The First Gordon in Kentucky

The first Gordon Setter in Kentucky was a gift from Daniel Webster to Henry Clay. Some may recall that Daniel Webster received a gift of two Gordon Setters from George Blunt, prior to this.
Daniel Webster and Henry Clay were the best of friends, and Webster was a guest at Henry Clay's estate, Ashland, on several occasions. It is said that Henry Clay was quite the gambler, and later in life was about to lose his beloved Ashland because of a card game. It was saved at the eleventh hour by a group of Henry Clay's friends, who raised $25,000 to pay the debt. Obviously a princely sum in those days. Most folks of the day believed that Daniel Webster was the driving force behind this effort. Ashland still contains items that Clay had lost to folks in and around Lexington, Kentucky, that were in later years returned to the estate, to assume their rightful place.
An interesting fact is that upon Clay's death in Washington, D.C., was that instead of Clay's remains going directly home to his home state of Kentucky, they were first taken to New York for viewing by New Yorkers who genuinely loved him. His body was then returned to Lexington for burial.


The above facts and the picture of Ashland were kindly provided by good friend and Gordon Setter lover "Grousehunter 12". He knows I love history and provides me facts and pictures from the South at every opportunity.. My thanks go out to him for keeping me in his thoughts, and for reading and supporting my meager efforts on this blog every day. This place would not exist without the support of folks like him...

P.S. Click on the picture for a larger image.