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Our history
HHDCS was
first registered with the Kennel Club in December 1959 as an 'Obedience
only' club but, not long after, Ringcraft was introduced, followed eventually by Agility.
After many hours of back and forth
with the Kennel Club, we were allowed to change of our official club name from
Dog Club to Canine Society.
Our first
venue was at the old United Services Club, situated on the Broadway at
the top of Perrymount Road, Haywards Heath.
For many years since then, Obedience
and RIngcraft classes have been held at the Queen’s Hall in Cuckfield
(W. Sussex).
Our competition members show their dogs all over the country in events
to qualify for Crufts and many have done so successfully.
The main
aim of
training is to promote good pet obedience and to get the handler to understand
the positive reinforcement training to help the bonding between dog and
person and to have a well-behaved family member.
Obedience
starts with a basic handlers course, progressing to Bronze, Silver and
Gold Good Citizen. We also offer basic puppy training. Most training
nights see a total of 35 to 40 dogs attending during the evening.
Agility Section
Over
the years agility training for more energetic dogs has taken place at various other venues,
but now classes are held
at Plumpton College where we have
access to two spacious sand schools, which allow us to set courses and
sequences to mirror those encountered in outdoor competition where the
rings can feel vast!
It also means classes run year-round
regardless of the weather, giving members the experience of battling the
elements whether it's wind, rain, floods or snow to get there!
Oh how training and equipment have changed... Looking
back at the equipment from the early days fills us
all with fear now as most pieces have been banned due to all the changes for
health and safety reasons.
We now have a wide range of ages in the
Agility section reflecting the agility world from teenagers to those
nearly 80! Our younger members have achieved great things in YKC and
competed in the agility ring before they were even born!
The club has a history of supporting
beginners with their dogs, many of whom have achieved great things by
building a strong partnership and winning up the grades. We currently
have 22 dogs in training with a wide range of handler and dog ability
ranging from Grade 1 to Grade 7. Many of the
members of the Agility Section compete most weekends in various
competitions across the country. Several have been successful around the
country and
have qualified to compete at Crufts.
The club prides itself on being
welcoming and encouraging progress whether that is through competition
or for individual gain. It is a testament to the dedication of the
volunteer instructors and participants that significant improvement and
variety of skills are developed by handlers and dogs. Our instructors
provide the opportunity to embrace new styles of handling and ideas to
further develop their partnerships.
In recent years members’ achievements
have included rising through the grades from G1 to G7, competing in
Championship finals and at Crufts. Successes large or small are always
celebrated with cake!
The Agility section used to help with the Super Dogs
shows at the South of England Showground (Ardingly) and Hickstead with Tony
Veal at the helm.
We also had help from the great man Peter Lewis who
used to come down to Plumpton College to pass on his knowledge to the
Agility group when we were starting out.
Beyond
regular training and competing
HHDCS enjoys a strong sense of community and celebrates achievement. The
club has many long-term members, some of whom have trained for over 20
years, which has led to strong friendships being forged.
During the summer this often means
group camping at competitions and always a friendly face to support and
encourage each other. We often find that support comes from the sofa
when those not at a show, avidly follow results now available online.
We regularly host social club
competition nights, providing a friendly yet competitive arena for our
members to hone their skills and experience competing in a relaxed and
familiar setting.
A highlight of our calendar is the
annual Christmas party night, a festive occasion for fun and games.
Followed by a social gathering, buffet food essential, where
partnerships are celebrated for their successes, hard work and
dedication. Many members have given up their time
for the club over the years to whom we are very grateful. They and have
helped make the club the success it is today.
The Ringcraft success is shown in how many dogs have
qualified for Crufts and other Major shows around the country since its
introduction to the club. The training evenings are well structured and
includes junior and senior handling to encourage the younger and older
generation to the show ring.
In the early years annual open Obedience shows were
held at the Ardingly show ground, changing to open showing shows. This
continued until the shows became too big for our small band
of workers and we had to say no more.
We still
have members from all three sections who go back to the late 1960s which
shows we must be doing something right!
We’d
love to hear from anyone who has trained with us in the past. Please
share your stories or memories of the club!
There is currently a waiting list
for the Agility section, and unfortunately there are no plans for a
puppy class this year.
 About the authors...
Haywards Heath & District CS is guided by an Executive
Committee made up of hard working trainers and members from all three
sections who give their time and effort for the love of their individual
sport.
In addition, each section has its
own Committee including a Club Secretary, Secretary and representative
who gives a general report back.
Photos & text from Carol
Collett
First published 20th July 2025
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