The Irish Setter 175 



and require a great deal of finding, and the walking is arduous, can find 

 no better dog for the purpose than a properly trained and staunch red 

 setter. Such a dog will work hard all day and not give up in disgust about 

 noon because he has failed to locate more than an old bird or two. I shall 

 never forget that big strong dog Wrestler that ran in the Irish Trials of 189 1. 

 Each morning he followed, or rather preceded the cars during the long 

 ten miles drive to the moors, on his way racing over the fields and enclosures, 

 and indeed doing an ordinary day's work before the trials commenced, 

 and when he did run his first heat he was even then too wild. No Laverack 

 or Gordon setter would have been allowed to do this, and it must have 

 proved too much even for those untiring liver and white little dogs to which 

 allusion has previously been made in the article on English setters.' Wrestler, 

 although defeated in the Grand All-Ages Stakes by the famous English 

 setter Fred at the English Trials of 1891, won the prize for second best of 

 any breed, and later on had his revenge by defeating Fred, among others, 

 and winning outright the International All-Ages Stakes at the Irish 

 Grouse Trials. 



"To come nearer home, we have that well known artist-sportsman, the 

 late J. M. Tracy, in his article on setters and pointers in 'Shooting on Upland, 

 Marsh and Stream': 'The very best field dog I ever saw was an Irish 

 setter. For those who shoot a great deal, and work the same dog on a 

 great variety of game, there is no dog like a good Irish setter.' 



"Is it not strange in view of what has been done abroad and the good 

 opinions so many hold in this country that the Irish setter has not been 

 more conspicuous in our field trials, and stranger still that he has absolutely 

 disappeared from public competition. But before condemning the breed 

 in its entirety on that account it is well to remember that there are probably 

 one hundred English setters and pointers bred in this country to one Irish 

 setter, and that the proportion of dollars spent is still greater. Given any- 

 thing like an even chance, such as there is to be obtained abroad and has been 

 at some trials in this country in former years, the Irish setter has generally 

 rendered an account of himself that lovers of the breed have felt proud of. 



Early Importations 



"That we have imported some of the very best blood cannot be denied, 

 but something beyond that is necessary to bring them to the front in this 

 country. The records prove that they can win if properly selected, trained 



