Veteran West Cumbrian fancier Joe Fitzsimmons has been telling of his delight after winning the first race from Guernsey for 60 years.
Joe, 87, flies in the Cleator Moor club with his son Brian and from Friday’s race were first, second and fourth in the West Cumbria Federation.
He said: “We are both delighted to have won this particular race but we would like to thank the officials of the Cumbria Combine for working hard to get it on.
“We hope sense prevails and we are allowed to race from France in the near future as thisisour main goal.”
Guernsey is 349 miles to the winner’s loft and was timed in at 5.32pm following the 7.15am liberation.
She is a three-year-old chequer pied hen who had flown one channel race previously but cameout of race time last year from Messac with the North West Grand National.
Brian said: “She is from our Time Will Tell family which have served us well over the years and she is a grand-daughter of Kerry Ann our best ever racer who had six firsts over the channel.
“Her sire was a Jan Arden from the House of Arden and was one of a batch of 12 we bought to cross.
“In preparation for Guernsey she was raced every week with Copeland NW club on the Furness transporter and when the Cumbria Combine started we sent her every week through to Weymouth.
“After that she was paired up and sent sitting on eggs for seven days.
“Our whole team was prepared the same way and we sent 11, getting six on the night and up to mid afternoon on Sunday had all but one back.
“The week of basketing they were sent on the young bird training transporter and had Bootle, Haverigg and Millom to freshen them up.”
