THE IRISH RED & WHITE SETTER WORKING IN SWEDEN - GUN CARMLAND

Ever since the first Irish Red & White Setter came to Sweden in 1985 the breed has been seen as a breed made for work. Most owners of a red & white have their dog as a hunting companion. However, not so many have been trialling with their dogs.

The first red & white to get a placement in a trial was Astarte Lizzie who in 1989 got a 3rd in a puppy stake and was placed 4th in the Mountain Derby After that there were several placements until 1992.

When my husband Thomas started trialling Astarte Ulysses in 1999 there was only one more red & white trialling. Astarte Ulysses has got 14 BOB in shows. He also got several placements in trials and was very close to become the first Champion of the breed in Sweden.

In 2001 my husband and I got one bitch and one dog puppy from Jim Sheridan. The dog, Craigrua Rogue has been successful in trials. From the beginning my husband was handling him and I started to run him in 2004. So far Rogue has got 10 placements, all 2nd or 3rd. We are still waiting for a 1st which is necessary to become a Champion.

In the past few years, after the Scandinavian Association was founded, we have noticed an increasing interest for the breed.

The reputation of the breed as a good hunting companion is improving.

What is needed now is that more owners of the Irish Red & White Setter starts training and trialling their dogs to give the breed more publicity and the place it deserves.

NORWAY - RITA HAADEM

In Norway today, there are 20 adult dogs as far as I know. On the 20th of February, 8 puppies were born. One of them is in Denmark. We have only had 4 litters in Norway in the past 14 years, so as you see, things take time.

 The Irish Red and White Setter has been an unknown breed for most Norwegians, even amongst owners of other Setters. We’ve had many an odd question as to what kind of mixed breed this is. There are those who claim that this breed does not exist and that we have been fooled.

 Some years back, there were about 30 dogs in Norway. Many of these started to get old and 2 years ago there were only 12 left. Many years ago, my husband and I made it our goal to continue with Irish Red and White Setters and train them as hunting dogs. We started by going to fairs and shows where we could show off our dogs.

 Many people started showing an interest. Since I represent this breed in Norway, many people contacted me who wanted an Irish Red and White Setter. We have made it clear to those who inquire about this dog that we only wish active hunters as owners. We want to this breed to be equally respected as hunting dogs as the other Setter breeds. To succeed, we need their owners to be hunters as well. There are very few of these dogs in Norway and therefore it is important that as many people as possible are united in showing off this wonderful breed.

 In the Norwegian hunting test, there has only been one successful Irish Red and White Setter who has received a hunting award, and this one was Swedish. His name was Ben of Sugarloaf, whose owner was an not unknown woman from Sweden, Pia Hjertquist.

 Now there are 9-10 young dogs in Norway and many of these have a potential at winning an award sooner or later. There are many of us who do organized training with qualified instructors where we train both obedience and hunting techniques.

 The interest for NISK (Norsk Irsk Setterklubb) has grown so much that a work group has been set down to promote the Irish Red and White Setter in Norway.

 Here are some suggestions on how we intend to promote the breed on a long term basis:

 PURPOSE:

 Develop the Irish Red and White Setter as a hunting dog.

 Develop the Irish Red and White Setter as a homogeneous uniform and noble type according to breeding norms.

 Healthy dogs without hereditary defects

 Breed on the basis of good temperament

 CREATE A GOOD ENVIRONMENT AROUND THE BREED:

 This work will evolve under NISK’s activities with a special work group, with ties to NISK’s board, to put forward the breeds’ and members’ interests.

 We aim to make a good and trustworthy environment in Norway by arranging meetings and gatherings, where owners and others interested in this breed, can gather to discuss the breed and agree on further evolvement.

 Actively help strengthen SIROVS (Scandinavisk Irsk Rød og Hvit Setter)

 INCREASE THE NUMBER OF DOGS AND BREEDS:

 Increase knowledge of lines and breeds within Norwegian Irish Setter club.

 Support the import of new breeds of dogs and semen from good hunting dogs.

 Build up and support existing breeds of dogs in Norway/Scandinavia.

 SET DOWN BREEDING CRITERIA:

 Parents will have no hereditary defects.

 Parents will be the winner of nothing less than 2nd place at shows.

 One of the parents will have no less than 2nd place on the hunting test. The other parent will come from a line whose parents or siblings range high on hunting tests.

 APPLY INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION OUTSIDE OF SCANDINAVIA:

 To promote the breed in Scandinavia and help to advance the breeding rate throughout the world, we seek cooperation with similar clubs and breeders around the rest of the world. NISK will take the following actions:

 Prioritize collaboration with the IRWS club about breeding

 Thereafter seek collaboration with other countries outside of Scandinavia

 Help other Norwegian breeders and buyers of puppies get in contact with breeders that have hunting qualities as their priority.

 Translate this plan to English to gain collaboration over the borders of Norway.

 I hope this gives you an insight of how we would like to work on getting this race more known.

 This is a long term plan, but if we all work together for the better of this race, I am sure we will achieve our goals.

 

 

Sweden and the first Irish Red and White Setters

 

 

The Irish Red and White Setter was introduced in Sweden for the first time in 1985.  The breeding was Bawnrhu, Coolfin and Ardbraccan.

 

Some of the first imports were excellent hunting dogs.  This gave the breed a very fortunate start in Sweden.

 

The foundation of the best working lines that came into the country in 1985-1990 were :

 

­     Ms. I Somerfield’s Bawnrhu Patsy (By Moanruad Seamus)

­     Mr. T O’Leary’s Aoibh of Sugarloaf (By Mr. Cuddy’s George)

­     Mr. S Walsh’s Ben of Sugarloaf (By Mr. Silver Rock)

­     Rev. Canon Doherty’s Sheebhin Cormac (By Glenkeen Seaker)

 

The first field trial winners in Sweden Astarte Lizzy and Astarte Lindsey were out of Aoigh of Sugarloaf.  Norway’s first Irish Red and White in Denmark was out of Astarte Lindsey.  Astarte Patrick (out of Bawnrhu Patsy) went to Finland to Minna Fairherst who had imported a show champion bitch from England.  From their mating Finland got their first field trial winners of the breed.

 

The fantastic Ben of Sugarloaf went to Norway to trial.  He was already an adult dog with field trial wins in Ireland and England.  He managed to learn how to work in the very vast and tuff Norwegian mountains and won field trial prizes.  He was an excellent ambassador for the breed.

 

Sheebhin Cormac was a good size and had perfect colours and he passed this on to his offspring.  They were also easier to train that those dogs we were used to at the time.

 

The two main problems for the breed in Sweden in the beginning were:

1)                  Great difficulties to find homes for puppies.  Some of the few breeders who wanted to try working with the breed gave up after the first litter.

 

2)                  Field Trial judges seem to have problems awarding the breed.  This gives owners of the breed the impression that the dogs had to work better than other breeds in  the trials to earn the same prizes.

 

After the first 21 years in Sweden the breed is still small in numbers but of a consistent good working type with sound conformation and no colour problems.  It is considered the dogs in Sweden are well up to the Irish Standard.

 

These facts were confirmed by Mr. Terry O’Leary who kindly honoured us by judging our Jubilee Show in 2005.

 

Pia Hjertquist

 

September 2006