The 2026 Festival of Hound Racing took place at Kirkland Leaps on Saturday with 107 hounds contesting seven grades.
With there being so many races on the day there are always two breaks in between the races to allow the later ones to race on a fresher rag.
The Puppy Maidens were first to go and had a line-up of eight and once slipped Ruth and Charlie Is It It, currently being trained by Denise and Jenny Bland, was away well alongside Andy and Alan Horn’s Show Boat.
The hounds are then seen roughly five minutes later coming out of the bottoms and crossing the road where Is It It had a slight advantage over Robyn, Ellie, Grace and Nicola Napier, Brooke Butler, Darren Clark and Donald Hodgson’s Foxparke Jubilee’s Jackpot, along with Joseph Abram and Claire Crone’s Silver Girl and Andrew Bulman and Laura Steele’s Swifty.
Back into view dropping off the back fell four had gone clear with the group still being led by Is It It.
Jumping the final wall Is It It was still leading from Ian Fleet, Katy Lyon, Josh, Eva and George Martin’s Snow Peak with a few yards back to Silver Girl and Foxparke Jubilee’s Jackpot.
Coming through the last gate Is It It was still leading and after a good race to the line he won from Snow Peak, Silver Girl and Foxparke Jubilee’s Jackpot.
There was a small gap to the final two tickets which were claimed by Show Boat and Ian Fleet’s Chapel Queen.
The Open Non Winners had a line-up of 15 and it was Jenny Horn and Ronnie Ridley’s Spring Gardener who set the early pace with Linda Neale and Josh Bryden’s Eagle Grace.
Back into view coming out of the bottoms and crossing the road Spring Gardener was leading from Carol Jackson, Audrey Graham, Lisa Crosby, David Loan, Ricky Deacon and John Griesdale’s Croft Rose, Brian and Erin Rowlandsons Blue Streak; Eagle Grace; Anthony, Steph, Sophie, Katie and Alfie Steele and Roy Laidler’s Miterdale Invictus and Stuart Smith’s Prospect Jill.
Dropping down the fell and jumping the final wall three had edged ahead – Prospect Jill, Eagle Grace and Jenny Horn and Ronnie Ridley’s Spring Ribbon.
On the trod heading for the final gate Prospect Jill was still leading but second-placed Eagle Grace ran off the trod and lost herself a few strides.
Coming through the final gate it was a good race to the line with Spring Ribbon eventually getting there by a length from Eagle Grace with Prospect Jill in third.
Miterdale Invictus finished in fourth with Spring Gardener next and the final ticket going to Tracey, Derrick and Carolyn Hill’s Deggsey Moon. in sixth.
The Veterans had a healthy line-up of 18 and it was Andy and Alan Horn and Simon Walker’s Overwater Louie who went to the front with Ian Fleet’s High Crag.
Coming out of the bottoms and crossing the road High Crag was leading from Colin Satterthwaite’s Thorn Pop and David Clifford’s Eden Romina.
Dropping off the fell there was a long line of hounds with any number in with a chance of winning.
But coming through the last gate James and Ava McClellan’s Duchess Ava was leading from Eden Romina and Overwater Louie.
It proved to be a thrilling race to the line with Duchess Ava getting up to claim the win from Overwater Louie and Eden Romina.
Sophie Steele’s Miterdale Dusk finished fourth ahead of Thorn Pop and Willie and Craig Mark and Jack Lindsay’s Summer Spirit.
There was a break and then the Seniors were slipped with an entry of 11.
Once underway Willie and Craig Mark and Billy Lindsay’s Sportsman was leading with James and Ava McClellan’s Baroness Ava and Darren and Julie McMaster and Anthony Skelton’s Silver Dream.
Coming out of the bottoms and crossing the road after roughly 12 minutes racing Sportsman was still at the front ahead of Robyn, Ellie, Grace and Nicola Napier and Brooke Butler’s Foxparke Sidekick, Silver Dream and Foxparke Honk Honk.
The fog had begun to fall so the hounds weren’t seen then until they jumped the final wall where Foxparke Honk Honk and Sportsman were neck and neck and had a couple of lengths on Silver Dream.
Coming through the final gate the whistles had started and Silver Dream and Sportsman were battling it out at the front.
It was to be the best finish of the day as Silver Dream narrowly got up to beat Sportsman by a head with Baroness Ava in third and George McGimpsey, Gillian and Millie Telford’s Millie’s Lass running on well in fourth.
Foxparke Honk Honk and Denise and Jenny Bland and Ella and Kyle Gallacher’s Jenny’s Chance took the last two tickets.
The Senior Maidens had a line-up of 20 and once away Graham Reid’s Money Talks was into stride along with Malcolm Holmes’ Senor and Stuart Jeynes’ Heartside.
Back into view coming out of the bottoms and across the road Money Talks was still leading and had a slight advantage over Senor, Darren McMaster, Sadie Wilson and Anthony Skelton’s Silver Streak and Stanley, Carole and Sarah Jackson, David Loan, Ricky Deacon and Donald Hodgson’s Croft Lass.
Over the final wall it was Robyn, Ellie, Grace and Nicola Napier, Brooke Butler and Glenis Farren’s Foxparke Cheese and Beans who was leading from Croft Lass but Silver Streak had them in her sight and wanted to get to the front.
Through the last gate Croft Lass was still leading and it was another good race to the line but Silver Streak claimed the win and a double for Team Dearham over Croft Lass and Senor.
Brian, Joy and Cathy Lister’s Minnie Million finished in fourth ahead of Les and Graham Reid, Erin Rowlandson, Barbara Jones and Steven Walker’s Minnie and Geoff and Gillian Higgins’ Lucky Lottie.
The Open Pups had 11 entries and from the slip Geoff and Gillian Higgins’ and Jake and Zach Green’s Acacia was away well with Martin and Molly Burrow, Ian Freyne, Ger and Jennifer Kenneally’s Thorn Daisy. Coming out of the bottoms and crossing the road Geoff and Gillian Higgins and Jake and Zach Green’s other pup Azalia was leading from Thorn Daisy.
But right there were Nicola McMaster and Barbara Telford’s Rodney Ranger along with Christine Brownlee and Eric Cockbain’s Merle and Ruth and Charlie Dixon’s What Is It.
Jumping the final wall Azalia and Thorn Daisy were still leading from Rodney Ranger and Acacia.
Coming through the final gate Thorn Daisy looked as though she was going to come and win but was denied by Rodney Ranger who finished strongly to cross the line first and complete a treble on the day for the Dearham kennel.
Thorn Daisy was second and Azalia took third ahead of her kennel and littermate Acacia.
Anthony, Steph, Sophie, Katie and Alfie Steele and Roy Laidler’s Miterdale Sauvage finished fifth ahead of Sadie, Kessi and Graham Wilson’s Cinderella.
The final race of the day, and with the largest entry, was the Open Restricted with a line-up of 24.
Laura Steele, Andrew and Joel Bulman and Ian Rumney’s Embrace went away to his usual speedy start with Neil and Gillian Brown, and Joel and Derrick Bulman’s Hey Mac keeping up.
Coming out of the bottoms and crossing the road Hey Mac had gone to the front from Robyn, Ellie, Grace and Nicola Napier, Brooke Butler and Darren Clark’s Foxparke Rita’s Rose.
Also there were Embrace, Anna and Kerry Lindsay’s Discover and Brian and Erin Rowlandson and the late Billy Birkett’s Blue Striker.
The mist had come down even lower so the hounds weren’t able to be seen till they come out of the dip on the trod where Ruth and Charlie Dixon’s I Am It, currently trained by Gary and Misha Byers, was leading from Foxparke Rita’s Rose.
As they got half way down the finish I Am It ran off allowing Foxparke Rita’s Rose to claim the win over her kennel mate Robyn, Ellie, Grace and Nicola Napier, and Brooke Butler’s Foxparke Fairlady with Hey Mac in third.
I Am It eventually got sorted and corrected for fourth with the last two tickets going to Raymond and Glenis Farren and Denise Bland’s Miss Becky and Nicola McMaster and Sadie Wilson’s Sarah Jane.
Festival of Hound Racing – Saturday July 4
- Puppy Maiden – 1. Is It It; 2. Snow Peak; 3. Silver Girl; 4. Foxparke Jubilee’s Jackpot; 5. Show Boat; 6. Chapel Queen. 8 ran, time 20.43.
- Open Non Winners – 1. Spring Ribbon; 2. Eagle Grace; 3. Prospect Jill; 4. Miterdale Invictus; 5. Spring Gardener; 6. Deggsey Moon; 15 ran, time 21.39.
- Veterans – 1. Duchess Ava; 2. Overwater Louie; 3. Eden Romina; 4. Miterdale Dusk; 5. Thorn Pop; 6. Summer Spirit. 18 ran, time 20.49.
- Hounds – 1. Silver Dream; 2. Sportsman; 3. Baroness Ava; 4. Millie’s Lass; 5. Foxparke Honk Honk; 6. Jenny’s Chance. 11 ran, time 28.34.
- Maidens – 1. Silver Streak; 2. Croft Lass; 3. Senor; 4. Minnie Million; 5. Minnie; 6. Lucky Lottie. 20 ran, time 28.51.
- Pups – 1. Rodney Ranger; 2. Thorn Daisy; 3. Azalia; 4. Acacia; 5. Miterdale Sauvage; 6. Cinderella. 11 ran, time 19.34.
- Open Restricted – 1. Foxparke Rita’s Rose; 2. Foxparke Fairlady; 3. Hey Mac; 4. I Am It; 5. Miss Becky; 6. Sarah Jane. 24 ran, time 19.30.
