Best in Show: Queen Elizabeth II's winning 'cheat' Spaniel faces competition ban

Her Majesty could be left very unamused as it has been reported her championship gun dog could be banned from entering future competitions. Rivals and judges suspect it is not a pedigree Cocker Spaniel, and in fact a cross-breed.

Fellow competitors became concerned that Queen Elizabeth II's pooch is a Sprocker cross-breed and not a pedigree, meaning that the four-year-old pet called Mallowdale Diamond may be pulled from the numerous dog contests it appears in.

The dog's rivals suggest that if she is in fact a Sprocker Spaniel cross-breed, this could mean she has the advantage of being bigger and faster than pedigree breeds. Judges have demanded an inquiry, since competing pet owners want Mallowdale to be banned.

A dog expert told The Sun: "It's like racing a six cylinder car in a four cylinder race," as a group of 20 top judges are demanding an inquiry. They have written to the Kennel Club, which is responsible for governing the sport in which dogs compete to retrieve the game, requesting the Queen's dog undergoes DNA testing.

Mallowdale was gifted to the Queen, who is currently recovering from a heavy cold, at Sandringham in Norfolk in January 2013 by Ian Openshaw of Market Drayton, Shropshire. The then-three month old puppy was a special present for Her Majesty's Diamond Jubilee celebrations the previous year.

Former judge Andy Platt, 43, from Lockerbie, Dumfries and Galloway, also told the newspaper: "There is a lot of suspicion that it is a Sprocker.

"The Kennel Club is an association for pedigree dogs and they have got their rules that no unauthorised cross-breeding can occur without their permission." Platt was later kicked off the judging panel for the National Championships after he set up the Facebook page Proper Cockers, which demanded a crackdown on competing dogs.

Another judge named Ian Flint also revealed that he quit his post in protest, adding: "The Springers are faster and have a better engine. Cockers can't compete with them."

While a Kennel Club spokesman said: "The Kennel Club is aware of some allegations which have yet to be substantiated and we are currently reviewing the issues raised to establish whether there is a case to answer.

"Until this is determined we are unfortunately not able to comment any further on this specific issue at this time."

Mallowdale won the Yorkshire Gun Dog Open Qualifiers in 2015 and also won the Kennel Club Open Qualifiers last year, which made her a field trial champion for life. She even competed in the National Championships in Lancashire earlier this week. The event was the 87<sup>th championship for Cocker Spaniels, and dogs have to have achieved a first place in an Open Stake confined to Cocker Spaniels to even qualify for the competition.