Sunday saw a wet and windy start which may have put some people off from attending the trails at Dubbs Lane.
However the day did get out and although windy and very cold the rain kept away.
As expected the fields were small but the racing still took place so credit to the South Lakes Area.
The seniors got things off to a start with six runners. Money Talks for Graham Reid led the race from start to finish with Eden Rayna being the next to finish for David Clifford. Ron for Tom and Ryan Bell finished in third place with Ellie Napier and Les Reid’s Mel in fourth.
Julie Birkenshaw’s Bretton and Brian Graham and Eleanor Chisholm’s Eleanor’s Lass finished in fifth and sixth.
Next to slip were the senior maidens with only two runners and both from the Foxparke kennel.
As they ran the course they swapped positions but as they dropped into the finish it was Foxparke Whoosh, with her two white socks, who crossed the line in front of her kennel mate Foxparke Majesty. Both having run a good race.
In the open pups there were four runners and it was local hound Snowfell for Barry Laidler and Caroline Clough who finished well and had gained an advantage over Erin and Brian Rowlandson’s Blue Striker as both had been neck and neck earlier in the race.
Snowfell won easily in the end with Erin’s Blue Striker in second place. Malcolm Holmes’ Senor finished in third place with Barry and Caroline’s other hound Classmate in fourth. It was Snowfell’s 14th win of the season.
The open non-winners were next with a slip of five hounds and it was Good Enough for Graham Reid who led for most of the way.
He showed in front on the top but as he dropped in he slowed and let Spring Remedy pass to grab the win for Jenny Horn. Come Fly With Me finished well for the Chisholm family to finish in second place with Good Enough only getting third.
It was followed home by Huntsman’s Delight for the Little family with Malcolm Holmes’ Senorita finishing in fifth.
The win for Jenny Horn and Spring Remedy looks like it has sealed the points competition again this year for her with 31 points.
The highly contested trail for Veterans was the last race of the day with the top hounds running. So far it has been a battle between Miterdale Duchess and Howgill Lil with both having won one race each with the other just missing out.
As they went through it was Miterdale Duchess who had a nice lead on Howgill Lil and Adele was in third place.
However once they showed on the top Adele had come through and had made a good deal of ground up and she won easily from Howgill Lil for Ian Bell. Miterdale Duchess finished in third place for Denis Pear and Jackie Gill.
Her four points maintains her lead in the veteran points competition but Adele has now narrowed the gap to four points.
As some of the points competitions were played out at Dubb’s Lane action moved to Buttermere on the Monday where wins for Denise Bland and co with her hounds Huntsman’s Rebel and Huntsman’s Time would keep her in the running to win the Open Puppy championship and possibly claw back a point on Silver Dream who was three points clear in the senior Championship with time running out for Huntsman’s Rebel.
There were eight runners in the senior race and Huntsman’s Rebel was the odds-on favourite. As usual she looked rather pensive on the start line but as soon as Denise let her go she was off.
As they climbed up out of sight it was her and Foxparke Fair Lady who were heading up the race. Once they showed on the side of the fell just in front of the trail field it was still Huntsman’s Rebel and Foxparke Fair Lady, both hounds looked like they were enjoying the run.
As both hounds came onto the finish there wasn’t much in it but Huntsman’s Rebel finished well to win giving the judge and catchers a glance as she crossed the line. Foxparke Fair Lady had run a great race and finished not too far behind in second place.
Lily ran a cracking race for Barbara and Geoff Jones finishing in third place with Huntsman’s Quantum finishing in fourth place for Jim, Alan and Ann Little, perhaps lacking a little bit of running of late.
Foxparke Sassy Girl finished really well in fifth place with chief hands Ellie and Grace unable to attend due to school commitments so it was left to Robyn to catch all the hounds. Carole and Stanley Jackson’s Charisma finished in sixth place.
The win for Huntsman’s Rebel pulls the points difference down to just two points so it’s still touch and go as to whether she can continue her winning streak. Silver Dream is still in top form and has the potential to win more before the end of the season so it is still favouring her to take the coveted championship title for 2024.
The open pups were next. It’s the other way round in the puppy championship with Denise’s hound Huntsman’s Time having a two point advantage over Thornton for the Dearham kennel of Joseph Abram and Nicola McMaster.
The little hound hasn’t been finishing like she was earlier in the season but she does like to run proper fell trails so she might be better placed at Buttermere to take the win.
Unlike Rebel she is always excited to be on the line and is such a little happy dog. As they showed in front of the trail field she was leading and led all the way round the trail.
She eased up a little on the top before dropping down but finished really well and won easily from Miterdale Ruler for Sophie Steele.
Thorn Soul for the Burrow’s family finished in third place with Lucky Breeze and Lucky Legend for Lisa Whitfield and Susan Passon claiming fourth and fifth ticket. Both hounds had ran really well as they have never been round the course before.
The win for Huntsman’s Time takes her three points clear of Thornton but with the Dearham dog coming back into form there is still a chance that he could pull the points back.
The last race was for the open maidens with 12 runners.
Late arrivals to the trail field were the Cleator Moor gang of Geoff Higgin’s Tony Jackson and Ian Rudd and they entered all four of their hounds.
As they dropped in it was Kinniside Jacko who was in front with kennel mate Lucky Lottie in second place, so Geoff had his hands full as he shouted both hounds in with Kinniside Jacko maintaining his lead to win with Lucky Lottie in second,
He was also able to claim fifth and sixth places with Lucky Moon and Kinniside Dan so four out of the six tickets made it well worth the journey up to Buttermere.
Maeve for Christine Brownlee finished in third and Denise Bland’s Green Queen took fourth place.
Action moves to Edges Green on Wednesday night with a three race card and the first trail starts at 2.30pm.
Then on Thursday it’s back to Millstone Moor with a three race meeting and the first trail starts at 3.15pm.
October 21 – Buttermere
- Hounds – 1. Huntsman’s Rebel; 2. Foxparke Fair Lady; 3. Lily; 4. Huntsman’s Quantum; 5. Foxparke Sassy Girl; 6. Charisma. 8 ran, time 28.25.
- Pups – 1. Huntsman’s Time; 2. Miterdale Ruler; 3. Thorn Soul; 4. Lucky Breeze; 5. Lucky Legend. 5 ran, time 16.55.
- Open Maiden – 1. Kinniside Jacko; 2. Lucky Lottie; 3. Maeve; 4. Green Queen; 5. Lucky Moon; 6. Kinniside Dan. 12 ran, time 16.58.October 20 – Dubbs Lane
- Hounds – 1. Money Talks; 2. Eden Rayna; 3. Ron; 4. Mel; 5. Bretton; 6. Eleanor’s Lass. 6 ran, time 30.47.
- Maidens – 1. Foxparke Whoosh; 2. Foxparke Majesty. 2 ran, time 36.13.
- Pups – 1. Snowfell; 2. Blue Striker; 3. Senor; 4. Classmate. 4 ran, time 19.19.
- Open Non-Winners – 1. Spring Remedy; 2. Come Fly With Me; 3. Good Enough; 4. Huntsman’s Delight; 5. Senorita. 5 ran, time 20.06.
- Veterans – 1. Adele; 2. Howgill Lil; 3. Miterdale Duchess; 4. Foxparke Jiggly Puff; 5. Eagle Star. 6 ran, only five finished. Time 18.25.
