Burns and Becks Gundog Club Cumbria

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Welcome to Burns and Becks Gundog Club

The Burns and Becks Gundog Club was formed in 1965 by a small group of retriever trainers who ran training days and tests against other local clubs.

Since Kennel Club affiliation in 2012 the club has re-affirmed its aims to help handlers improve the standard of their dogs through training classes, working tests and field trials. Members of all ages and levels of experience are welcome, including young handlers who are the future of the sport.

Tribute to Katie Williamson

It is with great sadness that we report the loss of Katie, a bright and cheerful member of our club, at the age of just 24.

She bore her terminal brain cancer for four and a half years with great bravery and achieved lifetime ambitions in qualifying as a veterinary nurse and succeeding as an award winning gundog trainer. 

Katie won an outstanding novice working test at Plumpton in a very strong field and her picture with her trophy will remain on our trailer, with her family’s blessing.

She loved her dogs and, with great support from her family and  Polly Dunckley, gained great comfort from breeding litters of puppies during her illness.

On behalf of the membership of the Burns and Becks Gundog Club we send our sincere condolences to her family , who are naturally devastated by their loss.

If your query cannot be answered by the website you may contact the club officials on the details below. Please note all officials have full time jobs and would therefore appreciate email being used as the main method of communication.

General & Membership Secretary: Lauren Sykes. Email: l_sykes@outlook.com

Working Test & Field Trial Secretary: Kirsty Howson. Email: kranson@hotmail.co.uk

Treasurer: Richard Howson. Email: Richard.howson@live.com

News – January 2021

We hope you are all keeping well despite these strange times and your dogs are helping keep you sane! With the lack of events in 2020 and having to postpone our AGM we want to keep you informed on what the committee is aiming for in 2021. We will provide an update with further details on this year’s events as soon as we can.


We feel having an AGM in person (not electronically) is important for our club to allow members to input into the direction of the club. We will endeavour to hold this outside once government guidance allows, after a training event to give members every chance of joining us in a Covid-19 safe manner. We will contact you to confirm when and where this will be held.

All proposed events from March to May have been cancelled due to the national restrictions. However, the committee is working hard to develop a programme of events to run from June to August and we will provide you with further details in the coming months. We are also planning to host two AV Retriever Field Trials in the Autumn (hopefully something for everyone to look forward to).

Annual Subscriptions

Annual Subscriptions for the 2021 year were due on 1st January, anyone who has not already paid these must pay by 28th February or your membership will be deemed to have ceased, and you will then be required to reapply for membership as a new member.

Contact us for details about membership and latest events.