LIBRARY

Early history of SITF magazine
by Bill Cosgrove

There was a magazine called "Springer Bark"  published on the west coast.  The editor was Phylis Bouy, and there may have been someone else involved, but she was the main figure.  The magazine was nicely done about the equivalent of Gundog.  The first half was always dedicated to show dogs and the second half was field trials. The magazine folded - it may have been when one of the main figures passed away, but I am not sure.  After a few years without, people began to really miss it, and a group helped Roger Houk in Wisconsin start "Springers On The Line".  Roger - at the same time - started a gundog supply business and advertised in SOTL.  The magazine was about the equivalent of a National catalogue...small, b&w, about 30 or so pages. I believe Roger used it as much to get his supply business started.  It was pure field trial info, Hunt Tests had not yet been invented. There were occasional hunting articles, but it was mostly Marked Catalogue and breeders advertising. Art Rogers acquired the magazine from Roger and made a lot of improvements.  At the time Art was also the VP for the Field with our Parent Club and was instrumental in getting Spaniel Hunt Tests up and running.  Art was the first one to put more articles out for hunters and promoted the hunt test program in the magazine. Cocker trials returned while Art had the magazine and he promoted them as well. Mike Elsasser, Russ Verkamp and Bill Cosgrove, were named VP's to help Art develop the magazine.  One night we talked about the expanding interests that now included Field Trials, Breeding, Hunting, Hunt Tests and Cocker Trials and felt that a new name was in order.  We came up with "Spaniels in the Field".  Art was also the first one to take the magazine international.  He regularly spoke to Talbot Radcliffe, Keith Erlandson, Tony Gwynn, Oppenshaw, etc.  From there Art sold the magazine to the Henriques - who had become good friends with Art. I spent time with Art and the Henriques at this point and time and was in the loop.  Harry  H. was a charismatic guy with a lot of big ideas.  Art always felt that Harry would take over SITF and do a good job. As it turned out, Harry put Sandy over the magazine and spent his days guiding hunts and nursing himself back from multiple health problems.  Sandy's heart wasn't in it and/or she was travelling and could not keep the magazine on schedule.  They began to lose subscriptions, fell behind and sold it to Jerry W. at a discount, because Jerry also inherited some "passed do" printing and production invoices.  I think he thought he revive the circulation, and manage the passed due invoices at the same time.  However the subscriptions continued to decline and he fell further behind.  At one point he just quit! He would not return calls to people and he gave no indication of the future. The next I knew there was conversation of a lady on the east coast who was negotiating the purchase of SITF.  That brings us to you, Kuni Smith!