EIREANNMADA ENGLISH SETTERS

Many associate the Eireannmada prefix with Irish Setters, but my interest in English Setters goes back three decades. I was introduced to English Setters in the early seventies when I was posted in Southern Africa.

There I made contact with several of the Setter enthusiasts and handled English Setters for Eric and Barbara Collier, whose dogs were mainly bred from the English import Renmark Simon. I successfully campaigned them throughout Southern Africa, taking several through to BIS. This experience fostered my long-term interest and love of the breed.

Returning to Australia via England in 1972, I met Lesley Allan Scott of Iroquois fame and purchased Iroquois Sparrowhawk and Iroquois Silver Charm. Sparrowhawk went on to his Australian Championship and Silver Charm became the foundation bitch for Eireannmada’s English Setters. Her name still features in many of the current Eireannmada, Tarquin and Bridgewood pedigrees.

Breedings in recent times have combined local Australian lines with American imports, most notably AM. NZ. AUST CH Annandale California Flash and Am/Can Ch Guys n'Dolls Legs Diamond.

More recently the use of Aust Ch Bridgewood Time Again and AM /AUST GR CH Chebaco's Bridgewood Guard has enabled me to further consolidate on the Guys n' Dolls bloodline.

Eireannmada English have won Royal Challenges, Specialty BIS's Setter Specialties and a range of English Setter Club Annual awards. The highlight of my breed involvement was to be a co owner (with Darren Bowey, Jamie Hubbard and Bev Watt) of Grand CH Tarquin Continuum who became the breed record holder, winning 40 BIS awards. He was sired by CH Eireannmada Star Kingdom.

Until recently, the presentation of the English Setters was largely undertaken by Andrea Best but I am now enjoying once again handling Eireannmada English Setters myself and campaigning others in co-ownership with Dee and Richard Jones, Peter and Joan Harper, Darren Bowey and Bev Watt, and Michelle Briggs.