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The history of the one year old IS bitch "Stila" we got as
a rescue dog, a few days after Cj passed away, is clearing. Of course it has a
decent pedigree telling its official history but that is not all.
It was rather close to 13 years ago when Maud and the then
around 1 year old Foxy started in some birddog competition for junior dogs that
was held in connection to a Game Fair. I remember there was this big grain field
and put out partridge but I dont really remember all details. In the
qualificationes there was a young IS, handled by an elderly man, that was the
shining star on the field. Foxy also did very well but compared to this IS she
lacked experience. Both of them went to the finals but in the finals the old man
for some reason suddenly draw back his dog from the competition. At that
time we did not know him at all. Foxy won the competition and the old man was
very happy and congratulated Maud and expressed his admiration for the young
Foxy.
Much later we found out who this man was. He was a famous
IS breeder and field trial man. The reason for him to draw back his dog from the
competition was that he saw how very talented Foxy was and that Foxy, and
the novice handler Maud did not deserve to loose just because his own dog
had so much more experience. He wanted to encourage Maud in her early work with
Foxy by letting her win. Now there was a generous gentleman!
The bitch Stila that we now got, was from the last litter
this gentleman bred. He obviously wanted to keep the dog but sold it when it was
4 months old. A few months later, last summer, he died so the reason
why he sold "Stila" was most likely because he felt that he was too old to go on
with it. The man who bought the dog is a retired Gunshop owner, gunsmith,
hunter, competition clay shooter.... living in a small society only 50 kms from
us. However he is old too with a sore back and his wife just had a hipjoint
operation and they too felt that they were not able to raise a field trial
missile anymore. That is the reason why he gave the dog to us.
Stila seems to be a good dog. Maud has been away 4 days to
the moutains with some friends to optimistically try to find some grouse. There
were altogether 5 or 6 setters in the company and Stila was the most powerful
one in the deep snow. Photos will come soon on our website. In addition she
had the kind of coat that repels snow, a very valuable feature when you have a
coat-monster like an IS. Of course they did not find any grouse within distance,
most folks who really want a grouse for dinner this time of the year shoot them
with small calibre rifles at long distances.
Stila lacks varying experience of life and she must be
taken to any possible place and occurrence to learn about everything that is
important to a lady to know. "Stila" is a swedish slang word with about
this meaning: "moving in style" .... like the fashion girls do on the
catwalk. However I am not sure that even a field trial missile IS can ever
become as stylish in its movements as an field trial missile ES. We will see,
right now I can still see a puppy in her movements.
I just wish two things: That the breeder of Stila would
still be alive to learn where his puppy finally ended and that Cj was with us to
guide us in the raising of her.
Anyway I can hear some kind of a tweety-bird communicating
with its environment with its tinny song. It is only two weeks left to
spring!
Torsti
Borta Med Vindens Kennel
www.rospigan.net
"If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous,
he
will not bite you; that is the principal difference
between a dog and a man.
Mark Twain"
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