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Ballywalter Game and Country Living Fair yesterday Saturday 5th


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Same old same old last year Garth's dog this year Kirsty Harper's dog If the dog never won there would not be a word about it .So suck it up folks It is not the first suspect dog and not the last Albert was ask to make desision on if the dog can run or not His word was final The dog can run There is always going to be a (suspect non -ped) Over the years at this game there has always been a suspect non in the back ground . Most of the races here are won by non KC reg at the sporting whippet last meet the two fastest dogs were both un reg dogs That is just how it is . It might help if who bred the winning dogs and if they are KCor non kc as Martin has done he has quite open to breeding of Winnie and Ernie Declaring the breeding.Might help quash any suspecions .

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i didnt really want to get involved in this rubbish but the lot of you want to take a step back and think ,i spent a whole lot of my time on sunday trying pretty hard to get lurchers involved on the

YES. Otherwise Dogs run in the relevant lurcher races.

the racing was crap.

Why not simply have non ped whippet race and a non ped greyhound race ?

 

And kc whippet race where papers are shown?

 

Either that or ditch the whippet racing alltogether :censored:

Be no more shite talk about kc whippets being beaten by non peds and we wouldnt have to read pages of this pathetic bitching

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Why not simply have non ped whippet race and a non ped greyhound race ?

 

And kc whippet race where papers are shown?

 

Either that or ditch the whippet racing alltogether :censored:

Be no more shite talk about kc whippets being beaten by non peds and we wouldnt have to read pages of this pathetic bitching

 

CG ,

 

we tried that at Birr last year and there was still bitching from people who hadn't registered their dogs.

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Why not simply have non ped whippet race and a non ped greyhound race ?

 

And kc whippet race where papers are shown?

 

Either that or ditch the whippet racing alltogether :censored:

Be no more shite talk about kc whippets being beaten by non peds and we wouldnt have to read pages of this pathetic bitching

 

CG ,

 

we tried that at Birr last year and there was still bitching from people who hadn't registered their dogs.

If people were that keen to race in the whippet class they would pay the 20 odd quid it is to register pups

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Why not simply have non ped whippet race and a non ped greyhound race ?

 

And kc whippet race where papers are shown?

 

Either that or ditch the whippet racing alltogether :censored:

Be no more shite talk about kc whippets being beaten by non peds and we wouldnt have to read pages of this pathetic bitching

 

CG ,

 

we tried that at Birr last year and there was still bitching from people who hadn't registered their dogs.

If people were that keen to race in the whippet class they would pay the 20 odd quid it is to register pups

I agree the way things are heading it is crazy to buy un kc reg whippet

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thank you Kirsty putting for putting the record straight ! people should be careful what they say regarding whose breeding what and flooding the country with mini-greyhounds !!!

 

i`ve never even bred a litter of whippets/lurchers or whatever ! I don`t waste my time or efforts with these micky mouse events !

 

I will be at Shanes Castle with Winnie (Martin Kennys, Murt x Marwood Type) and Ginger Jack (Ningbo Jack x John Carrolls, Ginger), everyone knows them, seen them run, saw and know the parents and have no problem with them !

 

Winnie will be bred to Ernie at the end of the year and that was the reason i bought her, after i saw her win a stake in Enniscorthy last October ! She cost a right few €`s !!!

 

I never made a secret about Ernies breeding (R.Ch Vivs Quest x Sup R.Ch Show Three) it was always other people that had a problem !

 

Regarding DNA for China. I know it was taken by a vet and sent to Weatherbys in the UK for registering. Her father was already registered. However, the people who claimed to have her dam in the UK, refused to get her DNA taken, so that was the end of that !

 

This is my last post regarding anything discussed on here, so don`t expect any comments regarding the above !! Think and say what you like !

martin

if you dont breed whippet lurchers why have you ur dog on done deal at stud !,its a small world there are plenty of ernie whippet lurcher north and south get it straight ernie is not a whippet he is a lurcher ,a whippet with greyhound in him, just like kristys, this makes him a lurcher.

 

.i heard china was out of a pet whippet that sits up watching t.v, then why would you breed it to a champion greyhound.this dont make sence.and if there was nothin to hide why would they refuse dna testing,when one of your pups was doing so well ,i think it was chinas owner tat refused from what i heard. no smoke with out fire. who is chinas mother?

 

as for our 'mickey mouse events' why dont you stay in the south then if are events are to small for ye or go back to england stop telling lies and spoiling the crack for the proper working lurcher folk of ireland!

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Running non-ped whippets and greyhounds at these events is just a joke, what are you achieving??? why not run the dogs at the non-ped meetings or flapping tracks?? i tell you all why, the dogs wouldn't stand a chance. If i ever ran a racing event i would ask to see the pedigree of all the whippets that entered the ped whippet racing, no pedigree then they don't run. You'll always get folk wanting or trying to cheat. But at the end of the day there only cheating themselves.

 

I've seen dogs running at maltby non ped racing club on a saturday and then running in the lurcher racing at a gamefair on a sunday!!!. It's about time it was sorted out, afterall 90% of the racing at gamefairs is advertised as lurcher racing not non ped whippet/greyhound racing.

 

It's the folk who turn up with the true lurchers i feel sorry for...

 

Mally,

 

We have tried to sort this problem out - at fairly great expense I may add - by introducing novice lurcher events to let ordinary guys run without having to meet 'elite' racing dogs. We have also tried KC registered and non ped split - that got criticism because people couldn't afford or be bothered to register their dogs. This time round we had 'Pure Bred' whippets and non ped /Under 21 classes. Still disputes. I really do wonder why I bother.

 

I was asked personally to look at three whippets to rule on whether they were 'pure bred'. It was easy on two - the other I thought marginal on size and shape and made that known to the owner.BUT it could have been just a poor quality show specimen. AND it has been accepted to be shown and raced at the Sporting Whippet Club who are more expert than me and have specialist KC whippet judges. I specialises in judging gundog breeds but have judged whippets in variety classes and for BIS against other breeds. Allegations about who it was bred by have been totally rebutted by the supposed breeder - the owner might add some clarity by saying who it was bought from and who actually did breed it.

 

Unless someone comes forward with ACTUAL information this is my last post on this matter. We had a successful Game Fair which continued on its upward curve since I rescued it three years ago when BASC cancelled their event here. THINK BACK LADS & LADIES TO THE DIFFERENT TREATMENT YOU HAVE HAD AT THIS FAIR SINCE WE TOOK IT OVER.

 

If anyone has a problem with this particular whippet please take it up with the Sporting Whippet Club - don't use this minor problem to attack our much larger Game Fair events. THIS IS A THREAD ABOUT GAME FAIRS of which terrier, whippets and lurchers are just a very small part. AND quite frankly if this sort of nonsense contunues I will stop putting any more investment into these events. I DON'T NEED TO PAY GOOD MONEY TO BE INSULTED.

 

We move forward to our event at SHANES CASTLE which is my 50th fair run over 34 years since I brought the Game Fair concept to Ireland. This is an important event for me and it coincides with the 25th Anniversay of the All Ireland Terrier & Lurcher Championships . With this championship and the Master Mc Grath race and the new Novice Championships, plus the central location we have given them WITHIN the fair, we have demonstrated a massive commitment to Terrier , whippets and lurchers since some people challenged me to bring them up to the level of other events. We get a lot of emails, calls and PMs of support but many people who appreciate what we have done are afraid to come out and face down a few internet 'trolls' who seem to want to bitch about everything and make sweeping criticisms of our whole event because they didn't win a prize. Now is the time for sensible people to come forward publicly. I would make a distinction between these ' trolls' and those who make constructive criticism. As many of you know I have had robust debates on certain issues but we have always tried to address sensible constructive complaints - these are welcome.

 

Because of the constant criticism on this forum my colleagues have suggested that we 'pull the plug' on terrier , lurcher and whippet events and put the money into a major international pedigree dog show and gundog event . AND to be frank I am beginning to think our money might be better spent in this area.

 

It really is up to the genuine terrier, whippet and lurcher folk to come forward to either support what we have done this year or lose it.

 

Albertj

keep er lit albert dont let a FEW trolls put yas off mate the game fairs are good to educate and show the misinformed public the friendly country life ways, and that its not all the lies mr sh1tpot puts on the bbc. us lurcher and terrier folk need the support of the fairs as much as you need us, as for the race cheating just have a class that anything goes so if the owner sticks a dog in a race thats not a coarsing or racing bred dog in then they are at fault for over matching the dog. as for th filth get them to stick a few bets on at the racing and include them on the day and educate them more about the proper ways of hunting life and mayb they would change theyre opinion of us too
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Running non-ped whippets and greyhounds at these events is just a joke, what are you achieving??? why not run the dogs at the non-ped meetings or flapping tracks?? i tell you all why, the dogs wouldn't stand a chance. If i ever ran a racing event i would ask to see the pedigree of all the whippets that entered the ped whippet racing, no pedigree then they don't run. You'll always get folk wanting or trying to cheat. But at the end of the day there only cheating themselves.

 

I've seen dogs running at maltby non ped racing club on a saturday and then running in the lurcher racing at a gamefair on a sunday!!!. It's about time it was sorted out, afterall 90% of the racing at gamefairs is advertised as lurcher racing not non ped whippet/greyhound racing.

 

It's the folk who turn up with the true lurchers i feel sorry for...

 

Mally,

 

We have tried to sort this problem out - at fairly great expense I may add - by introducing novice lurcher events to let ordinary guys run without having to meet 'elite' racing dogs. We have also tried KC registered and non ped split - that got criticism because people couldn't afford or be bothered to register their dogs. This time round we had 'Pure Bred' whippets and non ped /Under 21 classes. Still disputes. I really do wonder why I bother.

 

I was asked personally to look at three whippets to rule on whether they were 'pure bred'. It was easy on two - the other I thought marginal on size and shape and made that known to the owner.BUT it could have been just a poor quality show specimen. AND it has been accepted to be shown and raced at the Sporting Whippet Club who are more expert than me and have specialist KC whippet judges. I specialises in judging gundog breeds but have judged whippets in variety classes and for BIS against other breeds. Allegations about who it was bred by have been totally rebutted by the supposed breeder - the owner might add some clarity by saying who it was bought from and who actually did breed it.

 

Unless someone comes forward with ACTUAL information this is my last post on this matter. We had a successful Game Fair which continued on its upward curve since I rescued it three years ago when BASC cancelled their event here. THINK BACK LADS & LADIES TO THE DIFFERENT TREATMENT YOU HAVE HAD AT THIS FAIR SINCE WE TOOK IT OVER.

 

If anyone has a problem with this particular whippet please take it up with the Sporting Whippet Club - don't use this minor problem to attack our much larger Game Fair events. THIS IS A THREAD ABOUT GAME FAIRS of which terrier, whippets and lurchers are just a very small part. AND quite frankly if this sort of nonsense contunues I will stop putting any more investment into these events. I DON'T NEED TO PAY GOOD MONEY TO BE INSULTED.

 

We move forward to our event at SHANES CASTLE which is my 50th fair run over 34 years since I brought the Game Fair concept to Ireland. This is an important event for me and it coincides with the 25th Anniversay of the All Ireland Terrier & Lurcher Championships . With this championship and the Master Mc Grath race and the new Novice Championships, plus the central location we have given them WITHIN the fair, we have demonstrated a massive commitment to Terrier , whippets and lurchers since some people challenged me to bring them up to the level of other events. We get a lot of emails, calls and PMs of support but many people who appreciate what we have done are afraid to come out and face down a few internet 'trolls' who seem to want to bitch about everything and make sweeping criticisms of our whole event because they didn't win a prize. Now is the time for sensible people to come forward publicly. I would make a distinction between these ' trolls' and those who make constructive criticism. As many of you know I have had robust debates on certain issues but we have always tried to address sensible constructive complaints - these are welcome.

 

Because of the constant criticism on this forum my colleagues have suggested that we 'pull the plug' on terrier , lurcher and whippet events and put the money into a major international pedigree dog show and gundog event . AND to be frank I am beginning to think our money might be better spent in this area.

 

It really is up to the genuine terrier, whippet and lurcher folk to come forward to either support what we have done this year or lose it.

 

Albertj

keep er lit albert dont let a FEW trolls put yas off mate the game fairs are good to educate and show the misinformed public the friendly country life ways, and that its not all the lies mr sh1tpot puts on the bbc. us lurcher and terrier folk need the support of the fairs as much as you need us, as for the race cheating just have a class that anything goes so if the owner sticks a dog in a race thats not a coarsing or racing bred dog in then they are at fault for over matching the dog. as for th filth get them to stick a few bets on at the racing and include them on the day and educate them more about the proper ways of hunting life and mayb they would change theyre opinion of us too

 

Big G,,

I have admitted that until we had some constructive criticism on the forums I rather left it to the Mid Antrim Club to look after the terriers & lurchers. When the chairman would not come on to defend himself but got someone else to do it I thought I would prefer to see what it was all about myself. For two years I have put a lot of my personal time and effort into promoting the terriers & lurchers AND whippets and to react to constructive criticisms. Had I put as much effort into ANY other area of the fair we would have had compliments not criticism. The same investment made into gundogs would have a massive international event with no hassle!

 

The upside of me getting involved in the terrier & lurchers has been that I have met some great sensible down to earth people who love their sports and had good craic with some who have offered criticism.

 

I think the fairs are the best response to uninformed criticism of country sports and help educate the public in order if they do not become supporters they will remain neutral in any voting against our sports. Fortunately we have also, along the way, with our promotions at Stormont and exposing politicians to our events helped create a supportive or neutral political view of our sports.

 

After 2012 we will still be running Game Fairs but what role the terriers and lurchers have in these are up to them.

 

Albert

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I was at the fair,i also keep whippets and i go to the whippet shows at Dunsilly and im sure my dogs have raced against some of the questionable dogs in this debate and have been beaten by them. But winning a rosette or trophy is not the end all or be all of a working whippet for me.Hunting ability and doing the business in the field is what counts,my dogs are far from the best in the world but they are a hunting assett to me and i enjoy working them.I can understand other whippet owners getting frustrated by the so called cheats at the fairs but lets face it lads your dog should be for hunting and the fairs a bit of fun with the family if you have one.I find it funny the cheaters go to such lengths for a trophy and in the process make enemies of so many true doggy men,its sad really.And to blame the organizers of Ballywalter is quite easy, but as stated i have seen questionable whippets race against my own dogs at Dunsilly and there are far more accomplished whippet people who specialize in the breed present and its allowed.My missus and she knows fook all about about whippets asked me why our dogs didnt have a lovely feathered fluffy tails like the one standing beside us at Dunsilly the other week! :hmm:Take it on the chin lads cheaters are in every walk of life why should our sport be any different. My dogs put rabbits in the freezer for ferret food rosettes are for a drawer in the kitchen some where :toast: Any way me the missus and the kids enjoyed the whole day and it was a credit to the guys running it ,its a thankless task judgeing anything and judges are always non-winnersno matter what

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looking to get some pics of my lurcher in the racing at bw. is derek laverty the man with the pics. if so can someone post a reply. cheers

 

yes he was there 0n sunday you will find him on facebook dont think he comes on here

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Running non-ped whippets and greyhounds at these events is just a joke, what are you achieving??? why not run the dogs at the non-ped meetings or flapping tracks?? i tell you all why, the dogs wouldn't stand a chance. If i ever ran a racing event i would ask to see the pedigree of all the whippets that entered the ped whippet racing, no pedigree then they don't run. You'll always get folk wanting or trying to cheat. But at the end of the day there only cheating themselves.

 

I've seen dogs running at maltby non ped racing club on a saturday and then running in the lurcher racing at a gamefair on a sunday!!!. It's about time it was sorted out, afterall 90% of the racing at gamefairs is advertised as lurcher racing not non ped whippet/greyhound racing.

 

It's the folk who turn up with the true lurchers i feel sorry for...

 

Mally,

 

We have tried to sort this problem out - at fairly great expense I may add - by introducing novice lurcher events to let ordinary guys run without having to meet 'elite' racing dogs. We have also tried KC registered and non ped split - that got criticism because people couldn't afford or be bothered to register their dogs. This time round we had 'Pure Bred' whippets and non ped /Under 21 classes. Still disputes. I really do wonder why I bother.

 

I was asked personally to look at three whippets to rule on whether they were 'pure bred'. It was easy on two - the other I thought marginal on size and shape and made that known to the owner.BUT it could have been just a poor quality show specimen. AND it has been accepted to be shown and raced at the Sporting Whippet Club who are more expert than me and have specialist KC whippet judges. I specialises in judging gundog breeds but have judged whippets in variety classes and for BIS against other breeds. Allegations about who it was bred by have been totally rebutted by the supposed breeder - the owner might add some clarity by saying who it was bought from and who actually did breed it.

 

Unless someone comes forward with ACTUAL information this is my last post on this matter. We had a successful Game Fair which continued on its upward curve since I rescued it three years ago when BASC cancelled their event here. THINK BACK LADS & LADIES TO THE DIFFERENT TREATMENT YOU HAVE HAD AT THIS FAIR SINCE WE TOOK IT OVER.

 

If anyone has a problem with this particular whippet please take it up with the Sporting Whippet Club - don't use this minor problem to attack our much larger Game Fair events. THIS IS A THREAD ABOUT GAME FAIRS of which terrier, whippets and lurchers are just a very small part. AND quite frankly if this sort of nonsense contunues I will stop putting any more investment into these events. I DON'T NEED TO PAY GOOD MONEY TO BE INSULTED.

 

We move forward to our event at SHANES CASTLE which is my 50th fair run over 34 years since I brought the Game Fair concept to Ireland. This is an important event for me and it coincides with the 25th Anniversay of the All Ireland Terrier & Lurcher Championships . With this championship and the Master Mc Grath race and the new Novice Championships, plus the central location we have given them WITHIN the fair, we have demonstrated a massive commitment to Terrier , whippets and lurchers since some people challenged me to bring them up to the level of other events. We get a lot of emails, calls and PMs of support but many people who appreciate what we have done are afraid to come out and face down a few internet 'trolls' who seem to want to bitch about everything and make sweeping criticisms of our whole event because they didn't win a prize. Now is the time for sensible people to come forward publicly. I would make a distinction between these ' trolls' and those who make constructive criticism. As many of you know I have had robust debates on certain issues but we have always tried to address sensible constructive complaints - these are welcome.

 

Because of the constant criticism on this forum my colleagues have suggested that we 'pull the plug' on terrier , lurcher and whippet events and put the money into a major international pedigree dog show and gundog event . AND to be frank I am beginning to think our money might be better spent in this area.

 

It really is up to the genuine terrier, whippet and lurcher folk to come forward to either support what we have done this year or lose it.

 

Albertj

 

All i would have done is ask for the registered name of the dog, The uk working whippet club have got it right as they ask to see the dogs pedigree before it's even allowed in the showring.

 

Alot of time and effort goes into organising these events and it just takes one cheat to undermine all the hard work. It costs alot of money to attend the gamefairs now with the admission and fuel costs and it goes against the grain when folk don't get a fair crack at the whip. Here in england it's become a joke with the non peds running against the true lurchers and the attendances are suffering at some of the shows.

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Who was to take the photos of events? I put Derek's name forward through John Humphries But Albert declined He was there at his own expense and time

 

We had our own professional photograher employed. He did take Terrier & lurcher photos as did Deirdre. But obviously our photographer was there to cover the whole fair.

 

Albertj

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      Your judging skills were honest, efficient and impeccable, and many thanks for that. 
      And Finally, Finally, may I take this opportunity to thank the Mc Grath Family for another brilliant show and race day on Sunday. The saying is that behind every good man is a good woman and Biddy Mc Grath you definately fit that picture. Biddy, we would have been lost without you. Along with Michael and Jack, you put a lot of hard work in behind the scenes to make this day most enjoyable for everyone. 
      Your whole family was so welcoming, and made us all feel at ease in your native Co Carlow. Thank you so much for the lovely presentation to us on Sunday, it was so unexpected and very much appreciated.
      As the end of the day was approaching, it was time to say good bye to Balinabrannagh for another year and be on the road again to Co Armagh and the place we call home. 
      Many thanks Mc Grath Racing Club for the memories, and God willing, we will all be back again in 2026 for another great window in Country Sports.
      To we meet again God Bless.
       
      Margaret Mc Stay
       
       
    • By appleblossom
      THE GLENSHANE WORKING DOG CHARITY SHOW AND RACEDAY SUNDAY 24th AUGUST 25 ( In Aid of The Fort Centre RDA Maghera )
      Maghera is a small town at the foot of the Glenshane Pass and lends itself to some of the North coasts most beautiful panoramic views. Situated 2 miles outside Maghera is Tobermore Golf Club. This was the venue for The Glenshane Charity Working Dog Show and Raceday Sunday 24th August 25. And what a day and venue that was.  
      Safe to say this was one of the best venues I have been to this year.  The grass was immaculately cut, rings well spaced out and a well groomed race course.
      As this show was run for a very special charity, the gods were on our side as the sun shone in abundance all day. As the morning progressed into noon, cars and trailers with dogs in tow filled the field to capacity. The craic and the banter was in full swing amongst the huntsmen and women on the day. Our good Canine folk had only one thing in mind. Out for a great Sporting day  in Glenshane before the work in the field begins.
      The wee people were there enjoying the day in the play trailer, bouncing around to their hearts delight. Some very tired children on Sunday night. Paul Boyd was there with his Country Sports stand, as was the hot food, tea and coffee van.
      Time passes so quickly and very soon it was show time.
       Here are the Showing Results
      Showing Results
      *OVERALL CHAMPION PUP
      JESSICA - LEE CORRIGAN WITH BEAR
      RESERVE
      CHARLIE Mc CAUGHEY WITH 
      DIXIE
      *OVERALL CHAMPION PAIRS
      JOHN WILLIAMS WITH LIGHTENING AND SASS
      RESERVE
      CLODAGH GENTLE WITH SNAKE AND SUSIE
      *OVERALL CHAMPION LURCHER
      SHANE BURNS WITH BUSTER
      RESERVE
      MORGAN McNULTY WITH CLYDE
      *OVERALL CHAMPION WHIPPET
      SUSAN McCANN WITH MISS MONEYPENNY
      RESERVE
      JAMES MULLEN WITH MAX
      *OVERALL CHAMPION TERRIER
      ROCCO CAIRNS WITH PADDY
      RESERVE
      GED DONAGH WITH THUG
      *OVERALL CHAMPION STRONG DOG
      LASZLO PUSZTAI WITH BLACK DIAMOND
      ***OVERALL CHAMPION AND BEST IN SHOW***
      LASZLO PUSZTAI WITH BLACK DIAMOND
      RESERVE
      ROCCO CAIRNS WITH PADDY
      Racing Results
      Terriers
      Jack with Millie
      Big Dogs
      1/ Jack Townsend with Zara
      2/ John Williams with Lightening
      Mick The Millar /Jimmy Scott Memorial Cup
      1/ Ged Donagh with Tess
      2/ Harry Roche with Ria
      Under 21s
      1/ Rose McCoy with Arlo
      2/ Joyce Scott with Nettle
      Under 22s
      1/ Rose McCoy with Texas
      2/ Rose McCoy with Guicci
      Under 23s Elite
      1/ Vanessa Lynn with Arthur
      2/ Jack with Missy
      Under 24s Smooth
      1/ Rose McCoy with Prada
      Under 24s Hairy
      1/ Harry Roche with Zola
      Heavy Bull Cross 
      1/ Charlene Rafferty with Jester
      2/ Barry Holland with Sally
      Light Bull Cross 
      1/ John Williams with Sass 
      2/ Nevaeh Marly
      Big Pups
      1/ Kirsty Smyth with Sika
      2/ Katelyn Mc Kenzie with Zeus
      Small Pups
      1/ Clodagh Gentle with Dash
      Whippets
      1/ James Mullen with Toby
      2/ James Mullen with Junior
      Greyhounds
      1/ Billy Harpur with Tilly
      2/ Barry Holland with Hot Hunter
      Congratulations to all above winners
      And Finally, may I take this opportunity on behalf of the Glenshane team to thank the judges on the day.
      Childrens Handling Class and Pets :
      Chloe Taggart
      Lurchers : Daithi O Faolain
      Whippets : Patsy McCoy
      Terriers: Philip Mackin
      Strong Dogs : Mark Mc Callion
      The Racing was run and organised by the McGrath Lurcher Racing Club.  Teamwork is the success of this club and as usual everything went like clockwork. Michael/Jack and Biddy your efficiency and dedication as usual is beyond reproach and thank you for that.
      And Finally, Finally on this occasion it is very hard to put into words what the show organisers Joanne and Paul Owens have come through over these last 11 years and it still continues today.  
      Cathan, their son was born with a rare liver disease called Biliary Atresia and was only diagnosed when he was 6 weeks old and had surgery at 6.5 weeks At the age of 7 years Cathan received his gift of life from Birmingham Childrens hospital, with a liver transplant and is 4 years post liver transplant on 23rd August.
      It would take a tear from a stone listing to these parents briefly telling me the heartache and trauma they came through to try to keep Cathan alive and to get him to where he is to day. 
      All proceeds from this charity dog show will go to Fort Centre RDA Maghera. This show is also a celebration of Cathans life and how far and the progress he has made in his young life so far.   
      Joanne/Paul/Cliona/Tiarna/Sharon/Nicola and your back up team, your show was well organised and a credit to all good sporting shows and a great window for our Country Sports. It was evident on the day a lot of hard work went on behind the scenes to make this show so enjoyable for everybody. This show is now an annual event and for a very special reason close to Paul and Joannes heart.
      ** Just a wee foot note. As many of you know Cathan had a we set back on Sunday at the show resulting in him being hospitalised. The good news is he is out of hospital and making good  progress and will be back to full health and of to school very soon.** 
      Glenshane Team, Thank you for Sunday. To we meet again take care and God Bless
      Margaret Mc Stay
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
    • By appleblossom
      CURTESY OF THE McGRATH RACING CLUB
      THE 5 NATIONS CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS /ALL IRELAND RACING AND SHOWING/MICK THE MILLAR AND MASTER Mc GRATH
      REPRESENTING THE GREAT GAME FAIRS  OF IRELAND
      THIS SUNDAY 31st AUGUST 2025
      HI FOLKS, 
      JUST A FEW DAYS TO GO TO OUR BIG DOG SHOW AND RACEDAY IN CARLOW FOR THE 5NATIONS /ALL IRELAND RACING AND SHOWING/MICK THE MILLAR AND MASTER McGRATH
      FOR YOUR SAT NAVS:
      Ballinabranagh
      Carlow
      Co Carlow
      R93 K573
      HERE IS THE SCHEDULE FOR THE DAY
      Gates Open 9.00am
      1/ Entries for racing will be taken at    10.00am
      2/ Mick the Millar and Master McGrath will follow after entries taken
      3/ 5 Nations will be next on the schedule
      4/ All Ireland showing
      5/ All Ireland Racing will commence after showing finishes.
      ****The Mc Grath Lurcher Racing Club is really looking forward to seeing you all there ***
       
       
       
       
       
    • By appleblossom
      The Tally Ho Working Dog Show Saturday 16th August 2025
      As I looked out the window early Saturday morning the sun was just breaking through the trees, with a small welcoming breeze filtering over the dog pens. Barking out at us was the usual Whippet chorus signalling the day had arrived for the Tally Ho Working Dog Show and Raceday at Nutts Corner. And what a show that was.
      I firmly believe nature plays a big part in telling our faithful Canine friends the end of the showing season is on the horizon, and their weekly excursions to the show ring and race track is coming to an end. 
      We arrived in the field around 10.00am and were greeted by the show organiser Peter Morgan who had reserved a parking place for us right beside the whippet ring. What a thoughtful man with a heart full of kindness.
      By noon time the field was filling up with dogs and families all out for a good days racing and showing. The venue was superb, with rings were well spaced out and the racetrack in immaculate condition, and all put up and hammered in by Peter Morgan himself. Four toilets were well situated around the site and plenty of ringside parking was provided. 
      Paul Boyd as was Marty Black there with all the hunting gear,collars etc you could wish for the coming season.A great variety for our Country Sports fraternity. A burger van was in full swing with some delicious burgers and chips and was not long to the smell of good hot food was wafting its appetizing smells all over the place.
      I can honestly say it was a childrens paradise at the Tally Ho Show on Saturday. The laughter and enjoyment coming from the bouncy castle was unreal. When it came to the childrens handling class, there were 43 children in the ring. The winners got a beautiful trophy and rosette and each child in the ring got a medal and a big bag of goodies.
      Very soon it was Raffle time and boy was there some variety of prizes on that table. I never have seen such an array of prizes in a raffle at any show this year.  The raffle generated so much excitement and fun around the field as it progressed. Many happy punters went home with some lovely prizes.
      Time waits for no one and very soon it was Racing and Showing time. Here are the Results.
      Racing Results
      Lurcher Pup
      Aiden Dunne with Lass
      Whippet Pup 
      Clodagh Gentle with Dash
      Whippet Dog 
      James Mullen with Junior
      Whippet Bitch 
      Clodagh Gentle with Suzie
      Under 21 
      Bridget Carthy with Speedy
      Under 23 
      Kirby – Jane Mc Kibben with Sheeba
      Under 24 
      Colin Tucker with Fletcher
      Over 24 
      Jake Parke with Storm
      Hairy Under 24 
      Jed Donagh with Tess
      Hairy Over 24 (Mick the Miller) 
      Jed Donagh with Tess 
      Bull X Heavy 
      Joyce Scott with Mabel
      Bull X Light 
      Joyce Scott with Axle
      Terrier 
      Jed Donagh with Spike
      SHOWING RESULTS 
      PETS
      OVERALL CHAMPION PET
      CLODAGH GENTLE WITH DASH   
      RESERVE :
      NIALL O CLOGHAN JNR WITH BRIA
      PUPS
      OVERALL CHAMPION PUP
      CHARLIE McCAUGHEY WITH DIXIE
      RESERVE
      CLODAGH GENTLE WITH DASH
      LURCHERS
      OVERALL CHAMPION LURCHER
       TJ DUGGAN WITH FRANK
      RESERVE
      LEIGH THOMPSON WITH SCOOBY DOO
      TERRIERS
      OVERALL CHAMPION TERRIER
      PADDY GILMORE WITH HANNS
      RESERVE
      NIALL O CLOGHAN BUDDY
      WHIPPETS
      OVERALL CHAMPION WHIPPET
      SUSAN McCANN WITH PENNY
      RESERVE
      SOPHIE LEONARD WITH JUNIOR
      STRONG DOGS
      WORKING STRONG DOGS
      GED DONAGH WITH BROCK
      RESERVE
      LASZLO PUSZTAI WITH DIAMOND
      BULLIES
      OVERALL CHAMPION BULLIE
      PAULA BEGGS WITH PACO
      RESERVE
      GAIL ROSS WITH BERT
      PAIRS
      OVERALL CHAMPION PAIRS
      FRED GENTLE WITH SNAKE AND SUSIE
      RESERVE
      AIDY TOAL WITH THUNDER AND SCAR
      ***OVERALL CHAMPION AND BEST IN SHOW***
      GED DONAGH WITH BROCK
      RESERVE
      PAULA BEGGS WITH PACO
      ***TALLY HO NORTHERN  IRELAND CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS***
      SUSAN McCANN WITH PENNY
      Congratulations to all above winners
      And Finally, may I take this opportunity on behalf of the Tally Ho Working Dog Show to thank the judges on the day for a job well done.
      Childrens Handling Class  
      Margaret Mc Stay
      Ladies and Gents Handling Class
      Margaret Mc Stay
      Pets
      Michelle Darby
      Whippets 
      James Mullen
      Lurchers 
      Jonathan Kirwan
      Terriers  
      Sam Kirwan
      Strong Dogs
      Chontelle Mc Meekin 
      Bullies
      Carla Mc Donnell
      Tally Ho Northern Ireland Champions of Champions
      Peter Morgan
      Judging is not an easy job, but the judges were all consistent and fair  
      A Big thank you to the Racing team Matt Lee/Joanna Relf Lee and Matthew Lee for running the racing on the day so efficiently. Your experience and input is invaluable and of this we are extremely grateful. 
      There were 3 very willing young people helping Peter out on Saturday. Conor Creagh/Callum Jones and Kerry Ann Hughes you all done a great job and everything ran like clockwork. 
      As usual it was evident a lot of hard work and sleepless nights was put into organising this top show and all Peters shows in the past to make them so successful, and all along the way Peter has done this single handed.
      And Finally, Finally it is with a heavy heart I am writing this and hoping it will not come to fruition.  Peter has said to me this is the last show he will run. But  with hope in my heart I am hoping he might change his mind. 
      Peter you have given 20K plus to charity over the years, encouraged our young country men and women to carry on the tradition in the ring and in the field, and given Country Sports a great window through your shows over the years. I have known you now through country sports for over 20-25 years and probably longer, and all through that time you have never faltered away from the Canine world. 
      The prizes, the cups, the childrens handling class and bouncy castles at your shows are second to none. The time and money you put into your shows for our enjoyment is a credit to you.
      I will conclude for now Peter hoping at some time down the road, maybe you will change your mind and have another show in 2026. It was nice to be your friend through the ups and downs in the Country Sports world. 
      God Bless to we meet again.
       Margaret Mc Stay
       

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