The Irish Red & White Setter Club held it’s Autumn Open Stake on Grouse an Saturday 3rd September on the Liffey Head, in the Wicklow Mountains. The Judges for the day were Declan O’Rourke and Pat Rohan. Bright, sunny at times with a Southerly breeze that fluctuated between a puff of wind and nearly storm force.
Awards :-
1st New Addition Tom Dunne’s English Setter Dog. Excellent.
2nd Toryview Dazzler John Quirk’s English Setter Bitch. Good
I only had one dog in this stake and it was Judy. She ran with the winner in the first round and only narrowly missed out on the bird that won the stake for Tom’s dog. In her second round she ran with one of Ned Flannelley’s Red & Whites in difficult but potentially bird holding ground. She acquitted herself well. Michael Murphy, whose opinion I really value, was impressed with her as he hadn’t seen her earlier in the year. Declan O’Rourke ended up doing most of the judging on his own. Not only were most of the incidents on his side he appeared to get little support from his co-judge. When the one thing happened that Declan was unsighted for ( it happened behind his back ) the other judge can only have been unsighted as well, for it was the most blatant flush I have seen go unpunished in a trial for some time. When I say ” Must have been unsighted ” it is difficult to see how anybody can be unsighted in short heather and nothing in between.The winner was a worthy one the second placed dog should have been binned.
