The Ryman strain of setter has an interesting history.  To understand this type of dog a person has to step back and look at the entire picture of the evolution of whence it originated.  The Ryman bloodline takes it name from a gentleman by the name of George Ryman.
    Ryman was a Pennsylvania grouse and woodcock hunter who created a line of gundog setters.  He took his gundog breeding very seriously.  He was very knowledgeable about English Setter bloodlines.  When producing dogs for the grouse and woodcock hunter he knew the characteristics that they should have.  He knew their physical characteristics, style and manner of working.  Ryman grew up around the Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania area during the late 1800's. The type of setters that he came in contact were the large boned, square-muzzled, larger headed belton type marked setters.  He decided that he wanted to produce good field dogs with nice looking conformation.
   Ryman started his breeding program around 1910.  A setter  by the name Sir Roger Decoverly was born in 1907 and was owned by a wealthy Pittston, Pennsylvania hunter M.I Mangan.  This dog originated from a breeding between Mallwyd Sirdar, a Laverack bench setter with exemplary field ability; and Lady Mangan, a Count Noble Llewellyn setter.  Sir Roger was noted for his good work in the grouse woods as well as on the bench.  In 1912 Sir Roger began siring dogs for George Ryman near Shohola Falls, Pennsylvania which is near Milford on the Delaware river.  Ryman was known for his culling ability when his dogs produced the offspring.  
    In 1913, Dr. H.M. Beck of Wilkes- Barre, Pennsylvania acquired Sir Roger.  Ryman then turned to his son, Roger II bred by H. M. Posten who also was a hunter.  Roger II was bred to Blue Girl Jaine, who originated from Wyoming Valley Mason and Princess West.  This breeding produced Sir Roger II, Jr. which was owned by George Ryman.  
    In 1916 Ryman then used Sir Roger II Jr. blended with dogs produced by Mangan, Beck, and Posten and others to make his dual type setters.  Ryman used setters from outside blood that came from good field and bench dogs as well as foreign setters of dual type from England, continental Europe and Canada.  Some of Ryman’s field and show blood included: Ch. Phill’s Speed Ben, Ch. Rackets Rummey, International Ch. Spiron, Ch. Tony Boy, Rummy Stagboro, Ch. Broomhill Banker, Supelative, Marse Ben, Nugym and Sports Peerless.  The last two crosses Ryman felt were some of his best.  Nugym was the 1922 National Grouse Dog Champion and this blood was introduced from 1930-1940 which resulted in such things as stylish point, early development, bird sense, and good conformation.  In 1940 he purchased a son of Sports Peerless and bred it to one of his best females.  Sports Peerless was a 19-time winner who sired 163 winners and turned out to be a second good out cross.
    From 1916 until his death in 1961 the Ryman Gundog Kennels located at Shohola Falls in Pike  County Pennsylvania produced gundogs of duel type for the grouse and woodcock hunter.  Ryman also operated a hunting and fishing camp in Quebec, where he was able to put his dogs into contact with ruffed grouse and woodcock.  These grounds provided his dogs with lots of opportunity so he could choose which dogs would be used in his breeding.  Ryman’s dogs were measured by a standard he expected in their performance.  Ryman became the world’s largest producer of dual-type English Setters.
    In 1955 Ryman suffered a stroke and had limited participation until his death in 1961.  Ellen, Ryman’s second wife and her husband Carl Calkins carried on the kennel until 1975 when they sold it to Robert Sumner of West Virginia.  In 1976 a split came with Sumner retaining the Ryman name and Ken Alexander used the Decoverly name.
     The Ryman setter line has become noted as a grouse and woodcock hunting dog that has both good looks and conformation.

Sources for this article: "The Ryman Setter: A Gentlemen's Shooting Dog" by Rick Van Etten , Gun Dog Magazine, April/May 1991, p. 41-45. "The Dual Setter" by John D. Taylor, Gun Dog Magazine, April/May 2004, p. 40-43.

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