The Resurrection of the Llewellin
posted in General, Llewellin History |
Join the forum discussion on this post - (1) Postsby Joe Noe
The first winner of the National Championship in 1896 was Count Gladstone IV–a Llewellin setter. Over the next 20 years, Llewellin setters won the Championship 11 times. Sioux won the National twice (1901, 1902). The last Llewellin to win the National was the storied La Besita in 1915. In National Field Trial Champions by Brown and Cuckingham, they conclude their report on “Bee” as follows, “Her pace was great and her range astonishing. In all she pointed nine bevies and four singles in perfect style. She had no flush. What more could she do?” After 1915, pointers came to the fore and Llewellins slipped from the highest echelons of field trial competition.
This is not to say Llewellins were not around, but few were campaigned on the major field trial circuit. There were exceptions like Tony O who won the Pacific Coast Championship in 1943 and Mark Potello’s Barbara Ellen in the early 1970s. In 1986, at Green River in Illinois, Blizzards Guinevere, owned by my wife Lori and me and handled by Lori, garnered a rare all age puppy placement at eight months old. But for the most part the Llewellin had become a footnote in field trial history.
Over the years, between La Besita’s National Championship and the 1990s, a small group of dedicated breeders struggled to keep the Llewellin strain alive. In 1994, efforts began to return the Llewellins to their roots. Bob Baileys of West Liberty, Kentucky and Alfred King of Conway, Arkansas put their heads together and created a restricted Llewellin walking field trail at Baileys’ Straight Creek Hunting Preserve. Both are Llewellin enthusiasts and breeders. People from many parts of the country brought their hunting dogs to be viewed under judgment by Bob Bond of Kansas and me. The plan was to get to a national restricted Llewellin championship.
Over the years, many Llewellin fanciers had competed their dogs successfully in National Shoot to Retrieve Association (NSTRA) events. Many wanted to follow NSTRA while others wished to adhere to American Field minimum standards. The latter group prevailed and that first restricted Llewellin field trail was held December 7, 1994, another followed in 1995 and 1996. In 1997, the Llewellin supporters formed the National Llewellin Gun Dog Club (NLGDC). The club put into motion plans for a Llewellin Classic. It was held April 7, 8, 9, 1997 in Tiskilwa, Illinois at Sean Derrig’s Rocky Run Hunt Club.
The NSTRA contingent continued to lobby for Llewellin shoot-to-retrieve events. In 1999, the NLGDC adopted shoot-to-retrieve style rules fro the all of its trials, except the classic, which continued to be held at a variety of venues. The hope of turning the classic into a Llewellin championship was still foremost for many members of the group. A few Llewellin enthusiasts asked Bernie J. Matthys of the American Field for advice, for they wanted to get to an American Field recognized restricted Llewellin Championship. Matthy’s words were “Start again.”
So the Illinois Llewellin Field Trial Club (ILFTC) was created to host a Llewellin walking shooting dog classic field trial beginning in 2000 at the Hamilton County (Illinois) State Fish and Wildlife Area. It was conducted under American Field minimum standards and suggestions made by the Field were followed. Three continuous courses were used, quality judges were invited, and shooting dog standards for placements were adhered to. Classics were held for five years–2000 through 2004. Then with the completion of the classics, the ILFTC petitioned the Field for the Midwest Llewellin Shooting Dog Championship for 2005. The Club was granted conditional approval to hold a championship, and it was run on March 12, 2005. The Field, after reviewing all the particulars of the event, accepted the first restricted Llewellin walking shooting dog championship. The event was judged by Curtis Ebersohl of Erie, Illinois and Bill Wittgan of Mendota, Illinois who looked over a field of 12 Llewellins. The judges named Shoeleather’s Tanner champion, owned by Teresa and Keith Hickam of Royal City, Washington and handled by Keith Hickam. Runner-up honors went to Wayne’s Bomber Rex, owned and handled by Allan Sherwood of Silivas, Kentucky. Tanner had six very stylish finds, two stop to flights and a ground-covering wide shooting dog race that saw him end the hour as he started–out there and fast.
The second running of the Midwest Llewellin Shooting Dog Championship was completed March 22, 2006. Teasel Wind’em owned and handled by Gary Wente of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma was the declared champion by judges, Mike Griffin of Oklahoma and Jim Michaelitz of Missouri. The trail was held near Maple Grove, Missouri at the On-Point Hunt Club. Teasel ran a medium shooting dog race and had one very mannerly find. No runner-up was named by judges Griggin and Michaelitz, setting a high standard for the second titular event.
It was 11 years from the beginning of the first restricted Llewellin trial in Kentucky, in 1994, to the Field-approved restricted Llewellin walking shooting dog championship in 2005. The American Field does not pass out championships like political giveaways at a county fair. It took determination, lots of hard work, planning, and the support of many Llewellin enthusiasts, their dedication, time, money, and tons of devotion to the Llewellin setter, which officially had its beginning in 
the first published FDSB registry in 1900 and its first National Champion in 1896 – Count Gladstone IV.
Today there are Llewellins cross-registered with the American Kennel Club that are open and amateur Field Champions. There are now two American Field walking shooting dog champions, a number of NSTRA champions, and there seems to be an increasing number of derby-age Llewellins with open derby horseback placements. It is just a matter of time before Llewellins can once again compete against all comers as did the likes of Sioux and La Bestita.