Following the success of the Whitehaven Classic at the weekend hound trailing enthusiasts enjoyed a return to West Woodburn last night.
It was a four-race card with the senior hounds getting things underway with a slip of 13 runners.
As expected last season’s two champions Winterfell and Rodney Raider were both out looking to gain further wins.
It was a small but select field with the Dearham kennel having three runners in the form of Rodney Raider, Maverick and Sarah Jane.
Barry and Caroline Clough and the Yorkshire team also had three runners in the form of Winterfell, Ron and Adele.
As the hounds came back into view there were two who were clear and racing neck-and-neck as they came towards the finish.
The two hounds were Maverick, last season’s runner-up in the Open Restricted points competition and senior champion Winterfell.
As they neared the finishing line Maverick just seemed to come away and get home by half a length in front of Barry Laidler and Caroline Clough’s Winterfell. It was Maverick’s first win in the senios for Joseph Abram.
Thorn Gift finished well in third place for Colin Satterthwaite with David Clifford’s Eden Rayna not far behind. Denton Shamrock for Sandra Mordue and Lee Wall finished in fifth place with the Bell’s Ron finishing in sixth place.
Rodney Raider, along with Shine On, had got wrong somewhere on the trail and returned to the start, so not his night.
The pups were next to slip with a good field of 18 hounds where Barry Laidler and Caroline Clough and the Bells from Yorkshire, had a number of hounds running – Ben, Baz, Lassie, Classmate and Snowfell.
They had competition from local hound Millie’s Lad and the much improved Minnie Million for Brian and Joy Lister. All of those youngsters are bred out of Winterfell and Maggie’s Dream apart from Millie’s Lad who was bred out of Thorn Crackle and Miterdale Shadow.
As the pups showed on the finish it was a great race between Lassie for Tom, Sarah and Ryan Bell and Minnie Million, the siblings battling each other as they approached the line.
It was Lassie who edged in front to take first place on the night and she also won the trophy for most points over the two trails, having two wins out of two.
Fellow siblings Baz and Ben took third and fourth place for Barry Laidler and Caroline Clough with George McGimpsey and Gillian and Millie Telford’s Millie’s Lad in fifth place. Jenny Horn’s Spring Rhyme took the last ticket.
The win for Lassie moves her up to third place in the championship table.
Next to go were the open maidens with a good slip of 20 hounds. It was a fairly open race but the Lindsay kennel’s Inspect and Explore were looking to pull off a one-two again as they did the other night.
As they came on to the finish it was Explore who came with a lead and maintained this up to the finishing line to take the win.
In second place, showing good pace was David Clifford’s Eden Romina followed by the Lindsay’s other hound Inspect. Tallulah was in fourth place followed by Mark, Josh and Georgina Bryden’s and Linda Neal’s Eagle Love which was followed home by Paul Airey’s Meadow Artist in sixth place.
Inspect and Explore move up to joint second place in the open maiden table.
The last race of the night was the All-In race with seven runners and it was the Bryden and Neal hound Eagle Rock who won from Sandra Mordue’s Mr Finnegan.
Action moves back to the west coast on Thursday with the first of a series of trails at Lowther Park with a four-race card with the first trail starting at 6pm.
Looking ahead to next week there is the first of the Major HTA trails with the May Day Premier Trails taking place at Helton, near Penrith.
The weather is set to improve and warm up for the bank holiday so it should be a great day’s hound trailing.
The trails are being partially sponsored by Penrith and District Farmers Mart and as always it is supported by local farmers and landowners in the area who, without their kind permission to run over their land, hound trailing would not be possible, so the HTA is very thankful to their sponsors and to the farming and land owning community.
All details of the trails can be found on the website at www.houndtrailingassociation.com
April 30 – West Woodburn
- Hounds – 1. Maverick; 2. Winterfell; 3. Thorn Gift; 4. Eden Rayna; 5. Denton Shamrock; 6. Ron. 13 ran, time 30.20.
- Pups – 1. Lassie; 2. Minnie Million; 3. Baz; 4. Ben; 5. Millie’s Lad; 6. Spring Rhyme. 18 ran, Time 17.39.
- Open Maiden – 1. Explore; 2. Eden Romina; 3. Inspec;t 4. Tallulah; 5. Eagle Love; 6. Meadow Artisan. 20 ran, time 16.21.
- All-In – 1. Eagle Rock; 2. Mr Finnegan; 3. Eagle Star; 4. Meadow Maggie; 5. Sir Robert; 6. Fire Lady. 7 ran, time 17.19.
