Fragments Part I from a Story of an Irish Setter

Many people ask my opinion about my own dogs, mainly about Flash which sometimes gets confused with Jet, they want to know who had better head, or back, croup, which one was better, etc., about my females they seldomly ask, when they happen to be the base of Allegiance, they are who through several generations have preserved the same quality, the same structures, the same genetic strength in the generations after. My design and “enginiery”

For North American breeders , my females are more important, and all of them have the doors open to access to the most prestigious Irish Setter studs in any  part of the world.
It is said, that it is an honor to choose a stud for an Allegiance female.
They have been my great pride, who equally compete and win in the American show rings, but it is in the whelping box where they  have enrichen the lives of people like me. That is Essential.

It is true that Flash was the most famous dog of my breeding . (But not the best)

He achieved soooooo many times what others achieved once in a while.

He won, and won, and won in the USA, here, Canada, anywhere. I have always said that he has more records than pictures and the truth is… I never counted his records , I only know that there is no other Latin Irish Setter breeder  that has achieved those or reach his record or the ones of any of my other dogs.
He alternated periods of time far from home, but when he came back he behaved as if time had never passed . I retired him when he was 6 ,1/2 years old from the career he started when he was only 18 months old, quite inmature for my taste, but Larry insisted and after a month of having arrived to the USA, he already got the majors, just like that , with no coat, and bearly time for training,  only with the correct type of movement and structure.
From his home’s garden and without me caring at all for his coat, he went to a World Show, only to fulfill me with honor and glory.

But for me, Flash was the dog of my van, always seated very straight at my side in the front without seat belt.  He was the dog that protected me, the one cherished by my clients, my companion when I visited the stages , he was even allowded to come into a certain restaurant, he was the dog in the middle of… he was MY dog.

People are amazed when they hear me saying that… His father was one thousand times, the best of all, Ian born with the best of everything. Head, neck, body, front, his shoulders were amazing, rarely seen. He was bred by me too,  but he was just like an anonimous hero , he did not like the dog shows and he was always in charge of spoiling his own image at the most, there were some judges he did not like either and despite of himself, he finished his American championship with more honors than any of his offspring.
Judged by specialists only, I never let anyone else put their hands on him.
Then came a moment when I decided not to show him anymore, he did not want to.

Until years later and just for one day.
The greatest honor a breeder can achieve, I did, because of him. He was the World’s Best Producer (Progeny) in 1999. He won at my side and I am sure he did it for me.
Him, without being in a show ring for more than 6 years, and me being just a lousy handler.
That place was not a good ambiance for him, too much noise, crowds everywhere, long waiting hours, too many competitions, it was too much.

I could feel his tension and emotions that day, he leaned his head in my hand… right in the finals, when Dr. Laham as a judge  was looking at him, I felt my heart beating so fast and hard almost going out of my body. The judge started awarding the 4th placement, then the 3rd., then the  2nd., he was just about to award the first place and still in the ring there were a lot of very fine and excellent specimens from all over the world, it could have been anyone, I was sweating adrenaline from every pore of my skin.
At last, when Dr. Laham finally signaled Ian as winner saying -The World’s Best Producer is the Irish Setter-.
The crowds began clapping in a strendous sound; he was a Mexican dog , I just kneeled and hug him while the handlers of his offspring ran to the winners podium, I could not get apart my crying face with emotion tears  from his body. And there he was at almost 10 years old, licking my hands and face.
The International canine press found me that way still in tears when we finally reached the podium and Ian quite confused due to all that people in front of him with their camera flashes.

I do also remember and I have to mention it, right after ,in the exit aisle, there was Alberto Arenas waiting for me with tears in his eyes too, Alberto saw, all of them since they were born and saw me raising them. It was as a great encounter.

Later, that afternoon Dr. Laham asked me smiling  ,- If I thought he had done a good job as a judge. I answered- Simply the best. That moment is in a picture.

About my beautiful dog, Ian, the best always was…That he was the first male out of 2, allowed to be inside the house and just because he could not stay far from me or my daughter since the moment he met her till he died. Always at her side checking on her, he did not allow anyone near her .
Her first word , was for him; his name, well…so….

The events that I live with Flash, yes they were exciting, lots of applause,  lots of activities , flattering, trips, even the rutinary events were special  too; I had to beg him for a kiss, but he took my hand with his mouth in a very soft and gentle way.

All my dogs have been very distinct and all have given me a total different experience , for example Jet was the sweetest experience all the way till the final tragedy , I could write much more fragments about each ….but….

This is the most important thing I could say about my dogs; they are part of our personal story. My opinion about them as show dogs is not important. Gabriela García Gtz.  june  2009

This fragment is in words but in all my web sections you can see the story in Pictures.