Eric Burchell has been a full time professional dog trainer since 1985 but has been actively breeding and training dogs from the age of nine.

An ideal country upbringing led to an early interest in field sports fishing and shooting and all manner of like minded pursuits.

From the age of 12 he worked at week ends and during holiday periods in a local boarding and training kennels, where he quickly found that working with and training of the dogs was something he was good at and that he enjoyed.

Field Trial competition was his ultimate aim and he spent time as a steward and acted as a referee at many Novice Trials to gain experience.

His main influence in competition came from his mentor and great friend the late Keith Erlandson who taught him many things and gave him shooting days and training advice never to be forgotten.

Shooting at Field Trials is something which also gave him an opportunity to see top class dogs at close quarters and gave him an insight into what was required from both dog and handler as a team to become a winning combination.

After first competing in 1984 and winning Novice Trials the first season with an English Springer Spaniel bitch Eric moved on to Cocker Spaniels and qualified for the 1986 - 1991 Championships also being top breeder during this period winning the Tower Bird trophy in 1987 and placing second in the Cocker championship in 1989.

During this period Eric also won Trials with three English Springers and also qualified for the any variety (except cockers) Championship in 1991, in total winning Field Trials with nine different dogs.

Eric became a Kennel Club B panel judge for Spaniels in 1988.

From 1983 - 1995 Eric ran three different pheasant shooting enterprises, going from walk and stand 50 bird days to all driven 450 bird days.

During this period ground was given to different Field Trial society's both for Retrievers and spaniels as a way of putting something back to the sport.

Game shooting days are now organised for shooting parties in Scotland and Ireland with gundog and shooting clients from Europe and the USA.