Sunday’s annual Buttermere Show didn’t have a very good weather forecast.
It was set to rain with wind and on the day it was not for the faint-hearted.
The sheep were the lucky ones on the day as they were all inside for the day along with those who were showing them. The fell runners and the hound racers weren’t so lucky.
With the rain heavy and the wind making it really unpleasant at times it was a rough day. Despite the weather there was a good slip for the senior hounds with 15 runners. Denise Bland’s team were sent off as favourites – Huntsman’s Time and Huntsman’s Rebel.
As they showed at the half way point both hounds were leading and they ran on well for the second half of the trail to come back on the finish. Huntsman’s Time had extended her lead and came up the finishing field with a good lead and won win to maintain a hundred percent success round the course.
As she crossed the line she gave her usual little glance to the judge and catchers as she finished. Huntsman’s Time was bred in Ireland and Kieran Kerley who was the breeder was over from Ireland and was there to see the little hound run and win comfortably. Huntsman’s Rebel stayed on well and finished in second place.
Robyn, Ellie, Grace and Nicola Napier and Brook Butler’s team of Foxparke Fairlady and Foxparke Honk Honk finished in third and fourth.
Ruth and Charlie Dixon’s Let’s Go For It ran on well and finished in fifth place with Christine Brownlee’s Maeve taking sixth.
The senior maidens had a slip of nine with Foxparke Majesty sent off as favourite for Robyn, Ellie, Grace and Nicola Napier and Brook Butler.
When they showed at the half way point it was Stuart and Jacob Jeynes’ Offspring who was leading from Thorn Thunder for Martin, Molly and Ted Burrow, followed by the favourite Foxparke Majesty, then Senorita for Malcolm Holmes and Foxparke Whoosh for the Foxparke team.
Foxparke Whoosh was lying third in the senior maidens points competition so connections were looking for a prominent finish.
Once back on the finish it was a good race in with Thorn Thunder having pulled away by two or three lengths to take win from Foxparke Majesty who was finishing well but had just left herself with too much to do.
Offspring finished in third place with Foxparke Whoosh taking fourth to notch up an additional three points. Malcolm Holmes’ Senorita finished in fifth place with Geoff Higgin’s Lucky Lottie taking the last ticket.
As the weather gradually got worse it was the open pups who had to face it with a slip of eight runners. Jenny’s Chance and Huntsman’s Unite were the favourites.
As the hounds went through in front of the field it was Ruth and Charlie Dixon’s Let It Be who was leading from Denise and Jenny Bland’s and Graham Little’s Jenny’s Chance. She was followed by Huntsman’s Unite and then Jonty and Evie Moor and Jack Thompson’s Nellie’s Joy. Brown Sugar for Graham and Les Reid and Ellie Napier was next.
With the weather deteriorating it was difficult to make out the hounds as they climbed back up the fell before dropping down.
But once on the flat in the bottoms it was Jenny’s Chance who came with a good lead to win, also maintaining her 100% record round the course. It completed a double on the day for Team Bland.
Let It Be ran on well to finish in second place with Huntsman’s Unite in third place.
Nellie’s Joy was next with Brown Sugar staying on well to claim fifth place. Tanya Satterthwaite’s Pied Piper was the sixth to finish. It was the tenth time he had finished in sixth place.
The last race of the day was for the puppy maidens with a slip of eight runners.
Again it was an open race and as they showed just above the trail field it was Miss Becky for Glenis and Raymond Farren and Denise Bland who was heading up the race with Stuart Jeyne’s Heartside in second place and Jonty and Evie Moore and Jack Thompson’s Nellie’s Pride in third place.
The hounds didn’t change much climbing up and dropping in but once on the finish it was Nellie’s Pride who finished well to win from Miss Becky and Heartside.
Martin, Molly and Teddy Burrow’s Thorn Bee finished in fourth place with Foxparke Cheese and Beans notching up another two points to take him clear in the Puppy maiden points competition. Jenny Horn’s Spring Gardener finished in sixth place.
It was great to see all the hounds round safely and to be able to get off home and dried out.
It is now the last week of the season with only three races left – Seaton today; Sewing Shields on Wednesday and then the traditional last racing day on October 31 at Millstone Moor.
Most of the points competitions have now been decided. It just leave the veteran points competition which will play out on the last day of the season with Miterdale Duchess last year’s points winner now four points clear of Eagle Rock.
If Eagle Rock were to win, Miterdale Duchess would have to ticket and get nothing less than fourth place to secure a second year title.
Buttermere Show – October 26
- Hounds – 1. Huntsman’s Time; 2. Huntsman’s Rebel; 3. Foxparke Fairlady; 4. Foxparke Honk Honk; 5. Let Go For It; 6. Maeve. 15 ran, time 26.36.
- Maidens – 1. Thorn Thunder; 2. Foxparke Majesty; 3. Offspring; 4. Foxparke Whoosh; 5. Senorita; 6. Lucky Lottie. 9 ran, time 28.25.
- Pups – 1. Jenny’s Chance; 2. Let It Be; 3. Huntsman’s Unite; 4. Nellie’s Joy; 5. Brown Sugar; 6. Pied Piper. 8 ran, time 15.25.
- Puppy Maiden – 1. Nellie’s Pride; 2. Miss Becky; 3. Heartside; 4. Thorn Bee; 5. Foxparke Cheese and Beans; 6. Spring Gardener. 9 ran, time 16.10.
