National Amateur Championship Stake: Qualification
and Letter to AKC from ECSCA and ASC

 

August 10, 2007
 
American Kennel Club
Performance Events, Field Trials

Dear Mr. Doug Ljungren,

We, The American Spaniel Club and The English Cocker Spaniel Club of America, are requesting approval/adoption of “the special regulations for qualification” to enter a National Amateur Championship Stake for English Cocker Spaniels and Cocker Spaniels.
 
This would allow our two breeds (ECS & CS) to compete in National Amateur Cocker Field Trials at some time in the near future, possibly late in 2008 or sometime in 2009. At this time the Cocker Field Trial Community has run 13 Amateur All-age Stakes for English Cocker Spaniels and Cocker Spaniels where championship points have been earned.  25 different dogs have placed in these events in this past year and a half (2006 & 2007). We expect that there will be over 50 individual dogs that have placed in Amateur Stakes by the end of next year.

From AKC Spaniel Field Trial Rules and Regulations, Chapter 14, Section 25: “A National Amateur Championship Stake for English Cocker Spaniels and Cocker Spaniels shall be for dogs over six months of age, which by reason of wins previously made qualify under special regulations adopted by the Board of Directors of The American Kennel Club.”
 
We would like these “special regulations” to be:  The dog shall have placed in an AKC Amateur Stake at an AKC Field Trial in the past 5 years. 
 
These records are and will be maintained by the ECSCA for the use of the event secretaries.
 
This is where we started for our National Cocker Championship Open Stake held in 1998.  After we had run the NCCs for 5 years, it was changed to those dogs placing in the past 3 years and all first place winners of previous NCCs.  And, we think that will be a consideration after the National Amateur has been run a few years.
 
Yours truly,

 

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Reply from Mr. Doug Ljungren, American Kennel Club
Performance Events, Field Trials

 

October 17, 2007

AKC did NOT APPROVE the proposed Qualifications for entry in a
Cocker National Amateur Championship Field Trial.

The AKC would like to see an increase in the indicators of amateur
participation and achievement across the country increase before
considering approval of qualifications for a National Amateur
Championship for Cocker and English Cocker Spaniels.

With the dedication and sustained interest from within the breeds,
these trends should show positive growth. At this time only 25% of
the trials have amateur stakes, the average entry is 15, and only
five ECS have earned the AFC title (no CS).

The clubs holding English Cocker/Cocker Field Trials should consider
holding one or two amateur stakes with each pair of open
stakes. With the largest entry in our open stakes being about 40
dogs and about 20 for an amateur stake that would make 70 dogs for a
day's run. And puppy stakes are only 3-6 dogs."