All-Ireland Drag Hunt set for Maudabawn

It will be a case of another ‘Big Week on the Farm’ for the Shalvey family as they prepare to host the biggest event in the drag hunting season this weekend.
The All-Ireland drag hunt championships will be staged at Maudabawn, near Cootehill, this Saturday, August 25, with the first race commencing at 1pm and heats running 20 minutes apart thereafter.
The event is organised by the Irish Northern Drag Hunt Association (INDHA).
Sean Smith from Cootehill is the secretary of the association and one of those responsible for bringing the event to Cavan, “It really promises to be a great day’s racing, packed with entertainment for all the spectators, who will have a spectacular panoramic view of the coarse from Shalvey’s hill,” he told the Celt this week. He explained that the dogs race after an artificial scent of aniseed oil and paraffin, which is mixed and poured on cloths and then pulled across country by up to five men dragging the cloths clockwise around a coarse of up to seven or eight miles.
Four heats will be drawn the night before the event for all dogs racing. The first six hounds home in each heat will then go head to head to battle it out to see who becomes the All-Ireland Champion.
Sean, himself, has a dog ‘Brady’ competing in the field and hopes are high for the local contender but he will face stiff opposition.
A dog called ‘Boder Lad’ from Cork is going for his third All-Ireland title in a row.
Other strong canines in the Northern Region this year include ‘Denman’ owned by Tommy McElroy from Fermanagh and another dog owned by Philip McGlone from Monaghan.
There is also a puppy All-Ireland run for young dogs in their first season. This will consist of one run - all pups out together to fight it out for the puppy champion 2018.
Sean said that “an unbelievable effort” has been put in this year to make this weekend become a reality. He paid tribute to the chairman of the INDHA, James Mooney; treasurer Thomas Cochrane, association members and, of course, the hosts Patrick and Geraldine Shalvey.
The charge on the gate to the event on the day is by way of voluntary subscription. All money collected on will go to the Cootehill Cancer Care.