The 2025 hound racing season proved a bittersweet one for the eventual senior championship-winning kennel.
Joseph Abram, Nicola McMaster and Darren McMaster of Dearham retained the crown with Silver Dream but lost their 2023 puppy champion Rodney Raider.
The Dog Produce champion could not be saved after suffering a serious injury contesting an early season race at Spadeadam.
That tragedy, and early setbacks for his sister Silver Dream, suggested it was going to be tough for the kennel to repeat their 2024 success.
Nicola said: “She had a lump on her ribs which the vets couldn’t seem to explain and she was off twice for a fortnight each time.
“Fortunately the lump disappeared and she was able to get back into action and proved herself by winning at different venues.”
Silver Dream is registered to Darren McMaster, grandma Julie McMaster and Anthony Skelton.
In fact Silver Dream, known as Mel, ticketed 44 times with 29 of them being wins to put her just two clear of Sportsman to win the championship again.
Silver Dream won at a total of 13 different venues – five at Oulton, once at West Woodburn, twice at Helton, four times at Bridekirk, once at Gamelsby, once at Potters Park, once at Kirkland, five times at Redmain, twice at Cold Fell, once at Uldale, five times at Dearham, once at Seaton and once at Millstone Moor.
As for the season’s major trails she took the senior race honours at the annual May Day meeting at Helton where it was a close finish between her and eventual title runner-up Sportsman and she also won the senior race honours at the Bitch Produce at Gamelsby.
She had won her first race of the season at the opening meet at Oulton and won her final race on October 16 at Millstone Moor.
Nicola added: “She missed the last two weeks of the season because the lump reappeared again and we kept her off.
“Thankfully it seems to have burst, whatever it was, and she’s bouncing. We will be hoping she can follow up next year with a hat-trick of title wins.
Silver Dream was home bred by the Dearham kennel team out of their bitch Silver Dusk by Sophie Steele’s Miterdale Copper.
Tragically, the parents died within days of each other when the litter was about six months old.
And what a litter it has proved to be for apart from Silver Dream and Rodney Raider, the others have also proved good hounds – Sarah Jane, Maverick, Embrace, Meadow Lark, Cracking Artiste and Hey Mac.
Silver Dream ticketed eight times in April, six of which were wins and in May ticketed five times and all five were wins.
In June she had eight tickets, with three of them being wins while July also produced eight tickets, with five of them being wins.
In August she was among the tickets five times, three of them winning ones and September saw six more tickets, with two of them being wins and in t.
In the final month of October all five tickets were from victories.
She excelled on fields and dykes terrain but could also handle the fell of West Woodburn, Helton, Potters Park, Kirkland, Cold Fell and Uldale proving she was more than capable of running well on all types of terrain.
Silver Dream was also capable of fast finishes for team Dearham, sometimes coming from fourth to win.
The team have had multiple doubles this season with the pairing of Silver Dream in the seniors and Tucker in the pups with the latter battling it out in the puppy championship to claim 19 wins and finish in the runner-up position.
Two of their bitches, Silver Streak and Sarah Jane, haven’t been seen this season after having pups which are being readied for the 2026 season at this moment in time.
Nicola said: “We’ve just set them off and they have done everything so far we have asked of them.
“Both bitches were lined with Cuckoo Lane and we have a dog and a bitch out of each litter.
“We had Maverick, whose gone to be a pet, and he was paired with Fire Lass and we have kept two pups, a dog and a bitch from them.”
Looking ahead to 2026, the Dearham kennel should have plenty of fun with nine hounds set to be involved in the HRA season.
Silver Dream will be back to defend her title and aim to join the ranks of those who have won three in a row.
Silver Streak and Sarah Jane will be there to back her up, but there will be no Tucker. He’s already gone to friends in Ireland.
So with three seniors and six as yet un-named pups, the Dearham kennel will be pushing for more honours.
