Saturday saw the HTA August Premier event take place at Mirkholme, a venue that hasn’t been used for quite a number of years.
A significant amount of effort had been put in to regain the venue, with the goodwill of all the local farmers, some of whom attended on the day.
The HTA issued a huge thank you to all of them and to the organisers and trailers.
The venue itself offered good viewing for spectators as the hounds were running the course.
With a couple of heavy showers in the morning the afternoon got out fine with plenty of sunshine and plenty of good running for the hounds.
The senior hounds were first to the slip with 13 entered but Silver Dream, the leader in the senior championship, is currently out of action.
But there were still some prominent hounds involved like Sportsman, Mel, Huntsman’s Rebel and Huntsman’s Time.
As the hounds slipped they went out well and could be seen for three or four minutes before dropping down out of sight.
They then swung round and head back past the slipping field but it was at this point they seemed to struggle a bit to follow the scent and it wasn’t long before the majority of them had back tracked and returned to the start and there were no finishers.
It was a disappointing start to the day given the effort put in by everyone.
Fourteen maidens were next to slip and the question was could they do any better.
Once away they went out well and then once back into sight seemed to struggle at the same place as the senior hounds.
But several of them did manage to get over the road and round on to the second half of the trail.
As they went past the trail field it was Dundee, Discover and Sir Robert with Foxparke Elliot’s Lad and Foxparke Whoosh all running together with a gap to Lucky Moon and Lucky Lottie.
Once up the fell and then onto the back fell the hounds could be seen again and it was Foxparke Whoosh, Sir Robert, Lucky Moon, Foxparke Dealer and Lucky Lottie all running together.
Over the top and on their way down they were still altogether but once in the last field the temptation of water just to the right of the finish drew a couple of them off which left it clear for Lucky Lottie and Lucky Moon to come through for Geoff and Gillian Higgins to take first and second place.
Foxparke Whoosh claimed third place with Foxparke Dealer taking fourth for Robyn, Ellie, Grace, and Nicola Napier and Brooke Butler.
Sir Robert eventually finished in fifth place once he came out of the water for Malcolm Holmes, with Foxparke Majesty in sixth for the Napier and Butler kennel, also having been in the water.
Next to slip were the open pups with the weather having warmed up considerably and there was an entry of 13. Delta Fortune was sent off as favourite.
The hounds could be seen climbing up the fell and were going well, when once on the back fell it was Huntsman’s Unite for Denise and Jenny Bland and Graeme Little leading the way along with Maggie for Les and Graham Reid, Erin Rowlandson, Barbara Jones and Stephen Walker then Foxparke Oink Oink for the Napier and Butler kennel followed by Miterdale Wow for Sophie Steele and I Am It for Ruth and Charlie Dixon.
Once over the top and down the fell onto the finish it was Maggie and Huntsman’s Unite who were battling it out.
Huntsman’s Unite was slow to jump the last fence and it was Foxparke Oink Oink who came through fast with Zoya to contest the finish.
It was close on the line with the judge having to refer to the camera before deciding that Foxparke Oink Oink had just got up by a short head to win from Stephen Irving and Caroline Graham’s Zoya.
Maggie was a close third with a gap to Huntsman’s Unite while Miterdale Wow finished fifth place ahead of I Am It for Ruth and Charlie Dixon
Table leader Delta Fortune was well out of the tickets, perhaps with it being warm they were not his favourite running conditions.
The puppy maidens had an entry of 18 and Jenny’s Chance for Denise and Jenny Bland and Graeme Little was the even money favourite.
As the hounds were climbing up they were going well and on the back fell it was Foxparke Rita’s Rose, Affirmation and Foxparke Cheese and Beans but the latter ran low and put herself out of the race.
Sullivan’s Mist was in fourth place and as they came over the top they were still all together.
Once in the finishing field it looked like Foxparke Rita’s Rose was going to take the win making it a double for the Napier and Butler kennel but they were to be denied as Sullivan’s Mist for Gary Woodend and co finished really well and just got up by a short head to take the win.
Affirmation for Laura Steele, Andrew Bulman and Gary Woodend took third place with a slight gap to Prospect Jill for Stuart Smith.
Ian Fleet, Jayne Petersen and Oliver and Eleanor Chisholm finished in fifth place with Anna and Kerry Lindsay and Janie McAulay taking sixth ticket with TikTok.
The open restricted were next to slip and had the biggest slip of the day with 35 taking part.
It was nice to see such a big slip and the hounds went out great up the fell and out of sight.
Foxparke Fairlady was sent off the favourite and going through the back fell there was just a long line of hounds running with Blue Striker and Summer Spirit leading the race.
Once they came back into sight to drop down Blue Striker for Brian and Erin Rowlandson and Billy Birkett was still leading the race but once over the last fence it was Craig Mark’s Summer Spirit who came through to win well.
Blue Striker was second and Tania Satterthwaite’s Swamp Fox finished well to take third with Ruth and Charlie Dixon’s Let’s Go For It in fourth.
The favourite Foxparke Fairlady only finished in fifth place with Christine Brownlee’s Malia in sixth.
Last, but not least, were the veterans with a slip of 11 hounds.
Miterdale Duchess was even money as they slipped. Going through the back fell it she was leading the race followed by Eagle Rock and then the four hounds of Brian Graham and co.
Once down the front of the fell and into the last field it was Young Harry for Brian Graham who came through to win from Julie Birkenshaw’s Bretton in second place followed by Eleanor’s Lass also for Brian Graham and Eleanor Chisholm.
They were followed closely by Lisa and Holly Whitfield’s Audacity then Brian Graham’s fourth hound Reebok in fifth place.
The Napier and Butler kennel claimed the last ticket of the day with Foxparke Bugga Boo.
Apart from the disappointment of the first race the event turned out well and people will look forward to having further races at the venue next year.
The HTA would like to thank all those who put all the effort into organising the races; the farmers for allowing the races to take place and the trailers for all their efforts walking the trail.
Hound racing resumes with Calebreak tonight; Rusland on Tuesday; Redmain on Wednesday and then Rydal Show on Thursday.
August 9 – Mirkholme August Premier Trails
- Hounds – 13 ran, none finished.
- Maidens – 1. Lucky Lottie; 2. Lucky Moon; 3. Foxparke Whoosh; 4. Foxparke Dealer; 5. Sir Robert; 6. Foxparke Majesty. 14 ran, time 44.46.
- Open Pups – 1. Foxparke Oink Oink; 2. Zoya; 3. Maggie; 4. Huntsman’s Unite; 5. Miterdale Wow; 6. I Am It. 13 ran, time 22.36.
- Puppy Maiden – 1. Sullivan’s Mist; 2. Foxparke Rita’s Rose; 3. Affirmation; 4. Prospect Jill; 5. Chapel Lad; 6. TikTok. 18 ran, time 23.47.
- Open Restricted – 1. Summer Spirit; 2. Blue Striker; 3. Swamp Fox; 4. Let’s Go For It; 5. Foxparke Fairlady; 6. Malia. 35 ran, time 21.42.
- Veterans – 1. Young Harry; 2. Bretton; 3. Eleanor’s Lass; 4. Audacity; 5. Reebok; 6. Foxparke Bugga Boo. 11 ran, time 22.52.
