Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-07-07
KEEPING TAB ON THE DOG WORLD
News of Leaders Dogdom and Their Masters Comments on
Breeds: Notes Shows Here and Elsewhere
By X. X. Tavnfon.

When Oh. Snowman Of Shotton
gave the cocker spaniel, Oh. My
Own Brucie, such a hot contest for
first in the sporting group at West
minister this year he called the at
tention of large body of fanciers
to breed that had been somewhat
neglected as q bench show dog, the
English springer spaniel. Snowman
was imported from England by Mr..
and Mrs. Paul Quay of Chagrin
Falls, Ohio, In April, 1889. He was
hailed by springer spaniel breeders
as great dog. All-around judges
recognized his quality, too, and he
placed best in show at three all
breed shows and two speciality shows
in 1899. But these shows were in
the Midwest, where springer SPAN
iels have long been popular. 1t took
his strong challenge to the almost
invincible Brucie at the Garden"
to make the East springer-spaniel
conscious. His good work was car
ried on a week or two later by his
half sister, Oh. Speculation Of Shot
ton of Greenfair, who took best in
show at Elm Hill and again at At
lantic City.
Showman's record has been I'M
equaled so far by any other spring.
er spaniel. He has been selected
best in show, all breeds, IL times,
including one time in Canada and
once in England. Fifteen times he
has been best in the sporting group
and % times best of breed. His
title is now tri-international cham
pion, the only one of his breed in
the world, probably.
Praised for Efficiency.
The history Of the springer spaniel,
like that of all other spaniels, goes
back to ancient days in Spain. Just
when the spaniel first left its native
land-or, indeed, how it got there
Is unknown. But as early as 1878
dogs of this type were described by
CASTOR de Folk, who told Of their
methods of hunting and praised
them for their efficiency as both
land and water retrievers. From
that time to about the beginning of
the 10Th century, a spaniel was a
spaniel with no regard for special
aptitudes. About that time, however,
there was beginning to be demar-
cation between land and water
spaniels. Moreover, although they
were not officially separated into
distinct breeds, the land spaniels had
drifted into three general classical
tons according to size, the smallest
being toy spaniels or lap dogs, the
middle size being used for wood cock
and hence called cocker spaniels,
and the larger, heavier dogs used
to spring and retrieve larger birds,
called springer or field spaniels. The
springers varied somewhat according
to locality, some being Welsh
springers, some English springers,
some Sussex spaniels.
For some time, the English spring.
er spaniel was known as the Norfolk
spaniel, and some attempts to retain
that name have been made even in
recent times. But as even the Duke
of Norfolk disclaimed any RESPONSE
bility for having patronized this
breed extensively, the name English
springer spaniel was adopted and
retained.
In spite of the antiquity of the
springer spanie-of all spaniels, for
that matter-as a distinct breed,
little attempt was made to organize
the springer fancy until compare
lively recently. 1t was not until 1899
that the first licensed trials for
springer spaniels was held under the
aegis of the Sporting Spaniel Club
on the estate of William Arkwright
of Sutton Scarsdale, the founder
of the club. This proved the be-
ginning of long series of licensed
trials and resulted in the formation
of the Field Trial Council of Rep
reSentatives, which promulgated
rules for the greater regulation OF
field trials. In 1908, springers were
given separate classes at the English
bench shows, having been recognized
by the English Kennel Club in 1902
The first bench champion was Win
ton Smiths Beech Grove Will.
Popularity Waned.
In this country the springer SPAN
iel-or the spaniel, as he was simply
called-was the popular, all-around
utility dog before the Civil War.
However, with the near extinction
of the pheasant in the East and the
migration of population from rural
districts to the city, the popularity
OF the springer waned. When SPAN
iels again began to be popular in
the East, the smaller cocker was the
type most favored.
The first registered springer
spaniels to be brought into this
country were imported by Ernest
Wells, an English handler, for Rob-
ert Foote of Morristown, N. j., in
1907. Freeman Lloyd dean of dog
judges and dog writers, another
Englishman, was greatly instrument
tai in forming American sportsmen
into an organization sponsoring this
breed. The English Springer Span