swizbender@cox.net

Well, the National is over and everyone is home safe and sound. From what I have heard, everyone had a wonderful time, and the Seattle club did a great job and put in a lot of work organizing this year's show. I saw a lot of names I recognized when the winner's lists came out, so I'm expecting a lot of brags at our meeting. Well deserved brags, by the way.

Our meeting will be Wednesday, July 14, starting at 6:30 as usual. There's not a lot for the agenda, but we hope you will come out anyway and get together with club members.

Our September show is not that far away, so I hope you're thinking about raffle items to donate. In February I got the cutest singing dogs, all decked out in Santa hats. I can't wait to bother everyone who visits at the holidays with my wonderful singing Setters.

My Shena is 11 eleven now, and when we moved to Ramona I took her to "rattlesnake awareness" classes each of the first two years we were here. I was worried, hearing so much about snakes in this area, and thought it would be good training for her. Although she didn't like the training at all ... the first time the instructor said to me "Lassie, she's not!" ... and the second year she knew where she was as soon as she got out of the car, and wasn't happy. Anyway, the second class was in 2002 and I thought since she's getting older now I didn't want to put her thru it again. So ... last month, we're walking thru a vacant lot early in the morning. There's lots of brush, and rabbits, squirrels and quail, it's one of her favorite spots. And she's on a 26-foot retractable lead. I can usually tell when she's found a scent ... for those of you who've seen her in Balboa Park, you know she's quite a hunter. So she finds something, and walks slowly up to some bushes... she stops, turns, and walks quickly away, very low to the ground. So I go to look, and ... aughhhh! It's a snake!!!! Fortunately for both of us, I quickly realize it's dead (thank goodness!). But I was so glad to know that she recognized it right away, and headed the other direction. Makes me more comfortable for those times she's snooping around the yard. As little as she cared for the snake training, it was worth it.

It's summer. Keep your babies cool.

The April 2004 Board and General Meeting Minutes had not been received at the time of newsletter publication.

Those Present: Kathy Whiteis, Cathy Dever, Valerie Wheeler, Linda Kenan, Pam/Hazel Allen, Sue Bender, Ron Larmour, Madelon McGowan, Sue Mertens, Mary Jane Stoodt

Meeting called to order by President Sue Bender at 6:50 PM

Presidents Report: None

Vice Pres Report: None

Treasures Report: Absent

Secretary's Report: None

Old Business: Judy Lucas donated $575.00 for the clubs rescue program. Judy is the owner of Sizzle who was in one of the Star Wars movies. Kathy Whiteis gave check to Sue Bender.

New Business: None

Meeting adjourned at 6:55 pm.

Those Present: Kathy Whiteis, Cathy Dever, Valerie Wheeler, Linda Kenan, Pam/Hazel Allen, Sue Bender, Ron Larmour, Madelon McGowan, Sue Mertens, Mary Jane Stoodt.

Meeting called to order by President Sue Bender at 6:55 PM

Vice Pres Report: None

Treasures Report: Absent

Secretary's Report: None

Committees:

Rescue: Teresa Velasquez has resigned.

Old Business: None

New Business: None

Meeting adjourned at 7:45PM

The family's dog was bought for a guard,

Chained to a post in a chilly backyard,

Housed in a shed that was airless and dark,

And every few weeks had a run in the park.

When boredom set in with no fun and no work, One day it broke loose and went

quietly berserk.

Pa couldn't fathom just why it went wild,

As it flattened his wife and then bit his child.

The police were called in to sort out the mess, And the whole sorry tale was

revealed by the press, the Rescue Society was really annoyed, So, the dog

was re-homed - and the owners destroyed.

I'd like to create a "collage" of club members at the National in the August newsletter. If you have photos you'd like to have included, you can snail mail (I'll scan and return) or email in .jpg form, keeping file size down to less than about 125K - if the .jpg file size falls in the that range, then it really doesn't matter what the compression is. Email address is aileenf@earthlink.net

Mail address is 4001 Cortez Way, Spring Valley, CA 91977. Thanks!!

Aileen

Very special thanks to Jill Acord for permission to share this original article which she authored and first published on Setters-L:

Jill Acord

I wish I could say there was one favorite, but there have been many, for Chance one of those huge rope toys ranks tops but anything that squeaks and grunts and feels soft and smushy in the mouth becomes the favorite of the Setters until it becomes a unrecognizable sad and shredded shape discarded in a corner, squeakerless and ruined.

I remember a dinosaur that grunted that managed to accompany Reilly on his many adventures . . in dreamland . . and out . .as he rambled through his puppyhood. That was special!

But lately, a favorite? Hmmmm, I wish I could say it was a cute little Duckie an Armadillo, or some such stuffed apparition, that quacked or grunted but oh no, not for my maniacs. They aspire to greater heights.

They must have had some kind of fun, these redheads of mine, probably not for hours, as no ooman at our house would dare to leave them unsupervised for so long, but I can imagine for a little while they had the time of their lives. I wonder what they were thinking when that first red nose, most likely Reilly's, went to investigate some bags left in Mom's room. How he got the

door open might be a mystery for any one but a Setter owner. I have ceased to question.. I wonder what went through his red head as his nose buried itself in the pink striped bag with the pretty tissue and came out with the first great toy. . . I can only wonder.

For when I came home the game of tug-o-war was over, the Setters lost in sleep in the dim recesses of the living room their destruction left for me to find. As I picked up the tattered remains of one of my new bras, I had to think; what would the Angels and designers at Victoria's Secret make of this? . . . Did they have any idea how much their bras truly did lift and separate?

I looked at the mocha colored fabric in my hand remembering how the sales girl had said what a great color it was as it wouldn't show through a white shirt. She was right on about that one . . . it never would. . . . And then it hit me... these had been meant for the NATIONAL!! My fingers clenched stiffly over the once pretty piece of frivolity in my hand as anger rose

inside of me. Enough was enough, I didn't care about what had been written about punishing dogs after the fact, I didn't care if they had no idea why I was yelling at them.... (okay, I don't know about you, but my lot have never had a problem with connecting the dots...;-) I didn't care!!!! This was WAR!!!

I marched into the front room, my fist with the tattered remains of the once soft and beautiful fabric, trailing through my fingers raised high in the air but just as I started to release the scream rising from the depths of my being,, Reilly lifted his head . . .and there . . . like some kind of deranged yarmulka on a decidedly un-Jewish head . . . rested the cup of the other bra....

and the moment passed....

My girls had another wonderful National this year. Maggie got a first place in her Excellent B standard agility class and a third place in a very large Open Bitch class. Bailey got a second place in her Excellent B jumpers class, missing first by only forty-three hundredths of a second to complete her title. Razzle was Best in Veteran Sweeps and second in her regular Veterans class, again shown beautifully by Roger Kibbee. As has been reported, the show site was stunning and the club did a wonderful job of putting on a National to remember.

Although Abbott came up lame on Sat. and was excused for limping , but he managed to pull himself together and win a BOB under Dr. M. Fergeson and a Group 2 under Mr.s Robert D. Smith on Sunday.

Flagstaff K.C. had a change of show grounds and it was either asphalt, pine needles, rocks or pure sand. Rings were like a fairground dirt and boy was it dusty. Poor little dogs were nothing but a cloud of dust going around the ring.

Abbott had hurt his foot walking to the rings on Sat., but thanks to Epson Salt he managed to show on Sunday. Abbott has more heart than any dog I've ever owned.

June 19th, ISCA National in Olympia, Wash. Abbott made a cut in the specials ring under Judge Douglas Ritchie to the top 15 male specials out of 44. . I was very proud of him.

June 17th, 6-9 month puppy bitch class, Judge Mrs. Jean Fournier, my bitch, Angel, Sierra Lyns Angel Flight, won a 3rd place in a large class at the Irish Setter Club of America's National in Olympia, Wash.

July 4th, Western Sun's Radio Flyer, won a 3 point major by going Winners Dog from the 6-9 month puppy class under Judge Michael Faulkner and then went on to Best Of Winners.

Sad news was that on June 14th, while I was at the National a very special old dog of mine passed away. SunSetters Arizona Sun at the age of 12 1/2 finally went to run across the Bridge.

Sonny was shown as a young dog and was pointed but never could get those precious majors to finish. Didn't matter as he was my Sun Shine and always greeted me with a smile and a wagging tail.

Rendition Love Me Do - aka Holly - had a wonderful June!! We started at the ISCSC Specialty with her first time in competitive obedience. I chickened out on entering Novice B, so Holly was entered in Pre-Novice and we gave Rally try. Holly took 1st place in both classes & got High Score Non-Regular! The trophies were beautiful and Holly was so glad to have come out of retirement to show how smart she is. Holly's next show was at the ISCA National, and, with encouragement from my friends, I was brave enough to enter her in Novice B. Not only did she do her very, very best, but she got a very nice round of applause following her recall! When it came time for awards, I was really hoping for a placement since I knew she had done well. My beautiful Holly not only took first place, but got a score of 198!!! I am still beaming with pride at Holly's achievements!

Ch Courtwood Pacific Wind - aka Windy - didn't get to go to the National, but she won the Open Bitch Award at the annual awards banquet. June was a very good month for my girls!!

The van is long unpacked, photos downloaded, ribbons and plate, wrapped and stored carefully, until I have the time to mount them... the National is just a memory now, hot, humid, days; sky so bright it hurt the eyes, emerald acres of plush grass, and trees so tall they seemed to touch the skies as if they too were looking for those oh so elusive clouds . . . and show rings to die for.. The National in Olympia Washington. What more perfect background could be asked to showcase these dogs known for their flame red coats and ground eating movement. My first real National and enough beautiful redheads to ease any Irish Setter addict's cravings. I will treasure the memories forever.

There is much I could talk about, being the rover reporter I am, the wonderful show committee who worked their buns off, the lucky folks who took home a ribbon, Carole Raschella's tear filled eyes as she held up the oh so precious, "I made the cut" button, with her heart dog Liam and the answering tears in mine, already prepped from seeing my 'heart dog' glide around the ring with Becky Arch. I had laughed just a few minutes earlier when Loma Clark had taken him from me and walked him him over to the ring. It reminded me so much you see, of Jeremy's first day of kindergarten, when he walked away from me, for the very first time, I so wanted to call out, "hey you forgot to give me a kiss! ... work and play well with others." <g> And Reilly, who is so often known for his antics, did just that and took 4th place in his class; American Bred, through and through.

In the grand scheme of things, it's not the most impressive brag in the world, but for this 'dog' Mom it meant the world, and just to prove he could, he did a repeat the very next day with Loma Clark at the helm..

I'm sure there will be a ton of brags. The California crowd did themselves proud. Congratulations, one and all but especially to my boy, Sunshine's Neverending Story.

Jill and Reilly, home from the National

What a great time and a fun roadtrip (mostly) to the ISCA National in Olympia! Southern California was well represented in the winners circle and the cuts - congratulations everyone! If you read far enough, there are even some brags here, but mostly this probably should be "What I did On My Summer Vacation" (including getting to know the Triple A dispatcher on a first name basis). We traveled in a caravan which included myself, Alexis Mathy and Wanda Sorenson, Debbie Sherwood and her daughter-in-law Heather, Val Wheeler and Linda Kenan. The trip north was (mechanically) uneventful - the countryside becoming more and more interesting and beautiful the further north we drove. Could there be a B&B and pet motel in Dunsmuir in the future? Who can say! Olympia is a wonderful city and as has been said, the host hotel - the Red Lion Inn - was wonderful. Our room had a balcony which the girls greatly enjoyed! The grounds at Evergreen State College were tailor-made for our beautiful Irish Setters. Getting to the brag part, the boys co-bred with Judith Bohannon did great! In their 12-15 mo sweeps class Lucas was 1st (Stardust Witchwynd Kentucky Moon) and Jake was 3rd (Stardust Witchwynd Bayou Moon). In the large, very competitive 12-18 regular class, Lucas was in the final 7. Jake was shown in Novice and we were thrilled with this 4th place win in that class. It's hard to believe that the puppy girls co-bred with Alexis Mathy were tiny babies less than a year ago. Daphne (Witchwynd Sunday at Beckery) decided maybe she could be a showdog after all and managed to behave long enough to win a 4th place in her regular class. Even though the judges did not find Josie (Wyndsonnet Sunday Lark) and Porche (Witchwynd Sunday Dream) for a placement, I couldn't have been more proud of them and their "moms". With the exception of Princess Holly whose accomplishments are described by Val above, our obedience contingent, Whitney and Katie, has been referred to remedial class. Next time!! Daphne and Josie participated in the field workshop and both were able to locate their quail - it was hot, but that didn't seem to deter the girls much at all, and they earned a handsome certificate and button for participating. The real fun for the dogs began on the way home when we stopped at my sister's place in Portland. "Showdog" was quickly left behind in favor of morphing into pond rats and running non-stop, meeting a goose, cats, chickens and horses! After a few calls to AAA, tow trucks, consultations and diagnostics with three garages in two different states (and failure to diagnose the "problem") we finally arrived home - safe, sound...and still speaking! But there was a time or two on that long haul down the valley when I longed for a pair of Ruby Slippers!

By Pam Allen - She is looking for collapsible wire crate size 36" L x 24" W x 26" or 28" T; please call or email her if you have one available! 858 586-0190 or pamelaallen6@juno.com