Going to the dogs: Spaniel Club hosts field trials

The Missouri Hunting Spaniel Club held their Spring field trials last weekend, featuring Spaniel owners and handlers from 14 states. The event was held at Brushy Creek Farm, near Dunnegan.

Tim Baker, Springfield, president of the local club, said, "Brushy Creek is a perfect place for hunting and hosting a field trial. The farm has 220 acres of habitat managed, exclusively to provide ideal habitat game birds.

"Crops are planted and left unharvested. The grounds were superb, the weather cooperated. All things considered, it was a very successful weekend."

David and Missy Sanford obtained the farm in 2009 and made several improvements to it, including getting rid of the fescue, before holding field trials.

The Spaniel field trials enjoying increasing numbers in both events and participation. The purpose of a Spaniel field trial is to demonstrate the performance of a properly trained spaniel in the field.

This breed of gun dog is an affectionate, excitable one. The typical spaniel is friendly, quick to learn and responsive to training.

The field trial is set up to try to simulate an actual day in the field, but with the ability to watch a number of dogs perform. The dogs are judged on their ground coverage, bird finding ability and retrieving ability.

The dogs are also required to honor their bracemate's -- the dog working in the same field, but with a different handler -- flush and retrieve.

There are two dogs working in the same field and both are judged by different judges. When the bracemate produces a bird that is shot, the dog has to stop hunting and wait on the bracemate to complete the retrieve.

Only when the bird is delivered to the handler can the dog be released to hunt again. Not every dog gets the same opportunity to show off their skills, as that is somewhat determined by the birds, the cover and the shooting skills of the gunners.

When a dog gets to show it can handle a complicated situation and does it smoothly, the handler is all smiles. The field trial is run on released pheasants, which can be moving through the field, requiring the dog to trail out the bird to produce it. The harvested birds are dressed and delivered to various charities.

The Missouri Hunting Spaniel Club has hosted AKC English Springer Spaniel field trials since March 2009. In the fall of 2013, the club hosted the first English Springer Spaniel field trial to ever be held in Southwest Missouri.

The next event will be held on April 26-27. It will be an AKC Spaniel Hunt Test, which is open to Cocker Spaniels, English Springer Spaniels, Welsh Springers, Clumbers, Field Spaniels, Irish Water Spaniels, American Water Spaniels, Airedale Terriers, Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, Flat Coat Retrievers, Curly Coat Retrievers and Boykin Spaniels.

Information about the rules for the Hunt Test can be found on the club's website.

The function of a hunting spaniel is to find and flush game in an eager, brisk, quiet manner, and when game is shot, to mark the fall and retrieve game at only the handler's command.

Rick Sutherland, Springdale, Ark., a member of the Missouri hunting club, said, "I had a labrador, but now, am sold on hunting with a spaniel. They are more versatile."

Mark Nix, a club member from Galena, said, "It's a near-perfect day for the trials and we are pleased to see so many out-of-state participants here."

At the Open All-Age Trial, spaniels from New York, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Texas, Missouri, Arkansas, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Tennessee, Ohio, Virginia, Mississippi and Pennsylvania were in competition for top dog honors.

Judges for the event were Chad Betts, Newton, Kan., and David Anderson, Corona, Calif. Event Chairman was David Sanford and event secretary was Tim Baker, Springfield.

Top Dogs were, Open Stakes: First place-Sunrise Seneca Scout. Handler: Gary Wilson. Owner: David Morse. Second place-Sunrise Stella. Handler: Gary Wilson. Owner: Kelly Brannen

Amateur Stakes: First place-Dunnegan's Zipper SH. Handler: David Sanford. Owner: David and Missy Sanford. Second place-AFC Harvest Moon's Sizzlin' Bacon MH. Handler: Dean Koehler. Owner: Dean and Lori Koehler.

Puppy Stakes: First place-Garrisoncullin Amy. Handler and Owner: Mark Hairfield. Second place-Sunrise Zanna. Handler: Gary Wilson. Owner: Kelly Brannen

For more information on Brushy Creek Farm, visit BirdHuntMissouri.com. For information on the Missouri Hunting Spaniel Club, visit missourihuntingspanielclub.com, or call Tim Baker, at 417-343-5209.