My first encounter with dogs was with Labrador Retrievers; they were trained and worked to the gun. 

Once I left home, I felt lost without a dog by my side, given the amount of space & activity needed in order to keep a Labrador happy I decided that I needed a somewhat smaller sized dog.  I still wanted the wonderful gundog temperament & the kind loving ways of a gundog & after a lot of research decided that the merry cocker would fit the bill!

Early in 1987 “Misty”, a beautiful blue roan girl from Normanview & Styvechale lines came into our lives, & so we began our love affair with the cocker spaniel!  Due to family commitments, I took the decision not to breed from “Misty”; however, she was trained to the gun & enjoyed many happy days out in the fields.

Having spent my formative years involved with horses in Co. Kildare I decided to adopt the name of "Powerscourt" as my affix (kennel name).  Powerscourt is the country home of the Earl of Powerscourt which is situated in Co. Wicklow, Eire.

Once our family came along I decided to try my hand at obedience work & exhibiting cockers.  In 1995, “Amy”, Spendles Sparkler of Powerscourt joined the family.  “Amy” was initially obedience trained & I was delighted to get her up to “Test A” standard, something not often achieved by a Cocker!  “Amy” competed at many Obedience shows before I decided to start exhibiting dogs.   Ever the versatile little girl, “Amy” soon took to showing & gave me a valuable insight into the all-consuming world of showing dogs!

 I strive to produce happy, healthy cockers who meet the Breed Standard.  I have five generations of Powerscourt Cockers at home & we enjoy sharing our home with this wonderful breed!

Our aim when breeding a litter of puppies is to produce happy, healthy cocker spaniels with excellent temperaments and good conformation which are typical examples of the breed and are either loving pets or potential show dogs.

As part of our commitment to the health of our dogs and the breed in general we decided to make use of the OptiGen DNA test for prcd-PRA and were one of the first kennels to test all our dogs in early 2004.  We are the first kennel in the UK to take advantage of the latest OptiGen test for Familial Nephropathy and we are delighted that ALL our dogs have tested as "Normal" for F.N., i.e. they are not carriers.  With the known DNA status of our dogs, we can ensure that no puppies bred at Powerscourt will ever develop/suffer from either of these diseases.

We are also one of very few breeders of parti-coloured cockers to routinely hip score our dogs under the KC/BVA Hip Scoring Scheme.

  I am a keen exhibitor (although a neck injury is now sadly curtailing my outings!) & I judge Cocker Spaniels at Open Show level.  I have an ardent interest in all breeds of dog & I have completed the Animal Care College Judging Diploma (passed with Credit) and the Dog Breeding Diploma (passed with Distinction!)

Chris Pritchard (Mrs)