256 The Dog Book 
challenge class for other than black or liver; Bell Boy, second in open 
black dogs; Woodland Princess, second to Baby Ruth in open bitches, 
black; Rideau Reine, third in the same class; Red Robin and Derby, first 
and second in open, red or liver dogs; third going to the Canadian bred, 
but New York owned, Cardinal; Fannie and Red Beauty, first and second 
in red or liver bitches; Woodland Bessie, second in the open class for any 
other colour; Bell Boy and Red Robin, first and second in dog puppies; 
and Woodland Princess, first in bitch puppies. There was no gainsaying 
the strong lead of the Canadians on that occasion, and of course many 
commendations were secured in addition to those prominent winnings. 
At that show Mr. W. T. Payne was successful in what he subsequently 
made his specialty, the particolours, winning with Tonita. 
With the change in classification so that dogs could be shown in more 
than one class, and the showing of good dogs thus becoming more remuner- 
ative, spaniels took on a new lease of life, and the number of exhibitors 
was added to by the accessions of Mr. Bloodgood’s Mepal Kennels, the 
Brookside Kennels, Mr. Edwin W. Fiske’s Mount Vernon Kennels, and 
Mrs. Warner’s Belle Isle Kennels, of Detroit. The Canadians had no 
longer such a run of success as they had lately enjoyed, and there was a 
splitting up of the prizes, with the Americans getting their share of the 
honours. Mr. Douglas was, however, still able to hold his own, and in 
1897 brought out Black Duke’s son Premier, with which he captured first 
in the open class at New York in 1898. He also won with Ono in the 
junior class from that dog’s sire Omo. The Swiss Mountain Kennels 
was also a good winner with Cupid S., Banner Mattie, and Banner Rita 
(the latter by the home-bred Champion Goldie S.). Mr. Bloodgood, though 
holding out Baby Ruth, was able to take first and second in the open class 
with Little Egypt and Mepal’s Opal; and another first went to Mepal’s 
Cleo. It was this good lot of bitches which laid the foundation for so 
much success with the Mepals in more recent years. Mr. Payne was now 
showing that beautiful little particolour Blue Bells II., which set the standard 
as to what the markings of a black and white particolour should be. 
Mr. Bloodgood donned the ermine at New York in 1899, and this 
put the Mepal dogs out of competition. Premier had changed hands, and 
so had little Ono, and they were great rivals all through the year. Here 
they were placed as mentioned, but it was always a question as to condition 
between them, unless the judge preferred the neater-built little Ono, for 
