Saturday was Bitch Produce day in the HTA, one of the season’s major trails, and this year it was the Carlisle and Penrith Area who hosted.
Their Border Supporters Committee were the main players on the day as they had managed to get all the trails sponsored by EnviroSkip, AJ Lambert Fencing, Fisher Farming, R. Skelton Live Stock Bedding, Penny Rose Photography and the Supporters Committee themselves.
The day started off with rain but it soon cleared to leave a still, quiet day and provided good running conditions for the hounds.
The Sewing Shield trail provides a mix of running for the hounds with a bit of open moorland and field and dykes and provides good seeing for the spectators as the hounds complete the course.
The senior hounds got things off to a start with a small field of just thirteen hounds, with numbers down due to the other trails providing choice for hound owners on which race they choose to run in.
Table leader Rodney Raider was not running as he is still nursing an injury and was being rested and one of the main challengers Huntsman’s Rebel was being rested.
However, the reigning champion Winterfell was back out running on his favourite type of course along with the in-form Embrace. These two were odds on joint favourites with Sarah Jane at evens.
They then went Busy Again 2/1, Lady Million 3/1 and then it was 4/1 bar. Once slipped and out on the course as they crossed the bottom road all of them were in contention.
Sarah Jane. Embrace, Winterfell, Lady Million, Silver Dream and Busy Again had established a lead over the rest of the hounds. Then as they came back through past the trail field it was Sarah Jane and Silver Dream, who were heading up the race, with the rest of the chasing group not far behind.
Once onto the finish there were three hounds with a lead and it was still the Dearham pair who were in front with Silver Dream for Darren and Julie McMaster and Sarah Jane for Nicola McMaster and Sadie Wilson.
Sarah Jane seemed to get up to Silver Dream but just like when she was running as a pup she just pulled away and won easily with Sarah Jane settling for second place. Brian and Joy Lister’s Lady Million finished well in third place.
Winterfell, for Barry Laidler and Caroline Clough, was next to finish in fourth with the Dearham team claiming another ticket in fifth place with Maverick for Joseph Abram. Finally Carole and Stanley Jackson took the sixth ticket with their hound Croft Lass,
The win for Silver Dream was her third senior success of the season.
Next to slip were the senior maidens with 28 runners. Local hound Inspect and Eagle Girl were the favourites with Hey Mac at 5/2. Flightline, who has been running well of late, was 3/1 along with Thorn Thunder.
As they crossed the bottom road they were all together and it was a wide open race as to who might win. Then when they came back through it was Hey Mac who was showing the most promise but it was still wide open with the bulk of the hounds running together.
Once on the finish the bulk of the hounds were still altogether and it looked like a win for Hey mac but the fast finishing Inspect came from fifth place to grab the win by a couple of lengths for the Lindsay sisters with Hey Mac taking second for Neil and Gillian Bulman-Brown, Derek and Joel Bulman.
Eagle Girl was close behind in third place for the Neale and Bryden kennel while Miterdale Dusk for Sophie Steele and Co claimed the fourth ticket.
Ashley Horn and Sarah White’s Flightline was fifth while Thorn Thunder for Joanna, Martin, Molly and Teddy Burrows took the last ticket.
The next race was for the Bitch Produce and there was a good slip of nineteen hounds.
Countess Ava for James and Ava McClelland was the stand out favourite with the bookies with kennel mate Baroness Ava joint second favourite with Huntsman’s Trouble. Millie’s Lass and Thorn Soul were both at 5/2.
As they went through past the trail field they were starting to get strung out and it looked as though it was Millie’s Lass, Baroness Ava and Senorita that were the most prominent with Thorn Heart and Countess Ava also still in with a chance.
Once they came on to the finish it would be which hound could finish the strongest. As they got to the line it was a close finish between Baroness Ava and Millie’s Lass with the former just getting up by a short neck to win.
Denise Bland and Co’s Huntsman’s Trouble wasn’t too far behind and was given third place with Stephen Irving and Caroline Graham’s Zeta taking fourth.
Thorn Star for Martin, Molly and Teddy Burrow’s claimed fifth ticket with Christine Brownlee’s Maeve just getting up to claim the last ticket.
Baroness Ava has been over-shadowed throughout the season by her kennel mate Countess Ava who seemed to have the most potential after winning seven races.
However, on the day, it was Baroness Ava’s time to shine and take home the trophy with her first ever puppy win of the season. Baroness Ava was bred out of Spring Rascal and General James by Jenny Horn who stepped up to be awarded with the breeder’s prize money.
The open pups were next to go with a good field of 31 hounds and puppy championship challenger Thornton was the odds-on favourite along with Sonny Bill.
As they went through past the field it was Lassie, Senor, Sonny Bill and Foxparke Elliot’s Lad who were heading up the field with the favourite reported to be only in ninth position.
As they showed on the finish it was one thsat6 had not been mentioned earlier, Apache Chief who showed in front and as they came to the line he managed to hang on and win for a highly delighted Debbie and Lana McGee.
A close second was Tom Bell’s Ben, with both hounds finishing well but the outstanding finish must have been from Thornton who came from eighth place to take third.
He also put in a tremendous leap four yards from the tape to clear the line, literally going air born which seems to be his thing when finishing.
Lassie for Tom and Ryan Bell, who had been leading, finished in fourth place with Foxparke Elliot’s Lad in fifth place for Robyn, Ellie, Grace and Nicola Napier and Brooke Butler with the last ticket going to Sonny Bill for Laura Steele, Andrew Bulman and Billy Birkett.
The open restricted hounds had a slip of 27 and again it was a wide-open race with Huntsman’s Sparkle and Ron the joint favourites.
As they showed and went past the trail field it was Border Reign and Huntsman’s Sparkle who were battling it out, with a string of hounds behind them.
When they came onto the finish it was Border Reign and Huntsman’s who were still heading the field and it produced a great battle for the line. Border Reign finished the stronger to win for Annabelle Connolly with Huntsman’s Sparkle finishing in second for the Hill family.
Ron wasn’t too far behind in third for Tom and Ryan Bell with George Burgon and Carole Logan’s Overwater Hunter finishing in fourth.
David Clifford’s Eden Rayna finished in fifth and the last ticket went to Foxparke Fair Lady for the Napier and Butler kennel.
Last, but not , was the Veterans race with a slip of 14 and the red hot favourite was Adele who seems to love running at the moment. Also in the field was Miterdale Duchess and both were at the top of the bookies board.
As they went through past the trail field Adele had already established a lead and was running well and when they showed on the finish she came with a long lead.
It proved to be the fastest trail of the day on the short trail, just short of two minutes faster than the Bitch Produce a minute faster than the open pups and nine seconds faster than the open restricted race – not bad going for a veteran.
The win takes her in front of Miterdale Duchess in the veteran’s points competition for the first time in the season.
Delta Script, who has a good record round the course, finished well in second place for Sarah Harper and her family, while Zola for Stephen Irving finished in third place.
The Kinniside team from Cleator Moore took fourth and fifth ticket with Kinniside Dan and Kinniside Jacko with the last ticket being claimed by Oakbank Izzy for Donna Bingham and Alex Steele.
Overall the day had been a great success with James McClelland achieving his dream of winning the Bitch Produce. Well done to him and everyone else who got a ticket and to all those who turned up to compete on the day.
Fiona Dixon, the HTA secretary said: “Well done to him and everyone else who got a ticket and to all those who turned up to compete on the day.
“The Association would like to thank the Committee and the Carlisle and Penrith Area for hosting the trails and the sponsors and landowners alike for their continued support.”
Action returns to business as normal with the second of the trails to be held at Redmain with a three-race card and slightly later starting time of 6.30pm.
Then on Wednesday there’s a return to Cold Fell for a four-race card with the first trail slipping at 6.00pm.
July 13 – Bitch Produce, Sewing Shields
Hounds – 1. Silver Dream; 2. Sarah Jane; 3. Lady Million; 4. Winterfell; 5. Maverick; 6. Croft Lass. 13 ran, time 27.22.
Maidens – 1. Inspect; 2. Hey Mac; 3. Eagle Girl; 4. Miterdale Dusk; 5. Flightline; 6. Thorn Thunder. 28 ran, time 27.42.
Bitch Produce Stakes – 1. Baroness Ava; 2. Millie’s Lass; 3. Huntsman’s Trouble; 4. Zeta; 5. Thorn Star; 6. Maeve. 19 ran, time 17.52.
Open Pups – 1. Apache Chief; 2. Ben; 3. Thornton; 4. Lassie; 5. Foxparke Elliot’s Lad; 6. Sonny Bill. 31 ran, time 16.58.
Open Restricted – 1. Border Reign; 2. Huntsman’s Sparkle; 3. Ron; 4. Overwater Hunter; 5. Eden Rayna; 6. Foxparke Fair Lady. 27 ran, time 16.08.
Veterans – 1. Adele; 2. Delta Script; 3. Zola; 4. Kinniside Dan; 5. Kinniside Jacko; 6. Oak Bank Izzy. 14 ran, time 15.59.
