It was in 1880 that the most famous of all the “pillars” of the Cocker stud, Mr. James Farrow’s Obo, made his first bow to the public, he and his litter sister Sally having been born the year before.  He won the highest honours that the show bench can give, and the importance of his service to the breed both in his owner’s kennel and outside it, can scarcely be over-estimated.  Nearly all of the best blacks, and many of the best coloured Cockers, are descended from him.  At this period the type mostly favoured was that of a dog rather longer in the body and lower on the leg than it is at present, but the Obo family marked a progressive step, and very rightly kept on winning under all the best judges for many years, their owner being far too good a judge himself ever to exhibit anything but first-class specimens.

[Illustration:  THREE GENERATIONS OF MR. R. DE C. PEELE’S BLUE ROAN COCKER SPANIELS—­CH.  BEN BOWDLER (Father), CH.  BOB BOWDLER (Son), and CH.  DIXON BOWDLER (Grandson) From the Painting by Lilian Cheviot]

Meanwhile, although the blacks were far the most fashionable—­and it was said that it was hopeless to try to get the same quality in coloured specimens—­several enthusiastic breeders for colour were quietly at work, quite undismayed by the predilection shown by most exhibitors and judges for the former colour.  Among them was Mr. C. A. Phillips, whose two bitches from Mr. James Freme, of Wepre Hall, Flintshire, succeeded in breeding from one of them, whom he named Rivington Sloe, the celebrated dog Rivington Signal, who, mated with Rivington Blossom, produced Rivington Bloom, who was in turn the dam of Rivington Redcoat.  These dogs proved almost, if not quite, as valuable to the coloured variety as Obo did to the blacks, and formed the foundation of Mr. J. M. Porter’s celebrated Braeside strain which afterwards became so famous.

During the last few years Mr. R. de Courcy Peele’s kennel has easily held the pride of place in this variety.  Most readers are no doubt familiar with the many beautiful Cockers which have appeared in the show ring and carried off so many prizes under the distinguishing affix Bowdler.  His kennel was built up on a Braeside foundation, and has contained at one time or other such flyers as Ben Bowdler, Bob Bowdler, Rufus Bowdler, Dixon Bowdler, Eva Bowdler, Mary Bowdler, Blue-coat Bowdler, Susan Bowdler, and others, and Ben and Bob have also been, as sires, responsible for the success of a good many dogs hailing from other kennels.  He has also been fairly successful with blacks, which, however, have usually been purchased and not bred by him, the two best being Master Reuben, bred by Miss Joan Godfrey, and Jetsam Bowdler, a bitch who has distinguished herself both in the ring and in the field.