1st WCRA Championships 2022: Full Write-up and Results

1ST WCRA CHAMPIONSHIPS and VETERAN CROWNS at Birtsmorton on 8th MAY 2022 – 150 yards straights; veterans at ½yd/lb plus yd/yr

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After a really encouraging start to 2022, with the Heart of England and Northern clubs re-affiliating (great to have you back) the new Midlands club affiliating (wishing you the best) and many more passport applications than usual, we expected a good entry and 146 dogs certainly didn’t disappoint. We knew 92 races with an annual presentation beforehand would be a challenge for a small committee (a big welcome to Jacquie Mullin who’s just joined us and has already made a difference) but with planning, a lot of hard work and plenty of help we had a great day.

Many thanks to all those who helped, starting from set-up on the Saturday through to take-down on the Sunday evening. Gary Hogan, Steve Gardner, Ann Williamson, Jackie Hawkins, Mick Hawkins, Margaret Armstrong, Ruth Mabb, Gavin Cairns, David Cairns, Paul Priest, Dave Hunter, Dave Cuttler, Daniel Cuttler, Karen Bridge — not forgetting Diane Gardner who made a most welcome cuppa for the set up team on a hot Saturday afternoon. The team worked really well together and were integral to the success of the day.

A special mention to Dave Hunter who worked tirelessly to produce a lush, first class grass surface on the track, especially after a long dry spell. Thank you.

We were blessed with lovely sunny weather all weekend and not too hot, firm ground but a good covering of grass. The team was up and running early Sunday after the Saturday night barbie, with breakfasts available from the catering unit who brought lots of choice and excellent food – luckily we have been able to secure them for the remaining Championships.

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We tried some more time-saving tweaks, some worked, others didn’t, but among the positives, Dave Cuttler’s Excel spreadsheet to run the race programme and his finish-line video app both worked a treat. The pace slowed during the finals but it was important to take due care judging some very tight finishes.

On to the racing and there were some fantastically competitive runs; youngsters and seasoned campaigners alike giving their all and so much pleasure to owners and spectators alike.

We had three new Whippet Club Racing Champions and four new Veteran Crowns, congratulations to you all.

Andy Browne’s *Sidari Tilly, the first of the “class of ’22” to win a Champs weight group, was impressive in the 16lb final and who’d bet against her being “made up” first attempt? Diane Gardner’s All About Me and Mike & Joanne’s WCRCh(s) Dexters Luna-Tic fought out a good battle for 2nd. The Villis’ WCRCh Ameesha Summer Rocket won the 18lb final by four lengths, behind her Sarah Layfield’s Winterfell Must Be Love took second.

The 20lb winner, Allan Parkhurst’s WCRCh Sweet Secret, the first new Racing Champion, started her 2022 campaign later than most but improved fast through April and her final prep races at club on 1 May were really impressive. It was no surprise to see her win heat and semi then power away in the final to beat clubmate Jacquie Mullin’s *London Girl.

The second new “full coat” was won by Dave and Lynn Hunter’s WCRCh Tiana in the 22lb group, consistency here the key in a tough group. She won a strong heat by half a length and a neck, the semi was a relatively comfy two lengths but Daniel Bremner’s hitherto unbeaten On The Run ran her very close in the final. Kudos also to Ryamber Stan The Man and Odd One Out, both unpromising 2nds in their heats but came through the semis to claim third and fourth.

The 24lb group was dominated by Jan & Toddy Todman’s WCRCh “O”Cean Everglo who won heat, quarter, semi and final by five, three, five and three lengths respectively to claim his Racing Champion title. Currently he must be about the fastest whippet on the circuit. The Hunter’s Brontë hung in there right through the competition, second all day then runner-up in the final, some achievement over four rounds.

The biggest group on the day, the 26-pounders had a blanket finish with Carol Currie’s *Chas’s King Cracker just prevailing over David Hughes & Anna Bradshaw’s Beau Delphine, a length further back Viv Thurman’s WCRCh Dance With The Devil winning his own private battle for 3rd with Nick Clawson’s Pendle Takeaway only a neck down. The video finish had already earned its keep but it really came into its own for this race and the next two finals! This was a tough, competitive weight class and a wonderfully consistent performance by the winner, winning his heat by half a length, the quarter-final by a length (that was the easy one!), a head in the semi and a nose in the final. Aside from the front-runners, there were some great, less-heralded efforts that surely made their connections proud. For instance, in this weight class, Tik Tok Tia gritted her way through two rounds to bow out with honour in the semis, only a length behind Chas’s King Cracker.

Ruth Mabb’s WCRCh One For Arthur, who won all his four Champs last year, has had only patchy form at club this spring and the week before tuned up for the Championships in unorthodox fashion, taking the youngsters round the Harvel bend. He was beaten a length and a half in the semi by Ellie Stacey’s Lemon Sherbet but a great reader of a race as well as fast, he turned it around in the 28lb final as only a top dog can, winning by a neck in another blanket finish.

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Winner and runner-up in the 30lb final, Lynne & Alastair Holmes’ WCRCh Believe In Me and Dave & Sandra Bursey’s Markamy’s Reddie Eddie had a dress-rehearsal in the heats. There, Believe In Me prevailed by three-quarters of a length; in the semis his time was 0.04 seconds faster (two thirds of a length) and in the final the gap shrunk to a nose. It was a rough race with both dogs seemingly glued together at the finish.

In the 32lb group, Ian Brown’s WCRCh Moon Gazer Gold beat Sean & Barbara Lee’s youngster Selby Lad a length and a half. Again this was a rematch from the first round, when Moon Gazer Gold won convincingly by three lengths. Spare a thought for Dexter’s Princess Leia, a club runner who weighed in at only 28lb then found herself drawn against these two flyers in her heat. We’ve all been there.

The Veteran Crowns weight classes were tough with top-class whippets winning even the smaller groups. In the 6-7 years lightweights, Andy Browne’s VC Sidari Tegan (Tilly’s mum) beat Sarah Layfield’s *Winterfell Must Be Crazy by six lengths in both heat and final, times of 9.89 and 9.80 exceptional for a lightweight veteran on an uphill track. A fine double, congratulations Andy.

Steve Miller’s veterans did him proud, two runners, two Veteran Crowns. His VC Apache Gold beat John Wareing’s excellent WCRCh Forever An Opal in the 6-7 years 21/25lb group, winning by two lengths in their heat and three in the final. The very next race, the heavyweight final, VC Wild Apache beat Nick Clawson’s high-class Northern Wisdom to win a twelve-dog group.

In the senior veterans, Garry Comber’s excellent bend dog WCRCh VC Jett Black, unfortunate to come up against Liz and Richard Villis’ WCRCh VC Ameecha Little Ebs for more or less all his career, decisively took the Senior Veteran 14- 20lb group from kennelmate Mojo Risin’. The middleweight group had three rounds, but the Cuttlers’ VC Call Me Lucky got better and better. Beaten a head by Winterfell Crazy Lay Dee in their heat, she won both semi and final, the semi by a head and the final by a convincing two lengths. The next final, race 92, Dave and Carole won a quickfire double when aptly-named VC *Call Me Amazing beat John and Sheila Strain’s VC Our Boy Ace to win the 8-9 years heavyweight group.

The Fastest Time Rosette, kindly sponsored by Jackie Hawkins, was won by WCRCh Moongazer Gold, 9.16 seconds in his heat.

Mark Etheridge reporting.

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Full Results

Mains

Click image to view full size. All photos © & courtesy – Michael Treacher

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NE 16lb

1. *SIDARI TILLY (Louisianna Tegan’s Girl – Savernake Hurricane Billy x Two Toes Running Free). Owner: Andy Browne (time 9.96)
2. All About Me
3. WCRCh(s) Dexters Luna-Tic

Heat Wins:- Sidari Tilly, WCRCh(s) Dexters Luna-Tic.

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NE 18lb

1. WCRCh AMEESHA SUMMER ROCKET (Ameesha Indian Summer – Billy On Show x Ameesha Pure Spirit). Owner: Liz Villis (time 9.73)
2. Winterfell Must Be Love
3. Mayans Dream
4. M’Lady En Rouge

Heat Wins: Zinghela Go-Quick, WCRCh Ameesha Summer Rocket, Winterfell Must Be Love.
Semi Finals: Mayans Dream, WCRCh Ameesha Summer Rocket.

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NE 20lb

1. WCRCh SWEET SECRET (Chalkners Sweet Destiny – Chalkners Secrets and Lies x Secret Smile at Chalkners). Owner: Allan Parkhurst (time 9.85)
2. London Girl
3. Black Fairlane
4. I Am The One (dnf)

Heat Wins: *London Girl, I An The One, *Sweet Secret, Apache Cheyenne.
Semi Finals: *Sweet Secret, Black Fairlane.

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NE 22lb

1. WCRCh TIANA (Ryemeadows Tayer – Medlarways Dragons Breath x Ryemeadows Ziggy). Owners: Dave & Lynn Hunter (time 9.68)
2. On The Run
3. Ryamber Stan The Man
4. Odd One Out.

Heat Wins: On The Run, WCRCh My Girl Enfys, Bertie’s Gold, *Tiana.
Semi Finals: On The Run, *Tiana.

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NE 24lb

1. WCRCh ”O”CEAN EVERGLO (Dreadlocked Raster – Freasley’s Archer x Truly Madly Deeply). Owners: Jan & Toddy Todman (time 9.45)
2. Brontë
3. Ryamber That’ll Do
4. She Was A Showgirl.

Heat Wins: She Was A Showgirl, Diamond Dodger, Ryamber That’ll Do, *“O”cean Everglo, Zama Go-Quick.
Quarter Finals: *”O”Cean Everglo, Ryamber That’ll Do, Diamond Dodger.
Semi Finals: * “O”cean Everglo, Ryamber That’ll Do.

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NE 26lb

1. *CHAS’S KING CRACKER (Tupelo Song – Lollipop Enzo x Ryhill Blue Sapphire). Owner: Carol Currie (time 9.66)
2. Beau Delphine
3. WCRCh Dance With The Devil
4. Pendle Takeaway.

Heat Wins: Beau Delphine, Chas’s King Cracker, Ravens Revenge, Pendle Takeaway. WCRCh Dance With The Devil, *Murphy’s Gold.
Quarter Finals: Beau Delphine, Chas’s King Cracker, Pendle Takeaway, WCRCh Dance With The Devil
Semi Finals: Pendle Takeaway, Chas’s King Cracker.

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NE 28lb

1. WCRCh ONE FOR ARTHUR (Goodad One For Arthur – Chalkners Go Getter x Bravepad Good Hope of Goodad). Owner: Ruth Mabb (time 9.81)
2. Lemon Sherbet
3. Sea The Moon
4. Blu It Is.

Heat Wins: WCRCh One For Arthur, Blu It Is, Lemon Sherbet, Sea The Moon.
Semi Finals: Lemon Sherbet, Blu It Is.

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NE 30lb

1. WCRCh BELIEVE IN ME (Stone Of Destiny – Star of Mountdillon x Goodad Chosen One). Owners: Alistair & Lynne Holmes (time 9.81).
2. Markamy’s Reddie Eddie
3. *Moonlight Millie
4. Sea The Skies.

Heat Wins: WCRCh Believe In Me, *Moonlight Millie, Sea The Skies.
Semi Finals: WCRCh Believe In Me, Markamy’s Reddie Eddie.

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NE 32lb

1. WCRCh MOON GAZER GOLD (Moon Gazer Gold – Sri Tau Surprise x Goodad Bespoke Lady). Owner: Ian Brown (time 9.35).
2. Selby Lad
3. Daddy’s Boy
4. Machs White Toed Brodes.

Heat Wins: Daddy’s Boy, WCRCh Moon Gazer Gold, Hot Fuzz.
Semi Finals: Selby Lad, WCRCh Moon Gazer Gold.

Veteran Crowns

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6/7 years

14-20lb

1. VC SIDARI TEGAN (Two Toes Running Free – Billy On Show x Wheatroyd Running Wild). Owner: Andy Browne (time 9.80).
2. *Winterfell Must Be Crazy.

Heat Win: Sidari Tegan.

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21-25lb

1. VC APACHE GOLD (Toyah Flowing River – Billy On Show x Wheatroyd Running Wild). Owner: Steve Miller (time 9.88).
2. WCRCh Forever An Opal
3. Minnie
4. Crackerbelle.

Heat Wins: Minnie, Apache Gold.

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26-32lb

VC WILD APACHE (Blue Indian Warrior – Red Apache x Wheatroyd Running Wild). Owner: Steve Miller (time 9.81).
Northern Wisdom
The Quiet Man
Noah’s Blu Boy.

Heat Wins: Wild Apache, The Quiet Man, Northern Wisdom, WCRCh Zola Go-Quick.
Semi Finals: Wild Apache, The Quiet Man.

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8/9 years

14-20lb

1. WCRCh VC JETT BLACK (Black Ice Bandit – Wagtail Flash In The Pan x Frosty Footsteps). Owner: Garry Comber (time 10.46).
2. Mojo Risin’.

Heat Wins: Mojo Risin’, WCRCh Jett Black.

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21-25lb

1. VC CALL ME LUCKY (Lucky Me – Chalkners Flaming Arrow x Our Little Dink). Owners: Dave & Carole Cuttler (time 10.30).
2. VC Riley’s Gold
3. Jessie J
4. WCRCh The Poet.

Heat Wins: WCRCh VC Polly Flinders, VC Riley’s Gold, Gambler Jack, Winterfell Crazy Lay Dee.
Semi Finals: VC Call Me Lucky, VC Riley’s Gold.

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26-32lb

1. VC *CALL ME AMAZING (BlackPearl Of Hope – Run At Mill x Eddie’s Belle of the Ball). Owners: Dave & Carole Cuttler (9.80).
2. VC Our Boy Ace.

Heat Win: VC *Call Me Amazing.