Eric Burchell has been a full time professional gundog trainer since 1985. After many years of picking up on various estates and shooting over dogs competition was an ambition!

So to gain more experience positions as a steward / game carrier and eventually as a referee at novice trials were undertaken.

His main influence for competition came from his mentor and great friend the late Keith Erlandson, many days of shooting over spaniels in woodland and on bracken banks for rabbits, woodcock and pheasants and much harder days of shooting over pointers and setters on the Berywn mountain range over vast tracts of moorland for grouse were invaluable and great experience gained!

Shooting at 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 for four consecutive seasons and winning the Tower Bird trophy in 1987,placing second in the Cocker championship in 1989.

During this period Eric 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...

Labrador's and Golden Retrievers, HPR's,Flatcoats, Curlycoated Retrievers and minor breed spaniels have all been trained at Bournepark training kennels.