The Hound Trailing Association held its second major event of the year with the Whitehaven Area hosting the Dog Produce Stakes.
With spectacular views over Ennerdale and a glorious afternoon with the sun shining there are few things better than watching top class hound trailing.
All of the six races had been kindly sponsored by the Freemasons and Graham Roberts and Allan Cooper were in attendance to present the prizes to the lucky winners.
The senior hounds got proceedings underway and they were competing for the Harry Kirby Memorial Trophy.
There was a small field of 13 runners and Rodney Raider was the odds-on favourite, although he hadn’t competed when there was the opportunity to have a look round the course a couple of weeks ago. The bookies were clearly going on recent form.
He certainly looked the part as they lined up to slip and there was no Winterfell, the reigning senior champion, who is still recovering from a minor injury.
Huntsman’s Rebel was running, however, having won last time over the course would also be fancied by connections.
Other possible contenders were Silver Streak and Silver Dream both for the Dearham kennel of Joe Abram and Nicola McMaster along with Money Talks and Mel for the Reid brothers.
The six-year-old Miterdale Duchess, who also has a good record round the course, had opted to run in the seniors instead of the veterans.
Reports coming in from the roads suggested a good race with Rodney Raider pushing on and the question was which hound would be able to match the long-striding 2023 puppy champion when they climbed up towards the finish line.
As they showed it was still Rodney Raider who had a lead from the Cockermouth hound Mel and the leader was very impressive striding out to win easily for Nicola McMaster and David Todhunter.
Mel ran-on well to finish in second place and Croft Lass wasn’t far behind to take third for Carol and Stanley Jackson. The veteran Miterdale Duchess was fourth for Denis Pear and Jackie Gill.
Huntsman’s Rebel, the 2022 puppy champion, was fifth just slightly off the pace for Denise and Jenny Bland, Alan and Jim Little and Graeme Little. Foxparke Beep Beep ran a great race to finish in sixth place having just returned from a niggling muscle injury.
The win for Rodney Raider extended his lead in the championship table and he now sits on nine wins with many punters commenting on the quality of the hound following his impressive win on the day.
The senior maidens were next to slip with a field of 28 hounds and the race was considered fairly open, although Ruby was the stand-out hound for the bookmakers.
As they showed on the finish it looked as though it was going to be a group finish but as the hounds cleared the last fence two hounds had a slight lead.
These two came away from the main group and it was Miterdale Honesty who pulled clear from the bookies favourite Ruby to win nicely for Katie, Sophie and Steph Steele, who were all highly delighted with the win.
Isla Hetherington and Stephen Riley had to settle for second but they were also pleased to see the hound ticketing again after being off for a while. The additional points extended her lead in the senior maiden points competition and she remains ahead of Miterdale Honesty.
Not far behind in third place was Summer Spirit for Daphne and Willie Mark, followed by Dundee for Neil and Gillian Brown and Derek and Joel Bulman.
The Miterdale team also bagged the fifth ticket with Miterdale Dust with the Foxparke kennel taking sixth with Foxparke Dealer.
The main feature of the day, the Dog Produce Stakes, was next with a good slip of 23 hounds out of a possible 32 that were entered at the start of the season.
The Dearham kennel of Joe Abram and Nicola McMaster was looking to make it a double on the day with their hound Thornton who had won the look-around trail a couple of weeks ago. Her was the hot favourite in the bookies ring.
The main competition was likely to come from the much-improved Sonny Bill and Millie’s Lad.
As they showed on the finish, as predicted it was Thornton who showed first and cleared the last fence well in front of the other chasing hounds.
He came on well and finished in similar style to his kennel mate Rodney Raider to take the win and give the Dearham kennel the double.
Finishing fast in second place was Millie’s Lad for George McGimpsey and Gillian and Millie Telford, followed closely by Sonny Bill for Laura Steele, Andrew Bulman and Bill Birkett.
Jenny Horn claimed fourth place with her hound Spring Return, with Barry Laidler and Caroline Clough’s Classmate taking fifth ticket. Local hound Apache Brave finished in sixth for Debbie and Lana McGee.
The win for Thornton was his third of the season and moves him up to third in the puppy championship table. Carol Jackson also received the breeder’s prize money as Thornton was bred out of a litter from her hound Charisma and Roy Laidler’s Cuckoo Lane.
Next to run were the open puppies which consisted of the remainder of the puppies registered for 2024.
Huntsman’s Time was the odds-on favourite, although last time round a number of pups including her had made a mistake on the course and had ended up on the senior trail.
On recent form she was a strong contender to take the race. However, as they came onto the finish she wasn’t there although she had lead for the majority of the trail.
Two hounds were clear and it was a great race to the line between Minnie Million and Huntsman’s Trouble. In the end it was Minnie Million who stuck in best and just got to the line to win for a highly delighted, if somewhat surprised, Joy and Brian Lister.
Huntsman’s Trouble finished second for Denise and Jenny Bland and Graeme Little with their other hound and race favourite Huntsman’s Time just finishing outside the ticketing hounds.
James and Ava McClelland’s Baroness Ava finished well to take third place followed closely by Millie’s Lass for George McGimspey and Gillian and Millie Telford. making their journey well worth it from Langholm.
Local hound Zeta finished in fifth place with the Yorkshire team of Tom, Sarah and Ryan Bell taking the last ticket in the race with Ben.
The open restricted race was next with the largest slip of the day of 43 hounds competing. Sarah Jane and Sportsman were the two leading contenders among the bookies following their recent form.
If Sarah Jane was to win it would make it a treble win on the day for her Dearham kennel.
As the hounds showed on the finish it was a real open race with at least a dozen dogs in with a chance.
Once they cleared the last fence two hounds came away and it was a battle to the line between Sarah Jane, the bookies favourite and Foxparke Honk Honk.
In the end it was Sarah Jane who just got to the front by a neck to snatch the win and round-off an excellent day for the McMaster and Abraham connections.
The Napier and Butler kennel did well to get second place with Foxparke Honk Honk and also took third with Foxparke Fair Lady.
The well-fancied Sportsman, for Daphne and Willie Mark, was fourth while the Neale and Bryden kennel had the fifth in Eagle Girl. Christine Brownlee’s Malia took the last ticket.
The final race of the afternoon was the veterans with a good slip of 20 hounds.
Following recent form it made sense that Adele was the favourite and when they showed she didn’t disappoint. Adele came clear to win for Tom, Sarah and Ryan Bell and make their long trip from Yorkshire well worth the effort.
Brian Graham, Julie Birkinshaw and Eleanor Chisholm’s Reebok finished well to take second place while Christine Brownlee’s hound Monsoon was third.
Caroline Graham’s Hunter’s Flame claimed the fourth ticket with the last two going to Foxparke Mo Farren for the Napier and Butler kennel and Blue Diamond for Brian and Erin Rowlandson.
It had proved an excellent days trailing especially for the Dearham kennel who bagged a treble.
Christine McGee, chairwoman for the Whitehaven Area, thanked everyone for their support.
There were those who had worked hard and contributed to putting the trails on and especially the sponsors for their contribution and for attending and presenting the trophies.
Action returns to business as normal for the next few weeks before the bitch puppies get their turn to shine in early July with action moving north as the Carlisle and Penrith Area will host the Bitch Produce on behalf of the association.
In the meantime trailing returns to Potter’s Park on Monday evening with a four-race card, followed by the first of a series of trails at Wardhall near Gilcrux on Wednesday. They start with a three-race card.
June 1 – Potter’s Park
- Hounds – 1. Rodney Raider; 2. Mel; 3. Croft Lass; 4. Miterdale Duchess; 5. Huntsman’s Rebel; 6. Foxparke Beep Beep. 13 ran, time 30.53.
- Maidens – 1. Miterdale Honesty; 2. Ruby; 3. Summer Spirit; 4. Dundee; 5. Miterdale Dust; 6. Foxparke Dealer. 28 ran, time 32.06.
- Dog Produce – 1. Thornton; 2. Millie’s Lad; 3. Sonny Bill; 4. Spring Return; 5. Classmate; 6. Apache Brave. 23 ran, time 22.28.
- Open Pups – 1. Minnie Million; 2. Huntsman’s Trouble; 3. Baroness Ave; 4. Millie’s Lass; 5. Zeta; 6. Ben. 23 ran, time 21.45.
- Open Restricted – 1. Sarah Jane 2. Foxparke Honk Honk 3. Foxparke Fair Lady 4. Sportsman 5. Eagle Girl 6. Malia 43 Ran Time 19.24
- Veterans – 1. Adele 2. Reebok 3. Monsoon 4. Hunter’s Flame 5. Foxparke Mo Farren 6. Blue Diamond. 20 ran, time 19.45.
