Field Spaniels were
one of the first breeds to be shown and registered in America. Their
show careers trace back to well before the AKC was founded in 1884,
and even before the American Spaniel Club was founded in 1881. They
have been recorded in some of our country’s earliest stud books.
Black Field Spaniel Champion Benedict was an American Champion by
1883, before there even was an AKC! The first Field Spaniel
registered in America was “Dash,” whelped in 1879, and imported by
Mr. A. H. Moore. How did they originate?
FS CH Black Prince AKC 12524 whelped 7/15/1881 resembled his FS sire
CH Benedict.
Photograph on right courtesy of the ASC Archives
Spaniels have been
documented for many centuries, particularly in Europe and the UK.
The breeds and categories of today have evolved from earlier
distinctions. The smallest of the spaniels were known as
‘comforters’ and were the foundations of today’s “toy” varieties.
The larger, working spaniels were classified as either “land”
spaniels or as “water” spaniels. The land spaniels specialized in
seeking and flushing small game including hare and game birds, at
first being used with falcons or with the net, and later being used
as gun dogs when the gun became utilized for hunting.
In the UK and the
USA, the smaller of these land spaniels became known as “cocker
spaniels” because of their unique specialty of working the woodcock
birds. Larger flushing spaniels were commonly referred to as “field
spaniels” or “springers” because of the way they would ‘spring’ or
flush out the game. As dog shows emerged in the second half of the
19th century, there was an evolution of spaniel “breeds” as
distinguished from one another by “Breed Standards” (written
descriptons) that were established by the kennel clubs and expert
writers of the day.
The Field Spaniel
had developed into a distinct breed primarily out of a combination
of larger black cocker spaniels (most notably those that date back
to the early 1800’s from Mr. Footman’s kennels) that were interbred
with other regional strains, particularly those larger and longer
Sussex strains. It has been alleged that in FS early development,
Irish Water Spaniels (giving the top knot and refined head), Norfolk
or English Springer Spaniels, and even the Basset Hound (influencing
color, short crooked legs, long body length and haw) were cross bred
with these early Field Spaniels. At that time, Cockers and Field
Spaniels were frequently interbred, and the resultant pups were
exhibited in whichever classification they most resembled, usually a
categorization done by weight and color. As the varieties of land
spaniels became distinct breeds, the breed known as Field Spaniels
were the larger springers (over 28 pounds) that were generally
black, liver or roan in color.
When the dog show
phenomenon took off in the late 1800’s and the various strains of
spaniels became more carefully defined by the ‘breed standards,’ the
whims and fancies of the breeders and the judges of the day greatly
influenced the evolution of the spaniel family. With a few
exceptions among breeders who still hunted over their dogs, spaniels
were no longer being selectively bred primarily for their usefulness
as working dogs in the field. They were instead being bred according
to the fancy notions of what would win prizes in the dog shows. The
handsome Field Spaniel became immensely popular.
Above: Mr. E. M. Oldham’s imports: Glencairn on left and CH Newton
Abbot Darkie on right
By 1900 the “Field
Spaniel” breed had passed its peak of popularity amongst the spaniel
fanciers, both in the US and abroad. In the 1890’s, the breed had
become excessively long and low because that was what was
whimsically thought to be superior and was winning in the show
rings. Then the press began to ridicule them for their extremes,
causing them to be less desirable. The Field Spaniel was left with
only a few dedicated breeders, and their numbers diminished
significantly while other breeds (including the Cocker and the
English Springer Spaniel) gained popularity. The remaining Field
Spaniel breeders did what they could to reestablish the breed’s
appearance, or “type”, to be higher up on leg and of a more moderate
length, while preserving the very distinguishing head of the Field
Spaniel. Even though they were successful in reestablishing the
quality of the breed, their efforts unfortunately did not win back
the popularity for the breed partly because other breeds had by then
captured the public’s fancy, and because of the advent of the World
Wars.
Throughout the
1900’s, the Field Spaniel had some ups and downs, but these were
mostly downs until a rally began in the late 1960’s. Luckily there
were a few dedicated breeders in England that had saved the breed
from extinction. In America, registrations of the breed had slowed
enormously through the teens and only a few were registered from the
late 1920’s thru 1941. There weren’t any in the AKC studbooks from
1942 until Dick Squier and Carl Tuttle brought in their imports in
1967 and started the revival of the breed in America. They can be
seen in the photo below taken at the ASC Flushing Show in 1968.
Imports at the ASC Flushing Breeds Specialty Show 1968; Photo
credit: Shafer, Courtesy D. Squier.
Left to Right: Carl Tuttle with CH Brigadier of Mittina, “Brig”;
judge; Karen Crisante with CH Pilgrim of Mittina, “Mac”; Dick Squier
with CH Flowering May of Mittina, “Twiggy”
All of today’s
Field Spaniels can be traced back in lineage to 4 dogs from the
50’s-60’s era: Elmbury Morwenna of Rhiwlas (liver bitch in the photo
below,) Columbina of Teffont (black bitch,) Ronayne Regal and Gormac
Teal, (black dog littermates.) This foundation stock produced 2
famous litters (the A and the J), both credited to Mrs. A. M. Jones
MBE of “Mittina” prefix in England. Partial credit for retention of
hunting ability is given to an Interbred registered outcross to a
successful field dog, the tri-color English Springer Spaniel British
Ch Whaddon Chase Duke, which was a few generations behind the famous
Mittina litters.
We can all be
grateful to that handful of breeders who salvaged the breed
throughout the 1900’s. Without them we wouldn’t have these wonderful
dogs that we have today! The breed’s popularity picked up as the
20th century advanced, and the Field Spaniel Society of America was
formed to promote and protect the breed and became the AKC’s parent
club for the breed in 1978. Today, the breed is increasingly gaining
recognition as a handsome and versatile dog of sound health, good
disposition, willing temperament, with good hunting drive and
scenting ability, and as we embark into the 21st century, Field
Spaniels are especially prized as favorites in the home, where they
are well-loved, great family companions.
Elmbury Morwenna of Rhiwlas (whelped
1962) and
her daughter Mittina Ridware Samantha (whelped 1966)
Owned by Mrs. A. M. Jones MBE
