In 2017 the Gortinreagh team made up 2 FTChs – IRSB FTCh Gortinreagh Venus achieved her FTCh title at the Northern Counties Pointer and Setter Society’s Open Trial at Cawdor estate on 5 August under judges Billy Darragh and Colin McGregor.  Venus’s first Open Stake had been achieved in September 2015 at Glenwherry when she was still a puppy.

A highlight of the year was the Gortinreagh wins in the Open English Setter Breed Stake at Eggleston in July and the Open English Setter Breed Stake in the Dublin Mountains in October.

Those super siblings FTCh Gortinreagh Eppie and FTCh Gortinreagh Excel, who both enjoyed success at very early age completed the double – Eppie winning the Breed Stake in England and her brother Excel winning the Irish one a couple of months later.

Four Gortinreagh Ballyellen English Setters were qualified in the Summer of 2017 in the space of a week.   On 2 August Doug Collins won the Pointer Club of Scotland’s Puppy Stake under Steve Lound and Colin Forde at Dorback with Gortinreagh Jemma,  on 4 August Ballyellen Duke won the Northern Counties Pointer and Setter Society’s Novice Stake at Cawdor under Billy Darragh and Colin McGregor, while it was Gortinreagh Jack Duggan’s turn to win the Puppy Stake at the Scottish Gundog Association’s Trial on the Gordon Flats, Glenlivet under judges Dom Goutorbe and Bob Whitworth on the 7 August.  Gortinreagh Big Jake made it 3 wins for the Gortinreagh J litter when he triumphed two days later at the North of Scotland Gundog Association’s Novice Stake at Glengairn on the 9 August under judges Jon Kean and Susan Stone – a very pleasing week for the young dogs!

It was back home at a very wet and windy Glenwherry that FTCh Gortinreagh Faith just pipped her kennel mate Gortinreagh Inca to first position which claimed her FTCh title.  Her first win having been achieved the previous year 2016 at Tillypronie, under Richard MacNicol and Laurence McAlister.

Click on the link below to see the Gortinreagh Kennel’s full list of awards gained in 2017.