Hounds come together to promote the Grasmere trails

Last night saw the coming together of two of the HTA Areas – South Lakes, and Cockermouth and Workington – to help promote the trails at Grasmere.

HTA secretary Fiona Dixon said: “Cockermouth and Workington area helped provide most of the trailers and Stanley Jackson had arranged for the leave from the local farming community which if it wasn’t granted the trails would not be allowed to run.

“So it’s a big thank you to Stanley and as always to the local farming community.

“The additional trail around the Grasmere sports venue was arranged to help promote the trails on the actual sports day and to try and encourage more hounds to attend.”

The evening started off very pleasantly with fine weather and there was a reasonable number of hounds taking part in the senior race.

Huntsman’s Quantum was sent off favourite as he tends to excel when running this type of terrain and finished second in the race last year.

Championship leader Winterfell was back out after Sunday’s run at Spadeadam. He, too, is a bit of a course specialist having won the senior hounds last year when beating Huntsman’s Quantum.

As they dropped down towards the finish both the fancied hounds were together but when they cleared a gate Winterfell landed awkwardly which just put him a few yards behind Huntsman’s Quantum who made the most of that mistake to go on and win.

Winterfell just isn’t having any luck at the moment but Huntsman’s Quantum, for the Little family, finished well to win his sixth championship trail and is now in joint third place in the table with Huntsman’s Rebel.

The open puppy race again had a reasonable slip of 13 hounds with Denise Bland having two runners and her hounds always tend to run well on the rough fell conditions.

However Glamorous Ava was also running and she can also run the rough fell having won just down the road the other week at Ambleside Sports.

As they showed on the top before dropping down there were a group of hounds together. But it was Graham and Les Reid’s Money Talks who was in front and held on against a last minute challenge from Glamorous Ava with the line coming just before she could get past.

Both hounds had ran well to beat home the local dogs of Huntsman’s Star and Huntsman’s Sunshine for Denise Bland who finished third and fourth.

The last race of the night was for the Open Restricted, but the weather had changed and was raining heavily which put a slight dampener on the trail, although there was a good slip of 17 hounds.

As the hounds turned to come down the finish it sounded as though the majority of the hound were there or there abouts but when they actually came in to sight it was Jenny’s Oracle that was on her own and as she came down the hill before crossing the road she did a bit of a circle before then coming in, but there was no other hound in sight so she still won the race easily.

Once the following pack came down it was a closer affair between Monsoon who finished in second place for Christine Brownlee and then Ruby finished in third for Stephen Riley and Isla Hetherington who was back among the tickets.

Stephen let slip the secret – the magic powers of Custard Creams which apparently Isla gives her hounds as a treat before bed time.

Although the night finished rather damp it had been a positive start to the two trail meetings planned for Grasmere and the joint efforts by the South Lakes Committee and the Cockermouth and Workington Area seemed to have paid off.

Grasmere Sports Manager Deborah Black, who was in attendance, was highly delighted to have watched the trails and to see that they were well supported on the night. She was pleased to have supported and help facilitate the look round in advance of the actual sports and hoped that everyone would return on the day of the Sports.

Just a reminder that the trails are on August 27 along with many other activities that are part of the overall show.

As far as the hounds are concerned as well as the increased prize money on the day there is also the Points Competition over the two dates with an additional prize pot of £200 to be shared by the top three hounds with the most points.

This has been sponsored by Grasmere Sports Committee, the South Lakes Committee and Criffel Vue Private Hire.

11am Puppy Trail    

• 1^st £60 and medal
• 2^nd £30
• 3^rd to 6^th £15 each

Michael Pattison Centenary Cup

11.40am Open Restricted Trail

• 1^st £60 and medal
• 2^nd £30
• 3^rd to 6^th £15 each

Ken Bunting Memorial Helm Crag Cup

12.15pm Veteran Hound Trail

• 1^st £60 and medal
• 2^nd £30
• 3^rd to 6^th £15 each

1.05pm Trail Hound Puppy Show in main arena

• Dog pup 1^st to 3^rd rosettes
• Bitch pup 1^st to 3^rd rosettes

Best in Show

1.40pm Senior Hound Trail (Fell Hound Derby)

• 1^st £128 and medal
• 2^nd £64
• 3^rd to 6^th £32 each

Myles Higgin-Birkett Trophy to the winner of the Senior Hound Trail

Chris Swainson Memorial Cup – for the best young handler (under 30 years)