The “Other” Spaniels – The Irish Water Spaniel

by Amy Fernandez

THE FIRST AND SO FAR ONLY, Clumber to win Westminster was Ch. Clussexx Country Sunrise in 1996. Likewise, the first and only Sussex, and to date the oldest Westminster winner, was Ch. Clussexx Three D Grinchy Glee in 2009. Springers have taken BIS six times and Cockers on four occasions.

Westminster provides its share of bizarro upset wins, but somehow they always seem way more shocking when they come out of the Sporting group. In a way, it makes sense considering that for many years Sporting was the ONLY group. Large or small, old or new, every other breed that entered the fray was relegated to the same inglorious hodgepodge category as NOT a Sporting breed. Sporting was for the important contenders- in theory at least. In reality, most of the glory was shared among a predictable handful of breeds: Pointers, Setters, Cockers, Springers. Judging by a century of stats, it’s practically a Westminster tradition.

The Clumber’s BIS in 1996 hadn’t lost its shock value by 2009 when eleven-year-old Stump shuffled into the spotlight for what arguably ranks as the weirdest win in Westminster history. But let’s talk really ancient history. Think back to 1979, Dugan? Remember him?

Am./Can./Bda. Ch. Oaktrees Irishtocrat, CD, the only Irish Water Spaniel to take Westminster, was widely admired for his beautiful neck and shoulder, correct tight, crisp coat texture, and distinctive rat tail. He came into Westminster with a respectable record of 32 Bests and 105 group wins, ending 1976 as top Sporting dog and fifth in the all breed rankings. The breed’s situation was another story.

The Irish Water Spaniel ranked 113th out of 126 recognized breeds in 1976 with only 86 registered. It had been on AKC’s books since 1878 and exhibited at Westminster since the inaugural show back in 1877. Otherwise, as British breeder, judge, author and art historian Nick Waters said in his 1982 breed book A Bundle of Rags in a Cyclone, “Only a handful of the old breeds have their history and evolution accurately documented and the Irish Water Spaniel is not one of them.” That historical playbook is mighty sparse.

Short URL: http://caninechronicle.com/?p=142280

Posted by Alex on Apr 27 2018. Filed under Current Articles, Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.