Dale waiting to compete in the 2010 KC Derby Stake.

Gortinreagh Dave was a mistake! At least his name was – I thought I had filled in Dale on the Registration form, but it came back as Dave !  I have been running Dale and his brother Dixie for the last few years.  Dale started off really well – winning the Scottish Gundog Association’s Puppy Stake (his first stake) at the age of 11 months under top judges Dominic Goutorbe and Peter O’Driscoll.

5 grand-children of my great IntFTCh Gardenfield Warrior: G Dixie, 2 Stanedges with Daryl Edwards, G Dave and Stanedge Delight with Lee Cooper.

He then put in some good performances taking 2nd in the Pointer Club of Scotland’s Spring Open at Cawdor in 2010 and also 2nd place in the English Setter Open Breed Stake at Eggleston before he reached his second birthday.  He had very hard luck in the KC Puppy Derby 2010 as he’d put in 2 good rounds of running, had some excellent bird work and resisted several hares crossing his path as he ran.  The judges asked me to pick him up and as he came into me a cheeper, tucked in the heather,  from an earlier flush popped up and thus eliminated him.  Ah well!  Trials are all about “What ifs?” I haven’t run him much lately as I’ve been concentrating on others, but I don’t rule out his return to competition.