What is your favourite settersong, -book, -movie, -history, -photo and -story?

[Henk ten Klooster]

Wondering while reading your posts: what is your favourite settersong, -book, -movie, -history, -photo and -story and why?

My favourite settersong is “Abergavenny,” on a picturesque town in Wales. Shannon sings praise on a red setter in this 1969 hit if I'm correct and reportedly there was an Irish setter on stage as well. Closely followed by Start me Up (Rolling Stones), could be a good song for start of a working day.

Book - The trilogy Big Red, Irish Red and Outlaw Red by Jim Kjelgaard (USA) Closely followed by T.H. White: The Goshawk. Because they portray adeventures with working Irish setters. Closely followed by the more recent UK one (inspired by Kjelgaard) for kids on an Irish setter aboard of the Titanic.

Movie - Walt Disneys Big Red. I've never seen the Bonanza-series with an Irish setter in it so this one might be still be beaten.

History - the giant task a few people set themselves up with in the fifties to restore the Irish setter into former fieldglory in the USA as portrayed in The Modern Red Setter. Closely followed by The New Irish Setter (Thompson) as you can see how the Irish setter changed from an athlete into a showclown.

Photo - The kid that was saved from a burning car by an Irish setter in St. Louis. I've still got the picture.

Story - A short story of Colin Mc Kelvie (Ireland) on working Irish setters all year around. In it is decribed work on all kinds of game so not only specialist stuff (feathers). Closely followed by a short Internet-story on Clancy howling all of the village at the time his owner was shot in Vietnam.

Whats yours?

Henk ten Klooster.

[Carmel Murphy]

My favourite setter books are also the three by Jim kjelgaard, which I read sometime in the seventies!! I was living in upstate NY and had my second red setter who was from a show/field trial kennel in NY :Onesquethaw.
I just found the books a few weeks ago as I'm getting ready to move house, so I will enjoy reading them again!!I loved the relationship between the boy and dog!! The setter I had at the time loved to swim in subzero temperatures and then melt by the wood stove!! My dogs now would love that, but we dont get much snow in ireland!!
Carmel

[Henk ten Klooster]

Hey Camel don't worry about the snow in Ireland, you have enough rain!!!

Good to read I'm not the only one who favours Big Red, Irish Red and Outlaw Red as best books ever on our breed. But I understood quite a few cultures don't know the books of Jim Kjelgaard including UK and Ireland. So maybe you are the only Irishman who knows.

By the way if you were in the USA in the seventies, do you know Richard Nixons King Timahoe? And the bitch puppy Scarlett Empress that was presented in media as a gift for the King, providing female company? Or the picture of the little girl saved from a burning car in St Louis?

Do you know why theres nearly no books on the breed directly from Ireland? Reportedly there is a manuscript for a book written by the legendary breeder John Nash (Moanruad) but never published. Apart from Anna Redlichs Dogs from Ireland I can't find other media from Ireland.

Henk ten Klooster.

[Henk ten Klooster]

Oh forgot to mention the book on the Titanic is "White Star" (2004 first publication).

Its written by UK reporter Marty Crisp and very popular for kids in the UK, I understood.

In case people are intrested: ISBN 0-439-71265-3

Marty was inspired by Jim Kjelgaard (Big Red).

Also intresting: White Star has a big white star on the front. People liked white on red once and my impression is they like it again. Me as well.

Henk ten Klooster.

[Carmel Murphy]

I love to see white on the red heads!! My Rua's brother has a lovely white chest and a puppy bitch from Rua's last litter(Jan'07) has a lovely big white splash!! Rua and most of her pups have white chins!! One pup from '04 litter had white blaze on her head!
Carmel(Irishwoman who has read Jim Kjelgaard's books!!!)

[Henk ten Klooster]

Nice to meet you Carmel as another white on red lover! They look very good. What lineage? White on red seems to be on the rise - down in 1998 I saw quite a few big blazed white breasted pups at Sheantullagh (Ray O'Dwyer) in Ireland. And legendary shower of hails dive up again as well.

Plus I had a few here as well - on attached picture Grouse (left) with Guinness. Grouse left for Italy/Zimbabwe, to an Italian diplomat having waited for loooooooooonng to have such a pup. Used to be different though, even in recent times the ISCA reportedly asked the artist for the painting of the field winner "to put a little shadow over its white":-))))

Princess Wilhelmina had one favourite in her big setterkennels end of 19th century: Swell. He's Garryowens son and also big blazed. You can still see those photographs in palace Het Loo in Apeldoorn, where her room as a kid is remade. She also wrote stories on him and drawings.

Thanks for sharing. Did you know Nash dogs? They had lots of white!

Henk ten Klooster.

[watergirl0153226]

This is one of my favorite pictures also. I bought it quite reasonably on ebay and it is now on my wall next to another setter picture. I just love pictures of setter lovers!
Barb Janicek

[Laura Kolbach]

One of my favorite photos - Clark Gable and an Irish Setter

[Henk ten Klooster]

Seeing the "King of Hollywood" Clark Gable with an Irish Setter is a big surprise, Laura! Didn't know worlds probably best movie-actor ever, best known from Gone with the Wind had a red setter. Thought William Cary Duncan (Broadway musicals) was the best known Irish setter owner in USA creative circles. Do you know the name of Gables setter? Maybe family of Ch The Red Comet O'Shagstone, pictured in The New Irish Setter with her adopted family of African lion cubs? Thanks for sharing! Henk.

[Laura Kolbach]

Hello Henk, I am afraid it is not his setter. It is a "studio photo of handsome actor Clark Gable having an affectionate moment with a smiling Irish Setter. Taken in 1931 while the star was on a break from filming 'RED DUST' with Jean Harlow." - quote from internet. This is all I know, but will do some research. Until now I only found that he had a Dachshound, together with one of his wives :-)

An extra photo for you - though not Irish but with a beautiful lady: Brigitte Bardot, in company of her English Setters.

[Henk ten Klooster]

Brigitte Bardot and setters thats hard to beat for beauty Laura! Did you find out more on Clark Gable and Irish setter? There must be quite some history behind it!!!!

You mention two dates 1931 and 1941. If it was last date Gable was not long after it busy in Wold War II so a Gone with the Wind scene temporarily for himself. He was a very wanted prey for Hitler, by the way quite a few of these guys had Irish setters as well under more Rommel. And theres even one portrayed while surrendering....with an Irish setter!

Attached is King Timahoe of Richard Nixon as to be seen www.presidentialpetmuseum.com Theres a few here from dailies as well Scarlet Empress. I think Timahoe was from the Tirvelda kennels with a lot of UK Hartsbourne blood in. Well he can't compete with Brigitte Bardot can he?

Henk ten Klooster

[Laura Kolbach]

Another trace:
"Clark Gable and his Irish setter, Lord Reilly, smile into the sun in a 1941 pose on the set of They Met in Bombay." - Men & Dogs, A Personal History from Bogart to Bowie (Atria Books).
So maybe he was an Irish Setter owner??? Maybe of the one on the photo?

[Henk ten Klooster]

Good news and bad news Laura. Bad news: no traces of Clark Gable as an Irish setter owner found. Good news: another all time greatest movie-actor Mary Pickford, "America's Sweetheart" and "The Girl with the curl" was an Irish setter owner. Seeing Mary with a redcoat is much more beautiful than with Gable.
Henk ten Klooster.