The first in a series of trails to be held at Cobra Castle organised by James McClelland was held on Thursday,
There were three trails with the senior hounds getting things underway but with a smaller field than usual as only nine runners were slipped.
Ned’s Gain for Jonty and Evie Moor and Jack Thompson led them after about five minutes running with last year’s champion Winterfell running in fourth place.
However, when they showed on the finish it was local hounds Duchess Ava and Glamorous Ava for James and Ava McClelland who showed with a good lead.
As they came up the hill Duchess Ava had a good few yards lead and crossed the line in first place followed by Glamorous Ava. Denis Pear and Jackie Gill’s Miterdale Duchess finished well in third place followed by Ian Donaldson’s Huntsman’s Quartz in fourth.
Ned’s Gain, who had shown good pace early on in the race, is perhaps short of a bit of running over the longer trail and finished well in fifth place followed home by Barry Laidler and Caroline Clough’s Winterfell.
The champions perhaps did well given that its not his preferred running, too many obstacles, as he prefers the open moorland running.
Next to slip were the open pups with a good field of 19 hounds. However early on they seemed to get wrong as they went through a wooded area and failed to hit the trail when they came out which resulted in only one hound completing the trail.
It was James’ other hound Countess Ava who managed to get round and win the race giving him a double win on the night.
The majority of the other hounds eventually came back but it was a disappointment for many but then that’s hound trailing sometimes these things happen. The main thing was that all the hounds were accounted for.
The last race of the night was the Open Maiden race and again there was a good slip with 27 hounds.
As they came onto the finish two hounds were together Kinniside Jacko and Miterdale Dusk but it was the big hound with its long stride Kinniside Jacko who just came away to win for Tony Jackson, Ian Rudd and Geoff Higgins from Sophie Steele’s Miterdale Dusk.
Foxparke Jiggly Puff finished well in third place for the Napier and Butler kennel, with Blue Diamond taking fourth for Brian and Erin Rowlandson.
The good-looking hound Hey Mac for Neil and Gillian Brown finished in fifth place with Lisa and Holly Whitfield’s Black Edition taking the last ticket of the night.
Action moves back to Low Place today with a four card meeting, getting underway at 1pm. Then another return to Oulton on the Sunday, this time with a five-card meeting with a 1pm start as well.
Denise and Jenny Bland, Greame Little and Lisa Crosby’s Huntsman’s Time is heading the Puppy Championship after the first week with two wins and its Cautious and Huntsman’s Quantum neck and neck for the Senior Championship.
All the details of the championship tables can be found at www.houndtrailingassociation.com
April 4 – Cobra Castle
- Hounds – 1. Duchess Ava 2. Glamorous Ava; 3. Miterdale Duchess; 4. Huntsman’s Quartz; 5. Ned’s Gain; 6. Winterfell. 9 ran, time 28.11.
- Pups – 1. Countess Ava only one got round. 19 ran, time 23.56.
- Open Maiden – 1. Kinniside Jacko; 2. Miterdale Dusk; 3. Foxparke Jiggly Puff; 4. Blue Diamond; 5. Hey Mac; 6. Black Edition. 27 ran, time 21.02.
