Downunder Setter Lovers

Comment by ricky young on April 7, 2010 at 8:40pm

HI CHERYL NOT A GREAT DEAL OF SUCESS TO MANY NICE DOGS
CHEERS RICK

Comment by ricky young on April 27, 2010 at 4:17am

HI ALL
HAVE JUST DONE A LONG TRIP ENCOMPASSING SYDNEY ROYAL, LITHGOW KC, NSW IRISH SETTER ASSOC, TOOWOOMBA ROYAL. DOING THESE SHOWS WE SAW SOME LOVELY IRISH OF ALL TYPES. AT TOOWOOMBA ROYAL OPEN DOG CLASS 5 DOGS - 4 DIFFERENT TYPES NO WONDER WE ARE CONFUSING THE INTERNATIONAL JUDGES AS WELL AS OUR OWN. QUESTION IS ARE ALL THESE DIFFERENT TYPES GOOD FOR THE BREED (DIFFERENT HEADS BODIES AND MOVEMENT some questionable). BREEDERS APPEAR TO BE GOING THEIR OWN WAYS. JUST HOPING THIS MAY OPEN UP SOME CONVERSATION.
CHEERS RICK

Comment by Gayle Sheridan on April 27, 2010 at 4:31am

Hi Ricky. I remember many years ago a NZ judge saying to me that if we IS breeders could not agree on what was correct type then we had no right to gripe about what judges were putting up. Such a shame that our breed has deteriorated to this situation. Meantime I will continue to salivate over the dogs in the UK, thanks to Barbara's blogs.

Comment by ricky young on April 28, 2010 at 3:52am

HI ALL
JUST ASKING IF ANYONE KNOWS WHAT HAPPENED TO THE QUALITY HEADS OUR IRISH HAD DURING THE 70'S TARRENGLEN ALLAGLOW PARRLEYN IRISH SHANIS QUAILMOOR FAUSTIS, FANTASIA, FIREBALL,ROYAL ROUGE ,QUABANA KINGS RANSOME,ALLABLAZE,MISTY AMBER,AMBER BREEZE,BENWEE RED ROMEO,BRONZE LASSIE AND MANY MORE THATS ONLY NSW VICS GREGLYN GARRYOWEN COLCLOGH TARRALAIN WILANGI ERINANNMADA ARIZONA TARAGLEN ZENITH AND OTHERS. CAN WE GET THEM BACK ?
CHEERS RICK

Comment by Cheryl Gorey on April 28, 2010 at 5:09am

I haven't been in Irish that long so didn't see any of the dogs of the 70's in Australia. But I do have some photos of beautiful heads of dogs like Wilangi King Quail and W. Red Alice. I just love the picture I have of Ballymoss O'Rattigan as well. I have a photo of Eireannmada Arizona. He was a grandsire of W. King Quail. Those lines are very hard to find now in lot of Australian pedigrees which is a real shame. Heads took a downward spiral in the 80's and 90's, but I think the heads have improved from where they were. There is still a long way to go in some of the dogs you see today! The extreme interpretation of the long lean head has created a head that is foreign to the heads of Irish of the past. I agree with Gayle, I just love looking at a lot of the dogs from the UK. They have some gorgeous dogs over there! with lovely correctly structured heads.

Shouldn't Judges still be able to judge the dogs according to the points of the standard? If the judge selects type over conformation and structure, then we see dogs of questionable quality and movement go up over dogs that are more structurely sound, but are not the type that the judge prefers.

We need to look at the whole dog and unfortunately I think some of us breed for certain traits like coat and glamour and lose the more important traits like heads and structure. If we put winning over and above the structure and function of what an Irish Setter is, then we risk losing the dog that is the Irish Setter. Of course, above all of this, is health and temperament!

I don't think I answered your question, Ricky, but until we all make a commitment to the long term future of the breed and try to breed for good health, temperament and to the standard and not what is winning in the showring, I'm concerned that we will lose our beautiful breed as it was. cheers Cheryl

Comment by Cheryl Gorey on April 28, 2010 at 5:58am

Comment by Cheryl Gorey on April 28, 2010 at 5:58am

Comment by Cheryl Gorey on April 28, 2010 at 6:10am

Comment by Cheryl Gorey on April 28, 2010 at 6:11am

These photos have been given to me over the years, so I hope the photographers don't mind that I have displayed these photos here. I acknowledge Sandy Peterka and Tolford as the photographers. Thank-you for these great photos of some beautiful Irish of the past.
How many Irish do we see today that resemble these lovely dogs! I'm sure some of you can pick which dogs they are?
cheers, Cheryl

Comment by Gail Cleland on April 28, 2010 at 7:36am

I can't resist ... and since discussions have already explored various opinions I only have a little to add. The photos Cheryl has displayed are of a wonderful group of individuals... you will probably note a common denominator - the handler/s. Greg Browne, Max Winch & Andrew Harwood shared various, yet similar breeding lines and if you care to delve into some of the modern day pedigrees these dogs are in fact still 'alive'! Attempting to judge the big picture of irish setters in Australia at present by the entry at the shows being discussed is probably not fair in this case. The entry at these particular shows was somewhat smaller than normal. Of course this was partly due to the fact that some of the people who normally exhibit in Sydney at those shows did not enter this year because of personal friendships with the judges. Certainly the entry was not in the same league as the large Championship & Royal Shows that are held in Melbourne each year where, I think it would be fair to say, a bigger population of irish setters - and their backgrounds - can be examined.
In a nutshell, I guess what I'm trying to say is : don't judge the whole of the Australian irish setter population on an unusually small gathering .. I invite you to the larger Melbourne shows where even though you may have a variance in types you will have strength in those types ~ I feel you would find something within the ranks to please. (vbg)

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