- by Amelia Jessel
It occurred to me that many of our newer members might not realise the enormous
contribution that Harry Wilson has made to Flatcoats both in Ireland and over
here. So I wrote and asked him to send me a list of awards won by his dogs in
field trials. This is a most impressive document recording the field trial
careers of 8 Flatcoats from 1954 to 1978. Certainly in post war years there has
been nothing to touch his achievements in the Flatcoat field trial world.
Between
1954 and 1959, his dog Pewcroft Page bred by Stanley O’Neill from Sweep of
Riverside and Pewcroft Feg, gained FT awards which included three seconds and 2
firsts. Presumably the latter were not both won in qualifying stakes or he
would have been a field trial champion. I know he came close to gaining his
title and if he had not died comparatively young, he might well have been
Harry’s first F.T. champion. Within four years of his last win, Hartshorn
Midnight, a bitch by Ch.Woodlark out of Nesfield Stratton was placed 3rd in the
Ulster Retriever Club Stake, and two years later she came Reserve in the Irish
Retriever Championship Stake.
Meanwhile the glittering career of Int. F.T.Ch. Hartshorn Sorrel (Jay) was
beginning. Owned by Harry’s daughter Helen, but handled by Harry in all her
trials, her first win was, appropriately, in the Flatcoated Retriever Society’s
Non Winner Stake in 1964. She went from strength to strength running in Field
Trials mainly in Ireland and Scotland and gaining 25 awards, finally coming 3rd
in the F.C.R.S. Open Stake in 1972 at the age of ten. During these eight years
she won no less than ten first prizes, nine of them in Open Stakes. She won the
Irish Retriever Championship and the All Ireland Golden Retriever Club Stakes in
1970. Six of her awards were in breed stakes so the remaining 19 were all open
to any variety of retriever.
I had the honour of being host to her during a period when foot and mouth
disease prevented her returning to Ulster at her running in stakes in Scotland.
As Harry planned to return to England to run her in the Flatcoat Stake, I
looked after her for about a month. She was the perfect guest and soon denied
my fears that she might run off and disappear or come to any harm. Not only did
she curl up out of arm’s way on the floor, she settled down every night on an
old coat in the bedroom next to mine, she remained obediently to heel until
told to do otherwise, and ate up everything I put before her. She was a medium
to small sized bitch with one of the kindest expressions I have seen, and a
lovely dark eye. Although not a great show specimen, she was well made with
plenty of bone; nothing coarse about her anywhere. Quiet and unassuming in the
home or car, she was a real ‘fizzer’ in the field although well under Harry’s
impeccable control.
Sadly, she has only passed down a minimum of progeny from, I believe, only one
litter. The only direct descendant that, to my knowledge, has been bred from is
Hartshorn Fleck of Lingwood and hence Lingwood Medlar the sire of Tarncourt
Crofter and Charm. She did, of course, have several brothers and sisters that
have passed on progeny - notably
Hartshorn Samphire who sired Ch. Black Fritta of Yarlaw, and Hartshorn
Sweetbriar who produced Colin Well’s Ch. Woodpoppy and Suzy Wong.
Halfway through the time when Jay was winning, Harry’s other dog.
F.T.Ch.Nesfield Michael by Blakeholme Joiner out of Hartshorn Midnight, was
embarking on his career. Born in 1965, he won his first trial in Scotland at
the age of two. From then until 1972, he gained thirteen more awards including
a 2nd in the Irish Retriever Championship twice, and six firsts in open stakes
in Ireland and Scotland. Unfortunately he died early but not before he had
sired a litter - the only one, I believe - producing, with Hartshorn Midnight,
a dog named Nesfield Hastie that gained a Certificate of Merit in 1969. As far
as I know the buck stopped there which is a tragedy for the Flatcoat breed.
In 1973, Biddy of Claverdon, an outcross bitch from the little used Ponsbourne
line, and a Claverdon Comet daughter, came 2nd in a 24 dog All Aged stake of
the Scottish Field Trial Association. Once again, misfortune struck and Biddy
died at the beginning of what would surely have been another illustrious career
trained and handled by Harry, losing a litter of puppies as well.
His present dog, Glendower Tarquin, has won a Reserve award in a stake in
Ulster but does not show such promise as some of his predecessors.
Through ill health, Harry has been unable to do as much with his dogs recently
as he would have liked. That he has contributed more to the working side of
post war Flatcoats is very evident from these records. It is a pity, however,
that this tremendous achievement has not resulted in more progeny being available
from which, no doubt, the breed would have gained enormously on the working
side.
Hartshorn Sorrel, bred in England but owned in Ireland by Miss Helen Wilson, whose father was Sorrel’s trainer and only handler, gained the title twice under Kennel Club and Irish Kennel Club Rules - thus achieving the courtesy title of International Field Trial Champion. She won two Irish Championships and nine Open Stakes, including victories in England, Scotland, Ulster and Eire, and was placed in 12 others, finishing first more often than in any other position, a record which can seldom have been surpassed.