In many ways our history is as much a part of the DeCoverly Difference as is our present day operation. There has been much discussion and debate over the years as to the history of the Ryman and DeCoverly lines and how they are related. In fact, the original base of the DeCoverly bloodline came directly from the Ryman Kennel. This base was a select group of 30 breeding quality Ryman Setters.

However, DeCoverly received much more than these special setters. During the transition from Ryman to DeCoverly, we received most of the old Ryman Kennel pedigrees. These serve as a blueprint for the breeding program George Ryman developed and for our breeding program today. Ken Alexander also contract-bred Ryman Setters for the Ryman kennel for several years under the guidance of Carl and Ellen Calkins. Their direct supervision and advice regarding breeding practices and individual dog evaluations became another key component of our current programs.

Most recently we recovered several hours of George Ryman’s original films dating back to the 1920s. These films show his Setters in great detail across several decades. They are a final validation that the Setters we are producing today are perfectly in line with the wonderful standard that he developed.