Northgate began in the imagination of Maurisa Payne when she was just a child.  Maurisa
vividly remembers reading the book Champion Dog Prince Tom when she was in third grade.  
This book was about the trials and tribulations of a champion cocker spaniel and the family
that adored him.  A short time later she became fascinated with the Walt Disney movie "Big
Red" about a champion Irish Setter.  Although never having been exposed to show dogs in her
childhood surroundings, her soul was touched by these magnificent show dogs in the book and
movie, and she knew that this would be her lifelong passion.

She grew up with the family toy poodles and befriended every dog in the neighborhood.  As
soon as she was able to get a work permit she obtained a part-time job at the local veterinary
hospital while still in high school.  There she gained valuable exposure to many breeds of dogs
and the various problems afflicting different  breeds.  It was while working at this hospital that
she was first exposed to an English Springer Spaniel - a black and white male named Rocky.  
She was hooked!

She acquired her first springer in 1975, a liver and white male named Sonny (officially known
as Champion Carey On Pride's Sonny J) whom she showed to his AKC championship.  A few
months after purchasing Sonny, she acquired another springer, a black and white male named
Toby (officially known as American & Canadian Champion Linbrook's Pound Sterling), who
she also showed to both his American and Canadian championships.  













Toby was a magnificent English Springer Spaniel and became the foundation behind every
springer that has been bred by Northgate.  He was a multiple owner-handled Sporting Group
winner, and went on to win Best of Breed and a Sporting Group 3 at the very prestigious
Wedstminster Kennel Club Show, held every February at Madison Square Garden in New
York City.  Toby was the first black and white springer in 17 years to win the Breed at the
Garden.  Toby and Maurisa went on to become a nationally ranked owner/handler winning
team.
















Not only did Toby do a large amount of winning in the show ring, but he became a very
popular sire in the breed and produced a significant number of champion offspring, shown
throughout the United States and Canada.

Maurisa knew that she wanted to use Toby's exceptional qualities to their best advantage so
she began carefully looking for just the right female English Springer Spaniel to bring into her
breeding program to blend with Toby and his bloodlines.  After a lengthy search she purchased
an adult female, Richelu Benmor Liberty Belle from a  breeder in Atlanta, Georgia.  Beliza
came from a litter of several champions and was a daughter of the great Ch. Salilyn's
Hallmark, who was a son of the top winning and top producing Ch. Salilyn's Classic.

In the first breeding to Toby, two American champions were produced, along with another that
was exported to a show home in Puerto Rico.  Maurisa kept a liver and white male from this
breeding who later became her top winning show dog.  This dog, Champion Northgate's Dust
in the Wind ("Dusty"), completed his championship entirely from the puppy class handled by
Maurisa.  As a champion he went on to win a total of 4 all breed Best in Shows, 22 Sporting
Group Firsts, and numerous Specialty Best of Breed Awards, all in a short span of 8 months.  
Dusty and Maurisa were the top winning owner/breeder/handler team in the country for
several years.




















The saga has continued down through the years.  Maurisa took a break from breeding and
showing for a few years while raising her two sons, Chris and Tim.  She and her sons now live
on an 11 acre farm in the beautiful horse hunt country of Fauquier County in Northern
Virginia, where she has branched out into breeding Arabian horses and continues to ride
competitively in judged trail rides.  All of this is in addition to her "real" job as owner of Gem
Services Co. - a professional gemological appraisal company.

To date, Northgate has owned and bred well over 72 AKC champions, including Best in
Show, Best in Specialty Show, and Group winners, in addition to ESSFTA award winners.  
Northgate English Springer Spaniels have been sold to show and pet homes all over the world,
including such exotic places as Saudi Arabia and Norway.

The focus of the breeding program at Northgate has always been to produce a beautiful
English Springer Spaniel that conforms as closely as possible to the written standard for the
breed, and one that is as genetically clear of health and temperament problems as possible.  All
of the Northgate breeding stock is OFA certified clear of hip dysplasia, eye checked clear of
inherited diseases and certified by the Canine Eye Registration Foundation (CERF), free of
allergies and epilepsy, and of sound temperament.  

A Northgate springer will make a beautiful show dog or a trusted family companion, one that
will be devoted to your children and family for a lifetime!
CONTACT US

Maurisa Payne
Northgate English Springer Spaniels
5231 Pond Mountain Road
Broad Run, VA 20137

(540) 347-1223

Email:  Northgatespringers@msn.com
Champion Carey On Pride's Sonny J
 being shown by Maurisa
American & Canadian Champion
Linbrook's Pound Sterling shown
winning a Sporting Group, handled by
Maurisa
Ch. Northgate's Dust in the Wind and Maurisa