Cumbrian pigeon fanciers enjoyed a good opening race when the 2022 season started in perfect Easter conditions.
In the west of the county the Derwent Valley Federation and West Cumberland Federation raced from Garstang with the winners home at just short of a mile a minute.
Garstang is just under 50 miles to the first West Cumbrian lofts in Egremont but it was David Lofthouse, flying in the Lowca club, who was the first Federation winner of the season.
In one of those unusual twists that pigeon racing can produce, he won with a gift bird from Barry Irving of the Sandwith club who was second Fed with a full brother to the winner.
The birds had been liberated at 11am and David clocked a two-year-old blue white flight hen at 11-54-06 after the 53-mile flight, also clocking ten seconds later to take sixth Fed.
Barry also had two spots in the top sixth as he was fourth while another Lowca loft of Holliday and Dixon were also prominent in the top six with third and fifth.
First into the clock in the West Cumberland Federation was David Harrison of the Egremont Rangers club but flying over four miles less and he had to settle for 16th in the Fed.
He won his club, however, with a mealy cock which had been given to him as an egg by his long-time friend Malcolm Scott of Gateshead.
“The number of winners I’ve had off Malcolm in the last 30 years are uncountable. This one is a grandson of his 6th UNC Burbere the last time it was flown,” said David.
The Derwent Valley Federation just concentrate on club racing until Stafford and there were some familiar names on the result sheets.
Workington Victoria and Workington Social Limit were replicated with Williams and Hadfield clocking one before five of the McLuckie brothers, Morris and Wayne.
John Pooley had a great start in Harrington Central with four tickets – 1st, 3rd, 5th and 6th while Alf and Alan Parker got off on the right foot in Seaton with the first three, clocked inside 13 seconds.
In the very competitive Flimby HS, the loft of Jimmy Nelson and Fletcher Crellin stole the show, They won with a yearling chequer hen and for good measure had 4th, 5th and 6th.
The Copeland North West club raced from Lymm and it was a good start for the new chairman Graham Best who won the race, and for good measure took second, third, sixth and the nomination.
It was a fast race, at over a mile a minute for the near-100 mile sprint with decimals needed to split decisions.
The club has members from as far afield as Flimby, Workington, Harrington, Whitehaven and Cleator Moor as well as Carlisle!
One of the interesting features of modern racing has been the ability to track the flight of the birds through a specially designed ring.
Andrew and Tom Kenmare of Frizington have been able to show by graphics the route taken by the birds on their flight home. It makes for interesting viewing for fellow west Cumbrian fanciers.
The day can’t be too far away when fanciers can track their pigeons progress on their phones and know exactly how far away they are during race time.
WEST CUMBERLAND
FEDERATION: 1, 6, D. Lofthouse (Lowca) 1736, 1731.45; 2, 4, B. Irving (Sandwith) 1733, 1731,9; 3, 5, Holliday and Dixon (Lowca) 1732, 1731.46.
LOWCA HS (4 sent 192): 1, 4, D. Lofthouse 1736, 1731.45; 2, 3, Holliday and Dixon 1732, 1731,46.
SANDWITH: 1, 2, B. Irving 1733, 1731; 3, 4, 5, 6, W. McGrady and son 1730, 1729.1, 1729.1, 1729.1.
CLEATOR MOOR CENTRAL (13 sent 519): 1, 2, 3, Tomlinson and Banks 1720, 1717.4, 1717.4; 4, 5. A. and T. Kenmare 1706.1, 1706.1; 6. Graham and co 1685.
EGREMONT RANGERS (142 birds): 1, 3, 5, 6, D. Harrison and son 1719, 1712, 1665, 1662.
DERWENT VALLEY FEDERATION
WORKINGTON VICTORIA (9 sent 377): 1, Williams and Hadfield 1814; 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, McLuckie bros 1811.7, 1811.7, 1811.2, 1811.2, 1811.2.
WORKINGTON SOCIAL LIMIT (8 sent 321): 1, Williams and Hadfield 1734; 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, McLuckie bros 1732.2, 1732.2, 1731.7, 1731.7, 1731.7.
HARRINGTON CENTRAL (8 sent 283): 1, 3, 5, 6, Telford and Pooley 1734, 1709, 1692, 1691; 2, 4, N. Semple 1729, 1704.
SEATON RBL (142 birds): 1, 2, 3, A. Parker and son 1775, 1773, 1769; 4, J. Gale 1759; 5, F. Scott 1718; 6, Dobie and Palmer 1704.
FLIMBY HS (10 sent 441): 1, 4, 5, 6, Nelson and Crellin 1744, 1708, 1707, 1706; 2, 3, J. Varty, son and grandson 1732, 1714.
DEARHAM UTD (10 sent 325): 1, Deacon bros 1720; 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, Dempsey, son and Reay 1705.2, 1705.2, 1704, 1703, 1702.
NORTH WEST
COPELAND (8 sent 165): 1, 3, 6, G. Best 1849, 1843, 1819, 1760; 4, Cottier and Patrickson 1774.5; 5, J. and A. Maudling 1774.
