2012 Cocker Spaniel Championship

The 2012 Cocker Spaniel Championship held at Conholt Estate in Hampshire on the 16th and 17th January 2012.

The 80th Cocker Spaniel Championship was held at Conholt Park by kind permission of the Van Vlissigen family.  Conholt Park is a 4,000 acre shooting estate where a number of spaniel championships have been held in recent years, all under the supervision and guidance of that very experienced Head-keeper and spaniel enthusiast, Chris Green. 

The championship judges were Ian Flint and Alec Coutts on the left, with Steve Wanstall and Adrian Slater working together on the right hand side of the line.  Thirty five cockers had qualified for the championship but four had been withdrawn, all bitches in season.  Ian Openshaw had qualified nine of the competing cockers, an all time record for any one handler. 

On the first day Chris Green took the competitors to Cathanger Wood where a sharp frost had left the ground firm underfoot, although the early morning sunshine was percolating through the tree cover in some of the more open areas.  The first two cockers to run had to work hard to find game, particularly since the cover was light and it became clear that the birds had moved into the warmer spots.  Once heavier cover was reached the scenario soon changed and there were encounters with pheasant, woodcock and rabbit.  With guns on form, each cocker soon had flushes and retrieves and the contest was in earnest.

The old Roman Village was the venue for the second day, an open area of ground with dead grass, fallen trees and some patches of bramble offering excellent holding cover.  Again a frosty start and game sat tight but the cockers still in contention made the most of the situation and pushed out partridge, pheasant and rabbit to give the guns plenty of shooting.

Once all runs had been completed the judges spent a long time consulting their books and then announced that the championship had been concluded without a run-off, the first time in many years.  Ben Randall was proclaimed the winner for the second successive year with his three and a half year old liver bitch FTCh Heolybwlch Fatty.  This was the first time since 1973/74 that the same combination of dog and handler had won successive championships.