It came to mind many trainee judges probably don’t understand what game Clumbers were worked on at Clumber Park, and what game once shot was picked up or retrieved by them. So here’s some information.
By Francis Wheatley [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
Based on the Wheatley painting the earliest know painting of the breed at Clumber Park, it seems obvious that the following game was available: woodcock, pheasant, hare, written records also speak of the grounds being over run with rabbits. The painting seems to have distorted the sizes of the pointers compared to the spaniels and the game compared to other game species featured, but we can’t be absolutely certain relatively sizes are incorrect. Anyway, assuming the sizes in the contemporary world for field game, I asked Jackie Crawford for some input as frankly the UK bunnies look gigantic compared to the Upper Beaconsfield rabbits.
Pheasants
Cock – 1.2kg Maybe about 50cm chest circumference
Hen – 900gm
Partridge
490gm somewhere in between pheasant and Woodcock
Woodcock – 310gm ( And for folk like me that can muddle a woodcock and a snipe, Jackie points out snipe are tiny and not much bigger than sparrows! ) 28cm circumference
Mallard – 0.72 – 1.6 kg may be up to 60 cm circumference
Rabbit – Their size can range anywhere from 20 cm (8 in) in length and 0.4 kg in weight to 50 cm (20 in) and more than 2 kg maybe 35 cm chest circumference
Oh, and let me remind you Clumbers are spaniels, retrieving is a sideline not their main function.
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- Abbyford Gunpowder with male pheasant
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- Abbyford Gundpowder
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- AuCh Erinveine Exonerate for Abbyford (impAu) with male pheasant
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- AuCh Erinveine Exonerate for Abbyford (impAu) with rabbit
photos copyright and courtesy and dogs owned and trained by Abbyford Clumbers, UK