The Donegal Field Trial Association was granted a license by The Irish Kennel Club and held it’s summer open stake on grouse on the moors at Bragan, near Scotstown Co Monaghan on Friday 7th August 2009. James Coyle, the secretary, was doubtless disappointed at the smaller than usual entry but with The Minister intervening in the start of our season the fact of two Open Stakes being run in one day is now a fact of life we have to live with. There were sixteen at Scotstown and twenty three I believe at the Irish Red and White Setter Club’s event in Wicklow. The maximum number of runners in an IKC licensed event is thirty and the minimum number is eight.
The judges for the day were Michael Houston and Declan O’Rourke.
While there was the threat of rain at times it wasn’t a bad day for the hill and by the afternoon it was quite pleasant.
This was a fairly high class entry and with most dogs now having had several runs in trials this season the dogs are getting fitter, and it showed. All dogs ran hard though as usual some were more effective in their running than others.
With a small entry it was originally decided to stay out and run the whole event in one go but at some juncture it was decided to break for lunch. No birds had been seen and maybe the intention was to move ground but on the walk back to the cars for lunch we walked up a large cover of nine fully grown birds. In the final analysis it is difficult to estimated just how many coveys we saw but some dogs were lucky enough to make use of the birds and what looked like a rum do at first, turned to an entertaining second round as we hunted for more game. These birds have obviously been left well alone as the coveys were very reluctant to split.
Result :-
1st Silent Seeker of Shannon Bally. Ned Flannelley’s Irish Red & White Setter dog.
2nd. Koram Kadara James Coyle’s Pointer dog.
Both graded excellent.
This was an interesting result as these two dogs went about their work in different ways. James’ dog quartered to his birds were as Ned’s dog bored at bit but did exemplary work round the game and withstood severe disruption from his rioting brace mate, despite Paddy Peoples’ best efforts to bring his dog under control. I would always give it to a dog that quarters but there wasn’t much in it. I spoke to Ned the next day and asked him how many Green Stars his dog had now gained. He said he didn’t like to count them in case it broke his run of success but he reckoned about seventy!
Roxy.
Nice and wide and flat but basically out of control.
Jalad.
Ran hard and hunted well but he back cast a time or two before I realised what was going on.
Chris.
Worked hard and ran hard in heavy ground in the first round and followed that with a nice run, again in heavy ground in the second round. This dog has done a lot of work in Scandinavia and had a hard season hunting pheasants last year here in Ireland, and it shows. He seems to know when there’s game about and hunts accordingly. Still can’t fathom why he is so easy to handle this year after being a complete hooligan last season but the fitter he gets the better he goes. Possibly suffers from Big Dog Syndrome, ie. he is perceived as being slower that he actually is as being big his action has to be slower.
Well in finally comming on grouse we snatched victory from the jaws of defeat and had an enjoyable day on the hill. Jay’s eye swole up and I had to whisk him off to the chemist so I didn’t hear which of James’ dogs was second but I will update the result when I can.
