I have literally been surrounded by show dogs and cocker spaniels in particular all my life. My mother worked at the great Lochranza kennels alongside Miss MacMillan and Jean Gillespie in the mid 1950s and my father began exhibiting dogs in his teens. They met at a dog show, were married in 1957 and the rest, as they say, is history.

In our case it the history of the Classicway kennels where we have always kept a relatively small number of gundogs and terriers but have consistently won at UK championship shows. There have been numerous Classicway Cocker champions mainly but not exclusively parti-colours. The first a black dog, Kenavon Envoy was followed by blue roans including Sh Ch Classicway Cutty Sark – cocker of the year in 1989 and Sh Ch Classicway Conjuror who is still winning veteran classes today. Notable bitches include Sh Ch Classicway Crocus Time and Sh Ch Classicway Carrie Anne – litter sisters and Sh Ch Classicway Catch A Star. As well as those that we have shown, since our dogs are ultimately our hobby (as well as a way of life!), we have tried to let other people have good dogs and foundation bitches to start a breeding programme. Rodney and Sally Wyatt’s Sh Ch Classicway Country Life is amongst the most notable in the UK whilst Sh Ch Classicway Concorde came “down under” and can still be found in some of your pedigrees today.

There have also been champions in Sealyhams, Welsh, Lakeland and my other love Smooth Fox Terriers. Ch Classicway Barnaby Rudge was top SFT in UK in 2006 and top SFT in Italy in 2007 where he is currently enjoying a “gap year”! His half brother Ch Roxway Fair Exchange with Classicway followed in his footsteps by winning the Fox Terrier Club Gold Cup for Smooth’s in 2007. All of this said, life without cockers is unthinkable!

 My mother and I now own the dogs in partnership and I have handled them in the ring for the past few years as this enables my father to judge other breeds at the same show.

 I am deeply proud of the Classicway Cocker Spaniel bloodlines that can be found all over the world and am very aware of the huge duty of care that all breeders carry to do our best to promote our beloved breed. All Classicway stock is now Optigen tested for both PRA and FN. Dog showing has provided me with the opportunity to meet people from all walks of life and to make friends from all over the globe. I also do “my bit” to help with the running of shows in the UK by sitting on 2 of the Cocker Championship Show Club committees and am also treasurer of the Fox Terrier Club.

 I am very honoured to have been asked to officiate at your 13^th National Show and look forward to visiting Australia for the first time in 2008.