My first Gordon Setter came from Jean Look and Peg Sanger, at Sangerfield Kennels, in 1967. This wonderful young lady, Ch. Sangerfield Cameo, CD, was my constant companion through high school, college, graduate school, the birth of my daughter, commissioning into the Army, and finally moving to California. I learned to show and groom, and finished her championship and CD as a teenager. “Reba” was an almost ideal Gordon Setter, she was bright, devoted, loved to hunt anything, and while very outgoing, was prepared to defend me if threatened.
I say “almost ideal”, because she was NOT a good mother, and there are no descendents. Unfortunately, Sangerfield Kennels was in its twilight years when Reba went to the Rainbow bridge at almost 13 years. In the years to follow, I owned, showed, and loved several other Gordon Setters from various sources, but none of them were the ideal Gordon. Then medical school, multiple military deployments, and surgery training delayed further search for the elusive “right” dog.
In 1999, with Beth Beatty’s last litter at Celtic Kennel in North Carolina, I found the right Gordon for me. Beth’s homebred Gordon Setters, primarily stock imported from the UK, were everything I recalled of the “classic” Gordon Setters. Her dogs were healthy, long lived, and all had beautiful heads, heavy bones, rich colors, and outgoing dispositions. I convinced Beth that I was the right home for a puppy who became Am and Ger Ch Celtic Arlyss Scott’s Grey. Lastly, my time in the Army meant I was able to live for 2 years in Germany. There I met my good friend Silvia Timmermann, and her wonderful dog Hunter (Gordon’s Dream Admire). Already a dual champion in Germany when bred to Grey in 2004, this pair produced the very first “Munroc” litter. We have continued our transnational friendship and partnership since then, and look forward to many more years.
In the 20 years since that first litter we have expanded our reach and interest. We continue to show in the US, the UK and Continental Europe, and have produced champions in all three registries, AKC, FCI and the KC of the United Kingdom. In the past decade I have gotten heavily involved in field trialing and hunt testing, as demonstrated by a total of three Dual Champions, six Master Hunters, and more young dogs in the pipeline. Our goal remains unwavering, to produce beautiful, healthy, long-lived Setters who have good temperaments, and both look like and can perform like the standard and breed history describe. I admit, I have expanded my interest to encompass a few dual purpose English and Irish Red and White Setters (OK, and a few Miniature Pinschers!).
Munroc Farm comprises 680 acres, about one third woods, one third pasture and one third hay fields, located near Paris Kentucky. It has perimeter fencing and the ponds and large stands of native grasses make it ideal for wild turkey, quail, and woodcock, and perfect for dogs- just ask them. At Munroc Farm we raise pastured poultry, beef cattle, and an occasional litter of Gordon Setters. I am the non custodial co-owner of a number of Munroc dogs. This is how we manage for each dog to get a family and a lot of individual attention while keeping enough dogs to maturity to make sure we compete with, and breed, the best.