The weather remained mostly dry for the afternoon’s HTA meeting despite many people coming onto the field and describing torrential rain from Penrith, Windermere and Egremont.
Enthusiasts were very lucky as there is no shelter on the top of Millstone Moor and it can be very unpleasant if it is heavy rain.
The trails were the traditional Cockermouth Show trails and were being run for the trophies and rosettes that would have normally been presented as part of the show.
This year there was no maiden trail but an additional prize and trophy went to the first maiden home in the senior trail.
First into action were the senior hounds with a good slip of 22 runners.
Current championship leader Winterfell had opted to run on Sunday at Spadeadam, preferring the more open running to the fields and dykes on offer at Millstone Moor, although last year he had two seconds and a first at the course.
Time will tell as to whether connections made the right decision to run at Spadeadam.
As the hounds went past the trail field and headed down towards Bridekirk, they were hard to pick out but reports were that Strawberry Mick and Cautious were in front.
As they came back from Bridekirk along the bottoms and started to climb up to the finish Strawberry Mick had gained an advantage and had about a hundred yards on Foxparke Beep Beep who was in second place followed by Cautious.
In the end Strawberry Mick won nicely for Graham Reid giving him his second championship win of the season.
Foxparke Beep Beep finished well up the climb towards the finish to take second place for the Napiers with Cautious finishing in third place for Stephen Riley and Isla Hetherington.
The pups were slipped next with a smaller field of only thirteen hounds. There was no Rodney Raider, as similar to Winterfell the owners were opting to run him at Spadeadam.
Embrace was favourite to win and as they showed in the bottom a group of five hounds were clear.
As they pushed on up the climb to the finish it was Bill and Pat Mellon and Tina and Robert Airey’s Artist that came away and finished really well to take first place.
She beat home sibling Silver Dream who finished in second place and who hadn’t been able to make any ground up on the fast finishing Artist.
The win for Artist is her third of the season, although she has been ticketing consistently but just not in first place. In total she has acquired twenty eight tickets plus her three wins.
Graham and Les Reid’s Mel and Money Talks finished in third and fourth place, with James McClelland’s Glamorous Ava in fifth and the favourite Embrace back in sixth.
Apparently he had made a mistake in the bottoms which had took him out of contention with the first group of hounds.
The puppy maidens were next and it was the Napier and Butler’s Foxparke Side Kick who brought them home to take first place with just a yard or two to spare over Sophie Steele’s Miterdale Dust.
The winning team also took third place with Foxparke Majesty.
Joining the Foxparke Team yesterday was another of the Butler’s – Evan Butler was helping out the sport’s youngest team and getting in on the action.
Second place for Miterdale Dust now takes her to the top of the Puppy Maiden points competition with sixteen, four points ahead of his nearest rival Thorn Bear who has twelve.
The last race of the day was for the Veterans and there were nine runners.
The favourite Cracking Spirit was backed in from 4/1 to 2/1 but it was the big hound Forlorn Spring who came with Babyliss, neck and neck up the climb, but he just held on to take the win by a short head followed by the favourite Cracking Spirit in third place for Bill and Pat Mellon.
The win for Forlorn Spring takes him well clear in the Veteran Points competition with forty two points, fifteen clear of his nearest rival Hawkswood.
Action moves back to north of Carlisle again today with a four card meeting at Spadeadam.
It should have been the Gilsland Show trails but unfortunately that had to be cancelled due to a waterlogged field. The first trail slips at 1.00pm.
August 5, Cockermouth Show
Hounds – 1. Strawberry Mick; 2. Foxparke Beep Beep; 3. Cautious; 4. Foxparke Mysteriously; 5. Kinniside Bobby; 6. Cracking Last One Two. 22 ran, time 28.04.
Pups – 1. Artist; 2. Silver Dream; 3. Mel; 4. Money Talks; 5. Glamorous Ava; 6. Embrace. 13 ran, time 17.37.e
Puppy Maiden 1. Foxparke Side Kick; 2. Miterdale Dust; 3. Foxparke Majesty; 4. Barncroft Silver; 5. Miterdale Dainty; 6. Ridge Line. 7 ran, time 20.04.
Veterans – 1. Forlorn Spring; 2. Babyliss; 3. Cracking Spirit; 4. Amber Bay; 5. Foxparke Jiggly Puff; 6. Monsoon. 9 ran Time 18.27
