A BRIEF HISTORY
of the
ENGLISH SPRINGER SPANIEL
NATIONAL AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP
by
MRS. EVELYN MONTE
The idea of amateur
competition on a national level began more than ten years ago (1952) with
James R. Dodson and Charles (Chuck) Goodall. Early efforts resulted in a
National Amateur Shooting Dog Stake, an unofficial event, held in
conjunction with the 1954 National Championship, Herrin, Illinois when Dr.
Samuel Milbank, long-time successful owner handler and strong partisan of
shooting dog stakes, was president of the National. Coming at conclusion of
the National Championship, the stake proved somewhat anti-climatic and
failed to receive sufficient support for its continuance. However, Dodson
and Goodall were persistent in their cause for the amateur and an increasing
number of clubs held amateur All-Age Stakes.
Robert McLean, president of the English Springer
Spaniel Field Trial Association and Richard H. Migel, secretary and AKC
delegate of the Parent Club, initiated the first direct action toward
official recognition of the stake. At the 1960 meeting of delegates to the
National Championship, an organization committee was appointed by the Parent
Club president to plan for Amateur Champion Stakes.
As a result of the committee's recommendations, the American Kennel Club
adopted changes in its rules to provide for Amateur All-Age Stakes carrying
points toward the title of Amateur Field Champion.
The committee, which included representatives
from the East, the Mid-West and the Pacific Coast, set forth a number of
recommendations, the most significant being ( 1 ) That procedures for
Amateur Field Championship Stakes be similar to those for Open All-Age
Championship Stakes, but that the two be kept in all ways completely
separate. (2) If and when a National Amateur Championship be held, that it
should be the responsibility of the Parent Club.
The inaugural National Amateur Championship was
held at Wilmington, Ohio, November 30 to December 2, 1963. All dogs which
had placed in a recognized (10 or more entries) Amateur All-Age since June
13, 1961 (the date the new provisions of the AKC became effective) were
eligible for entry. There were 45 entries and 42 starters.
(This article was reproduced from a 1969 National Amateur
Catalog.)