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.

[Loma I. Clark]

Yes, that was a Irish Setter in the Chevy Chase movie, was it called " Money Pit", can't remember? But the dog came with the house I think but the whole movie it only showed the dog running around the grounds around the house, never coming in.

I think my Flyer is related to that dog..........VBG

Loma and Red Friends, USA

[Jelena Kreitmayer]

Now, I know I will get in trouble for saying this, but there is a funny story about the Big Red movie. Long long looong time ago, when I was about 6/7 ish and my sister just learned how to walk, we taped Big Red to the VHS tape. Which got played over and over and over and over again by my sister. And I was the one who loved the dogs in the family. So , finally, I could not stand it anymore and I hid the tape at a very easy place to find, so she cools off a bit :) So my baby sister cried. And cried. And mom got really mad at me because, now, I could not remember where I hid the tape. Let's just say that I got into a lot of trouble for upsetting the baby *VBG*
So... after 3 years, I get (by coincidence and thanks to my cousin in Slovenia) an Irish Setter puppy !!! :) And now I WANT to find the tape and watch it all over again.Alas, never to be found the tape has been retired into one of the blackmailing stories your relatives will hold against you :)))
And, about 20-some years later, after a long search on the www, I found and paid big $$$ to get a DVD of Big Red, which gets played all the time ( to the dismay of my sister , for whenever she visits, I make her watch) :))))

[Henk ten Klooster]

Great to read all these all time greats here.

And hey Loma surprising news....Elvis! Like to know a little bit more about this (his favorite song for me: a little bit more action).

What I miss here is non-English sources. Like the Czar of Russia who had once one of the biggest Irish setter kennels ever. I recall when visiting the centennial of the Finnish KKKHS a book with a drawing in it of these kennnels. Plus...lines still alive.

And of course the German and French/Spanish languages scenes in Europe - theres a mass of great setterstories. Like those of oldtimer setter-author Hilde Schowyer partiwise in the book "Erfahrungen mit Irish Setter". And THE expert on conformation worldwide - French dr Jean Hostin!!!!

Susan I'm still searching for that Switzerland story - its a great one! You must have quite a few being active in rescue scenes!

Henk ten Klooster.

[Henk ten Klooster]

Forgot to mention Prince Emanuele of Italy. Just for the record, he can't beat Elvis.

[Laura Kolbach]

[Henk ten Klooster]

Yes the Czar Irish setters live on in Finland and Czech Republic, Ginger. Christiane did a survey on that. Great pics of George Best, Laura!

[Laura Kolbach]

Ginger, no idea, i found it saved on my computer and thought i could share this as a favourite funny picture :)

Henk, the George Best photos are taken from the UK-Ireland website - hope it is ok for them...

[Laura Kolbach]

found this a minute ago on a non-doggie site:

A wealthy man decided to go on a safari in Africa. He took his faithful pet dog along for company. One day the dog starts chasing butterflies and before long he discovers that he is lost. So, wandering about he notices a leopard heading rapidly in his direction with the obvious intention of having lunch.

The dog thinks, "Boyo, I'm in deep doo doo now." (He was an Irish setter) Then he noticed some bones on the ground close by, and immediately settles down to chew on the bones with his back to the approaching cat.

Just as the leopard is about to leap, the dog exclaims loudly, "Man, that was one delicious leopard. I wonder if there are any more around here?" Hearing this the leopard halts his attack in mid stride, as a look of terror comes over him, and slinks away into the trees. "Whew", says the leopard. "That was close. That dog nearly had me."

Meanwhile, a monkey who had been watching the whole scene from a nearby tree, figures he can put this knowledge to good use and trade it for protection from the leopard. So, off he goes. But the dog saw him heading after the leopard with great speed, and figured that something must be up. The monkey soon catches up with the leopard, spills the beans and strikes a deal for himself with the leopard. The cat is furious at being made a fool of and says, "Here monkey, hop on my back and see what's going to happen to that conniving canine."

Now the dog sees the leopard coming with the monkey on his back, and thinks," What am I going to do now?" But instead of running, the dog sits down with his back to his attackers pretending he hasn't seen them yet. And just when they get close enough to hear, the dog says, "Where's that monkey. I just can never trust him. I sent him off half an hour ago to bring me another leopard, and he's still not back!!"

[Henk ten Klooster]

Hey that made a big smile Laura thanks Henk.

[Jelena Kreitmayer]

HAHAH
that is just great :)) a very nice story.

[Vera Clay]

Hi my favourite TV show featuring an Irish setter was Ballykissangel. The puppy was called Fyn and often in trouble, although incidental to the main story. I did not know there were sequels to Big Red, now I need to search the second hand bookshops again. I had never seen the Big red movie but Disney released it recently on DVD and we bought one. Conaign nearly killed the TV trying to get at the mountain lion while Tara was saying it's on the TV dummy.....my favourite video? One I made of Conaign which has his first arrival right up to about amonth before he died, about two hours of film set to music, And my favourite bit of that when he is splashing through the water with Tara and the song playing is "Wind beneath my wings." when I work out how to upload videos this one will be on this forum, but don't hold your breath. And my favourite books featuring an Irish setter are the series of books by Susan Cooper which begin with "Under Sea, Under Stone". His name is Rufus and in the first book he is not specified as an irish setter, but described as one of those big laughing red dogs.
Does anyone know if Clifford in the children's books is an Irish Setter?
Cheers, Vera

[Henk ten Klooster]

Like to see the video Vera!