Isla came to me when she had just turned 2 in the Spring of 2013.  She was bred by my good friend Paddy Peoples of Monaghan from strong Scandinavian blood and had gone to Scotland as a pup. 

Pedigree	Parents	Grandparents
b. April 2011		Sletthallens Knock Out
	Heegards V Kody
		Heegaards Q Randi Li
Tullycroman Isla
		Sletthallens Rebel
	Castorrock C Jessie
		Lefanta Niccoli

After a couple of owners I was asked to train her and I brought her home in May 2013 – worked really hard with her and was pleased to secure 2nd place in the International Gundog League Novice in mid-July.  Isla’s strength was her lethal nose and her total commitment to hunting and finding game.  She could find game anywhere – in any conditions.  She also had the ability to really fly over the heather.  Despite being small, she was strongly built and extremely powerful.  In her time away from Ireland, she had been given her head, or maybe it’s more accurate to say she took it!  She was used to heading out and hunting until she was exhausted – which didn’t happen for quite some time, so I understand she was very difficult for previous owners to pick up!  Because of all her hunting experience, she knew exactly what she was doing – but initially wanted to do it very much her own way! I enjoyed the challenge of training her. She became an excellent shooting partner and she repaid my efforts to train her with some lovely performances and perhaps most important of all, she gave me the Gortinreagh “J” litter in 2016 who have inherited her strengths along with those of their sire Gortinreagh Dave (FTCh Stanedge Bracken x Gortinreagh Blossom) and all by 2019 recorded trial wins.

Isla’s early training on grouse took place in Stanhope. With her excellent nose and desire to please, she was soon producing grouse like a professional as you can see in the pictures below.

Date	Award	Stake	Club	Judges
27.07.13	2nd	Novice	International Gundog League Muggleswick	A Neill F Kirk
29.03.14	CoM	Novice	Scottish Field Trials Association Dalmagarry	E Bulter L McAlister
04.08.14	3rd	Novice	Pointer Club of Scotland Dorback	R MacNicol J Kean
21.03.15	1st	Novice	Gordon Setter Association Balnespick	F Kirk N Ackerley-Kemp
26.03.15	1st	Novice	Scottish Gundog Association Lochindorb	B Darragh M Adams
28.03.15	1st	Novice	Scottish Field Trials Association Dalmagarry	R MacNicol B Smith