Wasdale Show was the first event of the weekend when four trails were part of the day’s attractions.
The number of hounds in attendance was low, as the season draws to a close and many owners start to lay their hounds off while Wasdale, a bit like Grasmere is a specialist course and is for the fell hounds.
The senior hounds started proceedings with a slip of eleven and Huntsman’s Rebel, who is second in the senior championship was running but of late she hasn’t been firing on all cylinders but the fell running was more to her liking.
Cautious was the odds on favourite as she also likes the fell running in that area and as the hounds came back onto the finish there were two with a lead- Cautious and Huntsman’s Quantum.
As they cleared the last wall it was Cautious who came away to twin much to the delight of co-owner Isla Hetherington. The Little’s Huntsman’s Quantum ran on well but couldn’t make-up the ground and had to settle for second place.
Huntsman’s Rebel for Denise Bland and Co wasn’t too far behind in third place with Miterdale Duchess finishing in fourth place for Denis Pear and Jackie Gill.
Foxparke Honk Honk ran a good race and she finished in fifth place for the Napier and Butler kennel with Miterdale Honesty taking the last ticket in for Katie and Sophie Steele.
The senior maidens were next to slip with nine runners and as usual the Foxparke team had a good few runners in the race.
As they dropped in on the fell it was Ruby, Foxparke Danny Elliot and Foxparke Whoosh who had established a bit of a lead. However once they cleared the last wall it was Foxparke Danny Elliot who showed first but he messed about on the finish and let Ruby go past him. She finished well and won to complete a double for Isla Hetherington and Stephen Riley.
Foxparke Danny Elliot finished second with kennel mate Foxparke Whoosh in third place. In fourth was Foxparke Majesty with Denis Pear and Jackie Gill’s Hawkswood in fifth, while the Foxparke team bagged the last ticket giving them four out of the six.
Next to slip were the open pups with just seven hounds. Table leader Huntsman’s Time was running but similar to Huntsman’s Rebel she just hasn’t been on the ball of late and hadn’t won for a few week.
Once they showed as they dropped in it was Huntsman’s Time who seemed to have her mo jo working again and was leading as they dropped down towards the finish. Once over the last wall she came in to win closely followed by Blue Striker in second place for Erin and Brian Rowlandson.
James and Ava McClelland’s team of Baroness Ava and Countess Ava were next to finish in third and fourth. Barry Laidler and Caroline Clough’s Classmate finished in fifth place with Sophie Steele’s Miterdale Rambler in sixth.
The last race of the day was the puppy maidens and there were only four runners. Out on the trail it was Foxparke Elliot’s Lad and Miterdale Rumble who were leading the race.
Foxparke Elliot’s Lad came away towards the finish but he then made a mistake at the last gate before jumping the wall which cost him the race. This error allowed Miterdale Rumble time to come through and win for Sophie and her team and she also took third place with Miterdale Ruler. The last ticket went to Lana and Debbie McGee’s Apache Brave.
After the excitement of Wasdale Show action moved to Seaton with a four race meeting on Sunday.
Surprisingly for Seaton the weather was set to be fair the second time in a row making trailing that much more pleasant. There was a reasonable crowd with a number of people coming up to the trails from the village.
The senior hounds started with a slip of ten hounds, small in number but the quality was good making it a good race to watch.
Strawberry Mick was back out running after winning on Thursday night, but there was no table leader Silver Dream, being rested for Tuesday when trailing returns to her home Dearham terrain.
Out on the trail it was Hey Mac and Mel who were leading the race at Flimby Brow and once they had been round Flimby wood and were back on the final stretch it was Money Talks whohad taken up the running at the last road, followed by Silver Streak in second and Embrace in third place with Mel fourth.
Once through the last gate and onto the finish it was Embrace for Laura Steele, Andrew and Joel Bulman and Ian Rumney who had come from third place to cross the line in first after Silver Streak had made a mistake at the last fence.
She finished in second place with Mel for Ellie Napier and Les Reid in third and Money Talks for Graham Reid in fourth place with Foxparke Fair Lady for Robyn, Ellie, Grace Napier and Brook Butler finishing in fifth place. Strawberry Mick, who looked as though he had been in a mud bath, finished in sixth place He had made some ground up as he was ninth when they crossed at Flimby Brow.
The open pups were next to go with just a slip of seven hounds. It was again a good quality race with last week’s winner Huntsman’s Trouble running again as well as the second placed hound Minnie Million and also Thornton who is still second in the puppy championship table.
Similar to Huntsman’s Time he hasn’t been firing on all cylinders of late, although he did win last week on home ground at Dearham.
As they slipped out the cows in the field impeded the dogs from going through the gate and as a result Huntsman’s Trouble returned to the start.
At Flimby Brow it was Thornton who was leading the race from Good Enough then Minnie Million and once round there and at the last road it was still Thornton, who was followed closely by Minnie Million.
These two had established a lead from the third hound which was Good Enough for Graham Reid. Discover was in fourth place.
Once onto the finish and through the last gate it was a good race but Thornton had his winning head on and Minnie Million, although she can finish well. wasn’t able to pull anything back. Thornton crossed the line with a couple of yards to spare.
Once Minnie Million was in for second there was a gap to the third hound which was Graham Reid’s Good Enough, followed home by the Lindsay sisters Discover. Apache Chief eventually finished in fifth place for Lana and Debbie McGee followed home eventually by Senorita, for Malcolm Holmes who seemed to have lost a lot of ground once he had crossed Flimby Brow.
The open maidens were next with a slip of eight runners. Imagine and Samcro were the 6/4 favourites with Lucky Moon and Lucky Lottie at 3/1.
As they crossed Flimby Brow it was Senor who was leading from Foxparke Dealer. However once on the home straight the lead had changed and it was Lucky Lottie for Geoff Higgins, Ian Rudd and Tony Jackson who was in the lead followed by Peggy Sue for Gillian Bulman-Brown and Mickey O’Brien then Foxparke Dealer.
Once in the last field it was Peggy Sue who came away with a couple of yards to win easily from Lucky Lottie with Foxparke Dealer remaining in third place. There was a gap to fourth hound which was Lucky Moon for Geoff Higgins and Co followed by Senor who just got up to beat Tanya Satterthwaite’s Samcro in to fifth place.
The last race of the day was the veterans with a slip of just six hounds. Reports from outside were that it was Adele who was leading the race. She must have led for most of the way round and came with a comfortable lead to win easily.
Geoff Higgins and Co were having a good day with their two hounds Kinniside Jacko and Kinniside Dan, taking second and third place with Miterdale Duchess, who had doubled up from Saturday, finishing in fourth place for Denis Pear and Jackie Gill.
Foxparke Jiggly Puff for the Napier and Butler kennel finished in fifth place with the last ticket of the day going to Bob who is owned by Tony, Marlene, Connor and Carter Irving.
That was fitting really as it is Tony who organised the trails at Seaton. A big thank you goes to Woodend Roofing Limited who sponsored all the trails and were represented to see the hounds run.
Action returns to Dearham on Tuesday for a four-race meeting with the first trail getting underway at 3pm. Then action moves north of Carlisle to Edges Green with a three-race meeting taking place with the first trail starting at 2.30pm.
October 13 – Seaton
- Hounds – 1. Embrace; 2. Silver Streak; 3. Mel; 4. Money Talks; 5. Foxparke Fair Lady; 6. Strawberry Mick. 10 ran, time 26.40.
- Pups – 1. Thornton; 2. Minnie Million; 3. Good Enough; 4. Discover; 5. Apache Chief; 6. Senorita. 7 ran, time 17.20.
- Open Maiden 1. Peggy Sue; 2. Lucky Lottie; 3. Foxparke Dealer; 4. Lucky Moon; 5. Senor; 6. Samcro. 8 ran, time 17.28.
- Veterans – 1. Adele; 2. Kinniside Jacko; 3. Kinniside Dan; 4. Miterdale Duchess; 5. Foxparke Jiggly Puff; 6. Bob. 6 ran, time 16.45.
October 12 – Wasdale Show
- Hounds – 1. Cautious; 2. Huntsman’s Quantum; 3. Huntsman’s Rebel 4. Miterdale Duchess; 5. Foxparke Honk Honk; 6. Miterdale Honesty. 11 ran, time 28.59.
- Maidens – 1. Ruby; 2. Foxparke Danny Elliot; 3. Foxparke Whoosh; 4. Foxparke Majesty; 5. Hawkswood; 6. Foxparke Bugga Boo. 9 ran, time 29.30.
- Pups – 1. Huntsman’s Time; 2. Blue Striker; 3. Baroness Ava; 4. Countess Ava; 5. Classmate; 6. Miterdale Rambler. 7 ran, time 19.00.
- Puppy Maidens 1. Miterdale Rumble; 2. Foxparke Elliot’s Lad; 3. Miterdale Ruler; 4. Apache Brave. 4 ran, time 21.30.
