We had been a little ashamed of our simulated trials as they do not adequately test bird sense, ie the bird cannot run or flush of it's own volition. Nevertheless, these trials have had an unexpected bonus. Handling is judged very strictly and every audible command costs one point out of the 100 the dog starts with. I believe New Zealand handlers are the quietest and have the best rapport with their dogs of any I have seen (this includes US, Australia, Ire and UK).

As to the dogs: Bruno Pollini, Pointer man and senior Australian trialist, who visited here said - "We have no working English Setters to compare with New Zealand. While in some quarters they may not be considered attractive because of their smaller size and shorter coat, once seen in the field they acquire their own beauty which puts them in a class of their own. Their speed, quartering and application to their work is impressive. If I were ever to think of getting another pointing breed, the New Zealand English Setter would be high on the list."

At present the size factor is being taken into consideration in our breeding program. The impression of short coat, I believe, was simply due to the fact that these dogs had been in training for some weeks, and our cover is very punishing.

Nothing is perfect however, and the grounds and cover we run in is often very difficult. The American grouse woods are probably the closest to ours and the game population about the same. The well known Irish pointer breeder and trial judge, David Reid, judged for us and, when asked to comment on the grounds, replied that he would say now that there was no such thing as a poor Irish moor!

There have been two recent imports. Glenowlen Gameridge, by FTCh Tyone Banner, from Ireland and frozen semen from the highly performed Norwegian trial dog and sire NJCH NSUCH Vinsterfjellet Bobby.

The two top trialists of 1996 were - FTCh Berryfield Dinah - winner of the New Zealand Championship trial, and FTCh Wingfield Token - winner of both pheasant championships. Their pedigrees, given below, show our present main winning lines.

1997 was another good year for our setters, who made a clean sweep at the North Island Championship -

Fearn is from the great "nick", between two Sharnberry imports, that produced the trial winners Game Ridge Balas, Elysian, Exador, Flynn and Fearn (see pedigree section). These dogs are exceptional at finding and handling pheasants. Fearn's daughter, Berryfield Elle, won the South Island Championship, with her dam, FTCh Berryfield Dinah second.

Trial successes continued right through the year, with five dogs winning one or more championships and concluded with an exceptional result at the NEW ZEALAND CHAMPIONSHIP where the setters made a clean sweep of the placings -

Woody is by FTCh Wee Piper of Jonsmae who combines Sharnberry and Migdale blood. His trial winning dam, Iken Gypsy, is by the famous Irish trial winner and sire FTCh The Blue Maestro and from Our Lassie, who is by the Norwegian import, Storeskars 'G' Snorre. Iken Gypsy is a three quarter sister in blood to Int FTCh Lefanta Patsy who won the 1999 UK Champion Stake, and is a full sister to Kassie, the dam of FTCh Lefanta Snorre.

Woody is now 2½ and has already won 3 Championships including the only Pheasant Championship he has been entered in.

2000 was an exceptional year for our English setters.

Two dogs, FTCh Berryfield Elle and FTCh Chywoon Entrepreneur of Jonsmae (Imp UK), (Woody), completed their titles.

FTCh Berryfield Elle, who finished her title in classic fashion by winning the New Zealand Championship, is by FCh Game Ridge Fearn and out of FTCh Berryfield Dinah. This uncle to niece mating represents intense line breeding to the successful nick from our Sharnberry imports. FCh Game Ridge Fearn and FTCh Berryfield Dinah's sire, Game Ridge Elysian, are brothers from different litters by Sharnberry Quin from Kiki Gem. Age is now catching up with these dogs, but nine year old Game Ridge Flynn, another brother, was still one of the most competitive at the pheasant trials, being runner up in two championships.

Once again successes continued right through the year. At the pheasant trials, early in the year, the setters welcomed the new millennium with style. Game Ridge Flynn went well, as mentioned. FTCh Berryfield Elle won a Pheasant Championship, FTCh Chywoon Entrepreneur of Jonsmae won the Pointer & Setter Club Open Pheasant Trial and FCh & FTCh Wingfield Token had two wins and a second to take the Game Trial Dog of The Year trophy. Token was also Champion Dog of The Year and Open Dog of The Year in the pigeon trials for the 99-00 year.

Berryfield Feather, from the first litter by Entrepreneur, won the first novice trial of the year, and then went on to win the Pointer & Setter Club Novice Pheasant and Quail Trial. Other progeny, Wingfield Winterbreeze, Wingfield Wag, Wingfield Warrior and Berryfield Flirt, all ran well during the year, Breeze being the most successful with three wins and a third in puppy and novice trials.

We had a dream ending to the year, when the English setters took the first two places in both the North Island and New Zealand Championships.

NORTH ISLAND POINTER & SETTER CHAMPIONSHIP
1st: FTCh Chywoon Entrepreneur of Jonsmae
2nd: FCh & FTCh Wingfield Token

2001: First half. Our setters have been going well. At the first Pointer & Setter Club trial for the year FTCh Berryfield Elle won the open, and her daughter Berryfield Gem, by Entrepreneur, won the novice.

Success continued in the championship trials. Grand FTCh & FCh Wingfield Token earned her twentieth challenge and new title when winning the Wairoa Championship. Token also holds the New Zealand record for Pheasant Championships with seven wins, and is now retired.

FTCh & FCh Chywoon Entrepreneur of Jonsmae was the most successful of our dogs during the six months, winning two Club Championships, the North Island Championship, and two Pheasant Championships, to complete his second title while still a three year old. His progeny are showing great promise, with Berryfield Gem winning as above, and Wingfield Winterbreeze the most successful dog at the novice pheasant trials with a first and a second.

Australian relations: English setters have been virtually non existent at Australian trials for at least the last thirty years. We have exported regularly, but always to shooters, not trialists. South Australian John Kersley decided to try an English setter and obtained a female from his friend Lance Bailey-Hill, who is well known for his successful 'Gamemaster' line of Irish setters.

I have attended trials in UK, Australia and the American grouse woods. I have an extensive library with such authors as Laverack, Hochwalt, Marr, Evans, Tuck, Margaret Barnes, Jorgensen and Dr Maurice. Also a set of Xmas issues of The American Field back to 1963 and a set of UK stud books with complete trial and breeding records from the same date.

I read Norwegian and have been a member of their club for nearly ten years and can get the meaning from Danish and also usually from Swedish if the subject is strictly English Setters and trials.

My enthusiasm goes back more than thirty years and my dogs have won the NZ Championship trial ten times. I was co-founder and inaugural president of the NZ Pointer and Setter Club,