Beginning with our “Maddie”, (Ch. Cameo Comedy The Divine Ms. M., WD, JH, SH, MH), the first AKC Clumber Master Hunter, we have begun a line of Clumbers that we believe should not only be true to type, but retain the hunting instincts and abilities of their ancestors. Our dogs compete regularly at AKC hunting tests, as well as hunting for wild birds. Bob and I are also AKC licensed hunt test judges. We have been fortunate to have much success in the field, with many of Maddie’s championship offspring bearing hunting titles after their names such as;

• "Red", (Ch. Creswick Cameo Simply Red, WDX, JH, SH, MH), Maddie’s son, earned his Master Hunter title in March 2006 handled by Bob.
• "Torey", (Am./Can. Ch. Creswick’s Uptown Girl, WDX, JH, SH), Maddie’s daughter recently finished her Senior Hunter title and is now competing at the AKC Master Hunter level with her owner/handler Patrick Fraser of British Columbia, Canada.
• "Velvet" (Ch. Creswick Cameo Red Velvet, JH), finished her AKC Junior Hunter title in four consecutive tests in September of 2006, handled by Dan Connell.

Our dogs have been featured in publications such as The AKC Gazette, Spaniels In The Field, Gun Dog, Dog News, and Dog World. We are part of a dedicated group of Clumber enthusiasts who enjoy hunting with their dogs and we welcome your inquiries.

The Clumber Spaniel style of hunting is best understood by examining the historical purpose for which the breed was developed. The heaviest of the spaniels, the Clumber was named for Clumber Park, the estate of the Duke of Newcastle in England.

Clumbers were first recognized as a distinct English breed in the mid-1700’s, and the gene pool was then controlled by the nobility for almost the next 100 years. It is well known that they were jealously guarded by the principal families around the Dukeries and only slowly spread to other stately homes. The Clumber eventually also attracted the attention of King Edward VII whose love for, and use of, the breed became almost legendary.

It was during this period of time that the Clumber was selectively bred for use in hedgerows and gorse, which is a very tough, woody stemmed cover. A dog that would hunt fast and hard in this type of cover would soon cripple itself, so Clumbers were developed to hunt at a trot or a pace. The woody type of cover in which the Clumber was developed had a canopy of leaves which held in scent and slowed the wind currents. This required a dog with an excellent nose that was much more of a tracker. Also, since the original cover was so difficult to penetrate, it required a dog with tremendous drive and determination to fight through the brush when birds were scented. Shot-guns and ammunition from that period were not as powerful as today. Hunters then had even more cripples than modern hunters. Thus, a Clumber approaches every bird as if it is a cripple that he is very intent on catching. If the bird is moving, he will track it intently, if it stays on the nest or stops in heavy cover, he will slow down as he approaches it, stalking it like a cat. When he is very close to the bird, he will often stop in order to locate the bird precisely before he pounces. This "English style, hesitation flush" is common in breeds of spaniels which have their hunting roots in England. This style is also valued by many American hunters; it gives them time to get ready for the shot. Due to the breed’s drive, determination, and more deliberate pace, they are often today dubbed, “The Gentleman’s Hunting Dog.” *

*(We wish to acknowledge Darrell Reeves’ CSCA’s Clumber Spaniel Hunting Style, revised November 2006, in this section. Please see the CSCA website at www.clumbers.org for the complete description)