3rd WCRA Championships and 2nd Veteran Crowns

3RD WCRA CHAMPIONSHIPS and 2ND VETERAN CROWNS at RYEMEADOWS on 12th AUGUST 2018 – 170 yards straights, veterans 150 yards at ½yd/lb plus yd/yr

A damp weekend in the Marches. Thankfully we were spared the “traditional” whippet-racers’ day (continuous rain, sun comes out for the presentation if you’re lucky) and after heavy overnight stuff it didn’t rain (much) while we were racing. Oh, and all that rain meant we had yielding ground, something very few of us have seen in past weeks!

An enjoyable day’s racing saw four new Racing Champions (Radar, The Cooler King, litter-brothers Sea The Stars and Back To Light) and two new Veteran Crowns (*Ryamber Fairy Nuff and Cairdean Yoshimi) but don’t forget the many other great performances through the day.

On a day of new champions, the first weight class win was by a long-standing star, Liz Villis’ WCRCh Ameesha Little Ebs notching up her twelfth 18lb group win from kennelmate Ameesha Just A Breeze.

The next three finals turned out to be the Ryamber Show. Proud owners Christine and Mark could scarce believe their fortune. First of all *Ryamber Something Different took the 20lb final by half a length from Sarah Mills’ *Tinkers Moondancer (the winner last time and she ran well again today), then their Champion Ryamber Something Extra made a nice little comeback at age four and a half to prevail by a head from Angie Parker’s WCRCh Sapphire’s Ruby Queen. Next race, the 24lb final, *Ryamber Spring Fever made it a double over Angie’s girls, beating WCRCh Sapphire’s Tanzanite Queen – again by a head!

Up till now, four weight classes done, no new Racing Champions. That soon changed. Four more Championship finals, four new Champions, all with different stories to tell.

Jo Lock’s WCRCh Sea The Stars showed he was classy on the bends back in June when he won his half-coat. Having missed the last straight Championships, this was his first attempt to be “made up”, and in the 26lb final he showed he was a true all-rounder by beating the Bocheneks’ new Racing Champion Jammy Dodger by about three-quarters of a length.

WCRCh Radar was an impressive winner of the 28lb group. A wonderful moment for Racing Manager Ian German, his first Racing Champion and full reward for patience after catastrophic injury. Last Champs he trapped badly in the final but this time he certainly made no mistake; he was well clear after fifty yards (where I was at the time) and it was marvellous to see him in full flight. Put simply, he went further and further away. A big cheer from the crowd up on the hill told me he’d won.

Trish and Graham Gilfeather’s WCRCh Back To Light, a high-class heavyweight, like his brother won his “other half” at the first go. Dropping down to the 30lb group after winning the 32lb group three weeks back, he outstayed the Bocheneks’ excellent Artful Dodger in a close-run race.

WCRCh The Cooler King was having his first run of any description for three months (the dreaded gracilis) but wow, he gave me a wonderful day. First up I certainly didn’t expect a time of 9.83 to win his heat and the Fastest Time Rosette. Then the final – it was always going to be an interesting match-up with the Gilfeathers’ exciting puppy Gimme Attraction and the race lived up to the billing; a neat trap gained a head, his early pace gained some more and then he held on up the hill.

Turning to the Veteran Crowns, in the junior lightweights the Villis’ VC Ameesha Red Rascal won a solo while in the next race, Christine and Mark found their run hadn’t quite ended; a nice bonus win when their half-coat *Ryamber Fairy Nuff secured her VC from WCRCh Satin Sunshine. WCRCh VC Scallywag beat WCRCh(s) Star Attraction in the heavyweights to continue a long run of Championship success.

In the senior veterans, the lightweight final saw VC Cairdean Yoshimi win her title against sister VC Guye’s Goldilocks and VC *Zula Go-Quick. Sue Hoddinott’s VC *The Were-Rabbit is getting better with age it seems, he was a convincing winner of the middleweights to make it a hat-trick of VC wins. His brother VC Raffles was runner-up – making all four of the litter either first or second in weight class, great longevity from this litter.

After that, just one more race, the heavyweight final; VC Winterfell Arfa Mush Dash had a solo due to non-runners and he duly brought proceedings to a close at about twenty to four.

Reporting by Mark Etheridge

Thanks go to Liz Hales for her wonderful photos of the racing community and the dogs in action. Winners photos are by Ian German, all thumbnails can be tapped or clicked on to enlarge. Videos of the weight group finals also taken by Liz Hales.

Full Championships Main 170yd Straight Results

NE 18lb

WCRCh AMEESHA LITTLE EBS (Ameesha Pure Spirit) – Busby Babe x Stokecourcy Hazel at Ameesha. Owner: E. Villis (time 11.33)

2nd Ameesha Just A Breeze
3rd WCRCh Jett Black
4th Cairdean Pipsqueak

Heat Wins: Ameesha Just A Breeze, WCRCh Ameesha Little Ebs.

NE 18lb Final Video

NE 20lb

*RYAMBER SOMETHING DIFFERENT (Ryamber In The Long Run) – Goodad Special Duty x Running In The Family at Ryamber. Owner: C Howard (time 11.12)

2nd *Tinkers Moondancer
3rd Winterfell Merry Mayhem
4th WCRCh Sapphire’s Crystal Bell

Heat Wins: Ryamber Something Different, *Tinkers Moondancer

NE 20lb Final Video

NE 22lb

WCRCh RYAMBER SOMETHING EXTRA (Ryamber Keep On Running) – Chalkners Flaming Arrow x Running In The Family at Ryamber. Owner: C. Howard (time 10.71)

2nd WCRCh Sapphire’s Ruby Queen
3rd Winterfell Must Be Crazy
4th WCRCh The Poet

Heat Wins: Mojo Risin’, Winterfell Must Be Crazy, WCRCh Sapphire’s Ruby Queen, WCRCh Ryamber Something Extra.
Semi Finals: WCRCh Sapphire’s Ruby Queen, WCRCh Ryamber Something Extra.

NE 22lb Final Video

NE 24lb

*RYAMBER SPRING FEVER (Ryamber A Moment In Time) – One Of Us x Ryamber My Blue Heaven. Owner: C. Howard (time 10.80)

2nd WCRCh Sapphire’s Tanzanite Queen
3rd WCRCh Cosmic Chaser
4th Winterfell Let Me Loose

Heat Wins: WCRCh Cosmic Chaser, Winterfell Let Me Loose, WCRCh Sapphire’s Tanzanite Queen
Semi Finals: WCRCh Sapphire’s Tanzanite Queen, Ryamber Spring Fever.

NE 24lb Final Video

NE 26lb

WCRCh SEA THE STARS (Medlarway Dragon’s Breath) – Enchanted Forest of Medlarway x Wheatroyd Lily at Medlarway. Owner : J Lock (time 10.75)

2nd WCRCh Jammy Dodger
3rd Trueloveways
4th Winterfell Crazy Lay Dee

Heat Wins: Trueloveways, *Sea The Stars

NE 26lb Final Video

NE 28lb

WCRCh RADAR (Boy Of The Mill) – Run At Mill x Eddie’s Belle Of The Ball. Owner: I. German (time 10.30)

2nd WCRCh Zola Go-Quick
3rd *Ryamber Likely Lad
4th Cairdean Harry Sparrow

Heat Wins: *Radar, WCRCh Zola Go-Quick

NE 28lb Final Video

NE 30lb

WCRCh BACK TO LIGHT (Medlarway Forest Ranger) – Enchanted Forest of Medlarway x Wheatroyd Lily at Medlarway. Owner : G & P Gilfeather (no time).

2nd Artful Dodger,
3rd Winterfellin Vanilla Sky

Heat Wins: Winterfellin Vanilla Sky, *Back To Light

NE 30lb Final Video

NE 32lb

WCRCh THE COOLER KING (Stormy Slippy) – Goodad Arch Event x Wonder Wag. Owner : M. Etheridge (time 10.57)

2nd Gimme Attraction
3rd Laguna Lawns Le Lundi

Heat Wins: *The Cooler King, Gimme Attraction

NE 32lb Final Video

Veteran Crowns 6-7yrs

14 – 20lb

VC AMEESHA RED RASCAL (Winter Shamrock At Ameesha) – Busby Babe x Shandril Perfect Storm. Owner: E Villis.

Heat Win: VC Ameesha Red Rascal

14-20lb Final Video

21-25lb

VC *RYAMBER FAIRY NUFF (Ryamber My Golden Girl) – One Of Us x Ellies Dutchess Blue at Ryamber. Owner: C. Howard

2nd WCRCh Satin Sunshine
3rd Small Change.

Heat Wins: WCRCh Satin Sunshine, *Ryamber Fairy Nuff

21-25lb Final Video

26 – 32lb

WCRCh VC SCALLYWAG (Inspired Twister of Carlstream) – Fatal Attraction x Carlstream Popstar. Owner: P. Gant.

2nd WCRCh(s) Star Attraction

Heat Wins: WCRCh VC Scallywag, WCRCh(s) Star Attraction

26-32lb Final Video