Dennis Hidalgo has owned bird dogs since 1973. He acquired his first Irish Setter in 1984. Her name was Firefly and she became the matriarch of the Firefly Farm kennel. She produced National Field Champions which in turn produced more Champions. Firefly’s descendants grace our kennel today and they are the result of careful line-breeding and selective out-crossing to the best field-bred Irish Setters available.
Dennis was interested in horses at an early age but his interest in gaited horses developed when he became a serious field trial participant. He has a special knack with horses and a patient manner that helps to bring out the best in them. He is sometimes a horse whisperer and sometimes the head of the herd and respected as such.
In 1998, Dennis traveled from his home in Colorado to the Irish Setter Club of America National field trial in Booneville, AR where he got to know me, then Bonnie Evans. I am a native of Wisconsin where I grew up going to field trials and riding gaited horses. My family’s dogs back then were English Setters and Pointers. I got my first Irish Setter from Ken & Linda Ruff; that female, FC/AFC Brophy’s Calimus was my reason for being at the ISCA Nationals. I had made my living in WI as a trainer of gaited horses for the show ring, trail and field trials. Dennis and I were meant for each other and we married in August 1999, moved to Brighton, CO and began building Firefly Farm. Our combined time in the sport of Bird Dogs & Field Trials is 85 years. Our combined years of training gaited horses is 66 years. (No wonder I feel old!)
Our farm is on 40 acres of high plains about 25 miles northeast of Denver. Our crops are horses, dogs and the quail it takes to train those dogs! We currently own 13 Irish Setters (AKA Red Setters to distinguish them from show-bred Irish Setters) and 3 Pointers. As Amateurs, we train and hunt our own dogs and compete in American Field trials with many of them. Since we both love horses as well as the dogs, it gives us great pleasure to work young horses and shape them into safe, beautiful, cooperative and comfortable mounts for trail riders and field trailers. Since we can’t keep them all, these handpicked horses are offered for sale on a regular basis. Click on Horses Available for a current list.
We raise one or two litters of Irish Setter puppies each year and usually have puppies and started hunting dogs for sale. We currently have two Irish Setters and one Pointer at stud. For information on the dogs please check out the Our Dogs page and Dogs & Puppies for Sale.
A few years ago Dennis directed his artistic talent toward the creation of beautiful bronze sculptures. To date he has created Pointers, Setters, a Vizsla and a German Shorthaired Pointer. Please check them out by clicking on Bronze Sculptures.
When not working at Firefly Farm, Dennis is employed by Miller Coors Brewing Company and I am a Field Rep for the American Kennel Club.
Drop us an email or give us a call, we’d love to chat with you about our animals. We take pride in matching our horses with the right riders, thereby generating repeat customers.
Bonnie & Dennis
Dennis was interested in horses at an early age but his interest in gaited horses developed when he became a serious field trial participant. He has a special knack with horses and a patient manner that helps to bring out the best in them. He is sometimes a horse whisperer and sometimes the head of the herd and respected as such.
In 1998, Dennis traveled from his home in Colorado to the Irish Setter Club of America National field trial in Booneville, AR where he got to know me, then Bonnie Evans. I am a native of Wisconsin where I grew up going to field trials and riding gaited horses. My family’s dogs back then were English Setters and Pointers. I got my first Irish Setter from Ken & Linda Ruff; that female, FC/AFC Brophy’s Calimus was my reason for being at the ISCA Nationals. I had made my living in WI as a trainer of gaited horses for the show ring, trail and field trials. Dennis and I were meant for each other and we married in August 1999, moved to Brighton, CO and began building Firefly Farm. Our combined time in the sport of Bird Dogs & Field Trials is 85 years. Our combined years of training gaited horses is 66 years. (No wonder I feel old!)
Our farm is on 40 acres of high plains about 25 miles northeast of Denver. Our crops are horses, dogs and the quail it takes to train those dogs! We currently own 13 Irish Setters (AKA Red Setters to distinguish them from show-bred Irish Setters) and 3 Pointers. As Amateurs, we train and hunt our own dogs and compete in American Field trials with many of them. Since we both love horses as well as the dogs, it gives us great pleasure to work young horses and shape them into safe, beautiful, cooperative and comfortable mounts for trail riders and field trailers. Since we can’t keep them all, these handpicked horses are offered for sale on a regular basis. Click on Horses Available for a current list.
We raise one or two litters of Irish Setter puppies each year and usually have puppies and started hunting dogs for sale. We currently have two Irish Setters and one Pointer at stud. For information on the dogs please check out the Our Dogs page and Dogs & Puppies for Sale.
A few years ago Dennis directed his artistic talent toward the creation of beautiful bronze sculptures. To date he has created Pointers, Setters, a Vizsla and a German Shorthaired Pointer. Please check them out by clicking on Bronze Sculptures.
When not working at Firefly Farm, Dennis is employed by Miller Coors Brewing Company and I am a Field Rep for the American Kennel Club.
Drop us an email or give us a call, we’d love to chat with you about our animals. We take pride in matching our horses with the right riders, thereby generating repeat customers.
Bonnie & Dennis