Puppy pleasure

In Dutch "in de nesten zitten" means something like sitting down in a hole, so not nice for humans. But here, enjoying puppy pleasure again is fun.  Certainly after seven long years without pups.

Dam is Redwing White Lightning (callname Clancy), born in 2002 in Kentucky, USA. I saw her sire Mike Mulcaire in 2001 winning the walking trials of the half a century old National Red Setter Field Trial Club in the Kentucky Wildlife Reservate. And admired her dam and family in the Redwing kennels of Jean Plummer.

Autumn 2005, five pups from the combination: Echlin O'Conloch X Redwing White Lightning

In the museum

Clancy's parents are in two separated registries: the sire in the Field Dog Stud Book, the dam as well in the American Kennel Club. The FDSB registers most working red setters whereas in AKC's registries show Irish dominate. Her dam Hitch Hiker was one of the exceptions to the last.

Best known forefathers of both red setters is Sulhamstead Norse d'Or, bred by mr Florence Nagle and his best known descendant Clancy O'Ryan, who is in the Hall of Fame of the birddog museum in Tennessee.

Bridging worlds

Because there is a conflict between fans of working dogs and show dogs, there is no reciprocal registry for Irish setters in both registries.

The Dutch Kennel Club is a member of the Federation Cynologique Internationale (FCI). This FCI only does business with one organization per country -the biggest-, that is for America AKC. That is why Clancy's registry was for a long time pending. At last the decision was made to enter her in the Dutch registry.

Back on top

Clancy helped to get the Irish setter back on stage in Dutch field trials in open competition with pointers and English setters by winning in three outings in youth class twice a third price and one honourable mentioning. She was together with the sire of the litter, present in a team of four representatives of the national team for the European championship in 2005.

The national team: Echlin O'Conloch, Redwing White Lightning with Henk ten Klooster and Pallas Green Finnegan and Harry with Gerard Mirck

Echlin is since his youth present in the national ream. His litter sisters and -brothers are active as sportive companion scoring  in all kinds of activities. His both sisters Ealga and Elan are respectively topdog for flyball and allround hunter in Zeeuws Vlaanderen. A luckybird, Egan, is living between the grouse in Finland. Others (beneath Echlin also Eagle) showed their noses on field trials.     Photo: Just before heading for Finland: Egan O'Conloch

History of Harp

In Echlin there is not only a history of a quarter of a century breeding here, but also times when helping as a boy in the O'Cuchulain-kennels. Derrycarne Harp was living there in the sixties, the first post war import from Ireland. She once threw her puppies on my bed. Echlins forebearers are predominantly Irish bred. His pictures were used to show in huntermagazines how an ideal looking Irish setter should look, one that can work as well.

Echlin O'Conloch

With Clancy we were in the race for the EC 2006. First training in Denmark, January. She works stars from heaven, but hormones means a stop. Departed from her kennelmate Echlin, last one temporarily served to take over the honours. After a training session in Zeeuws Vlaanderen hormones looked out of play. So the couple was together again. Just a check and yes: as good friends on the bench.

On beautiful fields in Roxheim, southern Germany in February Clancy fast got her place in the national EC-team. Especially a couple with Pallas Green Ginney, owned by Harry Stronk, was a scene of setters like swallows racing for horizons. Pure passion. Intensive training followed.

Healthy disease

But Clancy goes down. During field trials in Petrieux (Belgium) and Griendtsveen her passion is gone. Fatter and fatter she becomes. Full of worries to the vet. After a scan, he smiles. "It is a healthy disease" , he says. Pregnant! Gone EC-chances. That is how Echlin takes his place in the EC-team at old age (eight years). But he enjoys it. Double joy.

Something warm awakens in the middle of the night, April 6th 2006. Looking backwards is glimpsing Clancy!  In a sneaky way she has conquered a place on our bed.

But why warm in the back? Huh it's a puppy. Giulla. Following are Gwynn, Guinness, Grouse, Grianne, Gweehin, Gadhra, Grace, Gara, Giulla II, Grady and Griffy in a puppyhole in the livingroom.  At sunrise there are "sounds of  settersilence".

Henk ten Klooster, April 6^th 2006.

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