About Us

Eastbourne & District Canine Society was founded in 1925 and covers a large geographical area from Eastbourne up towards Crowborough in the north of the County, west towards Brighton and east as far as Rye.

We meet on Monday evenings at 7.30pm at Bodle Street Green Village Hall, Bodle Street Green. BN27 4UB

The Society exists for the Benefit of its members and the Committee strive to provide regular ringcraft training, shows, seminars and other events.

We hope that you will enjoy this website and we would gladly welcome you to any of our activities.

 We invite you to become a member, our fees are as follows:

Annual Membership  Single   £5.00      Joint    £7.00     Junior  £3.00

Life Membership        Single £30.00    Joint   £40.00

We run the following events:

  • Ringcraft
  • Open Show
  • Limited Show
  • Seminars
  • Companion Show
  • Beginners to Winners
  • Fun Evenings

HISTORY

On March 5th 1925 sixteen people including a Knight of the Realm, a Doctor and three military officers met at Number 1, Burlington Mansions in Eastbourne for the purpose of founding a pedigree dog association, from this date it was known as the Eastbourne & District Canine Society.

They very quickly organised themselves into Officers and committee and devised a set of rules. Sir Humprey de Trafford became President and donated a salver which is still listed in our “Trophy” section today.

The annual subscription at this time was five shillings.

The first rule of the Society was: –

“The objects of the Society shall be to promote the breeding and improvement of pure-breed dogs of every variety, to support shows and do all in its power to protect and advance the interest of all breeds”

At the next meeting on the 9th of May, it was agreed that three shows would be held, a Sanction Show in June and an Open Show in the August and another Sanction show in November, a somewhat ambitious undertaking.

The June show was voted a success, it consisted of twenty classes covering seven breed classes and thirteen variety classes. Some of the breed classes were Pekingese, Fox Terriers, Scottish Terrier and Sealyham, how things have changed today!

The August Open Show was to be a grandiose affair with 250 classes for 50 breeds plus varieties. Spratts were to provide the benches free and give a donation of £10, no doubt this early sponsorship was helped by the fact that Captain Baker (a committee member) happened to be the local agent for Spratts. This sponsorship continued as you will see from the 1935 prize card.

Entries were to cost 11 shillings with non-members paying an extra sixpence. Five thousand schedules were to be distributed and six hundred catalogues ordered. However, the Treasurer had been doing a private cost effective exercise on the quiet and when the committee were confronted with the findings, the Open Show was abandoned and a Members’ Show was put in place instead, to be held in Devonshire Park!

At the end of the first year the balance sheet showed a credit of £81.18 shillings.

Over the years, shows were held at such diverse venues as the Winter Gardens & Princes Park in Eastbourne, Hickstead & The Triangle Leisure Centre, Burgess Hill in West Sussex.

Today our Open Show is held at the South of England Showground, Ardingly in June and our Members’ Limited Show at the Village Hall, The Causeway, Bodle Street Green, Hailsham just after Christmas.