Senior All-Ireland Draghunt saw the season end on a high
The first six dogs and their owners line up with Gerry Murphys and Tiger's Boy after the Gurranabraher Credit Union Senior All-Ireland Draghunt at Bartlemy. Picture: Dan Linehan
ANOTHER draghunting season successfully concluded at Bartlemy on Sunday with victory for the Gerry Murphy and Sheila Cummins-trained Tiger’s Boy of Shanakiel Harriers.
The Senior All-Ireland draghunt is equivalent to the Grand National in horse racing with the extra distance giving outsiders a rare chance of success in the biggest race of the season.
The sudden warm conditions made this draghunt a real test of endurance and it was ironic the majority of fancied hounds were not involved in the finish.
The CV of the winner wouldn’t have given his trainers much hope against the big guns as all he had won this season was a one Senior Maiden draghunt.
On the other side of the coin, he did manage to win the Senior Maiden championship and his form of late had been eye-catching.
That’s the beauty of draghunting a dog with absolutely no form on the big stage has every entitlement to win the blue ribband draghunting trophy.
Indeed the same can be said for the runner-up Zena who is also a maiden hound in the INDHA the Cavan-based association.
In fairness if you are a maiden in Cork its tough enough but when you are in the same category in Cavan one would think that winning or finishing runner-up in the All-Ireland Senior Draghunt would be a near impossibility.
The third hound Tex came out of the Senior maiden grade this season for IHT trainers Joe and Sean Hennessy but in reality, it didn’t look dangerous to winning a Senior Draghunt when it was promoted to the top tier.
Just to round off a good day for maiden hounds Kilbrittain Girl trained by Kieran Kearney of Shanakiel Harriers finished fourth and the Cavan-based Too Hot to Handle snatched sixth.
Blue Lad of Southern/Carrigaline Harriers a consistent Senior hound did break the maiden monopoly when filling fifth ticket.
Let’s spare a thought for Denis ‘Shovel’ O’Callaghan for his remarkable work in such a short space of time in getting this draghunt organised.
Remember in a course that was 17 miles a lot of farmers had to be asked permission and Denis did unbelievable work in that department.
Another gentleman worth mentioning is Tristan Herlihy who put in hours of work in atrocious conditions and many thanks to both men who are staunch members of Fair Hill Harriers.
To the entire farming community in this region many thanks as the gate receipts went to the Watergrasshill OAP Christmas party.
What a way to conclude another successful draghunting season with Authority winning his third consecutive Senior championship for Northern Hunt trainer John O’Callaghan.
The Troy O’Mahony Mayfield trained Hannah Banana won the Puppy championship and dead-heated in the Puppy All-Ireland that concluded another memorable season.
1. Authority (Northern Hunt) 144pts (champion); 2. Captain James (Shanakiel Harriers) 106; 3. Blue Lad (Southern/Carrigaline Harriers 72; 4. Jamie’s Gem (Clogheen) 71, 5. Zion (Kerry Pike/Fair Hill Harriers); 6. Blue Daisy 45.
1. Tiger’s Boy (Shanakiel Harriers) 94pts (champion); 2. Calvin’s Lad (Mayfield) 60; 3. Kilbrittain Girl (Shanakiel Harriers) 45; 4. High Maintenance (Kerry Pike/Fair Hill Harriers) 44; 5. Naoi (Shanakiel Harriers) 41; 6. Penny’s Girl (Shanakiel Harriers) 40.
1. Hannah Banana (Mayfield) 99.5pts (champion); 2. Jamie’s Dream (Clogheen) 90; 3. Ashcroft (Northern Hunt) 83; 4. Knock’s Boy (Shanakiel Harriers) 80.5; 5. Slievemish Bounce (Clogheen) 59; 6. Not Now Ike (Clogheen) 48.
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