Pointer and Setter Club
Welcome to the Pointer & Setter Club of New Zealand
The Pointer & Setter Club was established in Rotorua in 1983 by passionate working gundog enthusiasts. The Club supports and promotes pointer, setter, and HPR (Hunt–Point–Retrieve) breeds across New Zealand.
Based in the North Island, we focus on improving the standard of working gundogs through field trials, training days, and education for handlers of all experience levels.
Our goal is simple: develop skilled hunting bird dogs and confident handlers while, building a strong gundog community.
Working Gundog Breeds We Support
The Club welcomes the traditional British pointing breeds:
English Setter
Irish Setter
Gordon Setter
Pointer
And all European HPR breeds, including:
German Shorthaired Pointer
German Wirehaired Pointer
Weimaraner
Hungarian Vizsla
Brittany
Large and Small Munsterlander
Italian Spinone
Bracco Italiano
Cesky Fousek
and other recognised versatile hunting breeds.
Field Trials on Wild Gamebirds
Each year, the Club runs wild gamebird field trials in the North Island, typically scheduled on either side of the pheasant and quail shooting season. Up to 10 trials annually are hosted, including:
Championship Trials
Open Trials
Novice Trials
These trials assess the qualities of a true shooting dog. Competing dogs must:
Hunt enthusiastically and effectively alongside another dog
Locate and point gamebirds staunchly
Produce birds for the gun
Demonstrate steady manners around game
Retrieve cold game efficiently to hand
Trials are conducted outside the shooting season using blank shots, with dogs tested in realistic hunting scenarios.
Who Competes?
Most competitors are active hunters — both men and women — who spend countless hours in the field pursuing pheasants and quail with their dogs. A long-standing saying in the gundog world is:
“Birds make a bird dog.”
While field trialling cannot turn every dog into a champion, it consistently improves hunting ability, discipline, teamwork, and control. The result is a more reliable and enjoyable hunting companion.
Pigeon Field Trials
The Club also runs up to four pigeon field trials annually in the North Island. These events are usually conducted as braced trials, where two dogs run together over a set course designed to simulate wild game conditions.
Dogs compete to locate concealed live birds (caged pigeons), allowing judges to directly compare performance. A dead-bird retrieve is included during later rounds to assess retrieving ability under trial conditions.
Training Days & Novice Opportunities
Regular training days and novice trials are held throughout the year using both wild gamebirds and homing pigeons.
Novice events are ideal for newcomers and young dogs. Dogs are expected to:
Hunt with enthusiasm
Find birds
Demonstrate natural pointing instinct
Performance standards and control requirements are intentionally lower in novice than at championship level, creating a supportive learning environment. Retrieving is not tested at novice level.
Join the Pointer & Setter Community
The Pointer & Setter Club is affiliated with the New Zealand Gundog Trial Association and welcomes new members and dogs of all abilities — from beginners to experienced competitors.
A shotgun is not required for novice participation. However, a firearms licence is necessary for Championship game trials. The Club actively promotes and teaches safe gun handling as part of responsible gundog ownership and field trial participation.
Get Involved
Whether you are a hunter, gundog enthusiast, or simply interested in developing your dog’s natural abilities, the Pointer & Setter Club offers a supportive environment to learn, train, and compete.
Join us and experience working bird dogs the doing what they were bred for — in the hunting field.
