THE IRISH RED AND WHITE SETTER CLUB OF SCOTLAND

The Irish Red and White Setter was established in Scotland from several different sources.

 In l977 John Kerr left Colraine in NI and moved to the north east of Scotland bringing with him his Rushfield line of red and whites, which he used for grouse counting, as well as shooting days on the local estates.   He also enjoyed running his setters in the setter/pointer field trials on grouse which are held on some of the most beautiful grouse moors in Scotland.

In l980 Ron and June Hill (Ronjunes) brought a red and white bitch in from Walter Thompson of the Moirabank Kennels in Northern Ireland.   Ron and June only had a few litters of red and whites but had some success in the showring over the years culminating in, Show Champion Colona Cora.

In l982 Robert and  Penny Mitchell (Glenfallan) brought  a Shannonlee pup in to Scotland for the showring.        Shannonlee Sandpiper, as he was called, sired 2  litters of red and whites the progeny of which  had some success in the showring,  when Camelot Sorcerer of Rodoghvit, (Merlin)  owned by Phyllis Ralston became the first dog from  Scotland to win a Green Star at the Letterkenny Championship  Show.     “Mitch” also used his red and white setters for “picking up” during the shooting season.    

Having some success in the ring with Camelots Sorcerer  Phyllis Ralston  then brought in Bawnrua Streamer thereby establishing her Rodoghvit kennels.

Phyllis Ralston also had some success in the field.

In those early days there were no classes in the showring for the breed so red and white setters had to enter under “Any Variety Not Separately Classified” or “Rare Breed Classes” for quite some time.   They were often mistaken for “Spaniels with undocked tails”.

Moving on a few years, and a few litters, several more animals were brought in to Scotland.    Grace Carrick’s first dog called Hyndcroft Heritage and later on Arbracccan Bonnie Lass, who eventually became an Ir.Champion.   Then Sue and Rab Paterson brought in  Coolfin Cherakee and from his first litter they got Show Champion Torrweaving Border Brocade who later went on to be the first Full Champion when she gained a Show Gundog Working Certificate.   Rab Paterson also used his dogs for rough shooting.

With the breed moving slowly forward, eventually we acquired a single open class from several clubs willing to help us expand.   At this point we had approximately 8-10 dogs being shown, in the one class.

In l991 the Kennel Club registered the Irish Red and White Setter Club of Scotland as the official breed club for Scotland.   This was a big step forward indeed for us in Scotland

While waiting the statutory time limit defined by the Kennel Club before being allowed to hold our own Open Show, Dundee Canine Club offered us the opportunity of having sponsored classes at their show, which we accepted eagerly.  At this point we now had approximately 25 dogs on the show scene. 

Eventually, in l998 we were granted our own Open Show and from there we moved to Championship status.   This year 2006 will be our 8^th Championship show.   

Over the last 10 years we have had quite a number of Show Champions, indeed 2

came from the first Colona litter bred by The Late John McKinlay, they were Rachel Scott’s Sh.Champion Colona Cormac, June Hill’s Sh.Champion Colona Cora, and from a litter sister Colona Cara, Carol Pipe bred her Int.Sh.Ch  Anjuli Poetry in Motion.   By this time Lynn Goddard had moved to Scotland bringing with her Sh.Champion Clehurst Billy Budd.       The most recent addition to the Scottish dog scene has to be Margaret Sierakowski who moved to the north east of Scotland several years ago and started her Dalriach kennels which is the home of Ir.Sh.Champion Dalriach Auchindoun.

For such a small country we were doing well.

Before the Kennel Club acknowledged us as the breed club for Scotland we hadalready started  promoting the working aspect of the breed.   One of our Hon. Patrons, Mr Wilson Young, gave us the use of a grouse moor in the Scottish Borders and, under the supervision of trainer Mr. Peter O’Driscoll, “we took to the hills”

With great enthusiasm our club offered a week-end training package which gave novice owner/handlers the opportunity of finding out what a red and white setter was originally bred for and to give the dogs a chance to show how much working potential still remained.   Nothing like this event had ever been undertaken by any other club, not even the working ones.

The first year we held the training weekend we had 16 red and whites, which was very encouraging but unfortunately the 2nd year was very disappointing as we were reduced to 10 and, every year from then the numbers got smaller leaving only a few enthusiastic handlers who went on to run their dogs in field trials, occasional shooting days, or grouse counting.  

The early attraction of the working red and white setter in Scotland was solely in the hands of John Kerr and, perhaps anyone who owned one of his Rushfield dogs.     We were always sure of at least one red and white setter running in the field trials and that it would be a Rushfield dog.        With John’s persistence in breeding for type and working ability he eventually reached his goal when Rushfield Rascal became an International Field Trial Champion.    Well done  John!!!        

With the club training course being held every year the spaces vacated by the lack of red and whites setters were eagerly filled by other pointer/setter breed owners who, were only too pleased to get a place and have an opportunity to train their dogs.   However, a few persistent red and white owners did go on to enter some of the field trials on the Scottish circuit, and at one trial we actually had 3 red and white setters running.  A very unique event indeed.     To date there is on average 2 or 3 red and white setters “flying the flag for the breed,” throughout the field trial circuit in Scotland and England.

Although the participation of the red and white setter in field trials is noticeable by its absence we can take some comfort in the knowledge that there are quite a number of owners who just enjoy a day picking up, or shooting over their red and white, leaving the dedicated few to show the potential of our breed in the field trials.     For example, 

Demelda Carson’s Rushfield Scot, handled by Nancy Reid, won a field trial in Ireland, and Phyllis Ralston’s Rodoghvit  Huath, handled by Peter O’Driscoll, has won several field  trial awards.   Margaret Sierakowski sent her red and white bitch, Pepperstown Polly, to Italy to be trained and field trialled and has this year become an Italian F.T.Champion, and not forgetting John Kerr’s Int.F.T.Champion Rushfield Rascal.

In Northern Ireland the dog scene is even smaller than in Scotland however, the show   aspect is well supported by Mr and Mrs Nolan who along with Mr. and Mrs McAleer, have had numerous successes in the showring, while the working aspect is in the capable hands of such gentlemen as  Desi Linton with F.T.Champion Granaghburn Quail and Charlie Neeson’s F.T.Champion Craigrua Raphael, and not forgetting Stephen Clark whose dog Pepperstown Rascal of Craigrua qualified to run in the British Champion Stake.