G.L.A.C.S.H.E.
Great Lakes American Cocker Spaniel Hunting Enthusiasts
"Dedicated to bringing back the American Cocker Spaniel as a Hunting Companion."

GLACSHE began as a small group of enthusiasts around 1991. Spurred on by Karen Bazilewich, the group consisted of Carl Ashenbrenner, Bob Basaldua and Pete Assan and a few others. We had our first official event on Aug 29, 1993, and we named our group Cocker Spaniel Hunting Enthusiasts, CSHE. It was our first Working Certificate test, with judge Carl Ashenbrenner. We had several cocker qualifier's, and even had some springer's entered. It rained all day, ribbons given out included one for Karen's Bazil's Dew Drop CD,CDX,JH,WDX.

Does this look wet and miserable? But everyone is smiling! Judge Carl Ashenbrenner is on the right.

Soon to get involved was Lisa DeNood, Everette Jenkins, Darlene Ryder and Emil Salmons. Though we called it CSHE at first, it was soon changed, with the onset of many English Cockers working in the field,to AMERICAN Cocker Spaniel Hunting Enthusiasts, ACSHE. We trained out at Bong Recreation Area, and also at Emil Salmons', north of Lake Geneva, WI. We took advantage of all the the support we received from the Wisconsin English Springer Spaniel Association, WESSA. They were especially helpful with our American Cockers at the practices they held. In addition we trained with Southern Wisconsin Sporting Spaniel Club, SWSSC, and there it got to the point that we had our own little cocker group. We would go off and train in one area, while the others trained in another area. This is where Karen first met Jason Givens, one of the few of the Springer Spaniel group that took her training of an American Cocker for field work seriously. In fact, back in 1991, he helped Karen fix a problem with her Spud (Bazil's Silver Solitaire), where others told her to forget about the dog and not bother. Jason's helpful nature cememted Spud's future titles, and Spud is better known now as Bazil's Silver Solitaire CDX, JH, SH, WDX.

Soon, the faces began to change after we started training at Karen Hopper's farm, also north of Lake Geneva, WI with SWSSC. This is when Shirley Hunsaker joined our group, and also Laurel Grahm, Mary Havlis and Steve Wilburn. Shirley joined the group after meeting Karen at a Cocker Spaniel Specialty's obedience trial in 1995. Then around 1996 Ruth Ginzberg joined, and the club which had had mostly men in the beginning, began to have a majority of women as members. We then thought it a good idea to try for AKC recognition and because of AKC rules, needed to add to our name something that would refer to our geographical area, so we made our final name change to Great Lakes American Cocker Spaniel Hunting Enthusiasts, GLACSHE. With Ruth Ginzberg aboard, and the internet in full swing, things began to change and move quickly. Ruth began lists on the internet dealing with American Cocker Spaniels working in the field, and word began to spread like wildfire.

We would be nowhere without WESSA or SWSSC and the use of people's farms etc and time. It takes a lot of work to keep a club afloat but we have managed to do just that and now GLACSHE should be celebrating it's 10th year this year!

For information on GLACSHE membership, contact Vickie Dahlk

Last updated July 26, 2004

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