by Kathy Sonier Field trials are a competitive sport involving
the team of dog and handler. First held in England around the
turn of the 20th century, a trial gives a handler and his or her
dog the opportunity to compete in the field with their peers.
The purpose of a spaniel field trial is to demonstrate the
performance of a properly trained spaniel in the field. The
performance should not differ from that in any ordinary day’s
shooting, except that in the trials a dog should do his work in
a more nearly perfect way. The Blue Book, (The Conduct and
Judging of Spaniel Field Trials) adds that the following
qualities are to be emphasized: retrieving promptly to hand,
hunting and game finding, working within gun range, control,
steadiness to wing and shot (the dog should “hup,” or sit and
hold its position, until released by the handler), and
responsiveness. Since the beginning of this sport in the United
States in the early 1920′s trial operations have remained
basically the same. An all-age stake (Open or Amat