Ladies and Gentlemen,
When deciding which subject to discuss at the conference
the most obvious choice was the Breed Standard. The first thing that came into
my mind was the well known battle-cry "Once more into the breech dear
fellows"! I felt that I could understand how the soldiers felt when they
heard this cry - battle scarred and weary. But, who could resist such a cry
and so once more into the breech dear fellows.
It is not my intention to read through the breed
standard word for word but to look at some of the more salient points of the Irish
Breed Standard.
The word standard as defined in the dictionary - a level
against which things may be judged; a level of excellence aimed at. This brings us to
the old quandary which came first the chicken or the egg? In the case of the
IRWS we can see that there are many excellent IRWS from the paintings of Lord
Rossmore. And we can see from these and other paintings the type of dog they were. For
example
REVIVAL
The revival of the Irish Red & White Setter really
begins after the First World War primarily through efforts of the Rev. Noble
Houston from Ballinahinch, Co. Down.
Rev. Noble Houston (Eldron Prefix): During the 1914-18
war, he was an army chaplain and when he returned home he found that almost
all the good dogs had disappeared. Keeping the stock during the war had proved
enormously difficult because of the shortage of food and the breeding of dogs
for sport had virtually ceased.
It is quite obvious that the breed found itself at the
lowest point in the history of its existence but I would imagine that the
breeders and enthusiasts could take words of solace from that great Irish poet and play
write Oscar Wilde: We are all in the gutter but some of us are looking at the stars. This
was the beginning of what would eventually lead to the revival of the Irish Red
& White Setter of today.
The Reverend Houston sought to get started again and in
his desire was supported by a Dr. Elliot who lived in a house called Eldron,
and this name was to become a prefix for many of their dogs. There was still a
few dogs in Monaghan and they obtained a bitch called Gyp (later Eldron Gyp) from a
gamekeeper. She was mismarked but from a Red & White dog from
In the early 1940's the Rev.Houston by this time an
elderly man was writing to Mrs. Cuddy (then Mrs. Clarke) about her interest in
the Irish Red & White Setter.
The Irish Red & White Setter Society: In 1944 the
Irish Red & White Society was formed the objects which were:
·
To encourage the working qualities of the breed in every
possible way.
·
To promote the breeding of them upon sound working
principles.
·
To ensure that if they were classified at shows, they
were judged from a
working standpoint.
Lord Rossmore: whose family had been associated with the
breed for some 200 years, wrote to Mrs Cuddy about the new society in the following
terms:
"The colour of the Red and White Irish Setter is
most important. White should predominate and form the background or major colour. The
red should appear only in large blotched and should be a deep colour not less than
the deepest red of the Irish Setter. The boundary between the red and white
should be clearly defined although the boundary line may be irregular. There
should be no gradual blending of colour between the red and the white. The head
should carry a red blotch but the neck should be white. The ears should all be red. There
should be no red specks on the body but freckles on the nose and the feet are allowed.
The tail may be all white but if marked with a red blotch is improved."
These comments from Lord Rossmore whose family have been
involved with the Red & White Setters for nearly 200 years, are worthy of
note in relation to colour.
When the Club finalised the Breed Standard in 1985 it
included the objectives of the Irish Red & White Society and the
observations of Lord Rossmore in regards to colour thereby creating the link
from the past to the present day on these most important matters.
UTILIZATION;
Most acceptable companion and friend in the homes and
the fields, the IRWS is bred primarily for the field. The standard as set out
hereunder must be interpreted chiefly from this point of view and all judges at
bench shows must judge the exhibits chiefly from the working standpoint.
In my position as Chairman of the IRWSC and a Gundog Group
Judge I have been asked by fellow judges and enthusiasts how does one
judge the exhibits chiefly from a working standpoint. The answer that I would
normally give is that the Irish Red & White Setter is a working gundog. It
states in the general appearance of the Irish Breed Standard that the dog should be strong,
well balanced and proportioned without lumber - athletic rather than racy. Lumber as
defined in the dictionary ' to move about clumsily, heavily'. This is an
important statement and should be kept in mind by all judges. If one looks at
the terrain that the IRWS was bred to hunt on the mountains containing
vast areas of heathered moor and the bogs of Ireland examples of which can still be
seen in the west of Ireland consist of areas of wet undulating ground. A dog that
moves about clumsily and heavily would be of no use to a hunter in such
conditions and this is what influenced the physique of the IRWS as a hunting dog.
I have been often asked is it not near impossible to
breed a dog that conforms to the breed standard and is also an excellent
working dog. The answer I normally give to this question is that it is hard but not
impossible. It is our duty as custodians of the breed to ensure the continued future of the
IRWS as a working dog that conforms to the breed standard.
Our next illustration is of the top winning dog and bitch
at shows in
.
If one looks at the pedigree of International Show
Champion Princess Sophie you will see that she is a litter sister to Field Trial
Champion Silent Seeker of Shannonvalley. The IRWS would be one of the few breeds where
you would see a international show champion and a field trial champion immerging
from the one litter. This did not happen by accident but indicates the thought
and dedication that Irish breeders invested in the breed.
If one moves on to Show Champion Dalriach Auchindoun his
pedigree makes interesting reading. He is a son of Kestral of Cherryfield and
Ardbraccan Firecrest; A grandson of Field Champion Bawnrhu Smart Fella and Show
Champion Ardbraccan Dunboyne. I think this dog illustrates the benefits of
combining both field trial and what could be described as show lines. However
if one looks at the Ardbraccan lines you will see that Trudy Walsh also
realised these benefits and included both Canon Doherty's dogs from shooting lines and the
well known Field Trial dog Mona's Choice. Indeed her breeding can be seen in
Dessie Litton's field trial dogs. Margaret Sierakowski's use of Kestral of
Cherryfield, a dog who died prematurely just one point short for his
title of Field Trial Champion was a brave decision and the ripple effects of
this decision can be seen in the kennels of Deborah McNay of the Machias Kennels in America,
who has bred a son of Dalriach Auchindoun to a Vander's bitch, a kennel who I think it
is safe to say is not known for its involvement with working
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There have been others who have gone down
this road such as Canon Doherty when he made a decision to mate Field Trial
Champion Craigrua Aran to his bitch Ruemadra Kitu. Some of the dogs from this
resulting litter have been used by the influential kennel of Edward Flannelly
in producing field trial champions. This decision would have been a continuation of
the Canon's commitment to breed IRWS that can work and conform to the Irish Breed
Standard. Another example of this policy can be seen in
the presentation of Fiorella Mathis on the IRWS in
So Ladies and Gentlemen, it is my opinion
that if thought is given to the breeding of IRWS that it can still produce dogs
that meet the standard set down in the Utilization section of the breed
standard.
HEIGHT
STANDARD:
As it was felt that the lack of a height standard in the
Irish Red Setter Standard has led to a divergence of type between show and
working setters, the IRWS breed club of the country of origin included a height
standard in the finalization of the breed standard. It is the sincere wish of
this club that all other breed clubs would give serious thought and
consideration to this matter.
EYE SHAPE:
As there had been no mention of eye shape in the 1944
Points of the IRWS drawn up by the Irish Red & White Setter Society, this was
first introduced in the Interim Breed Standard 1979, a document drawn up by the
Irish Red Setter Club. If you look at IRWS Eye shape there two distinctive ends to
the eye and at either end of the eye they join. This shape cannot be described as round
or circular. There has been much discussion between members regarding the shape
of the eye. It was the opinion of all the members of the breed club that no-one
had ever seen an IRWS with a round eye. This did not reflect the eye shape of
the IRWS. The FCI requested the Club to use precise language and terminology as
the standard will be translated into other languages. It was therefore decided
to change the eye shape to oval which would better describe the shape of the IRWS's eye.
COLOUR:
It was brought to the attention of the club that the
section of the Breed Standard which made roaning and flecking an eliminating fault
caused particular problems to people from
After a very full discussion in which all present took
part, a proposal from the breed club to amend the standard was considered. It was felt
by all that this proposal would remove the problems as identified and after some minor
adjustments the breed club delegation agreed to take it back to an EGM of the
Club for ratification.
PROPOSAL: Colour.
Base colour white with solid red patches (clear islands
of red colour), both colours should show the maximum of life and bloom, flecking
but not roaning permitted around the face and feet and up to the foreleg as far as
the elbow and up the hindleg as far as the hock. Visible and excessive roaning,
flecking and mottling on any other part of the body is most objectionable and
prohibits the dog from being graded higher than Very Good.
This proposal was presented and accepted at
the EGM of the IRWSC. It was also presented to the General Purpose Committee of
the IKC. It was then presented to An Ard Comhairle, the ruling body of the IKC and
accepted by both.
The document was then presented to the FCI. The General Committee of the FCI
understood the problem we had with the interpretation of the IRWS standard on colour. They suggested
that the following wording would best suit our requirements by explaining that this
type of mismarking is objectionable and that where it is very obvious and
pronounced is a disqualifying fault. They felt that using the term 'Dogs
who are.... should be disqualified' could result in some
judges over reacting.
After much discussion we came up with a proposal that
was acceptable to the FCI, the IKC and the IRWSC.
Colour.
Base colour white with solid red patches (clear islands
of red colour), both colours should show maximum of life and bloom; flecking but not
roaning permitted around the face and feet and up to the forelegs as far as the
elbow and up the hind legs as far as the hock; roaning, flecking and mottling on
any other part of the body is objectionable.
Eliminating Faults:
Although flecking but not roaning is permitted around
the feet and up to the forelegs as far as the elbow and up the hind legs as far as the
hock, Visible and Excessive roaning,
flecking or mottling on any other part of the body is an eliminating fault.
This is a major concession by the breed club for allowing
the removal of the words 'most objectionable and is to be heavily penalised'.
We feel that this will allow judges discriminate between what is objectionable
and what is an eliminating fault.
The IKC and the native breed club does not envisage any
further changes to the colour section of the Breed Standard.
SHOWING AND THE STANDARD
Concerns have been raised in the Club on the matter of
presentation of the dogs at Shows. Some of them are being shaved and stripped like
show Irish Setters. It is envisaged that there will be a section in the Breed
Standard dealing with the presentation of dogs at Shows.
Proposed addition to the Breed Standard for 2006.
1) Coat/Hair
Addition to the rule will be:
'Feet may be trimmed and stray hairs neatened, but
neither the natural
appearance of the coat nor the outline of the dog should
be altered by
trimming'.
2) Faults
Addition to faults:
Trimming that detracts from the natural appearance of
the dog is to be penalized.
This Ladies and Gentlemen brings an end to the
presentation on the Breed Standard. I hope that this has given you a greater
understanding of the development of the Breed Standard over the years.