The richest race of the year in West Cumbria officially ended the 2021 season with the final young bird event.
Cleator Moor’s annual A-ring race has proved a popular conclusion in recent years, even though entries and logistics had been affected by the pandemic this time.
The winning loft of Richard Martindale and George ‘Pal’ Lawman of the Workington Victoria club picked up a cheque for £2,500 – and for good measure were also sixth which earned them another £250.
Richard, who was unavailable for the picture, said: “The chequer hen that won is off our 2019 Young Bird Cumbria Combine winner when paired to a yearling out ofour stock loft which is a Leach brothers x Thone.
“She was flying to the perch and has shown nothing during the season but was in excellent condition. I chose her as the nom hoping she would emulate her mother and come good at the end of the year which she did.
“Coincidentally her mother had been put into the stock loft that very afternoon.”
That nomination won the loft another £200 so in total they have raked in £2,950.
The loft, which had previously collected a first and a third in the race, were sixth with a blue cock, another Leach x Thone, which is a cousin to the hen which was third in the race in 2018.
The A ring birds were liberated at Weymouth with the Central Lancashire Combination and after an initial concern over the line of flight were released at 10.45am in a light east/south east wind.
After flying 280 miles, Martindale and Lawman clocked their chequer hen at 4-25pm which equates to 49mph.
Sixteen birds had been recorded when the clocks were read-off with the first six picking up money.
They were: 1, Martindale and Lawman (£2,500) 1454; 2, Wilson and Buchanan (£1,250) 1447; 3, I. and D. Wood (£1,000) 1397; 4, Rodgers and Benn (£750) 1352; 5, Evans and Abraham (£500) 1333; 6,Martindale and Lawman (£250) 1328.
The Nomination: 1, Martindale and Lawman £200; 2, I. and D. Wood £100; 3, Rodgers and Benn £50.
