By Bob & Frances Jackson
The Mompesson Kennel has never been a big breeding establishment. We have mostly bred a litter when we have wanted to keep something for ourselves. Our dogs are our hobby, a hobby which has caused us endless happiness with show ring successes, satisfied puppy buyers and countless and lifelong friends at home and abroad. Family commitments and for 40 years running a boarding kennel have kept us busy, and the breeding and showing has been our ”time out” and entertainment. We have both been devoted to the breed for many years, but also had an interest in other breeds, as we find it enlightening to gain knowledge and inspiration through people in other breeds. 
 
We will forever be grateful to the great breeders of the past who so generously shared from their wealth of wisdom and knowledge, and whom we are lucky to call our mentors; Ernie and June Froggat of the Moorcliff ESSs and Judith Hancock and Jimmy Cudworth of the Hawkhills.  Indeed, they provided us with our foundation stock that we have continued to build upon to this very day. We believe we can honestly say that we have stuck to what we learnt from these great stalwarts of English Springer’s, and have tried to breed our Springer’s to the ideal once installed in us, being an upstanding dog, combining raciness with substance, moderation in angulations both ends, efficient and ground covering movement and not to forget classical heads and outgoing and kind temperaments.
 
Still, it never stops to intrigue us, that after all these years; new ideas and tricks of the game can still be taught. When you think there is nothing more to learn, it is probably time to pack it in…We have tried to stick to the same type over the years, and are always delighted when that is rewarded in the showring.  Also, nothing gives us more pleasure than seeing others, at home and abroad, having success – in the showring, in the field, or when breeding with stock from us.  Also having puppy buyers coming back after a second or third puppy, when the old one has passed away, is also a sign of having succeeded, providing someone with a lifelong companion – what more could one wish for as a breeder?
 
Breeding dogs can be a tough experience, sometimes with disappointments. You have to face these, just as well as being grateful for the successes that come your way. We are thrilled that several of our males have been a force to be reckoned with at stud. Notably Mompesson Dream Chaser (top stud dog in the breed for 4 years running) and Sh Ch Mompesson Royal Destiny  (top stud 7 years running) with many successful offspring for other breeders, both winning top Gundog sire (Dog World competition) 
 

Mompesson Dream Chaser
 

SH CH Mompesson Royal Destiny - Top Stud Dog 2012
 

Also several others that were less used, but still have made an impact in their time; Sh Ch Mompesson Just the Ticket (who won the Gundog group at South Wales Kennel Association), Mompesson Formula One, Sh Ch Mompesson Blinking Hell, Sh Ch Mompesson Proper Charlie to name some of them. In Sweden, Swed Sh Ch Mompesson Prince Charming was valuable to establish the Stardom line, Swe Sh Ch Mompesson Sky View clicked with the Mistily,s and likewise in Norway, Norw Sh Ch Mompesson Have Fun, complemented the Inu-goyas and Westaways  very well.

 

SH CH Mompesson Just The Ticket
 

SH CH Mompesson Blinking Hell
 

SWE SH CH Mompesson Prince Charming
 

NORW SH CH Mompesson Have Fun
 

Still it is the bitches that are the backbone of the breeding for the home kennels. In fact, M. Royal Destiny, who has proved such a useful sire for other breeders, has only been used a few times here at Mompesson. 

 

3 times in the breed have 3 English Springer Spaniels from the same kennel, been made up as Champions in the same calendar year, and each time it was done by the Mompessons. We are not that good at keeping track of such records, but were of course delighted to be made aware of this fact! 

The first time it happened was back in 1995 when Sh Ch Mompesson Cher Delight, Sh Ch Mompesson Memory Lane and Sh Ch Mompesson Masterpiece gained their titles. The first two proved crucial to the further breeding program here at home.  Masterpiece made the journey from Northern Ireland to gain his UK bench title in the very capable hands of the late gentleman Mr. David Murphy (Lisnagarvey).  M. Cher Delight produced our Sh Ch Mompesson Royal Edition who made us proud winning runner-up Best in Show at Darlington.  M. Memory Lane, daughter of our beloved Ch Mompesson Remember Me, once breed CC record holder ,and still  record CC holder for bitches who gained her full title at a field trial, is behind many of the winning Trimere ESS's.
 

CH Mompesson Remember Me
 

Memory Lane was given to the Trimere Kennel on the understanding she was mated to a dog of our choice.... Clanach Crown Destiny, who produced 17 Sh Ch  worldwide  including  our Sh Ch T Time to Remember from Mompesson who was the mother of M. Royal Destiny, top sire in the breed for 7 consecutive years and in the lead again this year. He has sired Champions for many different breeders and bloodlines, both at home and abroad and still produces the goods at the tender age of 12 years young! 

 

SH CH Trimere Time To remember from Mompesson
 

Our Australian import, Clanach Crown Destiny, bred by Marie & Phil Merchant, a male who was going to have profound influence on the breed in this country and beyond.  Then again, he was line bred to the great Sh Ch Graftonbury Genghis Khan, and thus was solidly based on Hawkhill and Moorcliff blood and also incorporated Int Sh Ch Mompesson Fisherman (through his son Sh Ch Hawkhill Finlandia). Digressing a bit, but M. Fisherman was another great producer in Scandinavia, mainly for the kennels Skyway, Hazelwood and Mistily.

Then came 2000, another hallmark year for our kennel, with the crowning of Sh Ch Mompesson Blinking Hell, Sh Ch Mompesson Rumour Has It (out of the above mentioned M. Cher Delight) and Sh Ch Mompesson Classic Edition (by the above mentioned M. Just the Ticket). 

M. Blinking Hell was top ESS and also proved invaluable at stud, siring the proponent M. Royal Destiny who has won more than 30 CCs, been runner-up in the Gundog group at Crufts, and so far sired 9 Uk Sh Champions (still counting…). And many more overseas. His litter sister, Sh Ch Mompesson True Story was also made up, and did us proud when going runner-up Best In Show at Bournemouth Championship Show.  She, in turn, produced litter brother and sister, Mompesson Striker and Mompesson Celebrity, both Champions who feature in our current show team.
 

SH CH Mompesson Rumour Has It
 

SH CH Mompesson True Story
 

M. Rumour Has It also has a special place in the Mompesson story, being the mother of Sh Ch Mompesson Secret Whispers, who was top ESS and her crowning achievement was runner-up Best In Show at Southern Counties Championship Show.  More importantly she is the dam and grand dam of some of our present show team.   When she was put to M. Royal Destiny and produced the trio Sh Ch Mompesson Cavendish, top CC-winning Springer so far this year and winner of the Gundog group at Leeds Championship Show, Mompesson Gypsy Spice (currently 2 CCs and dam of Mompesson Royal Dancer and the big winner in Norway, Mompesson Escourt) and Mompesson Paper’n’Lace (dam of Mompesson Mischief).  With these we hope that the future is looking bright!

Sh Ch Mompesson Classic Edition was another from this trio of champions who proved himself when it comes to breeding.  When put over Time to Remember from Mompesson, we got Sh Ch Mompesson Pickpocket, and when put over Cher Delight, gave us Sh Ch Mompesson Royal Edition whose crowning glory was winning runner-up Best In Show at Darlington Championship Show. 

 

SH CH Mompesson Secret Whispers
 

SH CH Mompesson Special Edition
 

SH CH Mompesson Pick Pocket
 

Moving forward, quite up to present time, 2011 saw the Mompessons doing it again. This time it was litter brother and sister Sh Ch Mompesson Striker and Sh Ch Mompesson Celebrity (out of M. True story from the outcross to Sh Ch Syferspring Stinger) and also the above mentioned Sh Ch Mompesson Cavendish (by True Story’s brother, Royal Destiny when put to Secret Whispers). Using Syferspring Stinger brought back another line to Mompesson Just the Ticket through his sire, Swed Sh Ch Alanea Landruiser.  Finally being able to use our beloved Jez, Royal Destiny, proved a success and we are really looking forward to go on breeding from our current stock and are quite thrilled  with their achievements so far with offspring from both Celebrity (Mompesson Elegance) and Striker (Mompesson Mischief and Mompesson Royal Dancer) doing well in the rings. 

 

SH CH Mompesson Striker
 

SH CH Mompesson Celebrity
 

SH CH Mompesson Mischief
 

Mompesson Royal Dancer
 

Over the years, we have won 323 Challenge Certificates, 256 Best of Breed awards, more than 280 reserve CCs, including CCs with dogs bought in from Hawkhill, Moorcliff and Lyndora (another kennels which always produced Springer’s true to type, and based on similar lines as our own).  The number of UK Champions own or bred stands at 33 and more than 30 overseas.  There have been 11 group wins to date from Championship shows and the Mompesson Kennel has been top breeder on numerous occasions.  The number of Best in Shows at breeds Championship Shows, we do not know…..

Another remarkable litter, going way back now, which produced 3 Champions, was by Sh Ch Raenstor Country Boy of Mompesson out of Mompesson Lucky Girl; Sh Ch Mompesson Pride of Place, Sh Ch Mompesson Pride and Joy (in the capable hands of the late gentleman, Ron Morris, Morrivale) and Sh Ch Mompesson Proper Charlie.

Thank you for inviting us to write this article – it has been an enjoyable task taking us down memory lane – how time flies, it seems like only yesterday we started our journey! We have known and lost so many stalwarts of our breed over the years, but it is promising for the future that the English Springer keeps attracting new and talented people to the breed, both here and abroad.  Long may it continue!

Bob & Frances