ANOTHER younger member of the hound trailing fraternity has enjoyed success with one of the lower grade championships.

After Martin Rush, 23, took the senior maiden title with Hot as Hell, it was 28-year-old Laura Steele from Seaton who grabbed the puppy maiden honours in the HTA with Quiet Swift.

Remarkably, Laura can proudly proclaim that she’s been following the hounds for all but ten days of her life – because that’s how old she was when mum and dad took her along to her first meeting.

“You could say I’ve been hooked ever since. The family have all been hound trailing enthusiasts and I’ve been brought up with it. As time has gone on and I’ve got older I’ve taken on more responsibility in the kennel,” she says.

Laura had taken a great deal of satisfaction in Quiet Lane’s Dog Produce win of 2007 but reckons the puppy maiden success of Quiet Swift is the biggest highlight of her time in hounds so far.

“She was in season last January so she was playing catch-up for a while and she broke again right at the end of the season.

“But over the season, once she got running she did well with 31 tickets – including a second in an open puppy trail – with her three wins in maiden company,” she says.

Quiet Swift, out of the kennel’s Quiet Pearl by former champion Dairy One, won her puppy maidens at Cockermouth Show and at Helton but she also took an open maiden at Scawthwaite Close in September.

“I think that was her best performance of the season because she was always in the first two or three and she came with a good lead to win well. The winning time was quicker than the puppy trail in which there were two championship contenders running,” recalls Laura.

“Basically she has a good nose and is a decent finisher so if we can keep her fit next season I am hoping for some good runs from her,” she adds.

Family friend Gordon Tinnion is joint owner of Quiet Swift, along with her sister Quiet Swallow, who was a championship contender herself for a while in 2009. She finished with 15 wins and was fourth in the final table.

Quiet Lane, the Dog Produce winner two years ago, had an injury-dogged season and wasn’t seen in action for much of the time, although he did manage to pick-up one open restricted win.

As for the old girl, Quiet Pearl – mother of the puppy maiden champion – she wasn’t out a lot either but she did win one trail and will be a second year veteran next year if she can stay sound.

She’s had close on 50 wins in her career – 17 of them as a pup when she strung a number of victories together and 13 in her first year as a senior.

Quiet Pearl has also been responsible for three successive litters for the kennel. Three of her off-spring – when lined by Quiet Lane – will be running in 2010.

Quiet Bullfinch, Quiet Goldfinch and Quiet Lass have all been started-off, and promisingly, until he bone-hard conditions curtailed their progress.

Then on January 2, Quiet Pearl gave birth to eight more youngsters (still to be named of course) and which were made-up of five bitches and three dogs. Again the sire was Quiet Lane.

So that’s seven hounds to care for, not to mention eight very young pups, so Laura and the family have plenty to occupy them in the next few weeks.

One thing, though, as hound trailing looks closely at itself and how it is going to revive the sport, there are at least two young enthusiast ready to carry he mantle forward for many years to come – Martin Rush and Laura Steele.

Laura will be among the successful recipients at the Cockermouth and Workington Area presentation night, being held at Hundith Hill on Friday, January 15 (7-30pm).

Entertainment is by Steve and there are one or two tickets still available at £15 each.

The all-important annual meeting of the Hound Trailing Association will be held at Hundith Hill just over two weeks later on Sunday, January 31.

That’s when the various prize winners will be presented with their awards, including the juniors.

I’ve had a request to inform all the junior prize winners that they need to have some idea of what gifts they would like as Carolyn Hill will be phoning them in the next few days.

Carolyn is now taking entries for this year’s competition, closing date for entries will be April 1.

The full result of the 2009 junior competition was:1, Showgirl 256; 2, Shiraz 214; 3, Jenny’s Dream 199; 4,  Westgate Renney 185; 5, Bluebird 141; 6, Chardonnay 138.

The Under 25’s competition – 1, Hot Flush 180; 2, Bluebird 141; 3, Hot Fuss 111.
 
 

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