JUDGING THE IRISH SETTER
By Karolynne McAteer
A breed’s standard is like its own personal piece of poetry; as with poet- ry interpretations will di ff er reader to reader, judge to judge. Th e fol- lowing is based on maintaining the essence of the breed, the absolute essentials that make an Irish Setter an Irish while still leaving considerable room for a judges’ personal preferences. NOTHING is more important than the standard, and adher- ing to the fact that these are sporting dogs, as such, they are athletes and while they may not be asked to quarter a fi eld for an
afternoon of shooting, they should indeed be built to do the job! I personally feel that a deviation from the standard is a fault, but a fault that inhibits the dog from complet- ing its intended purpose is a sin. As you take your initial look at your class, whether just checking them in, or making a fi rst walk down the line, the snapshot in your mind should be one of elegance and balance. Slightly longer than tall, rich red in color, gently sloping top line. Starting at the head, its structure is long and lean, with parallel planes, and an over- all proportion of equal lengths from tip
286 • S HOW S IGHT M AGAZINE , A UGUST 2014
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