Great looking dogs... killed my first rooster over a big old red setter named Jim... he was a true hunter in a time when the hunt was largely bred out of them and he was named after Jim Kjelgaard, the author of Big Red.
I knew nothing about this breed till I went and judged an Irish field trial years ago, Amer Fld trial. Wasn't thinking I'd see much but the first dog I saw later became my Stormy's dad. Second Red I saw blew the entire field away with the best run I've ever seen in any format, she became Stormy's mom.
Did some reading up and seem's that in the early 1950's a group of irish Setter people got tired of what was happening to the breed as a hunting dog. They got together and found the best female they could find and crossed it with a son of 1946 Nat Ch Mississippi Zev. The rest is history! Down the road with the records they kept Amer Fld and AKC accepted them as Irish Setter's but you look at a show Irish next to one of these and it become's immediately obvious they have little in common. My Stormy is 48# at six yrs and has never had a haircut except with scissors and them just a trim. Weighed Sis a while back and on the vet scale she's 40#. She's never had even a trim.
This was interesting to me as at one time I though I knew all the sporting breeds and the dog I would never have anything to do with was the Irish Setter, never saw an even part way good one in the field. Then I discovered the Red Setter, WOW!. They are registered with Af as Irish Setter's, maybe why I never knew there was a difference! Their strong point is they are pretty much just shooting dog's and hunting dog's! Really nice hunting with them, never spend much time looking for them. Normally out about 300 yds but now and then double that but back in pretty quick.
If your interested there's a National Club for them. National Red Setter Field Trial Club, NRSFTC. Also on Facebook!
