Field of Dreams Schooling Track Maghera, Mid and East Antrim Dog Show and Race Day Sunday 7th August 22

[appleblossom 681]

Field of Dreams Schooling Track Maghera, Mid and East Antrim Dog  Show and Race Day  Sunday  7^th August 22 

The Field Of Dreams Schooling Track is an up to date, well designed, and well established family business, run and owned by the Hurley family. Set in the leafy, picturesque Maghera countryside, this Schooling Track has progressed from strength to strength over the past years. The Hurley family pride themselves on the health and wellbeing of all dogs right through to they hit the race track. The track has schooled and raced Classic Winners, Track Record Breakers, Derby Trial Stake Winners, Open Class Runners, and English Derby Runners. This was the venue for the Mid and East Antrim Charity dog show Sunday 7^th August 22.  

Sundays show was to be a very special day for the Hurley Family, but tinged with very much sadness as this show was in memory of the late Joseph Hurley a very dear son, father and brother and a very treasured member of the family. Josephs heart was in the Field of Dreams and along with his father Joe senior, made this schooling track the success it is today.    

As this show was organised by Chontelle Mc Meekan and Mark Mc Callion, very special friends of the late Joseph, I am sure Joseph was looking down on them on the day and had an input and contributed to the success of the show.  

From early morning, cars and trailers arrived from North and South of the border, with families and dogs in tow. There was a Burger Bar, a Country Sports Stand, and Barry Kelly of Drom Aluinn Kennells was there all day with his wonderful Dog Agility and Athletics training, and ran competitions all day along side the show.

As the show progressed, so did the banter and the craic. It was nice to meet up with so many regular show goers, and all out to support the Hurley family on the day. And that they done with a giving heart. Morris Thomas Mc Dowell arrived as usual with his doggie Hotel on wheels. Well I had the pleasure of been given a tour inside this wagon on Sunday, and surely I was not disappointed. Not only is there every comfort including comfort lighting for the dogs, but also full living accommodation. I was so impressed by this set up, a credit to you Morris and thank you for the tour. No matter how many shows I have went to over the many years, and there have been many, I still meet and make new friends every day and all such lovely people. Canine people have hearts of gold. What a lovely job this is. 

The weather was glorious with sunshine all day. The show started at approx 12.00 noon with racing first.

Here are the Racing and Showing Results From the Pen of Chontelle  Mc Meekan

Racing Results

 U21 elite 

Patsy McCoy with Dallas

Reserve Lynzi Gardiner Magill with Boris 

U23 elite 

Rose McCoy with Texas 

Reserve Kirsty Harpur with Dash

U24 elite 

Lynzi Gardiner Magill with Briar 

Reserve Colin Tucker with Fletcher 

O24 elite 

Michael McGrath with Wexford 

Reserve Cliona Owens with king

U23 Lurcher 

Keelan with Penny

Reserve Darren with Trigger 

O23 Lurcher

Lee Brooks with Milo 

Reserve Rose McCoy with Aria 

Bullcross 

Joyce Scott with Mable

Conor with Shaq 

Whippets 

Sean Burke with Jack 

Lisa Beggs with Prydz 

Hairy 

Michael McGrath with Bop

Reserve Errol Gardiner with Chase 

Showing Results

Champion Lurcher

John Reid with Axel

Reserve

Jed Donagh with Rooke

Champion Whippet

James Mullen with Max

Reserve

Suzanne Addis with Willow

Champion Terrier

Steven Maxwell with Stig

Reserve

Richard O Callaghan with Sabatoot

Champion Strong Dog

Jamie Stafford with Zena

Reserve

Davy Hanna with Bell

Joe Hurley Memorial Puppy Shield

Gareth Barnett with Hunter

The Christopher Hurley Memorial Adult Shield

Tracy Taggart with Zena

Reserve

John Reid with Axel

Bullys

Congratulations to all the  Champions. Result sheet mislaid.

A Big Congratulations to all above winners.

And Finally I always save the best to last. A big thank you to the hosts of the show, Chontelle Mc Meekan, Mark Mc Callion, their assistant manager and little helper Mason Thompson and their brilliant band of helpers. Chontelle and Mark you pulled out all the stops on the day and produced a top class show. Well done, and a credit to all involved. 

And now I come to the saddest part of the day and what this show was for and about. It is very hard to write on paper, how I feel in my heart. It was so lovely to see Joe Hurley senior and his family there so soon after the death of a dear son, brother and father Joseph. 

I spoke at length to Joe Hurley himself on Sunday and it would bring a tear to a stone to see the grief in the eyes of that man. Joe told me that 3 years to the day his first son Christopher died and 3 months to the day his son Joseph died. It is hard to explain how broken hearted this father is, as Joe said in his own words, he has lost everything he has worked for all his life. Instantly, one could see a fathers grief and love come together at that moment. 

On a brighter note, it was nice to se Joe Hurley present the winners with the memorial shields with great pride and honour for his late sons Christopher and Joseph. In the middle of your grief, it was nice to see the Hurley Family young and old, come out in strength to support this great cause.

Again, thank you Chontelle Mc Meekan and Mark Mc Callion for a great show and on top of that you raised a wapping £3296 for the Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust. This will bring comfort and benefit to some broken hearted family needing help in their hour of need. Well done Chontelle and Mark, Joseph would be very proud of you.

To we meet again in happier times, God bless, and to the Hurley Family  may you find happiness and peace of mind on the road ahead.

“Perhaps my time seemed all to brief

Do not lengthen it now with untold grief

Lift up your hearts my Canine friends

God wanted me now, he set me free”

 

Margaret Mc Stay

Edited August 10, 2022 by appleblossom