The final week of the hound trailing season proved stressful for championship contenders with three of the five trails being cancelled due to adverse weather conditions.
However, trailing did take place on Tuesday at Millstone Moor where Caroline Graham and Denis Reay’s Hunter’s Flame strode up the steep finish to hold off Andy Horn’s Showbiz with Bill and Pat Mellon and Robert and Tina Airey’s Cracking Last One in third.
The pup trail produced the highlight of the afternoon when contenders Bill, Pat, Robert and Tina’s Cracking Last One Two and Brian Graham and Julie Burkinshaw’s Young Harry came head-to-head jumping the final gate and Cracking Last One Two sneaked a length ahead with Graham Reid’s Biff third, putting the victor a win ahead of Young Harry.
The open maidens saw Brian and Joy Lister as Imagine win by a distance ahead of Martin and Molly Burrow and Joanna Satterthwaite’s Thorn Rose and Robyn, Ellie and Grace Napier’s Huntsman’s Prince.
On Saturday there were nerves as in the seniors there was one win between Miterdale Shadow and Denise Bland’s Huntman’s Nimrod, with the former having not run for the past month due to injury.
Coming onto the finish Huntsman’s Nimrod had competition from Bill, Pat, Robert and Tina’s Cracking Last One who recovered from being knocked over by a sheep to claim victory with Brian and Erin Rowlandson’s Blue Blaze in third, handing the title to Miterdale Shadow.
The senior maidens was a tight title battle for the title and Graham Reid’s Our Man Mike took the win ahead of Robyn, Ellie and Grace’s Foxpark Mo Farren with Brian, Erin and Joe’s Blue Bolt in third, handing the latter the championship by a point ahead of Foxpark Parma Violet.
The puppy trail was tense but Cracking Last One Two pulled out all the stops to give owners Bill, Pat, Robert and Tina the championship ahead of Denise’s Jenny’s Quest and Brian and Julie’s Young Harry.
Thorn Rose had taken the puppy maidens honours but runner-up was all to play for and Duncan, Amy, Oliver, Liam and Eleanor’s Fly Me to the Moon strode home ahead of Brian and Joy Lister’s Imagine with Robyn, Ellie and Grace’s Huntsman’s Prince third. That a three-way tie in the puppy maidens with Fly Me to the Moon, Imagine and Huntsman’s Prince.
The veteran trails saw Martin, Molly and Joanna’s champion Thorn Fire romp home ahead of Paul Airey’s Meadow Josie and Christine Brownlee’s Marlou.
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