I was
born in the east end of London in the Borough of Bow, within the sound of the
Bow Bells Church---a true Cockney! My first recollection of dogs was being
lifted into a pen of 15-20 greyhound puppies. My grandfather was a well-known
racing Greyhound trainer in London. When I was four, my father retired from the
Royal Air Force and we moved to the Essex-Suffolk border, which is somewhat
south of London. My first hunting dog, at the age of eleven (and my best friend
for many years) was an English show Cocker. We were the scourges of the local
rabbit population. In my late teens-early twenties I experimented with many of
the gun dog breeds as a replacement for my Cocker Spaniel. I became involved
with Falconry and worked with several of the pointing breeds. However, the
locale I lived in had small fields with hedgerows, which were too small for a
big casting pointing dog. It was at this time, while reading about the history
of Falconry, that I learned some of the Spaniel breeds had been used by
Falconers to flush game for their hawks and falcons. I decided to give them a
try and two years later the falcons went and the dogs started! I joined several
trialing clubs in the U.K. and ran both Springers and Cockers in competition.
This eventually led to my becoming Talbert Radcliff’s trainer at the famous
Saighton Springer Kennels. I later purchased all stock and leased the kennel
facilities but continued to run a Cocker as my personal hunting dog. I
eventually came to the U.S. an am now associated with a prestigious members-only
hunt club where I guide with Cockers and Springers on a daily basis. I’m
grateful and proud to have been selected as one of the National Judges and am
also very pleased with the choice of my Co-Judge, Roy Hopkins. It has astounded me how quickly the standard of the Cockers in the U.S. has risen at the competition level. All handlers have every right to walk with their heads held high. I wish every contestant and their dogs the very best of luck in this Championship.Andrew Green
I was fortunate to be born into a family of outdoor enthusiasts, my father and grandfather passed their hunting heritage on, spaniels and labs were always part of our family. The field trial bug struck in the late seventies, I have been actively involved with field trialing, training and hunting with spaniels ever since. Through the years I have participated in field trials in numerous capacities as a competitor, judge and gunner.