History

Dove Valley Working Gundog Club was formed in 1994 when The Late George Handley from Ashbourne said he thought it was about time we had a Gundog Club based in the Staffordshire and Derbyshire area. In February of the same year, sixteen likeminded individuals came together, and The Dove Valley Working Gundog Club was born. The Club grew very quickly, and we were soon organising Training Classes and Working Tests. In 1999, having served our “Apprenticeship” we were granted permission from The Kennel Club to hold Field Trials, so we began with Novice Trials for both Spaniels and Retrievers. Open Trials for English Springers and Retrievers came in 2006 with Open Trials for Cocker Spaniels coming a year later. The “Icing on the Cake” came in 2014 with our first 2 Day Open Retriever Stake. The Club continues to be managed by an enthusiastic and knowledgeable Committee, and we strive to provide our members with a varied and interesting calendar of events throughout the year.