Catherine Carter's Comments

Well good luck for you & Sybil. If you happen to see a dog like Ch. Brackenfield Hartsbourne Bronze siring a field trial champion, please report!

And thank Steve again for a tasty tongue we ate at our visit. Kennelmaid Susan left the table because it was from Twinkle, her favorite cow. Susan and me had some great long walks with setters in that Robin Hood landscape where making brick walls is topsports!!!

Hi Catherine,
Just wondering, did you show under that american judge (Maxim) in Feb? If so, what did you think? Any different to your usual judges?
Joan

Hi Catherine
Good to meet you, sorry that we missed each other at Crufts, have just got back to France and we are off on holiday tonight so will be in touch on our return to get to know you a little more. So sorry that you have just lost a dear friend - too young, hugs from all of us at Dawnmaen, Sian

That's cool. I showed under a British judge here once. I thought I might have an edge, as my dog is 1/2 British bred, but while he did get a good look, the ribbons went pretty much the same way as they did under our usual american judges the rest of the weekend. I like the idea of foreign judges too. Then again, I'll show to anyone. lol.
Joan

Thanks for responding to my request. Love your pictures.
Kathie Jo

I am from Buffalo,NY I moved to Ca. in 1988 to work for Red Arrow kennel, then on to another kennel and I would clean them up and then move on I got tired of cleaning up other peoples dogs and there messes.
So now I have my own home with my dogs,
I think my favorate dog in the who time I've been in setters since 1979 is Ch. Marquis Midnight Special,

Hi Catherine,
thanks for your comment on Glen. You are right about competing in Britain - it is a world apart... There have been young UK Sh.Ch. in the breed in the past, but today I feel there is an increasing tendency towards coat and glamour meaning a youngster rarely stands a chance...

Dear Catherine
Sorry that it has taken me so long to get back to you but as you know with a house full of Irish nothing ever goes quite to the timetable you plan! Well what can I tell you, I have been here just over 6 years now and was a complete debutant in the show ring having just started to show my boy in the UK before we left but luckily had learned the basics with ring craft etc. The showing of dogs is much more laid back here with presentation of dogs both before the show and in the ring being of a much more "relaxed" level. I have had lots of difficulties over height with some judges but others love my dogs, you will no doubt have seen all the discussions on this site over height. I have bred two litters here and have been delighted with the homes that I have found for them, but as I feel that you do have to be careful as they are very much regarded as a working breed and there are many Irish tied on ropes in farmyards who hunt during the season and that is it. The site for show entry is www.cedia.fr so you can have a look at what is available, I am going to the French Championships in Lyon. If you want to please feel free to give me a bell I think my number is in the Crufts catalogue, Speak soon Siân

Hi there Catherine, My lines are very different know one is a Caspians the other is a Kirkavagh, I have been 'back' to showing for 8 years now I had a gap of about 15 years out of Irish and had Akita's (not a lot of difference eh) my line died off with bloat, coming back when my health got better and I decided that after 5 years free of my health problem I wanted to get back into showing, buying a puppy from friends, Sue & Mike Oakley, she didn't work out in the show ring so they let me have Jas and when Tam, my original, died very unexpectedly, I bought Saffy my Kikavagh, she is now nearly 3. We lived in the country and often on walks they would all from time to time lifted their heads using their noses and lo and behold there would be Partridge or Pheasants in the direction that they were pointing.
Where are you going to next?? Sorry I didn't See where you live in U.K. I live in Scotland so there was a lot of game outside the window, as for Rabbits they took no prisoners they just hunted them down and unfortunately killed them. Speak soon Dee and the girls

Ooooh yes they are too far for me, like you I have to pick and chose, fortunately there are not many judges that are good for me this year so my bank manager will hopefully not be writing to me this year!!!!!!!!! But I can still find the money to go to Ireland, well you have to get your priorities rite don't you.
I am at S.K.C. on Sunday, only because it is my local, it is now anyway I moved at the end of last year came south instead of 3 hour to Edinburgh its only 15 minutes or so from here I am still north of it though. Dee and the girls

Bonjour Catherine,
Effectivement, la famille s'est agrandie. Amara a mis au monde 4 femelles et 5 mâles le 12 mai dernier.Les bébés, qui pesaient 410g de poids moyen, grandissent à vue d'oeil et Amara est une jeune maman sereine : que du bonheur !!!
Bises et câlins à tes chiens

et bien felicitations a nouveau! C'est interessant que tu me donnes les poids.....ma portee ( il y a maintenant 2 ans et demi 4 femelles et 4 males) les poids allaient de 225g a 350g. Bien sur Anna les avait eu 3 jours plus tot mais c'est normal pour mes lignees et maintenant j'ai des chiens qui seraient,je crois, plutot grand pour les normes francaises. Kim pese 26 kg et Roger 32kg ou meme plus. Mais ici en Angleterre ils sont de taille tout a fait normale quand nous allons en exhibition. Amities

J'ai mis un blog sur ma portée. Ce n'est pas évident de trouver un peu de temps pour aller sur internet, les bébés sont trop avides de câlins !!!
Connais-tu la taille de tes chiens ?
Bises

Je pense que, sauf si les chiots sont vraiment très petits, les poids de départ ne sont pas vraiment très importants. Il faut surveiller quotidiennement la courbe de croissance. Amara a beaucoup de lait et n'est pas fatiguée, je n'ai donc pas à compléter avec du lait pour chiots.
La taille de tes chiens est dans la partie haute du standard, cela ne pose aucun problème dans les expos surtout que tu as de très beaux chiens !!!

A ce jour, c'est pareil pour Amara : du lait à profusion. Et comme elle a 9 tétines ...pas besoin de faire 2 services !!!J'achète toujours du lait pour chiots au cas où nous aurions des soucis. Il me servira lors du sevrage, pour préparer la pâtée pour chiots. Taboo est un mâle magnifique : un poil plat, riche en couleur et très doux. Il correspond à mon Setter idéal au niveau physique et mental.

Merci Catherine, J'espère aussi te voir bientôt en france

Amitiés,
Cécilia

Hi Cathy, thanks for the welcome. This site is amazing. Sad news about Sybil - what a huge contribution she made to the breed. Also I'm sorry to learn that you lost Anna. I had no idea. Yes, I will see you at some shows - haven't done many lately.

Hi Cathy. What fun this is. Lovely photos.
love
Rachel

"Miss" Catherine:
Thanks for the comment - I'm a total rookie - and still don't know the first thing about blogging. I intend to hang in there and hope my input will at least be entertaing, or perhaps helpful to other bloggers interested in horses and dogs.
Thanks again!!!

Hi! i'm Rui de Carvalho, from Portugal.
Yours setters are so gorgeous. Congratulations!
The Irish are my dreams! It isn't rational, I consider all themes irresistible. I've a Irish One.
He's a beauty Irish setter male from Porto Rio - Portugal, of Pedro Completo Breeder. He’s Ch Portugal, Spain and Gibraltar, but I don't understand anything about expositions.
Mother’s Thendara Joy Ride (also brother of Thendadra Don Corleone) and is Father's Laumidorn Innuendo. Grand Father’s Thendara Kennedy.