Ferret racing draws record crowd in Yorkshire Dales pub

A Yorkshire Dales pub was packed for a night of what could be the most northern of sports - ferret racing.

The annual event is held at The Craven Arms in Appletreewick, North Yorkshire, and draws a crowd as well as a rather pungent aroma.

The ferrets race three at a time through specially rigged-up tubes, the first to make it round their course declared the winner.

Bets can be made, with all proceeds to the Upper Wharfedale Fell Rescue.

Ted Mason is chief bookmaker and local fell-running legend.

He stands to the side of the racing arena with a sign that reads 'BetTed'.

"It's been going on for 10 years and we have an annual event every February. If we're lucky we make about 300-400 quid, which isn't bad is it?"

Dave Barrett, from Storiths, brought four of his ferrets, called White, Brown, Bib and Bernard.

"To be honest I think some people have been practising for tonight," he laughed.

Asked if any of his had won, he replied: "I couldn't possibly say!"

Penny Horsburgh, from Sutton-in-Craven, had two ferrets, Ragnar and Rollo, in the races.

"I'm hoping one of them will win," she said. "We named them after Vikings so we are hoping they are as tough as their names suggest, we will see.

"We got them as kits last year, so they are only about eight months old. They're babies, this is their first time ferret racing.

"We heard about it through friends and we thought why not give it a go?"

A spokesman for The Craven Arms said the event, held in its Cruck Barn, drew the biggest crowd in its history, with about 200 people in attendance.

According to the RSPCA, ferrets are carnivores whose closest ancestor is the European polecat.

Their species name, mustela putorius furo, translates as "stinky raging thief", and they are known for their unusual musky smell.

They are intelligent and need mental and physical stimulation, and can live for up to 12 years.