A point of pride

Whether they are galloping effortlessly over the heather or holding a point to rigid perfection, Britain's pointing dogs are a sight to behold, says David Tomlinson

- David Tomlinson

SOME YEARS ago I met a man with a real passion for grouse shooting. However, he saw driven grouse as an expensive and overrated indulgence, and walked-up grouse over spaniels as a waste of energy. The only way for a gentleman to shoot a grouse, he insisted, was over pointing dogs. This, he explained, was shooting in its purest form: a man and dog working together to outwit a wild and challenging quarry.

Grouse shooting over pointing dogs is a highly specialised sport, and its popularity is restricted by the relatively few opportunities to try it. The two essentials are a suitable moor and a trained dog but it is equally important that the gun is fit and prepared to walk, often on difficult terrain and possibly for several miles, in pursuit of both dog and grouse. The actual shooting is really incidental to the enjoyment of the day, which is all about watching dogs work in spectacular countryside.

It's a relatively inexpensive sport, especially compared with driven grouse shooting, as bags are modest and there's no need for an army of beaters, a team of pickers-up and a fleet of 4x4s to ferry you from butt to butt. Nor do you require a moor with a high density of grouse: shooting over pointing dogs is at its best when the birds have to be worked for. Traditionally, only gundog breeds from the British Isles have been worked on the grouse: English, Irish and Gordon setters and pointers.