The 87th English Springer Spaniel Championship was held at Harvington Shoot, Worcestershire by kind invitation of Bob and Sonja Byrd.  It proved to be a superb choice of venue with an excellent supply of game, well held in cover by Headkeeper Steve Smith and his willing band of helpers, all regulars on the shoot.  A record sixty six spaniels had qualified, with only four withdrawals, leaving sixty two in contention at the start of the first day.  Judges John Dickson, Roy Ellershaw, Jack Illiffe & Dave Rayner knew that they had a real challenge to find the top dogs from such a large primary field, particularly when more than half of the entrants had already gained their Field Trial Champion status. The Championship came to a climax on day three when the judges called for a shooting run-off before making their final decisions.