How It All Began

The Gordon Setter Association (GSA) was formed after the Second World War in main due to the efforts of the late Captain R H Rich.

At that time, The British Gordon Setter Club (BGSC) had not been very active for some time and despite the fact that there were not that many Gordon Setters around it was felt that a new Breed Club would create more enthusiasm and interest in the breed.

There are no Minute Books in existence prior to 1952. However, in her article on The Gordon Setter Association published in The Setter & Pointer Yearbook for 1984, Jeanette Allan recollected that there were sixteen founder members.

The First Championship Show

The GSA has had, right from it's early days, a progressive outlook and the status of the GSA was greatly enhanced in 1966 when the late Mrs Lynsey Smith was astute to notice there would be a set of Challenge Certificates (CCs) available for Gordon Setters. Mrs Smith was successful in her application on behalf of the GSA, and in 1970 the GSA became the first Gordon Setter Breed Club to attain Championship Show status when it held it's first Championship Show at Blackpool.

Prior to 1970, the GSA had moved around the country holding an Open Show, in conjunction with various Championship Shows at which CCs were on offer to the breed.

Interesting

For Gordoners in the USA, it is perhaps of interest that the judge for the first GSA Championship Show was Jeanette Allan, who also had the honour of judging the first National Specialty of the The Gordon Setter Club of America in 1983 at which the judge for our "Millennium" Championship Show - Tom Olson - was the breeder of the two major award winners. Tom Olson is the first American to judge a Gordon Setter Breed Show in this country.

Policy

After it's first Championship Show, the GSA adopted a policy of holding it's Championship Show in different parts of the country to accommodate all it's members.

The Story Of The Gordon Setter

During the period 1955 to 1957 the GSA was the beneficiary of a legacy from the estate of Mr W M Gallagher of Belfast, from which a memorial trophy was purchased. The balance of the legacy was used to finance the publication of the late Mildred Adams' book, The Story of the Gordon Setter.

This much needed book on the breed history was published in 1968 - until this time no book existed on the breed in this country. It is of course still available - with an Appendix by Mrs Y Horrocks covering the years to 1985.

Yearbook

In 1958 the GSA issued it's first Year Book. At that time our membership had reached the grand total of 24, and by 1968 it had risen to 65 - plus 6 overseas members.

Apart from 1978 when the printer's priority was the Mildred Adams book, a Yearbook has been issued each year to date.

Milestones

In keeping with the progressive outlook displayed by it's founder members, the GSA has always been at the forefront of some of the most important issues affecting the breed :

• 1983 - At a Special General Meeting in 1983 it was agreed by the Membership to approach Dr Malcolm Willis, a world respected figure in the field of animal genetics. Dr Willis agreed to produce an Annual Report on the status of the BVA/KC HD Scheme within the breed. This is ongoing and we greatly appreciate the work of Dr Willis. In recognition of his outstanding contribution to the welfare of the breed, he was made a life member of the GSA.

• 1984 - The GSA gave it's support to the formation of an 'official' breed 'Rescue', and The United Gordon Setter Rescue (UGSR) as formed.

• 1986 - The GSA sponsored a study by Dr Jan Jones into Juvenile Pyoderma, which had become a problem in the breed. The results, which were unfortunately inconclusive, were published in a subsequent Year Book.

• 1987 - The first Open Show gaining Championship Show status.

• 1994 - The GSA over the years had continually requested the Kennel Club (KC) to endorse the registrations of all Gordon Setter puppies with the BVA/KC HD scores of their Sires and Dams. This they commenced to do from November 1994.

• 1998 - As far back as 1953 the GSA approached The British Gordon Setter Club (BGSC) with a suggestion to amalgamate. This proposal was defeated by the Membership. However, the Committee of the GSA firmly believed that some form of co-operation was needed in the best interest of the breed and continued over the years to press for some form of 'Breed Council'. In 1998, the BGSC agreed that it was now a subject for discussion and a Working Party held it's first meeting at Burnley in June 1998. It wa pleasing for the GSA to be able to host this meeting at which - apart from the representatives of the BGSC - also present were representatives of The Gordon Setter Club of Scotland and The Gordon Setter Field Trial Society, the latter, having expressed a desire to be included, and have, under active consideration, revision of their constitution to enable them to become members when a Breed Council is formed. At a further meeting of the Working Party held in April 1999, a unanimous decision was made to set the wheels in motion with the KC for the formation of a Breed Council.

• 2000 Onwards - The GSA's big event of the millennium year, Gordons 2000, proved to be a huge success. Gordoners attended from as far afield as Australia and the United States as well as from many parts of Europe. The international flavour of the event was reflected in the BIS winner who was Ivaldi's Int. Ch. Shannas Journalist. He had travelled from Italy to compete. The Reserve BIS/Bitch CC winner was Illukka's Trisetter Ebonie Nerissa from Finland. The judge was Tom Olson from the USA. The GSA has continued to encourage our overseas members and full voting rights have recently been extended to them.

Breed Council

Following the KC's request in 1998 that Breed Clubs should form a Breed Council preliminary meetings were held with three Committee Members from each of the four Gordon Setter Clubs attending to consider how best this could be done. In 1999 the KC approved the new Breed Council's Constitution and regular meetings were held. Unfortunately, following this successful start the enthusiasm of some - by no means all - of the Council Members waned resulting in it's de-registration. However, the GSA's Members have continued to demonstrate their support of the Breed Council and the current Committee, on behalf of those Members, is doing it's best along with other Gordon Setter Breed Clubs, to bring about it's resurrection. The original Constitution is being looked at with the hope that the Breed Council can be reformed in the not too distant future.

Dual Champion Amscot Irresista Belle

A final mention must be made of Dual Champion Amscot Irresista Belle (owned by Mrs J Collins) who, in 2003, became the first Setter to become a Dual Champion in the UK.

The GSA can take no credit for her achievement but we do recognise its significance and offer our heartiest congratulations.

Return to The GSA

Updated : 26 December, 2011