Wednesday night saw the return to Rusland for a three-race card, the last one in the series.
The weather had been bad all day and was true to form and remained poor during the evening so it was a wet one for everyone in attendance.
The seniors were the first to go with just five runners with Huntsman’s Rebel among them. She was back out running and has shown she likes the course having won the last time round and ticketed the first time round.
Competition would come from Miterdale Duchess running in the long race again having won the first time round and won the shorter Veteran race the second time round.
Miterdale Honesty has been second twice so connections were looking to see if she could go that one better for the elusive first place.
Half way round it was Huntsman’s Rebel who had a lead from Miterdale Honesty in second place and Miterdale Duchess in third.
When they came onto the finish that’s basically how they were with Huntsman’s Rebel winning easily for Denise Bland and co with Miterdale Honesty making it a treble second place at Rusland for Sophie and Katie Steele.
Miterdale Duchess finished in third place for Denis Pear and Jackie Gill. Ian Bell’s Howgil Lil finished in fourth place.
These were the only hounds to finish the race and the win for Huntsman’s Rebel takes her to seven wins just three points behind the two top hounds in the championship Silver Dream and Rodney Raider.
The pups were next with a slip of seven hounds. Crossing Maggie’s Bridge it was Huntsman’s Time who was just in front of Miterdale Rambler with Baroness Ava in third place but there wasn’t much between all three.
As they came onto the finish it was Baroness Ava that crossed the line in first place for James and Ava McClelland and with James back from holiday it was a nice welcome home present for him.
Huntsman’s Time was in second place and she always seems pleased to see her the catchers and just forgets about the race, strolling in with no great urgency, hence her 10 second places and six third places.
The Miterdale kennel had three runners and they all followed each other in making it third, fourth and fifth for the Rambler, Ruler and Rumble.
Classmate was the last hound to ticket and was some way back for Barry Laidler and Caroline Clough.
The last race of the night, as conditions deteriorated, was the open restricted race and there were only four runners.
It was the local hound Black Eyed Shadow who came in first for the Lyon family followed by Sophie Steele’s Kinniside Bobby. Denise Bland’s other hound Missriff finished in third place with the Lyon’s pup Black Eyed Bill getting fourth.
Action moved to Calebreak on Thursday night with a three-race meeting and the weather had improved a little.
However, over the week there had been lots of rain making running conditions difficult for the hounds.
There were 19 runners in the senior trail and connections of Lady Million were looking for her to repeat her win at the first Calebreak trail.
However, as the hounds showed on the finish it was David Clifford’s Eden Rayna that came with a substantial lead and crossed the line in first place. The next two hounds were Daphne and Willie Marks Sportsman and Summer Spirit.
They were followed in by a much-improved Strawberry Mick for Graham Reid, who would be pleased with the dog gaining two tickets in one week.
Carol and Stanley Jackson’s Croft Lass remained consistent and claimed fifth ticket with Silver Streak for the Dearham kennel of Joseph Abram and Nicole McMaster taking sixth ticket.
The two fancied runners Lady Million and Sarah Jane were well back in the field.
The open pups were next and with Huntsman’s Time missing out on a win the night before at Rusland Thornton could pull one point back if he were to manage the win,
Of late he has just been off the pace, managing to ticket but unable to get those vital first places.
As they came back onto the finish it was Barry Laidler and Caroline Clough’s Snowfell who came clear to win the race from Huntsman’s Trust in second for Daniel and Ruth Graham, with a surprise Come Fly With Me for the Chisholm family in third place, gaining his first open puppy ticket.
Minnie Million for Brian and Joy Lister was fourth with Thornton notching up another fifth ticket, seven in total for the season. Millie’s Lad was sixth for George McGimpsey and daughter and granddaughter Gillian and Millie Telford.
The last race of the night was the open restricted with a slip of 18 and as they showed on the finish it was Tracey Hill’s Huntsman’s Sparkle, who for a change, came in to claim the first ticket.
At the recent Wythop trail she decided to stop before the line so Tracey was over the moon that she finished well this time.
In second place was Explore for the Lindsay sisters who always finishes well, and was followed by Malia for Christine Brownlee. She moves up in the points competition for the Open Restricted class and is now just four points behind Thorn Pop.
Dream Catcher and Imagine were fourth and fifth for the Lister’s with Splendid Lily taking the last ticket of the night for the Hetherington’s.
With the night closing in fast everyone was pleased to get their hounds back in and to set off home.
The bank holiday weekend beckons with lots of choice and lots of action if the weather holds out.
With a forecast of more rain it will not only be unpleasant for everyone but it will make running conditions for some hounds more challenging but for those who like the rain it may make their day by getting an unexpected ticket.
All details regarding Shap on Saturday, Potters Park and Grasmere on Sunday and Uldale on Monday are available at houndtrailingassociation.com along with all the updated tables to show who’s out in front at the moment.
August 22 – Calebreak
- Hounds – 1. Eden Rayna; 2. Sportsman; 3. Summer Spirit; 4. Strawberry Mick; 5. Croft Lass; 6. Silver Streak, 19 ran, time 29.55.
- Pups – 1. Snowfell; 2. Huntsman’s Trust; 3. Come Fly With Me; 4. Minnie Million; 5. Thornton; 6. Millie’s Lad. 17 ran, time 21.23.
- Open Restricted – Huntsman’s Sparkle; 2. Explore; 3. Malia; 4. Dream Catcher; 5. Imagine; 6. Splendid Lily. 18 ran, time 20.20.
August 21 – Rusland
- Hounds – 1. Huntsman’s Rebel; 2. Miterdale Honesty; 3. Miterdale Duchess; 4. Howgil Lil. 5 ran, only four finished. Time 28.41.
- Pups – 1. Baroness Ava; 2. Huntsman’s Time; 3. Miterdale Rambler; 4. Miterdale Ruler; 5. Miterdale Rumble; 6. Classmate. 7 ran, time 17.48.
- Open Restricted – 1. Black Eyed Shadow; 2. Kinniside Bobby; 3. Missriff; 4. Black Eyed Bill. 4 ran, time 18.14.
