2020 Open Show results

Sponsored by

Moving from its residency at the City of Birmingham Championship Show, the 2020 Spanish Water Dog Club open Show took place within the confines of the National Show held at Staffordshire County Showground in Stafford. Sponsored for the second year running by Royal Canin, a total of dogs made up the entries within the main show. Once again classes were held for Junior Handling, with the club supporting the development of the handlers of the future in the breed. In these classes it is the abilities of the handler to present the dog in the best possible manner that are judged, rather than the conformity of the dog to the breed standard.

The open show also incorporated three extra Special Award Classes. These classes are specifically put on by the club, with the permission of the Kennel Club, in an endeavour to assist prospective judges to progress up the Judges List. It allows judges, newly qualified or seeking additional experience, the opportunity to examine and judge the Spanish Water Dog breed by gaining a captive audience of owners of the breed who are present at the show.

Best in Show was won by

Reserve Best in Show and

Best Puppy in show was taken by

Best Vetran in Show was awarded to

Scroll down for details of the results from all the classes and the show photo gallery.

About The Judges

Mr Steve Hall

Mr James Newton became involved with Spanish Water Dogs when the breed first came off the Kennel Club Import Register in 2008. He loves their naturally extrovert temperaments and strong working ability all packed together in a medium-sized rustic package. He has handled many examples of the breed in the UK and Europe including multiple Best of Breed and Championship Show Placings, Top-Gundog All-Breeds 2014, the first UK Bitch Show Champion, the first Group 1 winner at a General Championship Show, Best of Breed at Crufts 2018, which went on to obtain a group shortlist, Best in Show at the Belgium Monografica 2017 and the first SWD to be awarded a Best in Show award at a General Championship Show.

Mr Newton's travel to Europe to watch and exhibit the bred has enabled him to further his passion for them; by talking to breeders from all over the world he has enhanced his knowledge on correct construction, rustic presentation and breed type. He has judged the breed across the UK since 2013 and has passed the relevant seminars to currently attain B List Juding status. He is also a B List Judge for Catalan Sheepdogs, Chesapeake Bay Retrievers and German Shepherds and recently gained approval to become a C List Judge for Gordon Setters.

Mr Simon Whincup - Special Award Judge

Mrs Stephenson has owned and bred Golden Retrievers for 40 years and juged them at CC level. Additionally shes has been the scretary of the Southern Golden Retrievers Society for nearly 20 years.

In 2012 she became interested in and bought her first Lagotto Romagnolo. She went on to show with success, in order to promote the breed, and became Top Breeder of Lagotto Romagnolo in 2017. She has also received two 'Our Dogs' Top Puppy Breed Awards.

She is a trainer at her local Ringcraft Club and Judge at Open Shows, which is where she first came across Spanish Water Dogs in both breed and variety classes. Since 2013 she has held a keen interest in SWD's becuase of the origins and similarities to that of the Lagotto Romagnolo. She has attended several Spanish Water Dog breed seminars to gain more knowledge of the breed and she watches at ringside whenever possible to develop her appreciation of them.