JUDGING SPRINGER SPANIELS

AKC breed standard. I still wonder when and why such an important line and type description was removed. ‘Movement strictly his own’ … never forget that! Once you see how the correct Springer moves, it will stay in your memory forever. As I said, the early Standard for Springers was written by hunters and gamekeepers describing a breed with unique abilities, instincts and desire to hunt that set it aside from any other breed. I know that many judges struggle, consciously or unconsciously, to judge this breed as throughout the world we see attractive dogs of incorrect type winning, while correct dogs go unnoticed. It doesn’t matter if you are going to judge one breed only, or many breeds, you should still have a clear understanding of essential breed type in order to reward the most typical dog rather than the generic show dog. There is nothing worse than seeing the typiest dog ignored by the judge in favour of the current winning, flashy, but incorrect exhibit. For me, it is utterly devastating and it happens too often. Judging is an evaluation of breeding stock and can impact a breed’s progression, therefore we must be diligent as judges, to both understand the Standard and to apply it to the dogs in front of us.

When you are standing in the middle of the ring as a judge, look at the overall picture of the dog and judge on its merits first. Do not fault judge, as this could leave you with exhibits of poor type. Select your dogs on overall quality and then narrow down from there. If I have a large class of more than four entries, I cut the class in sections and then evaluate each section, mentally noting after each dog, a simple “yes” or “no”, so I know my cut immediately when the class lines up again. Your own ring management technique may differ somewhat. The English Springer is a perfect combination of utility, beauty and symmetry. It is well balanced and moderate without any exaggerations. The Springer is a sturdy dog, yet the raciest of all his English land cousins. At the show, as the class comes into the ring and lines up, I begin my assessment by observing all the dogs in profile. The legendary Finnish all-rounder Hans Lehtinen offered an invaluable piece of advice, “line the dogs in the class up, stand well back, mentally paint them all black, study the silhouettes and THEN get into the detail”.

Keep in mind that there is no perfect dog. The art of judging should be about finding the dog possessing the characteristics most typical of its breed and its ability to perform the task for which it was bred. Most importantly, the English Springer Spaniel should be of medium size. It should not be similar to, or cobby, like an English Cocker or racy and tall like a Setter, nor heavy and low on leg like a Clumber. Neither should it remind you of a Welsh Springer with its very different outline and proportions. Many years ago, the ESSFTA (Parent Club in the USA), published an illustrated Standard for the English Springer Spaniel. The first time I saw it, I thought there had been a mistake as all the illustrations looked to me more like a Welsh than an English Springer. Thankfully, that illustrated Standard didn’t last long but we still see many dogs winning that look just like that. If it reminds you of a Welsh Springer, then it is not a good example of an English Springer. The UK, FCI and Canadian Standards all state ‘highest on leg and raciest in build of all British land spaniels’. The term ‘raciest in build’ was also removed, at some point, from the AKC Standard. This is a key phrase that distinguishes the English Springer from all other Spaniels and in my opinion, should never have been removed. The word ‘racy’ also appears in the Irish Setter standard. Why is this important? ‘Racy’, according to the dictionary, means ‘for a vehicle or animal that is designed or bred to be suitable for racing’. The Springer should be altogether more moderate, symmetrical, well balanced and free from all forms of exaggeration. If there is any part of the body that draws your attention, there is most likely something wrong. The mark of a great dog, regardless of breed, is the fact that its appeal lies in the overall picture that it presents and that your eye is never drawn to just one overriding feature.