Shepherds meet at Broughton Mills.

Seniors

1 Dawn 2 Langdale Ranger 3 Ladybird 4 Quiet Linnet 5 Billy Bowe 6 My Way . 7 Ran Time 24

Pups 1 Lone Rebel 2 Marlou 3 lady Anne 4 Dairy Lightning 5 Dairy Thunder 5 Ran Time 27.30

OR    1 Tommy’s Legacy 2 Come Home Alfie 3 Maybe  4 Mickledore  5 Eshdale Matilda 6 Cinnabar 7 Ran Time 27.21.

Report:

I wasn’t going to file a report but : As you are aware a member over the last few weeks has been canvassing trailers as to would it be beneficial to run all the trails on one rag with an hour  break in between the first two trails. Because of lack of support the motion was withdrawn.

But the shepherds meet went ahead as the member requested, the only difference being , because of the inclement weather, the pup trail went on ‘entries closed’.

As you can see from the times there was practically three senior trails but I think the time for the trail should have been a little shorter. Anyway, the trails were monitored and apart from the odd mistake the hounds shaped well.

Now here is a point because there was an hour between trails – three of us took the advantage of plate of tatie-pot followed by sticky toffee at a reasonable priced £7 and some others took to drink. This would not have been possible if we ‘d only had half an hour.

Therefore supporting the theory that it may work- the advantages being – only two trailers- one lot of mixture and less time ‘hanging about’. the disadvantages being that ,in theory, a shortened senior trail, pups on a dead rag, although you could swop the trails around and run the pups first. also hounds are bred to ‘stay’ but then why do the majority of hounds run in the short trails? Just a thought to dwell on over the winter months.

Oh! the trails ,well! there wasn’t a bookie but rumour had it that there might have been a bit of exchange going on, anyway the upshot was if there was any it was for the first two in the seniors, and that was the end of that !

Dawn led all the way and won very easily , Tommy’s Legacy completed a double for the Bassenthwaite kennel beating ‘Alfie’ by a couple of lengths and Lone Rebel came on his own in the pup/old dog trail.

A final note this was Jimmy and Normans local trail , on the 7th of November.

Missed a bit = scouted the road for the last trail and opened a gate at right angle to the trail, one hound came to go through the gap, suddenly turned sharp right, and to our astonishment jumped the gate,down a banking ,turned around jumped the gate again and then crossed the road. We might as well left it shut!