Elgert Field Spaniels
As a child we had an Irish Setter called Dale who was a pure pet - the breeder said one day to try and show him... from then on we were hooked!!!! We then spent some time finding a good show Irish Setter and along came Jasper, Jasper was a very promising show dog but as a small child I found it very hard to hold both his head and also his tail!! So we started looking for another breed for me to show as I was totally smitten with the showing lark. After looking at several other breeds including Afghans, Poodles and Beagles we came across a Field Spaniel – a black and tan was our first encounter and we immediately fell in love. The search then started for a Field Spaniel ... Ohhh and also to convince my parents to let me have a Field Spaniel!!!… this took a couple of years of saving pocket and pleading!!!
Elgert Field Spaniels (an anagram of Gretel) started when in 1979 I was fortunate enough to purchase SH CH Georgius Dalmanius – George, from Mrs AM Jones MBE. George was shown between myself and my father, he gained a total of 12 CC’s. In 1982 he won the FSS Champ Show from a very young age, he also won Best of Breed at Crufts in 1984. In 1983 Sh Ch Watermusic of Westacres at Elgert - Lotty - arrived from Mrs Peggy Grayson and so my foundation of the Elgert’s started. Lotty was such a gentle girl and it is this that I strive to achieve in my Fields in temperament and looks , she was a ‘real lady’. Both George and Lotty had that very aristocratic expression which is at the heart of a true Field Spaniel. Lotty was slow to start her show career as she was firstly a mum and after that went into the show ring. Lotty amazed us all by wining Best of Breed at Crufts in 1988 by winning her 1st CC and BOB – she went on to win a total of 10 CC’s.
Having my foundation Fields from such recognised and valued ‘Field Spaniel’ names meant that I had a wealth of experience to learn from and I will always value the input given to me as I started my future in Field Spaniels. I have grown up with Field Spaniels and am pleased to say my own children are now growing up with Field Spaniels in their lives too. I can’t imagine having my home without a ‘Fieldy’ in it, and I am sure anyone who ventures into the world of being ‘owned by a Field Spaniel’ will feel the same in a short time.
Although I know that life changes and time goes on, however, one thing I hope to maintain in my Elgert Field Spaniels is the ‘essence’ of a true Field Spaniel – the noble expression, the air of aloofness and the sound and strong construction of a Field Spaniel. When I look back over the years at my Fields I am proud to see the lines following through from my George and Lotty and can still to this day see the similarity of them to my current stock. First and foremost, temperament should come high on the list when choosing potential stud or dam and following that a true Field outline and noble expression. It is often said that a Field Spaniel is a ‘head’ spaniel - but to be a true Field Spaniel it must be constructed soundly, have good temperament and only then have the classic noble expression, this is what makes a Field Spaniel.
When breeding I carefully select both dam and sire using the above as my guidelines, along with current health checks this is the way that I hope to maintain my Elgert Field Spaniels and take the breed forward to future generations, with a fit, sound, healthy and happy dog as the key to ensuring that this wonderful and unique breed stays true and is there for many more generations to enjoy.
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