Editing English Springer Spaniel (section)

== History ==
The English physician [[John Caius]] described the spaniel in his book the ''Treatise of Englishe Dogs'' published in 1576. His book was the first work to describe the various British breeds by function.<ref name="arielhistory">{{cite web|first=Mindy|last=Mymudes|url=http://www.ariel-ess.com/essfaq/history.html|title=An English Springer History|date=3 March 2002|access-date=24 October 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100120183121/http://www.ariel-ess.com/essfaq/history.html|archive-date=20 January 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref> By 1801, [[Sydenham Edwards]] explained in the ''Cynographia Britannica'' that the land spaniel should be split into two kinds, the Springing, Hawking Spaniel, or Starter; and the Cocking or [[English Cocker Spaniel|Cocker Spaniel]].<ref name="arielhistory"/>

At this point, both cocker spaniels and springer spaniels were born in the same litters. The purpose of the breed was to serve as a hunting dog. The smaller cockers were used to hunt [[woodcock]], while their larger littermates, the springer spaniels, would "spring"—or flush—the [[gamebird]] into the air where a trained [[falcon]] or hawk would bring it to the handler.<ref name="akc">{{cite web| url=http://www.akc.org/breeds/english_springer_spaniel/| title=AKC MEET THE BREEDS: English Springer Spaniel| work=[[American Kennel Club]]| access-date=24 November 2010| archive-date=22 November 2010| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101122113434/http://www.akc.org/breeds/english_springer_spaniel/| url-status=dead}}</ref>

Many spaniel breeds were developed during the 19th century, and often named after the counties in which they were developed, or after their owners, who were usually nobility. Two strains of larger land spaniel were predominant and were said to have been of "true springer type." These were the [[Norfolk spaniel|Norfolk]] and the Shropshire spaniels, and by the 1850s, these were shown under the breed name of Norfolk spaniel.<ref name="westwing">{{cite web|url=http://www.westwingsess.com/ESS_History.htm |title=The History of the Springer Spaniel |access-date=24 October 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090913111912/http://www.westwingsess.com/ESS_History.htm |archive-date=13 September 2009  }}</ref>

In January 1899, the Spaniel Club of England and the Sporting Spaniel Society held their trials together for the first time. Three years later, in 1902, a combination of the physical standard from the Spaniel Club of England and the ability standard from the Sporting Spaniel Society led to the English Springer Spaniel breed being officially recognized by the [[The Kennel Club|English Kennel Club]]. The [[American Kennel Club]] followed in 1910.<ref name="westwing"/> In 1914, the first English Field Champion was crowned, FTC Rivington Sam, whose dam was a registered cocker spaniel, Rivington Riband. Sam is considered one of the foundation sires for modern field lines.<ref name="westwing"/>