Dual Champion Camino Boy
1944-1957
Dual Champion Camino Boy was a magnificent dog that, as a Dual Champion, was not only recognized for his good looks but also for his outstanding performance in field trials. Whelped in 1944, he became a Field Trial Champion at the age of two in 1946. In 1950, at the age of six, he completed his bench championship and was recognized as the first—and still the only — Dual Champion English Cocker Spaniel since English Cocker Spaniels became a separate breed in 1946.
Camino Boy was reportedly one of the hardest running dogs that ever ran in field trials in this country and he was able to produce his tremendous drive and desire to hunt in his get. He was the sire of the very first National Field Champion, Camino’s Cheetah, winner of the 1953 National Cocker Championship and he was the sire of the Camino’s Red Rocket, a dog owned by actor Clark Gable that won the National Cocker Championship in 1958. These two National Champions were full brother and sister from two separate litters. A full sister to Camino’s Cheetah became a Field Champion as well. All three of the Field Champions he sired were highly ranked while participating in Pacific Coast trials.
Camino Boy was owned by H. C. “Dan” McGrew, an early participant in field trials in northern California. Mr. McGrew actually began breeding American Cocker Spaniels in 1936 and participating in field trials in 1937. Camino Boy was his first English Cocker Spaniel. McGrew purchased him in 1946 from Harry Mitchell who had owned him since he was six weeks old. Camino Boy already had a proven record at this point, having won two puppy stakes, one Open All-Age Stake and one second place, all in a matter of two trials held in 1944 and 1945. Back then it took two wins to become a field trial champion. Camino Boy earned his second win in the Spring of 1946. He was trained and handled in all of these trials by Harry Mitchell.
Camino Boy was handled to his bench championship by Ralph W. Brown, a conformation judge who owned mostly American Cocker Spaniels and served on the field trial committee of the American Spaniel Club. It was the mating of Mr. McGrew’s Camino Boy with Mr. Brown’s English Cocker Spaniel bitch, Shawnon’s Ace, that produced our first National Field Trial Champion Winner in 1953, Camino Cheetah, as well as Field Champion Camino’s Sheila, a litter mate. Shawnon’s Ace was ultiimately sold to Mr. McGrew by Mr. Brown and another mating produced Camino’s Red Rocket, the National Cocker Field Trial Championship winner in 1958.
Camino Boy was bred by Mrs. John Pitts. His sire was Josephus of Avandale, a Canadian import and his dam was Wistful Wendy of Kurand, a daughter of Ch. Manrico of Karma, an Australian import that ran in a few field trials in northern California.