The Northern Ireland Pointer Club held it’s Breed Stake at Glenwherry, part of the Glenarm Castle Estate by the kind permission of Lord and Lady Dunluce. Their representative on the day was the Castle keeper Robert Luff. This is the first time that a Pointer & Setter Trial has been run on this ground and the man responsible was Ned Butler.The judges for the day were Declan O’Rourke and Paddy Peoples.The weather alternated between bright sunshine and heavy rain and the wind moved about a bit but was at least force 2 for the whole day.
Results :-
1st F.T.Ch. Allangrange Heather Richard MacNicol’s Pointer Bitch
2nd Gerensary Dancer Badanloch Estate’s Pointer Bitch ( Handler Richard MacNicol)
3rd Koram Banner James Coyle’s Pointer Dog
Jump:- Got good ground for his first round and made it look hard work. He stuck to his ground well and covered a lot of ground but, perhaps because the ground was soft, he looked under pressure. There was no game in the first round but our bracemate had a non-productive.His second round was in much higher heather and I feared the worst but the big dog pulled out all the stops and put in a sparkling performance. He quartered wide and flat and really went about his work with gusto. There was a bird on our beat and I suspect, althought I was looking into low bright evening sun, that our bracemate flushed it but neither I or the judges could see. I was a bit miffed as at one time Jump was in the area and our oponent let his dog actually run into Jump robbing him of a possible find. Jump was going well and was the only dog given three runs as he was run with the bye dog at the end of the second round.You all know by now that birds make points and points make prizes so although a good display no bird means no prize.
Axl :- Shaun ran Axl, he does own him after all, and the big dog gave a very creditable display, getting into the second round. His quartering was wide, (even wider than Jump )
Of the seventeen entries eleven were from the mainland so it was particularly pleasing that we got a result. You are always a bit nervous when you use new ground. When about thirteen years ago the N.I.Pointer Club decided to run it’s main trials at the end of September there were many doubting Thomases but the event has continued to prosper, albiet with support from the mainland. Another aspect that was particularly pleasing was the support from the Estate. We had struggled to find a venue and we are indebted to the Estate for their help. Hopefully this will cement a long and mutually beneficial relationship. Glenwherry is the one grouse moor in Northern Ireland with a bright future.
