Wendy Czarnecki

Female

Petaluma

United States

Profile Information:

How many Irish Setters do you have?

11

How long have you owned Irish Setters?

40 years

About Me:

I was born and raised in Los Angeles and attended college at Stanford University, majoring in American Literature.

I moved to Northern California after college and acquired my first dog ever, a female Irish Setter, "Ribbon," in 1971. I became interested in both field trialing and conformation showing and acquired three more dogs in short order, a male Irish and a male and female Gordon Setter, both of whom became show champions. My first Irish, FC Lady Ribbon Bright Star, CD finished her field championship at the Irish Setter Club of America National Field Trial in Kenosha, Wisconsin in 1976. My first Irish male, "Jamie," Varagon Nitehawk Bright Star, CD, VC, was the first Irish Setter in the state of California to earn the ISCA Versatility Certificate.

With four dogs it was time to move to larger quarters and I puchased 4.5 acres in Petaluma, Calif. with an old farmhouse built in 1924, many outbuildings, a kennel license for 15 dogs, and a horse-boarding license for 10 horses.

I moved to this property in 1975 and have been here ever since. I began seriously breeding in 1977 with my original pair of Irish Setters and today am 10 generations into that bloodline. I met my husband Matt at a field trial and we married in 1979.

I use the kennel name Bright Star Setters, although we only have Irish and Gordon Setters.

To date Bright Star has produced 57 litters of Gordon Setters since 1980 and 27 litters of Irish Setters since 1977.

We have produced 2 Irish and 2 Gordon AKC Dual Champions; 39 Gordon Setter and 15 Irish Setter AKC Show Champions; 10 AKC Field Trial Champions; 4 AKC Master Hunters; 16 Canadian Kennel Club Show Champions; 4 Mexican Champions; 3 (FCI) International Champions; 1 Champion of the Americas; 1 World Champion; 14 obedience degrees; 1 Agility Titlist.

49 of our Gordon Setters have earned Hunt Test titles
and/or Working Certificates; 17 Irish Setters have earned Hunt Test titles and/or Versatility Certificates.

We are currently working to finish additional Irish Setter Dual Champions and Master Hunters. Plus lots of youngsters coming up with various owners and programs to finish titles.

Even with all of our achievements in competition, the best telephone calls I ever receive are the ones that start, " 'Name of Dog' is the best dog that I have ever had!" Our bottom line is to produce outstanding family companions that can also be exceptional personal hunting dogs. Competition quality pups are just icing on the cake.

Our priorities are temperament first, physical soundness second, natural hunting abilities third, and conformation to the AKC Standards of Perfection.

We are members of the Irish Setter and Gordon Setter Clubs of America, and a number of local Irish Setter clubs. I have been President of the Irish Setter Club of Central California for well over a decade.

My husband both handles our dogs in the field and is a popular judge for AKC field trials and Hunt Tests. He is retired from the US Air Force and is a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer.

I judge the occasional Sweepstakes.

We do a great deal of traveling to compete with our dogs, and recently attended the World Dog Show in Mexico City and returned home with our Irish female Sienna, Am/Mex/Int'l (FCI)/World Ch. Starbrite Wonder Bright Star, JH a new World Champion.

Our most recent efforts have been to participate in the grass-roots opposition to California Assembly Bill 1634, a mandatory spay/neuter law, and I am overjoyed to report that with the participation of thousands of veterianians, breeders, and general pet owners and the exceptional appearance of "Timmy" and "Lassie" at the hearing, the opposition prevailed and the bill has been postponed for at least six months. That fight continues now with SB250 in the California State Senate.

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