Bretmoor Irish Setters is a small kennel of irish setters in Haymarket Virgina, on the outskirts of the historic Manassas Civil War Battlefield.

We acquired our first Irish Setter in the Spring of 1963. He was Rusty of Wakefield (Rusty), and we made every mistake in the book in raising this puppy. He finally grew up and lived to almost the age of 12. He was never shown, as we were not interested in dog shows at that time.

After his death, we couldn't live without a redhead in the family and acquired our second dog. She was Pat's Penelope CD (Penny, - Ch. Spiretop Firestorm x Mavourneen's Jessica). We decided to obedience train her as a puppy, and finally gave up. All she wanted to do was jump on other dogs in the class, and the instructor was no help! We then added another bitch, Larkspur Elvatowne Hera CD (Rhoda, - Ch. Tirvelda Blarney O'Elvatowne x Elvatowne Thundermaid). We did find a very good obedience class and trained both dogs and ended up showing them in AKC obedience trials. Earl obtained a CD on Penny and Pat a CD on Rhoda. We really enjoyed the training and going to the dog shows. Rhoda was then shown in the breed ring by Anne Savory and was pointed, but hated to show, and was retired from the show ring even though she was a lovely bitch. She would go with us, over the holidays, for our kennel club programs at the Nursing homes and enjoyed visiting with the people. They both lived to be 11 years old.

After moving to a larger home, with more land, we added two more Irish to our family - Ch. Elvatowne Skyrocket,C.D. (Armageddon, - Ch. Draherin Thunderation x Ch. Tirvelda Fortunata) and Elvatowne Starlight UD (Ralphe, - Ch. Tirvelda Telstar x Ch. Draherin Eloquence). Armageddon had five points when he came to live with us. George Alston put the rest of the points on Armageddon, except for his final major. Pat showed him at the Old Dominion Kennel Club, going Best of Winners, and getting his last major and finished him. What a great thrill this was for Pat. Earl then trained him for obedience and got his C.D. When he was going for his Open obedience title, Armageddon crashed the high jump, at an indoor show. This accident ended his obedience career due to an injury to his leg. He still traveled to all the dog shows with us and was such a love. He enjoyed living his life, to the age of 13 years.

Pat then trained and showed Ralphe in obedience and obtained her CD, CDX and UD under the American Kennel Club. Ralphe was the only Irish Setter that we ever had that would show her teeth when embarrassed or happy. When she was being shown in obedience and did one of the exercises wrong, she would look up at Pat, with her toothy smile, and make her laugh while in the ring. She was a special dog that trained all the new puppies. Ralphe lived to be 15 years and 3 months.

Our next dog was our beloved Bret, Am/Can Tirvelda Instant Replay, Am/Can U.D., U-C.D.X., (Ch.Tudor Minstral U.D. x Ch. Charlton's Naugthy Marietta) Bret's father, Terry, and his owner would always mesmerize us when we would see them in the obedience ring. Tudor Minstral had been breed to Naughty Marietta and we were interested in getting a puppy, but found out that they were all sold. About a year later, Terry's son, Bret came to live with us, due to the illness of the owner. Bret was almost trained for the novice class when we got him. Earl finished training him and got his CD title a few months later at Old Dominion with one of the top scores in the Novice B class. Earl had tears in his eyes that day, due to the fact that we had just learned that Bret's original owner had died. Many of the dog training club members that supported Terry followed Bret through his titles. At one show, Ted Eldredge was standing at the obedience ring, and when Earl came out of the ring, he said Bret would be very finishable in the Breed ring too. Pat then trained and showed him in the upper obedience classes and also started showing him in the Breed ring. She got a few points on him, but George Alston showed and finished his Championship. Pat continued to show him in obedience for his AKC, Canadian and UKC titles. He obtained eight obedience titles and two Championships, in the USA and Canada. He won two Dog World titles in obedience, and went High-In-Trial a couple of times while competing at UKC trials. At 11-1/2 years of age, at the 1993 Irish Setter National, he won first place in Veterans Obedience and second place in the Veterans Dog breed class. Bret proved to be a special dog and Ted Eldredge would have been proud of this wonderful Tirvelda dog. After his show days, Bret would go with Pat to the Nursing home and enjoyed the attention he received and especially the snacks they gave him. This dog loved everyone, and made sure you knew he was there. Bret lived to be a few weeks short of this 13th Birthday.

Bret was bred to Tirvelda Erinfyr Aille C.D. (Ch. Meadowlarks Intrepid x Tirvelda Brymount Ariana, C.D.). From this breeding we kept three puppies, Ch. Erinfyr Counter Trey, Am.Can. C.D ( BJ), Erinfyr Burgundy and Gold, Am.Can C.D. (Ginger) and Erinfyr Record Breaker (Stormy). The personalities of these three dogs were outstanding as they were so easy to live with. BJ lived until he was 12-1/2, Stormy until he was 13-1/2, and we recently lost Ginger at 14-1/2 years.

Bret was bred to Valentine's Torch Bearer CD and we got a puppy from this breeding which was Danerin Perkins The Reveler (Brandy). Brandy was a lovely, sweet dog and unfortunatley he died at age 6 from stomach cancer.

Bret's daughter, Erinfyr Burgandy and Gold Am.Can. CD (Ginger) was bred to Ch. Rockherin State Of The Art (Ch. Meadowlark's Wyndjammer x Ch. Rockherin Sheena) which produced our lovely two bitches, Ch.Sarajon Simply Unforgettable (Ashley) and Sarajon Simply Sensational (Samantha). Ashley was shown by Carmen Pitts and obtained 15 points for her Championship in a period of four months. Samantha was not shown much, except as a puppy, and after her sister Ashley finished her championship, we started to show Samantha. She did not like the show ring, so she got her wish, and became a couch potato.

During the summer of '93, we added another special addition, Dori - Ch. Kenobi Chasin' the Tides (Ch. Tirvelda Once Upon a Time x Ch. Kenobi Awsum Summer Breeze). She grew into a very beautiful bitch and so her show career began. After obtaining her Championship, we bred her to our Bret, using his frozen sperm as he had been dead for several years. Dori had 9 puppies and out of this litter, Pat could not decide which one she wanted to keep and we ended up keeping three of the boys. They are Ch. Bretmoor Gone With the Wind (Shane), Ch. Bretmoor Wind Of The Night (Finnegan) and Ch. Bretmoor Inherit The Wind (Donovan). Two sisters have also finished their Championships, Ch. Bretmoor Wind Song (Chantilly - owned by George Towles), and Ch. Bretmoor Silent Wind of Kenobi (Allison, co-owned with Joe and Gerry Lee), and brother Ch. Bretmoor Gallant Wind (Mulligan - owned by Adele Lang and Linda Dickson). Bretmoor Misty Windsong OA, OAJ (Molly) is also on her way to finishing. Allison has now produced a champion (Ch. Kenobi Heaven's Best - Chad), and Finnegan has produced two rising stars from Ch. Kenobi Chasin' The Memories that are also doing well in the breed ring. Donovan is a new Dad is his waiting for his son to grow up. This combination of genes from Bret and Dori produced a very outstanding litter. This was Dori's only litter, and we lost her to an unfortunate accident when she was only 6 years old.

Member of the Irish Setter Club of America

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Wilmington North Carolina
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