This section is from the book "Sporting Dogs. Their Points And Management In Health, And Disease", by Frank Townend Barton. Also available from Amazon: Sporting Dogs; Their Points and Management in Health and Disease.
1. In Single Stakes for Spaniels, the order of running shall be decided at the Draw. At the end of the first round the Judges will call up, at their own discretion, any dogs they require further, and run them as they choose. The Judges will, except in a case of undoubted lack of merit, try each Spaniel for at least fifteen minutes in the first round, but they can carry on the trial of two dogs simultaneously, not ordering down together two dogs worked by the same person or belonging to the same owner. All shooting will be done by guns appointed by the Committee.
2. In Brace and Team Stakes the order of running in the first round shall be decided by lot, and the dogs composing a brace or team must belong to the same owner. No dog shall form part of more than one brace or team at the same Meeting, and only one man at a time shall work any brace or team.
3. In all Stakes the Spaniels shall be regularly shot over in the customary sporting manner, and may be worked up and down wind, and on feather and fur.
4. In all Stakes the principal points to be considered by the Judges are scenting power, keenness, perseverance, obedience, freedom from chase, dropping to shot, style, method of beating and working to the gun—whether in cover, hedgerow, or the open. In Single Stakes, besides, the Spaniels are expected to retrieve at command as required — tenderly, quickly and right up to the hand; and any additional excellence, such as dropping to hand and shot, standing to their game and flushing it at command, etc., will be taken into account; while in Brace or Team Stakes they are expected to beat their ground harmoniously together. In all Stakes with puppies under twelve months old, the retrieving of fur shall be optional.
5. Any dog not present to run in its turn, the Committee reserve the right of disqualifying at the expiration of fifteen minutes.
6. The Judges are empowered to first caution, and, upon repetition of the offence, turn out of the Stake the dog of any person who does not beat the ground to their satisfaction ; to withhold a prize when, in their opinion, no merit is shown; and to exclude from competition bitches on heat, or any animals they may think unfit to compete. The entry fees of all such dogs will be forfeited.
7. An objection to a dog may be lodged with the Secretary at any time within seven days of a Meeting, upon the objector depositing with the Secretary the sum of £2, which shall be forfeited if the Committee deem such objection frivolous. All objections must be made in writing.
8. The Committee have the power, if they think fit, to refuse any entries for the Society's Trials without assigning any reason for their action.
9. In the event of the weather being considered by the Judges unsuitable for holding the Trials, it shall be in their power to postpone the Meeting from day to day until the Saturday following the first day of the Trials, on which day the Stakes not already decided shall be abandoned and their entry fees returned.
10. The Committee reserve to themselves the right to abandon the Meeting at any time, on returning their entry monies to the competitors, and if, from unforeseen circumstances, they deem it advisable to alter the date of the Meeting after the closing of the entries, this may be done by sending formal notice to all competitors, who may exercise the option of cancelling their entries within four days from the date of such notice, in which event their entry fees will be returned to them. All entries, however, in regard to which no such option is exercised, will stand good for the Meeting at its altered date.
11. If an advertised Judge be unable to fulfil his engagement for the whole or part of the Meeting, the Committee shall appoint any other person to judge, or shall make any other arrangements that to them seem desirable.
12. The decisions of the Committee present shall, in all matters arising at the Meetings, be final and conclusive, and shall bind all parties.
 
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