Thursday saw two meetings taking place at either end of the association with one at Sewing Shields along the Military Road and the other down in the south at Lowick.
At Lowick the senior hounds got things underway and there was a small field of runners including Miterdale Duchess currently second in the championship table.
Connection chose to run her at Lowick as she has a fairly good record round the course having ticketed and won once last year and twice the year before that.
Up against her was the in-form Huntsman’s Rebel of Denise Bland’s who could easily upset the apple cart.
Miterdale Duchess needs all the wins she can get to catch table leader Winterfell who had opted to go to Sewing Shields. In the end Miterdale Duchess beat Huntsman’s Rebel and the win took her to just two points behind Winterfell.
Next at Lowick was the open pups with a small field of just seven runners and it was Bill and Pat Mellon and Robert and Tina Airey’s Artist who came in for the win.
This was the little hound’s sixth success and moves her up to fifth place in the open puppy championship table.
Finishing well in second place was Sophie Steele, Tony Jackson and Ian Rudd’s Kinniside Miracle followed home by Denise and Jenny Bland’s and Graeme Little’s Huntsman’s Star and Huntsman’s Sunshine owned by Denise Bland, Alan, Jim and Anne Little.
Green Queen continues to improve for the new lads on the block Zac and Jake Green and finished in firth place, with Sophie Steel’s other hound Miterdale Diamond finishing in sixth place.
The last race of the night at Lowick was for the open restricted grade with a field of eight runners and it was Denise Bland’s Huntsman’s Major who came in first followed by Lyn and Norman Brown’s Amber Bay.
Huntsman’s Major obviously had his business head on given that on Sunday when he was slipped at Grasmere he decided not to complete the course and go back home instead.
He just lives over the back of the fell at Grasmere, and he probably thought it was a bit too far for him this time to slip home and thought he had better see it through!
Meanwhile at the other end of the county Winterfell was trying hard to get back to winning ways. His competition on the night included the Little family’s Huntsman’s Quantum who has been running exceptionally well recently, having won and beaten Winterfell at the weekend at Grasmere.
For Winterfell it wasn’t to be as Huntsman’s Quantum was on tip top form and came with a significant lead to win the senior hounds. This was his eighth win of the season and keeps him in third place in the championship table.
Winterfell just isn’t firing on all cylinders at the moment, especially when it gets to the second half of the trail.
The open pups were next and table leader Rodney Raider was back out and raring to go. He came on the finish in the lead and crossed the line for Nicola McMaster and David Todhunter, in front of the much improved Huntsman’s Sparkle for the Hill family, followed home by Willie and Daphne Marks’ Sportsman.
The win for Rodney Raider takes him six points clear of his nearest rival Embrace who had ran the day before at Ennerdale Show but only managed third place.
The last race at Sewing Shields was the open maiden race and it resulted in the Dearham kennel completing a double on the night with Sarah Jane winning and Ashley Horn and Sarah White’s hound Flightline running a great race to finish in second place.
Eagle Love finished well in third for Linda Neale, Mark, Josh and Georgina Bryden.
With Rodney Raider coming back into good form again, he is doing what it takes to keep the pressure on the other hounds and is maintaining his lead in the Championship with a six point cushion between him and his nearest rival.
The senior Championship is hotting up with Winterfell not just firing on all cylinders and Miterdale Duchess chipping away at his lead making the next few weeks key for Winterfell if he is to maintain a lead going in to the final weeks of the season.
There’s an action-packed weekend ahead with trailing returning to Lowick on Saturday. Benty Show also takes place on Saturday followed by Loweswater Show on Sunday.
So there is plenty to see and do while taking in the spectacle of hound trailing over the weekend.
August 3 – Lowick
- Hounds – 1. Miterdale Duchess; 2. Huntsman’s Rebel; 3. Jenny’s Oracle; 4. Imagine; 5. Miterdale Dusk; 6. Huntsman’s Quartz. 10 ran, time 28.56.
- Pups – 1. Artist; 2. Kinniside Miracle; 3. Huntsman’s Star; 4. Huntsman’s Sunshine; 5. Green Queen; 6. Miterdale Diamond. 7 ran, time 24.08.
- Open Restricted – 1. Huntsman’s Major’ 2. Amber Bay; 3. Hawkswood; 4. Miterdale Dust; 5. Oakbank Izzy; 6. Missriff. 8 ran, time 20.44.
August 3 – Sewing Shields
- Hounds – 1. Huntsman’s Quantum; 2. Winterfell; 3. Sir Robert; 4. Busy Again; 5. Ron; 6. Meadow Maggie. 15 ran, time 26.10.
- Pups – 1. Rodney Raider; 2. Huntsman’s Sparkle; 3. Sportsman; 4. Thorn Gift; 5. Spring Remedy; 6. Castle Callent. 8 ran, time 15.34.
- Open Maiden – 1. Sarah Jane; 2. Flightline; 3. Eagle Love; 4. Light Up; 5. Artisan; 6. Eden Romina. 16 ran, time 16.02.
