When a good friend of mine told me that he was going to judge a dog trials competition, I was a bit taken back as I had no idea that he had an interest in dogs let alone the knowledge and skills to judge a competition. Once my initial shock subsided, I became intrigued as to the nature of the event. It turned out to be what is known as a 'Pointer v Setter' event, where Pointer breeds of dog go head to head against Setters in first finding the scent of a Grouse then 'pointing' it out to their owner, in the upper heathland of the Antrim Hills.
I have a real love of dogs and deep fascination with the many different relationships humans have with them, but had never before heard of this one. I therefore couldn't not invite myself and my camera along to explore this unique relationship between human, dog, and landscape. Pointers v Setters provides a fleeting glimpse into the lesser known world of dog pointing trials and the intimate yet complex relationship between pointing dog and owner.
