I love Britts! (I'm the Emily who's parents own the field line English Cocker, btw.) I considered one for myself before buying my corgi, and also did some research for my parents when they were looking for a gun dog.
One thing that is really neat about the breed is that they are truly dual purpose, with very, very little spit between working and show. They have more dual champions than any other breed, I believe. You may find individual kennels who only do show or only do field work, but in general the breed can do both. They are generally friendly, happy, wild, and sporty.
Ultimately, we opted for the field line Cocker because the size was a little better (for my family), and because of the tendency in Britts towards "big running." They're bred to work far from hunters and often on horseback, so they move fast and far - sometimes too fast and too far if you're an owner on foot.
The Cocker is a close-working dog, which ended up being more appropriate for our situation.
You may also want to look into the French Brittany... there is a split between the American Brittany and the French Brittany, and AFAIK the French Brittany is closer-working than the American type, and a little heavier in bone and more compact.
If you are also interested in the field line English Cockers, I am happy to share what life with ours is like. He is just my mom's house pet/boyfriend dog (LOL) but he would make a spectacular little sport dog.
(oops this post was kind of a repeat, LOL)