The Ulster Irish Red Setter Club held an Open Stake for Any variety Setter and Pointers under Kennel Club Field Trial Rules and Regulations on Sunday 13th September 2009. The venue was Murley Mountain, again kindly provided by James Hamilton-Stubber and the judges were Carol Calvert and Gerald Devine.
The wind was generally light anywhere from 0 < 5 mph and skipping about between NE and N. I took a temperature reading early on and it was 20.5c and I am sure it was significantly higher at times. After the initial mist burnt off it was bright and sunny.
This is one absolute killer of a hill. It is always hard to walk but having said that it is a good test of a dog. We started off running parallel with the road in heavy tussocky ground and that’s even the burnt bits! After lunch we went on a bit of a three day camel ride in search of birds, which we found but the ground wasn’t any easier.
Result :-
1st Lusca Happy Chappie Declan O’Rourke’s Irish Red Setter dog by Ir.F.T.Ch. Lusca Speedie Boy of Ardoon and Ir.F.T.Ch. Dyllas Frill (Subject to KC ratification this dog is now a F.T.Ch.)
In his general summing up Gerald Devine said that drive and stamina were what was required to face Murley Mountain and the only two dogs standing at the end of the stake excelled, others having been found wanting in some respect.
Roxy didn’t last too long but at least she was hunting hard. In the very heavy ground at the start we were running second brace and although she made a few good cuts on about her third cut to the left she wouldn’t turn and disappeared over the horizon and out of the stake. Slightly disappointed not to be put down again but at least she’s running again after being in season.
Basso didn’t last long either but for different reasons. Both dogs went left and because of the topography were forced slightly forward. Net result was that Basso was about half a cast too far forward when heading right. Just after crossing the centre line of the beat he pointed but looked decidedly unhappy. His brace mate came over, ran round him, and two grouse flushed behind Basso. The setter chased the grouse and Basso chased the setter. Desi Linton was ever so apologetic but what Basso did was down to me and not him. I know on a shooting day grouse, especially those that have been hunted a time or two, will sometimes run back and these two may have done. There is little doubt that I would have walked them up going to Basso and even though they were eminently shootable, very few judges will give you that amount of leeway in a trial. I was pleased that he found but unhappy that I couldn’t get to him before the flush. We don’t get than many chances.
This was a very hard day’s walking for both men and dogs and it was great to have Jay with me and even better that he just got on with the walking unlike some ten year olds I know. Most important aspect for me was Roxy is running again. Most important aspect for Declan is another champion. I don’t know that anybody will ever fill Jack Nash’s shoes and Declan doesn’t have that much Moanruad blood in his line anyway but Declan and Will Sloan worked together at breeding for years and it all came together some years before Will’s death. When Will died Declan subsequently won the Irish Champion Stake with Lusca Speedie Boy or Ardoon, Will’s dog. The question will always be asked when a big figure dies, will the apprentice be up to the job? In this case the answer seems to be, Yes!
