WSSCA Annual Awards
The Welsh Springer Spaniel Club of America offers annual awards to recognize outstanding achievement by Welsh Springers and their owners in conformation, performance, and companion dog sports. In a testimony to the versatility of the Welsh Springer, many dogs have been recognized with more than one award.
Note: Only WSSCA members in good standing are eligible to participate in club awards. Detailed requirements for each award may be found in the Club’s Policies & Procedures.
On October 6, 1974, William & Jane Pferd, Deckard Kennels, presented the Deckard Cup award to WSSCA for the top winning Welsh Springer Spaniel.
The Olympian Cup Award is presented by Rick & Emily Preston. (8/23/78). To be awarded to the top winning Welsh Springer Spaniel bitch in conformation using the same scoring as the Deckerd Cup.
The Wildfire Award is presented by Tydaky Kennels, Maurice and Carol Krohn. (2/12/94). To be awarded to the top winning amateur member owned and handled dog. The owner, co-owners and handlers must be amateurs.
The Statesman Award is presented by Statesman Kennels, Gary and Susan Riese and Meghen and Charles Bassel. The Statesman Award is to be awarded to the top winning Welsh springer spaniel in conformation with an AKC hunting title (JH, SH, and/or MH).
The “Laddie Little C” Cup is presented by Carl and Francis Bloom, hereafter to be called the Founders Cup Award. The Founders Cup Award is presented by Mr. and Mrs. Carl Bloom. The award is to be presented each year to the Welsh Springer Spaniel who defeats the most Welsh Springer Spaniels in the award year. The award year will be identical to the year that is used in the other awards that are given by the WSSCA. Points are tabulated for Best of Breed, Best of Opposite and Award of Merit in the same manner as for the Deckard Cup; however, no points are tabulated for group wins or Best in Show. To be eligible for this award, at least one owner must have been a member of WSSCA for the full award year.
The Ch Cicero Gus, UDT Cup is presented by William & Jane Pferd. To recognize the Welsh Springer Spaniel which has performed with consistency and quality in advanced levels of obedience. The award will be open to all Welsh Springers competing in Open A or B and Utility A or B classes at AKC recognized Obedience Trials. In the event that there are no Welsh in the advanced classes, the award will be opened to all Welsh competing in Novice A or B classes at AKC recognized Obedience Trials.
The Jesse Award is presented by Jim and Debbie Sackrison in memory of Jesse of Limberlost UD. To be awarded to the Highest Scoring Novice A or Novice B Welsh Springer Spaniel Dog/Handler team. Owners must be members in good standing of the Club for the full award year. Scoring is the highest score of the sum of the first three qualifying scores.
The CH “Wynd” UD Trophy is presented by Karen Lyle in honor of CH Rysan’s Whyrlwynd UD, CH Tydakys Wyndfall UD and CH Lynlee’s Nightwynd UD. This award recognizes the Welsh Springer Spaniel which has performed with consistency and quality in the Utility class. The award will be open to all Welsh Springer Spaniels competing in Utility A or B classes at AKC recognized obedience trials; however preference will be given to the Utility A class.
The Limberlost Breeder of Merit Award is presented to a breeder that has bred or co-bred a minimum of 25 AKC Champions of Record.
The Ron Mengel Best Bred by Exhibitor award is an annual award donated by Susan Mengel in memory of Ron Mengel. The award shall be open to all class dogs and bitches competing in the National Specialty Bred By Exhibitor class and will be awarded by the judge of the National Specialty of that year. The competition will be between the winner of the Bred By Exhibitor Dog class and the winner of the Bred By Exhibitor Bitch class. If Winners Dog or Winners Bitch comes from the Bred By Exhibitor class they will automatically win the Best Bred By Exhibitor Award. If both Winners Dog and Winners Bitch come from the Bred By Exhibitor Class the one receiving the Best of Winners ribbon will automatically win the Best Bred By Exhibitor Award.
The Fund award winner is determined by the Junior’s committee of WSSSCA based on the juniors overall contribution to and involvement with Welsh Springer Spaniels.
The WSSCA Top Junior Handler Award is presented by the Welsh springer spaniel Club of America, Inc. To the junior handler who earns the most points in Junior Showmanship competition during the award year.
This perpetual award is presented by Anne Legare in memory of Holly House Daniel O‟Killagay MX NAJ TT CGC, for presentation to the WSS earning a Master Excellent title (MX) in the standard AKC Agility class. If more than one dog receives a MX title in an award year, the winning dog will be the one with the most cumulative MACH points earned in the Excellent B Standard class and this dog‟s owner(s) will get to display the award for the year.
This perpetual award is presented by Linda Brennan (Rubicon Kennel) and Mary Mandich-Steigerwald (Middlebrook Kennel) to recognize Welsh Springer spaniels (WSS) earning their AKC Master Agility Championship (MACH) titles.
This award can be made multiple times to the same WSS for each successive MACH title (e.g. MACH2, MACH3, etc.) earned..
If more than one dog receives a MACH title in an award year, the winning dog will be the one with the highest AKC agility statistical ranking for the calendar year (January 1 to December 31) of the given award year. The scoring system used by the AKC Agility statistical ranking is the number of Double-Qs X10 plus the number of MACH speed points earned in the calendar year.
The Welsh Springer Spaniel Club of America, Inc. awards Certificates of Merit to members who have submitted photographs of their new title holders to the Club Historian.
The versatility certificate excellent (VCX) is awarded to Welsh Springer Spaniels earning titles in three areas, to include Conformation, Hunting, and either Obedience, Agility, or Tracking. At least one title must be earned at an advance level of competition.
The versatility certificate excellent (VCX) is awarded to Welsh Springer Spaniels earning titles in three areas, to include Conformation, Hunting, and either Obedience, Agility, or Tracking. At least one title must be earned at an advanced level of competition.
This award is presented in memory of Elizabeth Lee Wasserman (1940-2012) to recognize exceptional service to the Welsh Springer Spaniel Club of America and is awarded at the discretion of the WSSCA Board of Directors. The award is presented at the WSSCA annual banquet when when a member of WSSCA meets a high standards of exceptional service to the Club and may not be presented each year.
Candidates for the award shall be judged on:
- Their sense of fair play and good sportsmanship.
- Their exceptional service to WSSCA and/or its affiliated regional clubs.
- Their dedication to the Welsh Springer Spaniel breed.
- Their willingness to mentor and/or bring new people into the breed.
- Their service to the sport of dogs on any level (conformation, field, obedience, agility, rally, etc).
The Gambler RAE Award is awarded annually at the National Specialty Banquet to recognize the Welsh Springer Spaniel who has performed with distinction in the advanced levels of rally. The award will be open to all Welsh Springer Spaniels who have earned the final qualifying leg of the Rally Advanced Excellent (RAE) title within the club year. The award honors the first Welsh Springer Spaniel to earn the RAE, U-CD HIT CH Rolyart’s Read Em And Weep CD RAE NA NAJ OAP OJP CGC, owned by Karen Young.
This award refers to the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) sponsored annual “Champion for Health” award. This award was discontinued in 2015.
In the American Kennel Club’s ongoing efforts to recognize and celebrate its volunteer club members. The AKC Outstanding Sportsmanship Award program was established in 2006 to provide each member club with an AKC Medallion to award to one of its own on a yearly basis. This award honors those individuals who deserve special recognition that have made a difference in the sport of purebred dogs, embodied the AKC Code of Sportsmanship, and have been an active and valued member of an AKC member club. Medallions are awarded solely at the club’s discretion.
