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Although
he lives in Bourges, France, about 250 km. south
of Paris, Henri
Desmonts was born and educated in Paris, yet
he managed
to develop a major interest in field sports.
He shot his first woodcocks and pheasants, pointed
by his grandfather's dogs, when he was fourteen.
At the same time as he was qualifying in law, he
avows to have spent more time on horseback, qualifying
as a riding instructor, than in University.
As a student (and while living in Paris) Desmonts
trained and shot over two English Setters, both
of which later won field trials. One of them,
"Usti de la Grange aux Belles," gave him beginner's
luck, as he proved to be a "Grande Quête " competitor
and winner. "Usti" and his mate became the
foundation of his kennel, "du Petit Monastere,"
which produced nine working champions among which
was the "Grande Quête " champion, "Sacre du Petit
Monastere." Desmonts trained and handled "Grande
Quête " English Setters from his kennel and English
Pointers belonging to friends; he won with both
breeds. |
His
first contact with falconry -- game hawking over English
Setters -- was in 1980 in Northern Germany. He
had his first game hawking longwings in 1981, and won
the "Prix du Haut Vol" at the 1982 "reunion" of the
French A.N.F.A., meeting again beginner's luck with
an eyass peregrine tiercel, "Timee."
He began rook and crow hawking in 1984, and in 1993,
the training of a thoroughbred mare, "Shoalie," marked
the start of rook and crow hawking from horseback.
His brother, Francois, after qualifying as a medical
doctor, started a sporting agency in Scotland -- this
other Desmonts breeds working Labradors and flies goshawks.
So Henri's French game hawks soon got into contact with
the moors and "Lagopus Scoticus." The need for
good working dogs and the quarantine led the brothers
to import three English Setters from Henri's "Grande
Quête " stock, to qualify them in field trials on grouse,
and to start the Petimonaster kennel -- some of their
puppies are exported to the United States or re-exported
to the continent.
The author's season begins in August and early September
in Scotland with field trials, training dogs, handling
them for his brother's guests, and grouse hawking.
It continues with wild-hatched gray and red partridge
in France until mid-January, then, after a "professional
break" in February, resumes in March with rooks and
crows flown from horseback over the weekends of March
and April. The season finally ends in late May
and early June.
He puts great pride in having had a tremendous red-letter
day on December 17, 1994: The day when he first,
won a 3d "excellent" in "Grande Quête " field trial
with an English Setter bitch, "Eidie" (both parents
of which are Petit Monastere dogs); second, took a wild
red-legged partridge with his tiercel "Dionysos" over
a point by his setter, "Effraie;" and third, bagged
two rooks with his peregrine falcon "Windy," and his
tiercel falcon, "Hic et Nunc."
Desmonts is professionally a solicitor specialised in
tax and agriculture.
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Special thanks to
Henri Desmonts for submission of original text.
Henri's articles first appeared in FalconarsWorld.org.
If you wish
to contribute a story, please e-mail UplandBirdDog.com.
8
Aug. 2000
Copyright ©
1999-2000 UplandBirdDog.com
and Henri Desmonts
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