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Carolyn and Colin Muirhead are the breeders of the famous Shipden English Springers, from Norfolk UK.
The Shipden prefix has been in existence for some 50 years, and the kennel is known for their unshakable belief in the "dual purpose Springer".
There have been some highly significant Springers bred or owned by Carolyn and Colin. One would be Kublai Khan who was the sire of 3 Champions: - Sh Ch Persimmon of Shipden (BOB Crufts 1967), Ch/ Irish Ch Sotherton Phantom of Shipden and Sh Ch Sotherton Sky Warrior.
Later came the most famous Shipden dog Ch Swallowtail. Generally handled by Carolyn, he won 18 CCs (still the record for a B/W) as well as two Ch Gundog Groups and his Show Gundog Working Certificate. He sired Champions all over the world.
Apart from the show ring the Shipden dogs have an enviable reputation in the field. A high number have achieved their Show gundog working certificates and Shipden Harvest Moon was Best performance at the Show Spaniels Field day. All the dogs work regularly on local shoots.
More recently, the winning dogs have been Sh Ch Shipden Chuck Berry (Sire of Champions) and the history making Sh Ch Mistilys Magic Merlin to Shipden (Imp Sweden).
Exports include Swedish Ch Sweet Lady Anne from Shipden who was BIS at the Swedish Breed club show and Ch/Aus Ch Bomaris Envoy to Shipden, another Crufts BOB winner and one of Australia’s top ever Gundogs.
Carolyn has judged the breed at CC level since 1974, including Crufts. She has also judged many times internationally.
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As a child Ellen had been brought up with numerous breeds of dogs, but it wasn't until she married her late husband George that her eye went to English Springer's.
George was very keen on the Springer and in fact kept them, but only for the purpose of working them.
Ellen first started in the show ring in the early fifties with Wycliffe Rose and later with a son of Boxer of Bramhope, Bass Rock.
Ellen later bought Tyneview Margaret who was by Sh Ch Studley Brave Buccaneer out of Tyneview Serena bred by George Scott.
At 5 years old she won her first CC at Chester her second a week later at Three Counties and her third and title at SKC.
She was the first of many of Ellen's long line of Champions.
Proving herself to be an excellent worker as well as in the show ring .When mated to Am Ch, Sh Ch Stokeley Toreador produced Ch Teesview Titus, who in turn sired 10 UK titleholders
Sh Ch Teesview Pandora of Truelindale bred by Miss Madge Alder won her first CC as a youngster under Joe Braddon and went on to win a record 35 CC,s which stood for many years till Remember Me Took the record with 55 CC,s
Pandora was one of the few Springer's ever to beat Connaught for Best of Breed a feat that she managed on three occasions and many of her CCs were won alongside the mighty Conn.
Teesview Telma a Conn daughter owned by Judith Hancock and Jimmy Cudworth proved to very successful as a brood bitch producing several champions who themselves have made their marks on the breed.
Ellen is well known as a down to earth, commonsense dog breeder with an eye for type and quality, her legacy to the Breed has been great with dogs of the quality of Chs. Transcontinental, Titus, Tumeric, Tracy, Transtiara, Tarmac, Tarama, Talking Tar n, Topnotch, Twister and Trans in Tyme to name a few.
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The name Hawkhill is synonymous throughout the English Springer world with the word "QUALITY."
The Kennel was started in the Fifty’s by Judith Robinson later to become Judith Hancock, and enjoyed astonishing success, being the foremost English Springer Kennel of the sixties and seventies.
It was a dog owned by her Father, Moorcliff Major and bred by Arthur Froggatt the Father of Ernest, (Moorcliff) that first took Judith’s interest in Springer’s
She was so keen that on leaving school at 15 that she went to train with Miss Barbara Sedorski for 12 months and later with Mrs Till of the renowned Stubham- English Springers, so with a grounding like this no one should have been surprised when the teenage Miss Robinson started to win CCs with her own dogs, making up her first full homebred Champion in Hawkhill Brave.
Over the years Judith has bred and owned a number of breeds Cockers, Clumbers and working Bloodhounds and her great interest in thoroughbred horses gave her a wonderful insight into correct conformation in both the dog and horse.
It was with Springer’s that she had the most success. Judith and later in partnership with Jimmy Cudworth bred 26 Champions. The most famous being Sh Ch Hawkhill Connaught. Connaught was for many years the Breed record holder for CC with 51 ccs.
Sh Ch Hawkhill Connaught, the greatest English Springer Spaniel show and stud dog of all time in the UK, and one of the greatest in all Breeds went BIS 7 times at All Breed Championship Shows and was 3 times Reserve best in Show.
He took the Gundog Group 17 times including Crufts and was Reserve Best Gundog on another 9 occasions.
He was DOG Worlds very first UK Top Dog in1974 the year he won the Group at Crufts.
Conn, not just a great Show dog and Sire, but also a thorough gentleman, was the beloved house pet and bed mate of his handler and co-owner the one and only Jimmy Cudworth and was admired by all till the day he died at nearly 14 years old.
Whilst Hawkhill is very famous for Connaught, the Kennel was by now means a “one hit wonder” with many famous and influential dogs and bitches of the ilk of Champions H. Royal Palace, Derby Day Dream, St. Paulie Girl, Humble Duty, Hello Dolly, Mon Fils, Finlandia, High Society to name a few.
Many top producing Kennels in the UK, Scandinavia, Australia and New Zealand owe a great debt to Hawkhill for the excellence of their stock.
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The Moorcliff Kennels of the Late Ernest Froggatt and June Froggatt.
Moorcliff was one of the most successful English Springer Kennels in the history of the Breed.
The Moorcliffs started in the 1940s with Ch Bramhope Recorder a black and white male bought from Mary Scott .He came together with full instructions on show trimming, an art of which Ernest became a master.
Ernest met June whilst campaigning Recorder, and at Manchester Champ Show the day Recorder won his 3rd CC gaining his title, they announced their engagement.
Ernest and June went on to breed /own many Champions in several Breeds.
In English Springers their most famous dogs would have to be Ch Moorcliff Dougal of Truelindale, a big winner in the ring and successful sire. Dougal was perhaps best known as the sire of the immortal Ch. Hawkhill Connaught who dominated the Breed in the both the Show ring and as a sire.
Dougal and the Froggatts other big winning English Springer, English Show Champion Moorcliff Freetwood Gamecock both won two Supreme Best in Shows at All Breed Championship Shows in this Country.
Eng.Sh.Ch. and later Australian Ch. Moorcliff Freetwood Gamecock was exported to Australia, and handled by Marie Merchant, was Supreme Best in Show at a Royal Ch. Show at his first appearance in an Australian show ring.
Gamecock had an illustrious Stud and Show career in Australia winning many BIS and at one stage 10 Championship Group 1s in succession.
He was never defeated in the Breed.
Gamecock came to Australia by ship, accompanied by Moorcliff Pintail in whelp to Dougal.
The effect of Gamecock, Pintail and Dougal on the Breed in Australia was monumental and there would be few English Springers today in either Australia or New Zealand that dont carry a trace of their blood.
Both June and Ernest had a wonderful appreciation of a good dog and an unerring eye for quality.
They enhanced the Breed through their involvement and their legacy to the English Springer is far -reaching.
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