Sunday saw a return to Shap for the HRA following the Bitch Produce the weekend before.
Ten hounds lined-up for the seniors and Willie and Daphne Mark were looking for a repeat of the previous week as their Sportsman was made favourite with the bookies.
At the slip Sportsman was the nearest hound in the Senior Championship with ten wins to the current leader Silver Dream who has a total of twenty.
As they dropped down through the rough ground it was a good race with four hounds racing together and as they approached the line Sportsman just got up to take the win from George McGimpsey and Gillian Telford’s Millie’s Lass.
The win for Sportsman closes the gap to nine points in the senior championship.
Close behind was Colin Satterthwaite’s Thorn Soul and Mr Mally for George Burgeon and Carol Tunstall.
There was a gap to fifth with Denise and Jenny Blands Jenny’s Chance finishing well ahead of Neil and Gillian Brown’s Hey Mac.
The next race was the Senior Maidens with a slip of ten hounds with Thorn Heart and Dundee joint favourites following their second and third places the week before in the same grade.
As they showed on the finish there were three hounds together and it was Thorn Heart who came through from third position to take the lead and she managed to hold on until she crossed the line despite a strong challenge from Malcolm Holmes’ Senor in second and Dundee who ended up in third place.
Malcolm’s other hound Sir Robert finished well to take fourth place with the Bryden and Neale kennel taking fifth and sixth with Eagle Rock and Eagle Grace.
The open pups were next with the remainder of this year’s taking part who didn’t run on Saturday at Lorton.
With a slip of eleven it was Duncan, Amy, Oliver, Liam, Eleanor Chisholm, Harry Turner and Brian Graham’s Let Me Try Again who came with a very big lead to win.
The winner has certainly come into his own these last few months notching up seven wins which has taken him to joint third place in the puppy championship.
It was a great race for second and third place between Thorn Daisy for Martin and Molly Burrow and Ian Freyne, Ger and Jennifer Kenneally and Rodney Ranger for Nicola McMaster and Barbara Telford.
They were neck and neck up to the line with Rodney Ranger just switching sides at the last minute which may have cost him second place.
Zinger for Anna and Kerry Lindsay and Jannie McAuley finished well in fourth place. Meadow Rosie for Paul Airey and Joanne, Lauren and Sophie Hodgson was fifth and she seems to be improving with time.
The last ticket went to Snow Peak for Ian Fleet, Katy Lyon, Josh, Eva and George Martin, and is another hound which seems to be picking up a few minor tickets.
The last race of the day was the open restricted with another reasonable slip of thirteen.
Malfunction was the favourite in the bookies ring. She currently heads up the Open Restricted points competition with last year’s winner Blue Striker in second place just one point behind.
As they showed it was another exciting finish with four hounds clear. When they dropped in they were racing neck and neck with Malfunction and Eleanor’s Lass battling it out.
It was Eleanor’s Lass for Brian Graham and Eleanor Chisholm who just got up to beat Sarah White’s Malfunction in second while Castle Callant stayed on well to take third place for Martie Borthwick and Co.
David Clifford’s Eden Romina was fourth followed in by Willie and Daphne Mark’s Summer Spirit and Ian Fleet’s High Crag,
Saturday’s meeting at the Lorton Hound Show had a good turn-out with four races on the card as the senior hounds got the afternoon underway.
There was eight runners with five of the hounds coming from the Foxparke kennel.
They were running Foxparke Beep Beep, who tends to be a course specilaist round Lorton. Competition would come from the Low Place kennel in the form of Miterdale Dusk and Miterdale Green Queen.
Both kennels, throughout the summer, support the different shows across the county and they must have a good old selection of rosettes from all their efforts.
Once slipped the hounds run out through the bottoms towards Scale Hill and cross over the road there and head up to Lanthwaite Green. Once back into view there were four hounds together then a gap to another three hounds.
Punters who had backed Foxparke Beep Beep would have been pleased to see that she was one of the four going through along with Miterdale Green Queen and Let It Be and the other hound was thought to be Foxparke Side Kick.
As the hounds disappeared round the fell they headed up the back ghyill before they could be seen cutting across to the top of the next fell.
By this time Foxparke Beep Beep and Miterdale Green Queen had broken clear. Foxparke Beep Beep was the first to show as they started to drop down and was on her own it was a while before Miterdale Green Queen showed but both hounds made their way down.
Once on the finish Foxparke Beep Beep finished well to take her second win of the season for Robyn, Nicola, Ellie and Grace Napier and Brooke Butler, repeating her win back in 2023.
Sophie Steele’s Miterdale Green Queen finished in third place with Foxparke Oink Oink and Foxparke Fairlady finishing in third and fourth place but only those four hounds out of eight starters finished.
The pups were up next with a good slip of fifteen hounds. With none of the top pups running it was a wide open race in the betting ring.
As they were slipped and they climbed up and out on to the fell they soon got strung out and there was a group of five hounds who had broken clear.
As they showed on the top of the fell to drop down it was Geoff Higgins’ Azalia and Acacia who were leading followed by Sophie Steele’s Miterdale Sauvage.
Geoff’s two hounds slowed as they dropped down and were eventually passed by Miterdale Sauvage, who came down the fell nicely. But as he came into view he stopped in the beck to get himself a drink but eventually came in to Sophie who was over the moon with the win.
The hound is owned by the Steele family and Roy Laidler and Sophie couldn’t wait to get on the phone to tell Roy how well the hound had ran. The hound was sired by Roy’s hound Cuckoo Lane and the win was his second so far this year.
In second place was Foxparke Jiggle for Robyn, Nicola, Ellie and Grace Napier, Neil Brady and Brooke Butler and in third was Foxparke Jubilee’s Jackpot both for Robyn, Nicola, Ellie and Grace Napier, Brooke Butler, Darren Clarke and Glens Farren.
Stephen Riley and Isla Hetherington’s Fable finished well to take fourth place with Ruth and Charlie Dixon’s What Is It was fifth.
The Dog produce winner Bewley, for Tony, Marlene, Connor, Carter Irving and Gary Woodend, finished in sixth place which is a ticket that he seems to like to collect having eight of them so far this season.
The Open Maidens were next with a slip of thirteen hounds and Geoff Higgins’ team were looking for better luck with Lucky Lottie and Lucky Moon, both hounds having previous tickets at the venue.
There were a number of hounds that dropped in from the top of the fell but it was Luckie Lottie and Lucky Moon who both showed first through the gate, after having a drink despite been shouted at.
They decided to do a lap of the finishing field before picking up the scent and then coming in to the relief of Geoff and Ian Rudd. Lucky Lottie crossed the line first with Lucky Moon in second place.
Then it was the Foxparke Team who cleared up the rest of the tickets with Foxparke Majestyl, Foxparke Whoosh, Foxparke Dupe and Foxparke Dealer.
The last race of the day was the Open Restricted race with a slip of eleven hounds. As they showed on the finish it was Stephen Riley and Isla Hetherington’s Ruby who finished the best to take the win.
She was caught by Isla with help from Annie and Thomas so they were well chuffed with the win. It must have been all those jam sandwiches that Annie ate earlier in the day which helped her shout home Ruby for the win.
In second place was Miterdale Rambler for Sophie Steele and her team with Foxparke Sassy Girl in third and Miterdale Honesty in fourth.
The Foxparke team took fifth place with Foxparke Rita’s Rose making a total of eleven tickets on the day. Joy and Brian Lister’s Minnie Million took the last ticket of the day.
Saturday, July 18, Lorton Hound Show
Seniors: 1. Foxparke Beep Beep; 2. Miterdale Green Queen; 3. Foxparke Oink Oink; 4. Foxparke Fairlady. 8 Ran (4 finished), time:38.55
Pups: 1. Miterdale Sauvage; 2. Foxparke Jiggle; 3. Foxparke Jubilee’s Jackpot; 4. Fable; 5.What Is It; 6. Bewley 15 ran, time: 23.32.
Open Maidens: 1. Lucky Lottie; 2. Lucky Moon; 3. Foxparke Majesty; 4. Foxparke Whoosh; 5. Foxparke Dupe; 6. Foxparke Dealer 13 ran, time:22.46.
Open Restricted: 1. Ruby; 2. Miterdale Rambler; 3. Foxparke Sassy Girl; 4. Miterdale Honesty; 5. Foxparke Rita’s Rose; 6. Minnie Million. 11 ran. time:18.39.
Sunday, July 19, Shap
Hounds: 1.Sportsman; 2. Millie’s Lass; 3. Thorn Sou;l 4. Mr Mally; 5. Jenny’s Chance; 6. Hey Mac. 10 ran, time 34.28.
Maidens: 1. Thorn Heart; 2. Senor; 3. Dundee; 4. Sir Robert; 5. Eagle Rock; 6. Eagle Grace. 10 ran, time: 34.19.
Pups: 1.Let Me Try Again; 2.Thorn Daisy; 3.Rodney Ranger; 4.Zinger; 5.Meadow Rosie; 6.Snow Peak. 11 ran, time: 19.24.
Open Restricted: 1.Eleanor’s Lass; 2.Malfunction; 3.Castle Callant; 4.Eden Romina; 5.Summer Spirit; 6. High Crag, 13 ran, time 20.03.
