Welcome to The Devon & Cornwall Cocker Spaniel Club
Photo © Farlap
IN the Spring of 1980, with an increasing number of cocker spaniel exhibitors appearing at the shows taking place in the two counties of Devon and Cornwall, the seed of an idea was planted out of which has grown the Devon & Cornwall Cocker Spaniel Club.
Following an inaugural meeting held on 27th September 1980 at "The Mariner" public house, Whitchurch, Tavistock, attended by 22 enthusiastic supporters, a Working Party Committee was formed and the process of formal establishment of the Club began.
The Kennel Club gave final approval on 16th March 1982 and the first meeting of the Committee was held on 25th April 1982. At that time the elected Officers were :-
Patrons - Mr & Mrs Joyce Caddy (Ouaine)
President - Mrs Kay Holmes (Pentavy)
Chairman - Mr Gary Green (Gavericky)
Vice Chairman - Mrs S Culverwell (Raysal)
Secretary - Mr M Owens (Crownleigh)
Treasurer - Mrs B Slater (Vylabree)
Committee: Mrs S Leeding, Mrs S Vanstone, Mrs M Bendall, Mrs A Brown, Mrs A Owens, Mrs B Edgar, Mrs J Bailey, Mrs L Dean, Mrs A Parkinson, Mrs S Jackson,Mr D Jackson Mrs T Dullaway Mr A Dullaway, Mr F Pearce and Mr D Marsland.
Details of the current Officers and Committee can be seen HERE.
When the rules of the Club were initially drawn up it was agreed that Committee members must be resident in either Devon or Cornwall to give more credence to its "raison d'etre" and at the time there were a considerable number of exhibitors willing and able to give their time. Recently this rule has been changed, with the removal of the County restriction, to allow members living "over the border" to give the benefit of their experience.
However, all events are held within the County boundaries so there is no danger of the Club losing its identity. The Club holds two Shows during the year; the Open Shows held in May and November at Calverleigh Village Hall, near Tiverton - this is a delightful venue in the Devon countryside, set in the leigh of the Church with well kept, tree lined, lawns so the Show can be held outside when the sun shines upon us. Since gaining Championship status in 1989, the Championship Show has been held on the rota system in November every other even year; the venue is currently Culm Valley Sports Centre at Cullompton, Devon, which is easily accessed from the motorway and provides spacious accommodation and plenty of parking. The Club's "catering team" pride themselves on providing excellent home-made refreshments at our events and a warm welcome awaits regular exhibitors and newcomers alike.
Other educational and fun events are included in the calendar when possible, such as Seminars and Workshops covering a variety of subjects designed to steer the enthusiastic exhibitor towards a judging career; health advice and grooming of the Cocker as your much loved pet or presentation for the show ring; and Matches against other local societies.
There have been many changes over the years, both to Committee and Members, but the Club continues to thrive and a number of the original founder members remain staunch supporters and regularly attend the events held.
The Club was formed for the benefit of enthusiasts within the breed, living and showing in the far south west of the Country and is a focal point providing help, advice and encouragement, to anyone who has an interest in our wonderful breed - The Cocker Spaniel.
Contact Us:
Email: info@devonandcornwallcockerclub.co.uk
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The Club operates under the terms of The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) 2018. The Club's Policy is available HERE