International hounds meeting double success for two kennels

Big prize money was on offer at the annual International meeting for the HRA, which this year was held at Edge’s Green.

It proved a profitable day for two kennels in two areas of the association.

The Mark family from Cumwhinton scored a double, and so too did the Abram/McMaster kennel in Dearham.

There had been seven grades and included, for the first time one for non-HRA hounds which saw nine Irish hounds line up.

Participants might be down on the halcyon days of the sport, when the first international was held in 1965, but the desire to keep alive a great tradition still burns strong.

The opening race was for the Seniors with a line-up off 15 and Willie and Craig Mark and Billy Lindsay’s Sportsman was sent off as the hot favourite.

From the slip Neil and Gillian Brown and Joel and Derrick Bulman’s Hey Mac went off in front with Sarah and Baz Harper and the late Hartley Robinson’s Delta Fortune and Sportsman in close pursuit.

They were seen roughly 30 seconds later where the trio were still leading a long line of hounds who were racing on well.

The hounds then came back into sight after another five minutes going past the field and Ruth and Charlie Dixon’s Let It Be had taken the lead and was going well with Hey Mac, Delta Fortune and Sportsman and a small gap to James and Ava McClellan’s Baroness Ava and Denise and Jenny Bland’s Huntsman’s Time.

Coming out of the corner of the wood and climbing up the fields, Sportsman and Hey Mac were in front.

The hounds were then seen crossing the last road where Sportsman was leading from George McGimpsey, Gillian and Millie Telford’s Millie’s Lass; Robyn, Ellie, Grace and Nicola Napier and Brooke Butler’s Foxparke Sidekick and Baroness Ava.

Dropping down the fields Sportsman, Foxparke Sidekick and Millie’s Lass had established a slight lead and it stayed that way right up until the finish where Sportsman claimed the win easily over Millie’s Lass from Foxparke Sidekick and Baroness Ava.

Robyn, Ellie, Grace and Nicola Napier and Brooke Butler’s Foxparke Honk Honk finished fifth and Stephen Irving and Caroline Graham’s Zoya was sixth.

There are seven tickets at an international and the final one went to Sophie Steele and Jake and Zach Green’s Miterdale Green Queen.

The Senior Maidens had 25 runners with Stanley, Carole and Sarah Jackson, David Loan, Donald Hodgson and Ricky Deacon’s Croft Lass sent off favourite.

When they were slipped Graham Reid’s Money Talks got away best ahead of Sarah White and Elsie Horn’s Flightline and Malcolm Holmes’ Senor.

Back into sight roughly 30 seconds later the same three hounds were battling away at the front.

Later, going past the field Money Talks was still leading from Senor and Flightline but just before they went back out of sight the leader made a slight miss and dropped back to third, which left Senor to do the driving.

Coming out of the wood and climbing up the fields Robyn, Ellie, Grace and Nicola Napier, Brooke Butler and Glenis Farrens Foxparke Cheese and Beans had taken over the lead.

George Burgon and Carole Tunstall’s Mr Mally was going well but Senor had dropped back.

They were then seen crossing the road where Senor and Flightline were back at the front but had been joined by Croft Lass.

As they began the turn for home the trio were joined by Foxparke Cheese and Beans but once into the final few fields Flightline and Croft Lass were neck and neck at the front with Mr Mally only a length back.

Coming through the last gate Flightline ran wide, which looked like it was going to cost him the race, but he recovered well and finished like a train to claim the win over Croft Lass and Mr Mally.

Foxparke Cheese and Beans finished fourth ahead of Mickey O’Brien and Gillian Brown’s Peggy Sue.

Colin Satterthwaite’s Thorn Heart and Senor took the last two wickets.

The Open Pups had 15 lining up with Nicola McMaster and Barbara Telford’s Rodney Ranger sent off as the favourite.

Duncan, Amy, Oliver, Liam, Eleanor Chisholm, Harry Turner and Brian Graham’s Let Me Try Again was the early leader pursued by Anna and Kerry Lindsay and Janie McAulay’s Zinger and Tony, Marlene, Connor and Carter Irving and Gary Woodend’s Bewley.

The hounds were then seen coming out of the wood and climbing through the fields where the favourite Rodney Ranger was at the front with his sister, Martin and Molly Burrow, Ian Freyne, Ger and Jennifer Kenneally’s Thorn Daisy; Anthony, Steph, Sophie, Katie and Alfie Steele and Roy Laidler’s Miterdale Sauvage and Zinger.

Back into view crossing the road after roughly 15 minutes racing Miterdale Sauvage had gone ahead of a bunch of hounds.

Reports came in from the last road crossing that Zinger was now at the front from Thorn Daisy and Rodney Ranger.

In the penultimate field Thorn Daisy was now in front from Miterdale Sauvage and Rodney Ranger.

Through the final gate these three had the advantage and produced a thrilling race to the line where Rodney Ranger managed to win by half a length from his littermate Thorn Daisy with Miterdale Sauvage in third.

George McGimpsey, Gillian, Millie and Charlie Telford’s Charlie’s Dream finished well in fourth ahead of Sarah Jackson, Willie Gill, Lisa Crosby, David Loan, Ricky Deacon and John Griesdale’s Croft Mist.

There was a small gap to the next group which was led in by Zinger with Bewley claiming the final ticket.

The Puppy Maidens had a field of 22 with Team Dearham having a couple of runners hoping to claim a double on the day with Joseph Abram and Claire Crone’s Silver Girl sent off as the favourite.

Once underway, Ruth and Charlie Dixon’s Is It It (currently trained by Denise and Jenny Bland) made his usual speedy start with Darren and Julie McMaster and Sadie Wilson’s Tartan Raider for company.

Coming out of the wood and climbing up the field the favourite Silver Girl was leading from two littermates Andrew Bulman and Laura Steele’s Swifty and Anthony, Steph, Sophie, Katie and Alfie Steele and Roy Laidler’s Miterdale Invictus.

Back into view crossing the road the hounds were quite difficult to make out but a group of eight had a small lead.

Reports next came in from the final road crossing where kennel mates Silver Girl and Tartan Raider were neck and neck at the front with Ian Fleet’s Chapel Queen (currently trained by the Steele family) in third and Swifty close behind.

In the last few fields on the finish the order remained the same and through the last gate there was another good race to the line.

It was Silver Girl who finished well to claim the win and a double on the day for Team Dearham ahead of her littermate Swifty and Chapel Queen.

Another littermate of Silver Girl, Miterdale Invictus, finished fourth with kennelmate Tartan Raider in fifth.

Robyn, Ellie, Grace and Nicola Napier and Brooke Butler’s Foxparke Jiggle finished very well in sixth and early leader Is It It took the final ticket.

Rodney Ranger (Open Pup winner), Thorn Daisy (2nd in Open Pups), Charlie’s Dream (4th in Open Pups), Zinger (6th in Open Pups), Silver Girl (Puppy Maiden winner), Swifty (2nd in Puppy Maidens) and Miterdale Invictus (4th in Puppy Maidens) are all out of the same litter from Sarah Jane/Cuckoo Lane.

There was also a new trophy presented on the day in memory of popular stalwart Billy Birkett, who died last year.

It was presented by Eric Rowlandson in memory of race partner Billy and is to be awarded annually to the hound putting up the best performance on the day.

The first winners of the trophy were the Steele family for the efforts of Chapel Queen in the Open Pups.

She has just recently joined the Steele kennel and finishing third was an exceptional performance for a relatively inexperienced youngster.

The new grade, the Non HRA, had nine runners with Thomas and Conal McElroy’s (IBDHA) Sweet Dreams sent off as the favourite and he got away well.

Ruairi and Joe Bannon’s Eden Roseanna was his company.

Coming out of the wood corner and climbing up the fields three had broken clear – Ger and Jennifer Kennealy’s Zodiac Jack, Sweet Dreams and Eden Roseanna.

There was a small gap to Kieran Kerely’s Meadow Lane and her kennel mate Ben. Back into view crossing the road the trio were still battling it out at the front and were all appearing to take turns at driving the race.

The next reports came in from the last road where the trio were neck and neck and going well and extending their lead on the others.

In the last few fields and coming through the last gate Zodiac Jack was going well and he came through to finish fast and win from Eden Roseanna and Sweet Dreams.

Meadow Lane finished fourth ahead of Ben with Ned and Niall Crudden’s Jimmy Jack in sixth. He was the first Irish hound to finish that had not previously run in the HRA.

The final ticket went to Damien Moane’s Terminator.

The largest entry of the day was 29 for the Open Restricted with Robyn, Ellie, Grace and Nicola Napier, Brooke Butler and Donald Hodgson’s Foxparke Oink Oink sent off as the favourite.

Once they were slipped it was her kennel mate Ellie and Grace Napier’s Brown Sugar who was off to a flying start with his littermate Lee, Hayley, George and Joey Wall and Sandra Mordue’s Denton Phantom for company.

Coming out of the wood corner and climbing up the fields it was another of Robyn, Ellie, Grace and Nicola Napier and Brooke Butler’s Foxparke hounds – Beep Beep who had a slight advantage on a long line of hounds.

The hounds were then seen crossing the road and going by the trees where Foxparke Beep Beep was still leading but she ran down low and put herself out of the race leaving Neil and Gillian Brown and Joel and Derrick Bulman’s Dundee to lead.

Dropping down the fields and crossing the last road Nicola McMaster and Sadie Wilson’s Sarah Jane was leading a long line of hounds all going really well.

In the penultimate field Robyn, Ellie, Grace and Nicola Napier and Brooke Butler’s Foxparke Fairlady had pulled away and looked as though she was going to go on and win easily but she ran off and put herself out of the race.

This allowed Kerry and Anna Lindsay and Emmie McAulay’s Inspect to claim the win by four lengths from Foxparke Beep Beep and Sarah Jane.

Malcom Holmes’ Senorita was fourth and Sarah White and Elsie Horn’s We Get By finished fifth.

Christine Brownlee’s Malia was sixth and the final ticket went to Foxparke Oink Oink.

The final race of the day was for the Veterans with Willie and Craig Mark and Jack Lindsay’s Summer Spirit sent off as the favourite with connections hoping to complete a double.

Once they were on their way Jim, Ann, Alan and Adrian Little’s Huntsman’s Quantum went out well ahead of Andy and Alan Horn and Simon Walker’s Overwater Louie.

Back into view coming out of the wood and climbing up the fields Summer Spirit was leading from two kennel mates, Brian Graham and Eleanor Chisholm’s Eleanor’s Lass and Julie Birkenshaw’s Bretton with Linda Neale, Mark, Josh and Georgia Bryden’s Eagle Rock and Colin Satterthwaite’s Thorn Pop in behind.

Back into view going across the road and through the fields Summer Spirit was still leading but this time from Thorn Pop and Eagle Rock.

On the turn for home Summer Spirit and Thorn Pop were still head to head with Eleanor’s Lass and Bretton.

Through the next to last field and through the gate onto the finish Eleanor’s Lass was leading from Summer Spirit but unfortunately tripped and lost a few strides allowing Summer Spirit to come through and claim the win.

Eleanor’s Lass recovered well to take second and Thorn Pop was third ahead of Eagle Rock.

Bretton, Anthony, Steph, Sophie, Katie and Alfie Steele’s Miterdale Honesty  and Overwater Louie took the remaining tickets.

Saturday June 20 – International, Edges Green

• Seniors – 1. Sportsman; 2. Millie’s Lass; 3. Foxparke Side Kick; 4. Baroness Ava; 5. Foxparke Honk Honk; 6. Zoya; 7. Miterdale Green Queen. 15 ran, time 28.42.
• Seniors Maidens – 1. Flightline; 2. Croft Lass; 3. Mr Mally; 4. Foxparke Cheese and Beans; 5. Peggy Sue; 6. Thorn Heart; 7. Senor. 25 ran, time 29.29.
• Open Pups – 1. Rodney Ranger; 2. Thorn Daisy; 3. Miterdale Sauvage; 4. Charlie’s Dream; 5. Croft Mist; 6. Zinger; 7. Bewley. 15 ran, time 23.37.
• Puppy Maidens – 1. Silver Girl; 2. Swifty; 3. Chapel Queen; 4. Miterdale Invictus; 5. Tartan Raider; 6. Foxparke Jiggle; 7. Is It It. 22 ran, time 25.38.
• Non HRA – 1. Zodiac Jack; 2. Eden Rosana; 3. Sweet Dreams; 4. Ben; 5. Meadow Lane; 6. Jimmy Jack; 7. Terminator. 9 ran, time 25.04.
• Open Restricted – 1. Inspect; 2. Foxparke Beep Beep; 3. Sarah Jane; 4. Senorita; 5. We Get By; 6. Malia; 7. Foxparke Oink Oink. 29 ran, time 22.27.
• Veterans – 1. Summer Spirit; 2. Eleanor’s Lass; 3. Thorn Pop; 4. Eagle Rock; 5. Bretton; 6. Miterdale Hot; 7. Overwater Louie. 19 ran, time 22.20.