"Hunting the Water Rat"

Artist:   Stephanie Coulshaw

Media:   Free-Motion Embroidery Appliqué, pieced background.

Artist's comments:

In the early days the Waterside Terriers, later known as Airedales, excelled in the pursuit of the Water Rat, competing in matches that would have an entire town out to watch the fun and place a few bets! Two Airedales would compete against each other, winning two points for the 'mark' and one for the 'kill'. They would search out and mark the rat's hole, and when a ferret had flushed out the rat the Airedales would go after him, swimming around waiting for the rat to surface. The rat could swim thirty to forty yards underwater. A great furor would erupt each time the rat would surface with the townspeople cheering, the dog's owner whistling and the dogs madly paddling off after the rat, who would again submerge and torpedo in another direction. Eventually the rat would tire, making shorter and shorter dives, and the nearest Airedale would move in to make the kill.

Thank you to Bobbi Sparr for her wonderful drawing of the Airedale and the Rat.


Artist's bio:

I live in rural Ontario close to our Capital, Ottawa in a 2 room schoolhouse with my husband Mike Downey and son Charlie (14.5). Our three dogs are Brandy, a lab/hound cross, Jake, an ADT rescue and the great Ziggy, an ADT pup. We also have a tortoiseshell cat named Fiona. We have been renovating the schoolhouse for almost 16 years. My hobbies are sewing, knitting, cycling, motorsports, the internet and reading. I volunteer at our local animal shelter. I am a programmer/analyst, currently 'resting', though I hope to start working again in the fall.