Southern Michigan Springer Spaniel Training Club

Field Trial

Field trials are a competitive sport involving the team of dog and handler. A trial gives a handler and his or her dog the opportunity to compete in the field with their peers. The purpose of a spaniel field trial is to demonstrate the performance of a properly trained spaniel in the field. The performance should not differ from that in any ordinary day's shooting, except that in the trials a dog should do his work in a more nearly perfect way. Each fall the SMSSTC holds a field trial that has an Open All Age Stake, Amateur All Age Stake and a Puppy Stake (for dogs under 2 years of age).