At the core of our club lies a steadfast commitment to discerning what best serves our breed's legacy while preparing it for the future. This year, we celebrated numerous accomplishments and milestones that underscore the vibrant spirit of the Epagneul Breton community and the incredible versatility of our beloved dogs.
Celebrating Our Dogs and Handlers
Our member Epagneul Bretons once again demonstrated their prowess on national stages, excelling in diverse arenas such as UKC trials, AKC Field Trials and Hunt Tests, NAVHDA tests, NSTRA events, rally and more. These achievements reflect the relentless dedication of handlers and owners to training and preserving the versatile nature of our breed. While we extend our deepest gratitude to the entire EB community, it is the remarkable dogs themselves that inspire us and elevate our standards. In 2025, we aim to highlight these accomplishments in earnest, celebrating the extraordinary bond between the dogs and their handlers.
Challenges and Opportunities
This year, CEB-US membership continued to grow, with a remarkable 10% increase over the previous year. However, the Epagneul Breton continues to face many challenges. From chasing trends to lack of oversight, a breed can easily lose its path and stray from the standard in just a few generations. This is why membership and advocacy for adherence to the breed standard are paramount. While the Epagneul Breton is first and foremost a hunting bird dog, one way to ensure our dogs remain true to their heritage is through field trials and conformation shows [read more about preserving the breed's tradition through standards and testing]. These venues serve as the only tangible benchmarks to test, evaluate, and provide historical comparison for our dogs. Though not without their imperfections, the continued support and promotion of these testing platforms remain a vital need. This also extends to judging and their ongoing growth and education on the breed standard and expectations.
On a macro level, the trend of urbanization resulting in less hunting habitat and modern distractions leading to fewer upland hunters pose a real threat to the dilution of the breed. If the true essence of a bird dog is not sealed in each breeding pairing, the breed could lose its identity. We thank our diligent breeder community and enthusiastic owner community for their unwavering commitment to excellence while upholding the more than century-old tradition as a bird dog. This growth highlights the enduring appeal of the breed and the club’s efforts to foster a welcoming and inclusive environment for all enthusiasts.
Strengthening Communication and Engagement
Our commitment to transparent and timely communication remained a top priority in 2024. We focused on leveraging digital media to ensure real-time distribution of club updates, breed happenings, and announcements. This approach has allowed us to create more accessible, searchable, and cost-effective ways to keep members informed and engaged.
Over the course of the year, we released nearly 50 newsletters — a testament to our dedication to keeping the community well-informed. Additionally, we more than doubled our blog output, achieving an impressive 150% year-over-year growth in readership. Among the most popular posts were "Field Trial 101," "Understanding the Range of the EB," and "Understanding the Naming Tradition of the EB," reflecting the community's interest in deepening their knowledge and connection to the breed. This surge in engagement underscores the value of our enhanced digital efforts and the community's desire to stay connected and informed.
Conformation Evaluations and Legacy Preservation
One area where we fell short was in conformation evaluations, as we did not surpass our 2024 achievement. However, with multiple evaluations already scheduled for the first half of 2025, we hope to make this a bright spot for the year. Conformation is a tool very few breeds utilize, which is one of the leading factors behind the wide variety in size and shape seen in many breeds. We are proud to say the EBs of today remain virtually identical in size and shape to the breed of over 25 years ago. Even if you are not a breeder, having your dog confirmed provides valuable data for the breed to continue to honor its legacy. Additionally, we hope to begin compiling data from current and historical datasets to track trends with tangible data rather than relying on rumors and anecdotal trends [learn more about conformation and why it matters].
Expanding Access and Visibility with an Online Store
This year, we launched an online store to provide members with better access to a variety of products featuring both the club logo and past and present Conclave logos. This initiative not only adds a small revenue stream for the club but also offers members a way to proudly share their EB pride.
Looking Ahead to 2025
As we look ahead to 2025, we remain committed to advancing the legacy of the Epagneul Breton, supporting our members, and celebrating the exceptional dogs that unite us all. We hope to officially launch the pedigree database and revamp our breeder partnership program to better align with today's market. Key takeaways from the 2024 blogs — such as the importance of fostering stronger community connections and providing clearer resources for new and experienced members — will guide our future efforts. Thank you to everyone who contributed to making 2024 a banner year for CEB-US.