The Northern Ireland Pointer Club held it’s usual Autumn meet on 26th & 27th September 2008 with the Breed Stake at Slieveanorra on the Friday and the Pheasant Stake at Glarryford on the Saturday.
As is common in Ireland we did things in reverse order and the first on the order of business was a presentation to Fred Quinn who has acted as Steward of The Beat more or less permanently for the last forty three years. Fred will retire from his position with what used to be The Ministry of Agriculture this winter so this was his last time with us in his official capacity. We can only hope that there will be a seamless changeover to Fred’s successor and that they will be just as disposed to assist us as Fred has been over the years. Fred was gracious enough to say a few words of thanks and to recall some of the memories from over this lengthy time span.
Our judges for the day were two hairy dog men, understandably! Andy Law (Reds) and Desi Linton (Red & whites). I just hope they appreciate how big an honour it is for setter owners to be able give their undivided attention to the aristocrats of the pointer and setter world. It is an opportunity to see how it should be done, At close quarters.%/!*$.
We parked the cars in the usual spot at one end of the Big Valley and the prevailing wind, (I never know what art the prevailing wind comes from here) was as usual down the length on the valley. This meant we took the first cut down the length of the valley floor and subsequently worked our way up the hill with parallel cuts. Any clouds were high, the breeze was steady and the sun came out when the last of the haze burnt away. Just about perfect.
We were into grouse right away. I was first brace with Roxy (Oxspring Roxanne) running against Karen Cooper’s Little Beauty of Blaxton. We were doing our ground well and towards what was probably going to be the end of the run Roxy flipped over the brow of the hill. Godfrey McRoberts could see what happened and she pointed all right but after standing a time after the birds flushed loose she went on hunting. Of course all we could see from the valley bottom was birds in the air. Bye bye Roxy!
I was second brace with Judy (Exile on Main Street) running against Lee Cooper’s Newtown Lois at Goddrib. The ground we got has produced birds consistently over the years but by God is it hard work. The dogs stuck to their task but neither sparkled.
Next Brace was Alan Neill’s Eagleshadow Winnie’s Boyand Richard MacNicol’s Gerensary Dancer. If the Big Valley is tough, The Valley of Death is even tougher. This pairing got the Valley of Death and it was hard to see what was happening but both dogs appeared to go well. Alan Neill’s Glenhinnie Broom and Mrs Jeanette’s Kean’s Fearn Mist handled by Jon were next. After a few casts Alan’s dog came on point and Jon’s dog came up the hill from the other direction, a good few yards further forward and also pointed. The first dog on, Alan’s, was asked to work out and produced birds and was steady to shot etc. Jon’s dog was still on point so was given the opportunity to work out but couldn’t produce the rest of what looked like a split covey. The pair were put together again and had just disappeared over the brow of the hill, I could still see the handlers but not the dogs, when birds were seen in the air. I can’t say what Jon’s dog had done but Alan’s had either flushed some more birds or left them behind. Out!
Alan was up again with The Boss of Innis against Ian Withey’s Paardeberg Pretoria. It seemed to take both these dogs some time to get going on better ground but they eventually had a clean run. Alan now got a rest and it was me with Chris (Toftens Chris) and Jimmy Dalton with Lagopus Yorkie. These dogs tried hard enough in heavy ground but the topography and a sudden temporary wind shift made the whole thing frankly messy.Time for the Alan Neill Roadshow again and his Gerensary Digger against Laurence McAlister’s Halkirk Heather.They got a better bit of ground and started off in some style. Fairly soon however Laurence’s bitch came on point and Alan’s dog backed but seemed not to be to be looking directly at the pointing dog. Laurence’s Millie produced her bird’s ??? in some style and was steady to shot. The two dogs were then put down again and unfortunately for Alan after only a couple of cuts his dog flushed two more grouse. Laurence’s dog was not involved. Next brace were Richard MacNicol’s Kissing Kate of Gerensary and Pauline Withey with Paardeberg Romona.They dealt well with a very ackward piece of ground but their run was clear. Next was for me the run of the day. Yes, this brace got the best ground but Jon Kean with Fearn Natasha and Karen Cooper with Sparkfield Dizzy gave us a display of top notch quartering once Jon’s young bitch stopped trailing the other dog. They were flat, going like the clappers and well under control and while this was the best ground it was still Slieveanorra and was far from being shagg carpet. After a good long run Jon’s bitch pointed on the left and produced at least a pair, Karen’s dog did not have the opportunity of a back being at the extremity of the other side of the beat at the time. There was a bye dog, Jimmy Dalton’s Bone a Part. When he did have his first round run I was a distance away but I believe it was against one of Richard MacNicol’s dogs but unfortunately Boney bumped a bird somewhere in the proceeding’s and was eliminated.
Even if I say it myself the second round was top stuff. More often than not dogs fail to progress in the second round and fall away, making the judges’ job relatively simple. All the dogs taken back proved the merit of their selection for the second round. I was first brace with Judy running against one of Karen’s dogs. Beside me Karen is only little and was demonstrably smaller than some of the haggs she had to negotiate, however we emerged from a replica of the Somme battlefield onto better ground and both our dogs gave it a good go. I was particularly please with Judy, sure she didn’t sparkle, but she showed tremendous intestinal fortutide. I was really pleased when a very knowledgeable Scottish voice said that I should be looking for another run, Judy having done her ground so well.
All the dogs called back performed well but the only dog able to come up with a find was Lee Cooper’s Newton Lois at Goddrib. She had a find on a snipe.
I called the throng to order for Carol Calvert to make the presentations able assisted by her beauitful assistant (really more like gnarled and beather beaten assistant), the club president Wilson Harrison. Before this took place ,however, I took the opportunity, not sparing Carol’s blushes, to draw peoples’ attention to the huge, unobtrusive, effort Carol puts in, when she undertakes the organisation of events for two clubs, everything, and I do mean every detail is attended to. Many thanks Carol.
Results :-
1st Halkirk Heather Laurence McAlister’s bitch bred by R MacNicol.
2nd Fearn Natasha Jon Kean’s bitch bred by Buist & Howden.
3rd Newton Lois at Goddrib Lee Cooper’s bitch bred by S G Fall
4th Fearn Mist Mrs J kean’s bitch handler Jon Kean bred by Buist & Howden.
(Bit of a Girl’s Night Out really.)
It seemed particularly fitting, with the recent demise of the much loved and even more respected Eppie Buist that two of her dogs featured in the awards.
This event has always been well supported by far flung competitors but this year nine of the nineteen dogs were from across the water. It is difficult for the committee to understand why this event is so well supported from across the Irish Sea and yet Jimmy Dalton is the only southern Irish competitor who regularly graces us with his presence. We will have to look at this carefully.
I think it is fair to say that Laurence was well pleased with this result. I believe he has every right to be for that’s a novice and an open stake his bitch has won this year. So that brings the curtain down on the 60th year of the Northern Ireland Pointer Club’s Open Confined Stake.
Glarryford tomorrow. A new day and new hopes. See ya!
