Irish working setters in Belgium are "too fat, lacking passion and missing Irish working blood"

[Henk ten Klooster]

"Irish setters entered for field trials are much too fat, miss passion and structure in work. Its necessary to add pure Irish field working lineage to update their passion & performance in trials."

Thats what -in a nutshell- fieldjudge Didier Horman told participants of trials organized by the Belgian Irish Setter Club on Saturday August 28th, held in Bertinchamps.

Horman found only one entrant okay for a small qualification (good) amongst fifteen entrants (pointers, Irish (red and red and white) setters, Gordon and English setters: Giulla Redskin O'Conloch.

ISCB president Dirk Vervenne gave her owner (thats me) a medal and a journalist/photographer of a Belgian dogmagazine focusing on British -working- pointing dogs noted his words and photographed Giulla.

These are facts, on a personal note I've thoroughly enjoyed the day and quite a few performances - some, especially of red and white Irish setters like those of Ingrid Vanuscorps and falconer Johan with Pachino, certainly with passion!!! But -again personal- I support Hormans words, more IR(W)S did not go further than a Drentsche Partridge Dog run=as far as you can run on clumps.

[Susan Stone]

Congratulations to Giulla! She is the one from the magazine, am I right?
As to the comments, well, I am sure our Irish would benefit from some working input - the question is: can we owners cope with it??? It may be true, what I am told, that they are more biddable and easier to train than the show lines. But they certainly go like rockets... and rockets need careful handling;-)

[Henk ten Klooster]

Thanks Susan. Yes Giulla was on the cover of De Jachthond (Hunting Dog) Summer issue. Your question hits a key-issue!!!!

[Carmel Murphy]

Well done to you and Giulla!!

[Astrid Landsaat]

Gefeliciteerd!!!

[Henk ten Klooster]

Thanks & dankjewel Carmel & Astrid. She's a good guide for landscapes, next weekend Denmark. Discovering fantastic places by following a setternose means always a price!