JUDGE SELECTION

Candidates

After significant discussion the members decided on the following talented Spaniel judges from both Canada and the US to be candidates. All are successful handlers and trainers of English Springers and/or Cocker Spaniels. Most have multiple decades of experience and some are professional trainers and handlers. All of them have judged trials in western Canada before and know the conditions that the dogs will face.

In no particular order here are the candidates.

The National Amateur Judge panel is selected by the member clubs of the Canadian National Spaniel Field Trial Association (CNSFTA). These spaniel clubs are located across Canada and their club members now get to review the slate of candidates and after due consideration they will then select and put forth their selections.

After all the results are tabulated and scrutinized we will announce the judges for the 2026 Canadian National Amateur Championship

Please find below the bio's of each candidate for your consideration.

Bruce Outhouse, Nova Scotia.

I have hunted over springers for the past 56 years and have been field trialing since 1991. Dr. David McCurdy got me involved in the game. He was one of the most positive guys in the sport and an inspiration to all.

With lots of help from my good friend and springer-guru John Mitchell, I have championed 8 dogs from my own breeding. I have also had the good fortune to judge 3 Canadian National Spaniel Championships, 2 opens (2007 & 2015) and one amateur (2017). They were tremendous experiences - seeing so many dogs put in strong performances regardless of cover and conditions.

If elected, I would very much welcome the opportunity to judge the 2026 Canadian National Amateur Championship being hosted by the Eastern Slopes Spaniel Association.

Bill McCaffery, Ontario.

Spaniels and hunting dogs have been an integral part of our family life for decades. Of course, like most, it all started with the search for a great hunting dog to share memories and adventures afield. The natural ability, exciting action, and loyalty of well-bred and trained springer spaniels makes those hunting trips consummate.

In 2000 I started gunning training sessions and field trials. Several years later, I acquired my first field trial dog. In 2010 we founded our breeding program under the Narvin prefix. Being blessed with great dogs and experienced mentors led us to win the 2011 National Open with our foundation bitch, NFTCH FTCH Lady Caramel. In the following years I championed a total of 4 more dogs, one from each of Caramel’s litters. Lady Caramel went on to be awarded High Point Dam in Canada two years in a row. Over the years, I have trained and competed successfully with many dogs, at the local and national level, in Canada and the United States.

My experience with field trials also extends deeply into administration of both local trials and national events. I have done everything from secretary to field trial chairman, including executive roles on the CNSFTA and as a CKC Spaniel Council Zone representative. My judging experience goes back over the last 15 years, dozens of field trials across Canada and the United States, including the 2021 National Amateur in Nova Scotia.

The purpose of a spaniel field trial is to allow a dog to showcase its natural talent. The dog’s intelligence, use of wind, and spaniel style, coupled with trained ability, to accentuate its best performance, is something that we all cherish and enjoy. A dog that can continue to

consistently produce and recover game in a gentlemanly manner in difficult situations, is of extremely high value.

I would like to thank the ESSA, and each of you, for your consideration, and the privilege to be nominated as a candidate to judge the 2026 National Amateur Spaniel Championship. Best of luck to all in 2026.

Pierre Fecteau, Quebec.

I got my first field bred springer in 1989, Springville Chelsea. I instantly fell in love with the breed for its incredible eye contact and eagerness to please. Not long after I drove to Stars Point, Nova Scotia to attend my first Spaniel Field Trial; I met a bunch a friendly and passionate people who got me into this fabulous adventure. Along with some friends we then founded the Club de Chiens de Chasse de Québec; in 1992 we held the first Spaniel Field Trial ever in the province of Quebec. I am still very active in our club and in the Spaniel community and was the chairman for the 1997, 2005 and 2025 Open Nationals.

With my wife Vivianne we have been selective breeders for the past 35 years. We also sell fully trained field trial and gun dogs. I train and handle my own Spaniels and got to learn a lot over all those years. I championed most of them and earned a CM at the 2025 National Open.

It is a great privilege to get to judge some of the finest Spaniels in North America. My expectation as a Spaniel judge is to see dogs with a lot of drive and desire, that run their wind naturally to be in a good position for a big find, with a minimum of handling and a minimum use of the whistle; when on a nest he must make all efforts to produce the bird. I also like dogs that hunt by themselves but with brains, boldness and a lot of cooperation.

Gary Fluckiger, Utah.

My father was not a bird hunter. But my best friend’s dad was a hunt-aholic! They never hunted without inviting me to go along and I never turned them down. I wanted a bird dog more than “air” but my mom would have none of it so I trained the neighbor’s dog. She was a Black Lab named Bridget. I have always loved to train and hunt over bird dogs.

In the fall of 1978, I married my sweetheart, Paula. I was working an aerospace job at the time and found myself working a lot of shifts which left Paula home alone. She wanted a dog to keep her company but not just any dog, she had always wanted an Old English Sheepdog. That was a big NO for me so I went to the library to discover the best hunting breeds for families. I checked out a book on hunting dogs which I gave to her with instructions to pick out any dog she wanted as long as it was in that book. This led to our first major purchase, a Golden Retriever named Jake; a friend for her at night and a hunting dog for me during the day. Soon he was taking blind retrieves, crossing water, breaking ice; he was a best friend to our family for 12 years.

When Jake started to grow old it became apparent that the kids would soon be missing their fluffy, big brother and I was going to lose my hunting pal. A friend invited me to go on what turned out to be Jake’s last pheasant hunt. My friend had a one-year-old Springer Spaniel

named Spring, yes, Spring the Springer. That hunt changed the course of our lives. I soon set my heart on getting my own Springer because I was so impressed with the nose and the try in that little dog.

We contacted the AKC looking for Springer Spaniel litters in the area. They gave us the name of Danny West in the Ogden area. He invited us to attend a “field trial” in Howell Valley. So with our kids in tow, we drove out to see it. Bob Child was running the trial and marshalling. We fell in love with the people, the dogs and the competition. We soon had a deposit down on a litter.

Since that fateful day in the fall of 1990 Paula and I have both made several champions. We have worked to put on a number of field trials including several nationals and I have been judging Springers and Cockers since 2003. It wasn’t very long after judging my first Cockers that we acquired two of our own…they are irresistible hunting friends.

I would be honored to judge the 2026 Canadian National Amateur and I am grateful for your consideration.

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Dan Murray, North Dakota

I’ve been married to my wife Jennifer for 26 years. We have three adult children still living locally named Justin, Paige, and Daniel. We have a fourth, Abbi, who was sent to be with the

Lord in April of 2011. Together, Jennifer and I own and operate Absolute Gun Dogs in Bismarck, ND, an endeavor that came to light in the Spring of 2009. Our facility was completed in October of 2012.

I grew up hunting pheasants and chasing Spencer, my first Springer Spaniel. When I say chasing, what I mean is when he started barking while questing, I had to close the distance, hope for a rooster, then pray that I was able to kill it. If it were a hen, or a worse yet white-tailed deer or a Jack rabbit, Spencer would be gone, sometimes for hours. Luckily his barking indicated his direction of travel. I got to be a pretty good shot out of necessity more than ability. Little did I know how valuable and applicable Spencer’s lesson on the importance of reading your spaniel would prove.

When I was 13, my grandpa had a friend named Tom Ness. He was a part time dog trainer with a litter of puppies for sale. Plans were made to take my brothers and I hunting with Tom’s dog, Strike. Both Tom and my grandpa worked for the state of ND, so it was probably an early afternoon hunt. Most likely my brothers and I were on suspension from school, so it all worked out!!! There were lots of hens and one wily rooster on the public land we were hunting. I can still see Strike, working and flushing that rooster pheasant. I couldn’t get a good shot, as I was in the trees with the dog (we do have a few trees in the river bottoms). Out of habit, I emptied my gun anyway hoping to get lucky so we wouldn’t spend the rest of the afternoon as a search party looking for Strike in the river bottoms. To my surprise, Strike just sat there and watched the bird fly away. Shortly after our hunt, my grandpa stopped by the house with a Springer pup. One that he would tell Grandma he had found on the side of the road. And shortly after that I would be scooping poop, chewing tobacco, and learning the trade of spaniel training at Tom’s Kennel.

My accomplishments include multiple placements in both Cocker and Springer Nationals, including a National Cocker Win. Multiple high-point English Springers and English Cockers, 4-time high point U.S. handler, and North American high point dog awards. It is an honor to be considered to judge the Canadian Amateur National Championship and to be on the ballot with some experienced and dedicated professionals and experienced judges. If I win, I’m willing to smuggle assorted candy over the border to share with my Canadian friends who have been deprived of these treasured treats.

Jerry Livingston, Idaho

I turned 65 this year, and it’s hard to believe how far my journey with Springer Spaniels has taken me. I bought my first Springer at age 22—long before I truly understood what the breed was capable of. I simply loved their look, their attitude, and their heart. That first dog was a 50/50 show–field cross, and I adored her. From that moment on, and to the current day, I’ve never been without at least two Springers in my life.

My first true field-bred Springer came from Dick Lane in California. Not long after, I added a second—sired by Les Girling’s great Canadian champion, Marshfield Tucker, around 1984. That female went on to produce AFC Jordan Valley Ann, who became the U.S. High Point Amateur in 1989 with five wins. One of Ann’s pups, FC/AFC Jordan Valley Banner, earned a 4th in the U.S. Amateur National under Bill Cosgrove and Tom Menzel. Several of Ann's pups became champions including Bill Cosgrove's great champion and hall of famer, Whitey.

I was involved in the early days of the Utah Springer Spaniel Club and later became a founding member of the Snake River Springer Spaniel Club in Boise, Idaho. I've made a lot of good friends in this game.

Over the years, I’ve been honored to judge more than 100 all-age stakes across the U.S. and Canada, and I continue to take on a couple of assignments each year. This spring, I’ll be judging in California and Utah. I really love judging and it's become a blessing in my life.

At my core, I’m a pheasant hunter first—but I have a deep love for the field trial game and an even deeper appreciation for the remarkable people I’ve met along the way. It’s been an honor to be part of this sport and this community and I'm honored to be considered to judge the Canadian National Championship.