Hounds have been out in March, gearing up for the new hound trailing season, which has begun in earnest this week.
Kirkbride
The first March trial of the 2025 season took place at Kirkbride on March 2, where there was a good turnout of 48 hounds over the course of three trails.
Fifteen pups took to the trail and once the hounds came into sight on the finish it was Lee, Hayley, George and Joey Wall, Sandra Mordue and Ted Storrows’ pup, Denton Phantom, who showed great promise as he was the only pup to complete the trail.
The rest came in throughout the next two races.
Twenty-three hounds took to the Seniors where Tony, Connor and Carter Irving’s seven-year-old Bob showed them he still has it as he won by the finish length.
Bob beat home Barry Laider and Caroline Clough’s hound Snowfell, a pup from last year.
In third place was Bill and Pat Mellon and Tina and Robert Airey’s Cracking Last One Two. She was 2020 Puppy Champion and a veteran this year.
The smallest field of the day was the All In, where 10 took to the trail and it proved a good day for Team Cracking as their three-year-old Cracking Artist, who is littermate to 2023 Puppy Champion and 2024 Senior Champion Rodney Raider and Silver Dream, beat home Martin, Molly and Teddy Burrows and Sarah Jackson’s pup from last year Thorn Soul.
The final ticket of the day was given to Graham and Les Reid’s Strawberry Mick.
Grassings
The second March trial was held at the Grassings on March 8, which is similar running to Kirkbride.
Larger fields were seen as 55 hounds turned out over the course of the three trails.
Fourteen pups took to the trail. It was Sarah and Baz Harper and Hartley Robinson’s pup Delta Fortune who showed a good turn of foot as he was lengths clear of Maggie and Minnie, owned by Les and Graham Reid, Erin Rowlandson, Barbara Jones and Steven Walker.
The largest field of the day saw 24 hounds line up for the Seniors where Christopher Henderson’s three-year-old Light Up beat home Brian, Joy and Cathy Lister’s Dream Catcher by a head with Malcom Holmes’ Senor in third.
Seventeen hounds took to the All In where Thorn Soul and Cracking Artist were battling it out – however this time Thorn Soul got the upper hand.
March 11
Tuesday saw a return to the Grassings where winners would be looking for a repeat win from Saturday.
A smaller turnout of 36 hounds and the smallest field of the day was the pups, where nine lined up for the slip including last time’s winner, Delta Fortune.
Once again, it was the same three leading the pack as it was a delight for Sarah and Daz Harper and Hartley Robinson’s pup Delta Fortune. He won by three lengths ahead of Maggie and Minnie.
The largest field of the day was the Seniors with 17 lining up at the slip, including Saturday’s winner Light Up.
However this time when they showed, it was Graham Reid’s Money Talks who had a length on Saturday’s winner Light Up who had another length on Barry Laider and Snowfell.
The hounds had knocked off time again when completing it 41 seconds faster than Saturday.
Another small field of 10 lined up for the All in and once they showed it was Cracking Artist who has been consistent throughout the March trials who had a yard to spare on Les and Graham Reid and Ellie Napier’s Mel claiming her first March trial ticket.
The final ticket of the day went to Donna, Shaun, Becky and Luke Hetherington’s Splendid Lily.
Low Place
A full puppy trail at Low Place took place on Saturday March 15 with a good turnout of 60 hounds. Twenty pups took to the trail.
Jonty and Evie Moore and Jack Thompson’s Nellie’s Pride and Nellie’s Joy led them out and clearly meant business.
Once onto the back fell it was the consistent Maggie who was leading from Nellie’s Pride and in third was Robyn, Ellie, Grace and Nicola Napier, Brooke Butler and Darren Clark’s homebred bitch Foxparke Rita’s Rose.
Chasing the first three was Stephen Irving and Caroline Graham’s Zoya and Robyn, Ellie, Grace and Nicola Napier, Brooke Butler and Donald Hodgson’s Foxparke Oink Oink, another of their homebred bitches.
Once they started to drop from the fell onto the finish it was Rita’s Rose leading from kennel mate and littermate Foxparke Pip Pip with Maggie in third and Anthony, Steph, Sophie, Katie and Alfie Steel’s Miterdale Wow in fourth who seemed to be dropping well and eventually dropped to second.
The first two leading hounds ran slightly wide before the jump onto the finish while Miterdale Wow took the opportunity to run on well to the front.
Once into the finishing field it showed delight for Team Foxparke and Darren Clark as Foxparke Rita’s Rose showed a good turn of foot on the finish and won by half a length beating brother Miterdale Wow for Team Miterdale. In third place was Maggie.
The largest field of the day was the Seniors with 21 hounds lined up for the slip.
Once onto the back fell it was Denise and Jenny Bland, Graham Little and new co-owner Ellie Napier’s Huntsman’s Trouble leading from Sophie Steele, Jake and Zach Green’s Miterdale Green Queen, Splendid Lily and Foxparke Sidekick.
Once onto the finish it was still Huntsman’s Trouble leading the pack who seemed to be dropping well.
Once the shouting and whistling started Miterdale Green Queen who looked as though she was coming to pass Huntsman’s Trouble and win but Splendid Lily, who showed a great turn of foot in a very close finish, got up to win by a head from Miterdale Green Queen. In third was Huntsman’s Trouble.
The final trail of the day and with the smallest field was the All In where 19 lined up at the slip, once onto the back fell it was Denise and Jenny Bland and Graham Little’s Huntsman’s Rebel who was leading from Ian Donaldsons Huntsman’s Quartz.
These two hounds were pulling away slightly from the next bunch of hounds which was led by Robyn, Nicola, Ellie and Grace Napier and Brooke Butler’s puppy from last year, Foxparke Elliot’s Lad, who started to climb well.
Once onto the finish it was still Huntsman’s Rebel leading but it was Foxparke Elliot’s Lad in second and had made ground up.
Both hounds dropped well down the fell but it was Foxparke Elliot’s Lad who finished the better of the two hounds, getting the upper hand by half a length to win. The final ticket of the day was given to Huntsman’s Quartz.
St Helena & Oulton
The weekend of March 22 and March 23 was busy, with both St Helena and Oulton holding full puppy trails.
Up first on Saturday was St Helena which hasn’t been run in a few years.
Thirty-five hounds took part. The smallest field of the day was the Pups were 11 lined up at the slip, as they crossed the lonning into the fields and out of it was Nellie’s Pride, who was leading the race from Rita’s Rose.
Once they came into sight again it was still Nellie’s Pride leading the race from Team Miterdale’s Miterdale Wow. The hounds went out of sight and when they reappeared on Dent Fell, it was Team Foxparke’s and Donald Hodgson’s Foxparke Pip Pip who was leading well from Miterdale Wow and Nellie’s Pride.
Once back into sight again it was Nellie’s Pride and Nellie’s Joy who were racing each other well ahead of James and Ava McClellan’s Ava Artoi.
Once into the final 3 fields it was still Nellie’s Pride getting the win by 3 lengths from Nellie’s Joy, Ava Artois finished well in third place.
The largest field of the day was the Seniors with 20 lining up at the slip with kennel mates Hey Mac and Dundee for Derek and Joel Bullman, Neil Brown and Gillian Bullman-Brown of to a good start.
Then Countess Ava heading the race from Hey Mac and Baroness Ava.
Once back in sight again it was Stephen Riley and Isla Hetherington’s Ruby who were going well ahead of Hey Mac, Countess Ava and Baroness Ava.
Once they hit the final 3 fields it was still Ruby who had pulled away from Countess Ava, Hey Mac and Baroness Ava.
Countess Ava showed great turn of foot on the finish to take the win by a length from Hey Mac with Baroness Ava in third.
The final race of the day was the All In where 14 took to the trail with James and Ava McClelland’s Glamorous Ava off to a good start from kennel mates Foxparke Sidekick and Foxparke Elliot’s Lad.
Once on to the back fell it was still the same three hounds who had been joined by Foxparke Elliot’s Lass who made ground up with Ruth Graham and Charlie Dixon’s Let Go For It leading the next group.
Coming the final fields it was Glamorous Ava, Foxparke Elliot’s Lad and Foxparke Sidekick still leading the race, onto the finish it was still Glamorous Ava pushing on with her just getting the verdict by a head. The final ticket of the day was given to Foxparke Sidekick.
Oulton saw 70 hounds. Up first was the pups where 16 took to the trail, crossing the first road it was Delta Fortune who went out well ahead of Graham and Les Reid and Ellie Napier’s Brown Sugar.
Crossing the second road, nine had broken clear with Denton Phantom leading from Ruth Graham and Charlie Dixon’s Let It Be with Minnie and Maggie in third and fourth.
When the hounds were next seen along the beck edge, and it was still Denton Phantom leading well ahead of Gary Woodend’s Sullivan’s Mist, with Maggie and Minnie still in third and fourth.
Once through the wood and over the last road to the finish Denton Phantom had pulled away and looked as though he was coming to win, however Jenny’s Chance for Denise and Jenny Bland, Graham Little and Ella and Kyle Gallacher showed a great turn of foot on the finish and came from second to win by about 30 lengths.
In second was Sullivan’s Mist ahead of Denton Phantom.
The largest field of the day was the Seniors where 29 took to the trail including 2024 Senior champion Silver Dream.
Kennel mates Thornton and Silver Dream were having a good race ahead off Stephen Irving and Caroline Graham’s Zeta.
Once into the finish it was still Silver Dream in the race but Croft Lass for Stanley and Carole Jackson was giving her a good run for her money and Croft Lass just got up by a head to take the win. In third place was Shaun, Donna, Becky and Luke Hetherington’s Splendid Lily.
The final trail of the day was the All in where 25 took to the trail, along the beck edge it was 2023 Puppy Champion Rodney Raider who was heading the race from Sarah White’s Malfunction.
Once onto the finish it was Alan Blacklock’s and Carole Jackson’s bitch pup who came to grab the win by half a length from Malfunction, the final ticket of the day being given to Sandra Mordue’s Denton Shamrock.
March 29
The final March trials took place on Saturday where both St Helena and Oulton had both organised puppy trials again before the season started this month.
At Oulton, 83 hounds ran. Twenty-two pups took to the trail and along the beck edge it was Denise and Jenny Bland and Graham Little’s Huntsman’s Unite who was leading from Brown Sugar and last time’s winner Jenny’s Chance in third.
Once through the wood and onto the finish it was Team Dearham pair of Tucker and Silver Star. Tucker just grabbed the win by a head from his kennel mate, in third place was last time’s winner Jenny’s Chance.
Another large field of 30 Seniors took to the trail and along the beck edge it was in form hounds Silver Dream and Thornton who raced each other well, and looked as though Team Dearham were going to achieve a double.
Once out of the wood and onto the finish it was still Silver Dream heading the race but it was now Splendid Lily in second with Silver Dream getting up to win by a few lengths. Stanley and Carole Jackson’s Croft Lass finished in third place.
The final race of the day at Oulton was the All In where 31 hounds lined up. Mel led them well but once out of the wood it was Brian and Joy Lister’s Lady Million who grabbed the win by a length ahead of Kerry and Anna Lindsay and Emmie McAulay’s Inspect with Thorn Soul in third place.
St Helena had smaller fields with 34 hounds.
The smallest field was the pups where 10 lined up at the slip, once the hounds were slipped and came back into sight it was Jonty and Evie Moore and Jack Thompson’s homebred pair (Crazy/Derwent) who was leading ahead of Miterdale Wow.
Reports came in of the hounds crossing the lonning before the wood and it was Foxparke Pip Pip and Foxparke Oink Oink who were going well ahead of Miterdale Wow.
They then came onto the back fell and it was still Foxparke Pip Pip who had a good lead.
The hounds then showed again through some more fields and it was still Foxparke Pip Pip who had pulled away from the other hounds, she maintained her lead and won nicely. Nellie’s Pride finished in second place with Zaya in third.
The largest field was the Seniors were 20 lined up at the slip, once slipped and back into sight it was Derek and Joel Bullman and Neil and Gillian Brown’s Hey Mac who was leading ahead of Foxparke Elliot’s Lad.
Reports came in again when they cross the lonning before the wood and it was Countess Ava who was leading the race from Foxparke Sidekick.
They then came onto the back fell and this time it was Cautious who was leading the race from Baroness Ava and Derek and Hey Mac in third.
Once into the final fields on the finish four hounds had broke away with Baroness Ava getting the win by a head from Cautious and taking third place was Hey Mac.
The final race of the day was the All in where 14 took to the trail, visibility had slightly reduced as the rain came in but once the hounds were back into sight it was Glamarous Ava and Duchess Ava who were leading the race ahead of Huntsman’s Quartz.
Reports came in again before they went into the forest and it was still James and Ava’s pair leading the race nicely from Derek, Joel, Neil and Gillian’s Dundee.
They weren’t easy to spot on the back fell as the rain had came in heavier but from what everyone could make out four had broken clear from the rest of the hounds.
James and Ava McClelland’s pair were racing well on the finish with Glamorous Ava getting up to win by a head from her kennel mate Duchess Ava completing a double. Huntsman’s Quartz took the final ticket of the day.
The 2025 season started yesterday, April 2, at Oulton.
