It’s been a near-perfect start for Cumbrian pigeon fanciers who have enjoyed five trouble free, fast races.
But the latest test from Stratford, although fast again, posed problems en-route with some lofts particularly badly hit with absentees.
David Harrison of Egremont didn’t do too badly with 33 back out of 39 but the following morning said there were four strays on a neighbour’s roof early doors.
“I managed to get two of them in, and one was a north east bird, while the other was Scottish Union pigeon. The SU was racing from Retford to Glasgow while a mate from Gateshead tells me there were quite a few losses over there in the north east as well,” he said.
Five previous races had been near perfect but the flight from Shakespeare country was not As You Like It.
But with birds towing in late and others being reported here’s hoping in the end it’s Much Ado About Nothing.
The Cumbria Combine birds were liberated from Stratford at 8am in a light south-west wind and topping the West Cumbria Amalgamation and Derwent Valley Federation was a yearling blue hen to the Workington Victoria loft of John and Liz Walters.
She was clocked at 11.31 after a near 186-mile flight at over 52 and a half mph and also took second in the Combine behind ace Carlisle fancier Peter Kirkwood.
She was bred by David ‘Sugar’ Wilson of Egremont for the Walters.
It’s a few years now since the top fancier decided to call it a day racing but he kept his stock birds and has continued to supply quality youngsters to local fanciers and several from further afield.
“He’s a good friend and this isn’t the first Amalgamation winner he’s bred for us. He doesn’t race now but can still breed the winners for others.
“She’s a splendid little blue hen who the previous week from Cannock had been 1st Workington Social, 2nd Victoria, 6th Fed and 6th Amalgamation, beaten only by seconds,” said John.
After those near perfect returns from the previous five races, some lofts were reflecting on their first losses of the season.
The Walters’ loft had 25 out, which took the gloss off their win.
Barry Irving’s 2021 season was severely restricted through young bird sickness, so much so that he didn’t race a bird over the second half of the year.
The Sandwith fancier says: “It was awful. The young’uns didn’t get a race but I managed to get a few training tosses into them, but that’s all they got.”
All of which makes his spectacular form this season even more satisfying as he celebrated a West Cumberland Federation win.
He has had three second Federation tickets already and 25 different spots on the various result sheets, while taking two wins in the Sandwith club.
Barry clocked at 11.25am following the 179 miles flight and he had actually two birds arrive together.
The second went over the pad two seconds behind the winner to take 1st and 2nd club, 1st and 2nd Federation; 8th and 9th Amalgamation and 9th and 10th Combine.
Over recent years Barry has built up a strong inland loft based on the birds of Irish ace Eddie McGimpsey and the family has come up trumps again.
The winner, a yearling blue hen is off a McGimpsey cock paired to a hen from club-mate Steve Chambers while the runner-up is from a pair of McGimpsey pigeons. The second pigeon has already had a seventh Fed from Appleton 1 and a tenth Fed from Appleton 2.
Whilst happy with the one-two he wasn’t so pleased with returns which left him 11 short.
The Copeland North West club also raced from Stratford, liberated with the Red Rose Federation alongside the Cumbria Combine.
Winning, in their first race with the club, were the Workington fanciers Morris and Wayne McLuckie with a yearling blue pied cock which was well in front after the 185 mile flight.
It was a good pay day for Peter Dobie and Ralph Palmer flying in both the Copeland and Seaton RBL clubs, They won £185 – of which £130 was for the nomination in the North West organisation.
CUMBRIA COMBINE (4,267 birds): 1, P. Kirkwood (Harraby) 1565.3; 2, Mr and Mrs Walters (Workington Victoria) 1544; 3, 4, Martindale and Lawman (Workington Victoria) 1543, 1542; 5, McLuckie bros (Workington Victoria) 1540; 6, M. and L. Cape (Workington Social) 1539.
WEST CUMBRIA AMALGAMATION (2,623 birds): 1, Mr and Mrs Walters (Workington Victoria) 1544; 2, 3, Martindale and Lawman (Workington Victoria) 1543, 1542; 4, McLuckie bros (Workington Victoria) 1540; 5, M. and L. Cape (Workington Social) 1539; 6, Hodgson and Saldert (Flimby West) 1535.
DERWENT VALLEY FEDERATION (1,702 birds): 1, Mr and Mrs Walters (Workington Victoria) 1544; 2, 3, Martindale and Lawman (Workington Victoria) 1543, 1542; 4, McLuckie bros (Workington Victoria) 1540; 5, M. and L. Cape (Workington Social) 1539; 6, Hodgson and Saldert (Flimby West) 1535.
WEST CUMBERLAND FEDERATION (921 birds): 1, 2, 5, 6, B. Irving (Sandwith) 1531.5, 1531.3, 1523.05, 1521; 3, Tomlinson and Banks (Cleator Moor) 1529; 4, Blaney bros (Sandwith) 1523.4.
WORKINGTON VICTORIA (10 sent 242): 1, Mr and Mrs Walters 1548; 2, 3, Martindale and Lawman 1545, 1544.5; 4, McLuckie bros 1544.2; 5, M. and L. Cape 1543; 6, Varty, son and grandson 1540.
WORKINGTON SOCIAL LIMIT (7 SENT 278): 1, Mr and Mrs Walters 1544; 2, McLuckie bros 1540; 3, 6, M. and L. Cape 1539, 1529; 4, 5, Williams and Hadfield 1530,5, 1530,1,
HARRINGTON CENTRAL (9 sent 314): 1. I. and D. Wood 1530; 2, Mr and Mrs D. Wood and son1525; 3, 4, Mr and Mrs W. Carter and sons 1524, 1522; 5, R. McAvoy and son 1521; 6, Telford and Pooley 1517.
FLIMBY HS (11 sent 472): 1, 2, Tinnion and Aitken 1528,5, 1528,1; 3, J. Varty, son and grandson 1527; 4, 5, A. Bromley and son 1526.5, 1526.5; 6, M. Ward and son 1520.
CUMBERLAND SOCIAL CIRCLE (22 sent 44): 1, Nelson and Crellin 1516; 2, Varty, son and grandson 1503; 3, Mr and Mrs W. Carter and sons 1486; 4, A, and T. Kenmare 1476; 5, Mr and Mrs Proctor 1456; 6, Mr and Mrs D. Wood and son 1451.
SEATON RBL (5 sent 119 birds): 1, 3, 4, Dobie and Palmer 1542, 1537, 1525; 2, A. Parker and son 1539.
DEARHAM UTD ( 8 sent 265): 1, 3, 5, Berwick, Thompson, Harker and Watson 1540, 1522, 1519; 2, 4, 6, Dempsey, son and Reay 1536, 1521, 1516.
LOWCA HS (4 sent 160): 1, 4, Tomlinson and Banks 1529, 1503; 2, 3, Holliday and Dixon 1513, 1508.
SANDWITH: 1, 2, 4, B. Irving 1531.5, 1531.3, 1523.05; 3, Blaney bros 1523.4.
EGREMONT RANGERS (137 birds): 1, 2, 3, 4, Wilson and Buchanan 1519, 1518, 1513, 1495; 5, D. Harrison and son 1492; 6, J. and M. Doran and son 1491.
CLEATOR MOOR (13 sent 467): 1, 6, Tomlinson and Banks 1530, 1505; 2, 3, 4,, 5, Rodgers and Benn 1508.8, 1508.2, 1507, 1506.
COPELAND NORTH WEST (14 sent 473): 1, McLuckie bros 1537; 2, I . and D. Wood 1528; 3, 4, Tinnion and Aitken 1526, 1525; 5, 6, Dobie and Palmer 1522, 1519.
