All our yesterdays . The first International ?

Hound trailing history was made on Saturday when hounds from the HTA, Border HTA  and Yorkshire HTA competed in a four trail meet at Lowther park, near Penrith.It was the first occasion on which a joint meet has ever  been held and the Low Deer Park at Lowther Castle was an ideal venue for the first ever ‘ national’ hound trail meet .

The meet was organised in aid of the Willie Irving Testimonial fund and the popularity of the retiring secretary was reflected in the large audience that attended from all three of the competing areas.

There was a total turnout of 200 hounds of which 141 HTA , 47 Border and 12 Yorkshire. All four trails were won by HTA hounds, the Border claiming three minor tickets.

Arrangements for the meet were in the hands of the Penrith Area Committee and were warmly commended by the President of the HTA , Mr Henry Kirkby and the President of the BOrder HTA , Mr C Dodds. They also thanked Captain, the Hon A G Lowther , who acted as starter and judge and Mrs Lowther who presented the trophies.

There were thrilling finishes to all of the trails. In the Vaux brewery senior trail, HTA senior table leader , Whiplash was joint favourite with Demander, the 1963 puppy Champion and the winner of the Vaux trophy at Kendal Show this year. At least 40 of the 65 runners were racing down the long, straight finish at the same time.Scawfell and Whitrigg Lad led into view but Demander came through in brilliant fashion to beat Scawfell by half a length, Whiplash although only fifth was beaten by less than four lengths and there were twelve hounds in a space of ten yards.

Even more exciting was the finish of the maiden trail in which Western Lady just pipped Deep Mist by a head to win the Matthew Brown Brewery stakes .

Longcroft ran a great race to narrowly beat Landmark in the John Peel brewery stakes for Dog puppies and High Lady won by a length from Miss Lesley in the Dutton brewery stakes for bitches.

Now if my memory serves me right, the hounds finished along the old racetrack and the public and bookies were parked along side the River Lowther.

It was one of the first trail meetings where bookmakers had to be licensed and the customs and excise visited the venue to check on whether all the bookies were indeed ‘ licensed’. They started checking and hadn’t gone far when two or maybe more ‘ bolted’  that is,  they downed tools grabbed what they could carry and ran along the riverbank towards Bampton , hotly pursued by the C/E.