loo The Sporting Dog 



setters. It seems impossible to give them the 

 dashing, get-away speed which the judges expect 

 in a good stake, and they usually waste too much 

 time on their game when they do find it. In the 

 early days of field trials they contested fairly well, 

 the rules then counting the number of points as 

 a standard of competition. In 1879 Erin II 

 made a good showing in the Tennessee trials, 

 and at that same period Joe Jr., which was half 

 Irish, boomed himself by beating Gladstone in a 

 match race. The Irish setter. Friend, actually 

 did some winning under those early rules. After 

 field trials were placed on a settled basis, the Irish 

 practically ceased to compete, and their entries 

 soon became rare. The breeders have never en- 

 tirely given up the idea of beating English setters 

 and pointers in the field trials, but their success 

 has not been flattering. Mr. Washington of 

 Pittsburg tried it in 1890 with his handsome dog, 

 Sarsfield. Mr. Wenzel of Philadelphia entered 

 that year his Ready II and William H. in one of 

 the principal Derbies. Mr. George Gray, also in 

 the same Derby, entered Tillie Boru. She was 

 described as the best of the Irish entries of that 

 year in speed and range. As Mr. Washington 

 had for a number of years one of the strongest 

 kennels of these setters in the country, his lack of 

 success was regarded as almost decisive of the 

 chances in field trials. Nothing daunted, Mr. 



