
Gordon setters and snipe renewed an ancient pact. The various achievements achieved in the past few years in the specific discipline reached their peak at the end of last year. Malcottinensis Sisco known as Nash, gordon setter of Paride Galassi, led by Enrico Marchetti, won the prestigious Sgneppa d'Oro trophy for 2018, the most coveted trophy in hunting canine dedicated to snipe. A trophy open to all hunting pointing breeds, and for the first time the prerogative of a gordon. A historical fact, an exciting moment for all Gordonists and for the Setter Gordon Club which for years has been promoting participation in these difficult trials, considering them essential for the conservation and improvement of the breed. Already at the beginning of the season of tests on snipe, January 2018, trophy of the Sardinian Week, series of tests on snipe in the rice fields of Oristano, three gordons led by Enrico Marchetti stood out. Docholliday owned by Giovanni Meneghini wins the Sardinian trophy, the first victory of a gordon in this competition, followed in the ranking by Malcottinensis Sisco called Nash by Paride Galassi and by Oldrado da Ponte by Mario Pansera.
The months of February and March are the months of trips abroad. Even victories abroad. The gordons of Marchetti, competing in France, collect a good series of victories with the maximum qualifications in the tests in pairs with snipe. Oldrado da Ponte wins two tests with the CACIT, and the young Cecilemanot wins two single tests with the CAC. In April Cecilemanot herself won the Città di Carpi Trophy (the first time for a gordon), a classic of snipe tests, also achieving her first Italian CAC. The snipe season ends in November, with the last stages of the trophy being the “Sgneppa d'Oro”. Eight tests that see the gordon Docholliday, Malcottinensis Sisco known as Nash and Oldrado da Ponte excel and lead the ranking together. Only on the occasion of the last tests does it threaten the top of the Emilia classification, a very valid Italian bracca led by Torti, but in the end it is the setter gordon Nash who wins. For the first time a gordon setter, with others close behind in the standings, won the coveted trophy. A historical page for the breed. A result that can be considered linked to the tradition and historical, anthological hunting vocation of the setter gordon: the "feeling" with the snipe, one of the most difficult and sensitive game on which a pointing dog can compete.

The commitment of breeders, dresseurs and owners has brought the black and tan setters to an important level of competitiveness today. Those who closely follow competitive hunting canine, will certainly have noticed the progression that the setter gordon has shown in the competitive field in recent years. For some time now the breed has expressed important values, and while still remaining among the less widespread ones (about 280 annual ROI enrollments on average in the last ten years, and 242 enrollments in 2017), the value of the results recorded in work tests is eloquent of the value of genealogies in the field. Work and typicality, testifying to what was done by the Gordonists who made work characteristics and somatic characteristics march together. A great job that does honor to those who promoted it (many are the names of Gordonist friends who have left us) and to those who wanted and knew how to appreciate and further enhance it, following the long history of the breed. A great work that can also be read in the importation of important work currents and subsequent selections made over the years, which gave the right acceleration. Another positive aspect of the vitality of the breed is the appearance of new subjects on the scene of the work trials.

The conquest of the Sgneppa d'Oro is an opportunity to draw up a current track on the breed and the Club. At the end of March 2018, on days 28 and 30 in Ceresole d'Alba, in the province of Cuneo, the European Championship was held hunting partridge whose organization fell to the Italian club. At the end of the match, the Gordon European Cup returned to Italy after nine years. The Italian team, selected by the Expert Judge Giorgio Gaggero, has established itself thanks to the points won by Alfeo del Castellare, Logan, Daenerys and Oldrado da Ponte, while the same Alfeo del Castellare, led by Sandro Albamonte and owned by Carlo Giusti, won the individual title with the CACIT. Among other things, this gordon also distinguished itself in 2018 in the tests on natural game and in the classic quail, obtaining in the latter a reserve of CAC, the first quail certificate in the history of gordons. To these results was also added that of Giuseppe Bravi's gordon Deliorman which, led by Marchetti, on March 29th won the Gordon European Youth Championship with the certification. In October, on the lands of Suzzara, in the province of Mantua, again with an Italian organization, the European Championship of hunting on natural game was held. Participants from three countries participated, and the Italian gordons excelled in both the two days of testing: Oldrado da Ponte and Ciro both obtained the CACIT. An all-Italian barrage, judged by the French judge Massierà and by the Italian judges Gaggero and Bonacina, who resolved in favor of Ciro who was awarded the title of European Male Champion, leaving Oldrado that of Vice Champion.

In 2018 as a whole, twenty-four gordons participated in free practice tests in various competition notes, a figure substantially in line with the previous year. Fifteen gordons who in total obtained nine CAC-CACIT (of which six hunting snipe, two hunting natural game and one hunting partridge), three reserves of CAC-CACIT hunting snipe, eight CAC (of of which four hunting on snipe, three hunting on natural game, one hunting for partridge), three reserves of CAC (of which two hunting on snipe, one in classic quail), twenty-five Excellent (of which twelve hunting on snipe , eight hunting on natural game, two hunting partridge, three in classic quail), seven MB (of which two hunting on snipe, one hunting partridge, four in aptitude for quail), six CQN (of which two in hunting on snipe, two in hunting on natural game, one in hunting for partridge, one in aptitude for quail). Early 2019 still on the trail of snipe. To underline the result achieved in France in February by Malcottinensis Sisco called Nash (Sgneppa d'Oro 2018), led by Enrico Marchetti, won the Challange Europeen with snipe. The Challange is the most important French hunting dog trophy dedicated to the snipe and is reserved exclusively for British pointing dogs. This is an extraordinary success for the Gordon breed because for the first time a black and tan wins this trophy. Nash imposed himself on the twenty-five subjects participating in the tests, detaching the CACIT both on the first day at the barrage with the Irish setter Jade de la Previere, and on the second day. Even this event had never happened in the long history of the trophy.

Glory also for Docholliday (cond. Marchetti, prop. Meneghini), which reaffirmed in early January with CAC res. CACIT in the Sardinian Week, and in France in the week from 25 to 31 March, with over eighty dogs in the five days of testing, won the important French Challange Cèzallier trophy with a CAC-CACIT and a res. CAC-CACIT. Honors also to Bill (cond. Marchetti, owner Florio) who in the single tests in France has collected an Excellent, a res. CAC, and a CQN. A “gordon heritage” capable of producing quality subjects for the hunter. A heritage that enhances Italian breeding and reaffirms the value of the Setter Gordon hunting and testing dog.