The 2025 Open Restricted Championship was won by Brian and Erin Rowlandson and the late Billy Birkett’s Blue Striker, writes John Walsh.
It was a poignant win, too, as Billy died earlier this month after being involved in hound trailing for the greater part of his life.
Billy had been involved with the dad and daughter Rowlandson duo since 2023 after he lined his veteran champion General James with Jenny Horn’s Spring Rascal and gave then one of the pups – named Blue Striker.
Brian has been in the sport 40 years but for the first 15 he was just an enthusiastic follower of the races before he got into ownership.
It’s perhaps unsurprising, as in most hound racing followers, that Erin has been in the sport as long as she can remember, actually taken to the trails at Loweswater Show when she was just a week old. She’s now 15.
Known as Ken around the kennel, and when being shouted home on the trail field, he was part of a litter that has proved more than useful.
Open Restricted runner-up Malfunction was also out of Spring Rascal and General James and the siblings had great fun as Dream Catcher was also a close contender and it was always a fun competition between the three of them.
The Open Restricted Championship is always a tough competition but this year Ken ticketed consistently at all venues and ground throughout the season much to the delight of Team Blue.
Ken took his first ticket in the OR grade at Cold Fell in the Whitehaven Area Classic where he finished 4th on April 26.
From there he finished 2nd at Lowther Park; 2nd at Bridekirk; 1st at Bridekirk; 2nd at Gamelsby Bitch Produce, 3rd at Cleamire, 6th at Greenholme Show, 6th at Spadeadam, 5th at Spadeadam, 4th at Grasmere, 3rd at Cold Fell, 2nd at Mirkholme August Premier, 2nd at Loweswater Show, 3rd at Fellside, 2nd at Uldale, 4th at Teviot Head Show, 2nd at Eskdale Show, 3rd at Dubbs Lane South Lakes Classic, 4th at Dearham, 4th at Seaton, 3rd at Dearham, 3rd at Uldale, 1st at Millstone Moor and 4th at Sewing Shields.
Altogether he racked up a total of 93 points which was 18 points clear of his nearest rival and litter-mate Sarah White’s Malfunction (Jip).
Jip was Ken’s nearest rival and the pair fought it out at the top for months with both hounds ticketing well throughout.
As a pup, Ken was always within the tickets and managed to get 35 with three of them being wins. He was best known for having a favourite finishing position as he regularly took third place.
Ken ticketed at a total of 19 venues: Cold Fell (2), Lowther, Bridekirk (2), Gamelsby, Cleamire, Greenholme, Spadeadam (2), Grasmere, Mirkholme , Loweswater, Fellside, Uldale, Teviot, Eskdale, Dubbs Lane , Dearham (2), Seaton, Millstone Moor and Sewing Shields.
Ken had the ability to drive the races and come with a lead but was usually passed just before the line for the win although this worked in his owners’ benefit as he managed to amass 93 points.
To have an Open Restricted champion, it is essential to have a hound that will ticket consistently and on any ground to knock up as many points as possible without winning the maximum wins too quickly.
In the past the Rowlandsons have won the Senior Maiden Championship with Blue Bolt in 2020, were Open Non-Winners runner up in 2014 with Blue Boy and third in the Open Pup Championship with Blue Bird in 2008.
Erin says: “The best hound we have had would definitely be Blue Bird in 2008. She was a great hound who ticketed in a lot of the major trails in the association.
“Blue Striker started running last year and in that time he had 35 tickets and had a large collection of thirds
“The name Blue Striker came from my granda Kenneth, who enjoyed playing football for Cleator Moor Celtic many moons ago. All of our hounds have Blue at the start of their name due to some of our family being Everton supporters.
“We only started the season with two hounds Blue Striker and Blue Derwent, but Blue Derwent had a rocky start and was struggling to make the grade so from May onward we only had Blue Striker keeping the kennel going
“We have one pup for next season out of Silver Streak by Cuckoo Lane. His running name will be Blue Streak after his mother and we hope he lives up to her high standard of running.
“Our kennels are at our home in Cleator Moor and as the season went on, some of our neighbours started to keep a check of where Ken was in the championship and when they found out he had won it they were all delighted for us.
“In fact the whole reason we started going for the Open Restricted Championship was due to Billy Birkett telling us he was second in the championship and we should go for it.
“Dad and I thought he would have a chance as he was never guaranteed to win if he come in the first three on the finish but he proved us wrong by winning two trails in places we thought he would never win.
“That might have been due to the finishes being very long and him liking to show us he can do it in very random moments!
“We will miss our journeys with Billy throughout Cumbria and even up to Scotland but we know he will be watching down on us all.
“As for 2026 we hope that Ken can make the grade for the Senior Hounds and we have as much fun next season as we did with him this season and that Ozzy (Blue Streak) gives us just as much joy.”
