Twombly SettersEarl Twombly started hunting, training, breeding and showing English Setters in 1925 in Waterbury, VT. His most notable dogs were CH “Joe Silver” in 1930, “Duke of Decoverly” in the 40s, “Cider“, Corey Ford’s beloved setter in the 50s, and “Tober“, Cider’s son in the 60s along with Earl’s own CH “Chief“. All were bred, developed and trained through Earl’s methods.
Earl’s legacy continues today through his daughter, Becky, and grandson, Legh. We are cultivating the Twombly lines, which originated from early English field and bench bloodlines in the ’20s. Earl Twombly worked to have good looking, strong-going field dogs, and that’s what these dogs are. The current catch phrase is “dual” – beautiful yet still full of bird sense. Earl’s and Becky’s dogs frequently would win at a show on a Saturday then point and retrieve grouse and woodcock on Sunday.
Many current “dual” breeders have built their kennels including Twombly dogs. Corey Ford had Twombly setters, and wrote some of the best upland sporting stories this generation has produced. The real lower forty club life members “Doc Hall” had one of Earl & Corey’s pups, Timber and “Cousin Sid” had Bucky, also a Twombly setter.
Legh and Jennifer Higgins hunt the coverts of the Northeast Kingdom in northern VT in October then travel south in November when the snow flies… to North Florida. They train dogs and guide hunters on Olympia Bend Plantation in south Georgia with their 8 English Setters.
Legh Higgins says: “We have a family 3 generation love for gun dogs. We are dedicating our retirement to these fine setters…and follow in Corey’s footsteps from the uplands of New England to South Georgia and the pine plantations with wild coveys of Quail”.
Please visit our Facebook page at Twombly Setters, where you can see over 100 pictures of our beautiful dogs or check out our website twomblysetters.com.
I didn’t know that any “Ryman” type setters earned the title of Ch. (Champion). Is this a field champion or a show champion. Checking with FDSB, American Field, they could not find a ch. bred by George Ryman? Please clarify.
Andy
My Mom Becky Twombly Higgins and granddad Earl Twombly
won many cups ribbons and Best of show in the 1930’s and early 1940’s in New England and New York. These dogs bred and trained were NOT Ryman dogs but were Twombly setters from Coronation Kennels which my wife Jennifer and I operate today. thanks for inquiring
Legh Higgins
George Ryman did produce one show champion named King of Coverly, born in 1913. No field champions.
There is an interesting source of confusion regarding the Twombly dog “Duke of DeCoverly” (mentioned above), who was the grand sire of Corey Ford’s October. Ryman owned a completely unrelated stud dog, also in the 40s, named “Duke of DeCoverly’s”.
Lisa
Duke of Decoverly was Ciders sire and not related to the kennel by the same name. LH
I don’t have a complete pedigree for Duke, but what I do have shows mostly Llewellin lines mixed with a little of the early show dogs. Yes, nothing to do with the Rymans or the Sir Roger de Coverly lines Ryman used.
Lisa
I’m curious why DeCoverly Kennels is not part of this website since there history goes all the way back to George Ryman.
Hi Jim,
All breeders who meet our membership requirements:
http://rymansetters.com/our-mission/
are welcome to join RymanSetters.com
You would need to ask DeCoverly why they haven’t joined us.
Just to clarify, DeCoverly’s history does not go back to George Ryman. Their affiliation was with George Ryman’s widow Ellen and her second husband Carl Calkins.
Lisa