The CFTS was started about 22 years ago by a dedicated team of dog trainers. One evening in a Cornish club about half a dozen keen men and women agreed to apply to the Kennel Club to form a working gundog club. Mike and Gwen Knox were a tremendous help at the time, traveling several times from North Devon, to guide us through the procedure.

The corner stones of the CFTS, at this time, were Jim Lee and Clive Kent, two quiet handlers who trained both spaniels and retrievers but also gave freely of their time to help others achieve a good standard of dog for all types of shooting. They played a very active role for several years with Jim as Chairman and Clive as Working Test Secretary but both taking training classes all over Cornwall.

Without Jim and Clive there would probably never have been a field trial society in Cornwall. However officers and committee members come and go, some stay longer than others, some are more active than others but they all have one goal in common, to build the Club from strength to strength.

Tests were held for a few years and these were often over-subscribed, as there always seemed to be a never-ending supply of dogs and handlers to run in these summer events. Based on this success and with guidance from Rupert Hill an application to hold novice trials, for both spaniels and retrievers, was sent to the Kennel Club. The Club was granted field trial status for both spaniels and retrievers and a new era began.

The first Novice AV Spaniel Stake was held at Caerhays Castle Estate by kind permission of Mr J F Williams who today still hosts both spaniel and retriever trials. He and his team go to great lengths to make sure the trials are always a success. The stake was judged by Jack Davey and Graham Mulligan and was won by John Burgoyne with a bitch called Jessica of Trevale, which later was to qualify for the 1988 Championship at Perth.

The first All Aged Spaniel Stake was held at Tregothanon Estate and was won by Bob Downing with a bitch named Misty Tamar. Viscount Falmouth kindly hosted this trial and his keeper, Gary Price, was most helpful in making sure the day ran smoothly with plenty of birds and guns that obliged every dog with retrieves.

Mike Durrant, then Dick Downing and then Sarah McKeown worked hard as Field Trial Secretaries to further this success with a view to gaining open status for the club. This was granted in ...with help again from Rupert Hill.

The first Open Spaniel Stake was held at Trewithen, the keeper, Ponto, was over the moon with the standard of dog work and helped us enormously to achieve a perfect day. It was judged by .. and .. and Mark Colclough, with a dog called Rakerfield Patrick, won the stake. Mr Galsworthy kindly gives us permission to hold this stake every year.

History continued.....