Mid-Sussex Working Spaniel Club Water Test 2026 Report

The Mid-Sussex Working Spaniel Club Water Test took place today in warm summer conditions and proved to be a thoroughly enjoyable and successful event. Despite the hot weather, a welcome breeze and plenty of shade helped to keep both handlers and dogs comfortable throughout the day.

We were delighted to see a strong entry across both the Novice and Open stakes, with competitors demonstrating an excellent standard of work. Dogs and handlers were challenged with a variety of water retrieves across some beautiful ground, providing an opportunity to showcase skill and training in a testing but enjoyable environment.

As always, the event was about much more than the competition. The day had a fantastic atmosphere, with plenty of opportunities for competitors and spectators to catch up, share stories and support one another. A wonderful BBQ and an impressive selection of homemade food kept everyone well fed, with the delicious strawberries proving to be particularly popular!

A huge thank you must go to our judges, Len Earle and Jo Stubbs, for giving up their time to support the club. Their constructive feedback, encouragement and helpful training tips were greatly appreciated by competitors throughout the day.

We are also incredibly grateful to all our helpers and dummy throwers Colin, Bob, Gary and Martin who stood patiently in the heat to ensure every dog had the opportunity to complete their retrieves. Your hard work behind the scenes is invaluable and makes events like this possible.

Special thanks go to Mick and his wife for providing the excellent BBQ, especially in such challenging temperatures, and to Julie and George for once again allowing us the use of their beautiful lake and grounds.

Thank you also to all our committee members for their hard work, support and organisation before and during the event. We are grateful to our sponsor, Sporting Saint, for their continued support of the club and our events.

Finally, thank you to everyone who entered and ran their dogs. The support shown by our members and competitors is what makes the Mid-Sussex Working Spaniel Club such a successful and friendly club. Whether you were competing for the first time or are a seasoned competitor, we hope you enjoyed the day and we look forward to seeing you again at future events.

Results

Novice Stake

🥇 1st – Julie Curling with Buttons

🥈 2nd – Ann Billing with Elsa

🥉 3rd – Jax Rackham with Blaidd

🏅 4th – Vicky Payne with Quincegrove Gunpowder Plot

⭐ COM – Jax Rackham with Coombes

Open Stake

🥇 1st and Best Cocker – Ren Briggs with Elsie Wren

🥈 2nd – Clare Skelton with Niccholmes Maggie May

🥉 3rd – Jeff Earey with Coverscourt Amethyst

⭐ COM – Robert Johnson with Kenzduo Charcoal Sketch

Young Handler – Molly Rose with Ludo

Congratulations to all our award winners and well done to everyone who took part in what was a fantastic day of working dogs, good company and club spirit.

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