By John Walsh

Published at 11:10, Thursday, 26 July 2012

THE annual festival of hound trailing at Cold Fell recently was enjoyed by many – but particularly by some visitors to the area.

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After the successful event at Cold Fell, put on by the hard-working Wath Brow committee, I have received an email from a couple in Shropshire who had been staying in the Lakes.

Jim Hulme, who was at the trails with his wife Hannah, wrote: “Can I just say how much we enjoyed the hound trailing meeting at Cold Fell. We had been to a meeting in Buttermere some years ago but this was the first time we had been to the Festival meeting.

“The day was just perfect – good weather, friendly people, exciting sport and some lovely views. We are now planning to come back next year and renew some of the friendships we formed.

“I think you have a fine sport up there in Cumbria and the way the committee put on the event was a credit to them all.”

Bower Cross Construction were represented by Paul Moore and Stephen Conway at the presentation of the senior prizes, while Cheryl Twinn from The Waverley was involved in handing out some of the prizes.

Irish visitor Christie Keating, from Kerry, judged the puppy show which was dominated by off-spring from the Beyonce/Huntsman’s Dazzler litter.

Two of them, shown by Russell Dawson took first and third in the bitch section while their brothers were first and third in the dogs. They were exhibited by M Ward and Stephen Miles.

Lisa Crosby’s young bitch by Westgate Kyza out of Ryan’s Lady was second in her section with Lesley Miles’ young dog by Rhinestone Cowboy out of Jenny’s Price also second.

An old piece of silverware is back with the HTA and will be up for grabs next month at the Premier trails. The 1954 Bitch Produce trophy, which was won by Flame, has been given back to the Association by the Roper family.

It will be re-presented as a perpetual challenge trophy in memory of Mr J Dixon for the puppy maiden trail at the Premier trails at Latrigg Top on August 11. Rodney Roper is also giving a bottle of whisky for the winning owner plus a contribution to the prize money.

Meanwhile to coincide with the start of the Olympics there will be a special medal for each winner at the Helton trails on Sunday. Sadly, it won’t be gold, but a memento of the occasion nevertheless.

We start our look back on the week’s trailing with last Tuesday’s meeting at Oulton which had been affected by the Festival on the previous Thursday.

It wasn’t particularly well supported again, and as on Thursday all the seniors didn’t get round. This time five out of the seven finished the course with Hello Dolly showing her well-being again with another victory. Annie’s Bay and Hunter’s Rose chased her home.

Chicharito added to her tally at the top of the junior table by winning again, this time chased home by Get Up and Westgate Belle.

Wisla has form round Oulton and won the open restricted from Lady Agenda and Rush.

On Wednesday it was back to Cold Fell where the grim weather we have experienced this summer continued with heavy showers to trouble hounds and enthusiasts, not to mention a low, swirling mist.

Fallen Spring, Brevity and Hey Jude were visible as being prominent throughout and when they came on the finish they had the trail between them.

It was Fallen Spring who proved to be the most resolute, getting is head down and going on to the line with two lengths to spare over Hey Jude with Brevity back in third.

The mist was at its worst for the puppy trail and punters knew little of what had gone on until they got onto the finish. It was desperately close in the end as Two Tone led but had victory snatched right on the line as the favourite Capetown just got up to win by the narrowest of margins. Free Spirit wasn’t far behind in third.

Random Star was first in the open restricted but her success was short-lived as the judge ruled there had been interference with the runner-up Oo La La who was subsequently promoted!

Romulus was promoted to second place and Tiagress moved up to third.

At Millstone Moor on Thursday there was a shock for senior table leader Dairy Diamond when she could only manage third place after being sent-off a very strong odds on shot.

She was always in contention but just couldn’t get past the first two who were very resolute up the finish. Quiet Swallow beat White Diamond by half a length with Dairy Diamond a similar distance behind in third.

The puppy table leader Chicharito also suffered a set-back in the ensuing junior trail. She was always there with Acacia but when the pair got down to fight it out up the final hill there was only one winner.

Acacia was the most determined and pulled away on the run to the line to win by half a dozen lengths.

Gordon Tinnion went on to complete a double in the final trail as Quiet Swift battled well to win the open maidens by a length and a half from Keystone with Ling Fell in third.

There was a rare Friday meeting with Kirkstone the venue and it proved a successful event, too.

In the seniors there was a first win for Hey Jude who had been third in the maidens at the Festival and second to Fallen Spring in the seniors at Cold Fell on Wednesday. At Kirkstone she came with a big lead and won convincingly from Border River.

In the puppy trail Believe led down the fell, but in the hidden ground before the last wall she was overtaken by Shameless, who won by a few lengths, with Eden Rosa running well into third.

There were 25 runners for the open non-winners, and Les Tyson's pair Lady Dot and Lady Helen ran well throughout, finishing first and third, with fast-finishing Cinders splitting them at the line.

Cracking Performer loves to bowl along in front, but is not the best finisher. However, on this occasion, although faltering coming to the line in the open maiden trail, he righted himself in time to beat Wattmore and Courtesy narrowly.

On Saturday the scene switched to Wath Brow where the beck was brought into the equation for the first time this season – an indication of how much rain there has been in previous weeks.

The beck, as it often can, played a part in the results. In the seniors it was Desire who led into it but when they came out Matador had taken over and he went on to win by three lengths from Fallen Spring who relegated Desire to third.

There were about ten pups in contention when they came down but it was Serenity who negotiated the water obstacle best of all and went on to win by a couple of lengths from Is He It with Huntsman's Hero in third.

The open maidens proved to be a one dog race as This Is It came home alone, a very comfortable winner from Owtback and Amber.

The veterans saw Black Poppy and Sensation setting the pace and they fought out the finish, with the former getting home by two lengths with Miss Molly in third.

Shap was the scene for Sunday’s meeting, with good slips in all five trails. There was a close finish for all the tickets in the senior trail, and Hey Jude lost no time in clocking up her 2nd win when just heading Silver Moon and Hunter's Rose.

Another close thing in the senior maiden trail, and once again Cracking Performer was in front coming down, but he was passed on the line by Dairy Standard and Davina, with Wattmore very close fourth.

The catchers had to be on their toes in the puppy trail as well, because Eden Rosa stormed up to the line in the last few yards to beat Acacia and Jenny's Rascal for her third success.

Cinders was quick to follow up her second place at Kirkstone when taking the open non-winners from Thorn Dolly and Janet in a big field of 27, and Thorn Girl completed a good day for her kennel in the open restricted with a win at the expense of Ooh-La-La! and Sundown.

Lamplugh staged Monday night’s meeting and the pups got them away with 23 battling through the mist. Conditions really were desperate and top marks went to the trailers for getting round in the first place.

Ian and Stephen Donaldson’s kennelmates Serenity and Sental had dashed clear when they came into view and they went over the line in that order, with just a length between them, but third-placed Glenwood Mist was a dozen yards behind.

Miss Molly added to her first veterans’ win this season by taking the open maidens, She was nicely ahead and won by ten yards from Highwayman with Amber back in third.

The seniors brought the meeting to a close and there was general relief all round that all the hounds had been accounted for. Desire led Jet Rose by about 15 yards at the finish with Della in third.

Finally this week we have some HTA points, up to and including Monday:

Veterans: Toytown 35, Bowderdale Billy 24, Sensation and Sunlight 21. Open Non-Winners: Thorn Dolly 25, nearest still eligible Cherish 14, Hutton Dandini and Keystone 12. Senior Maidens: Pip’s Lad 17 (finished), nse Davina and Sawdust 15, This Is It 14.

Puppy Maidens: Ling Fell 19, nse Thorn Dolly 15, Wistlo Spring 10. Open Maidens: Rush 41, nse Wattmore 37, Cracking Performer and The Puddle Jumper 32. Open Restricted: Night Shadow 43, nse What Look 38, Malinda 36, Cancellara and Simply Rascal 35.

Published by http://www.whitehavennews.co.uk