. He was a shooting man and this was what he bred his spaniels for but before the advent of Spaniel Trials, the Rivington dogs were very successful on the showbench.