Cumbrian pigeon fanciers raced their birds from Guernsey on Saturday as they wait for the go-ahead to liberate from France.
Another Guernsey race is planned for June 18 and there is growing optimism that there could then be two French races to complete the old bird programme.
With no channel racing since 2019, the RPRA organised a trial run last week to test requirements at the respective Border Controls.
RPRA chief executive Ian Evans said: “This trial run was carried out to identify any issues or pitfalls before organisation move larger numbers to France later this month.
“Based on this experience we hope to produce guidance to assist those organisations who wish to carry out cross channel racing this year.”
At the moment the Cumbria Combine have not committed to any Channel racing beyond the Guernsey race on June 18.
Saturday’s first race from the island saw the birds liberated at 10-15am in an east wind and two lofts in particular put up excellent performances in west Cumbria.
Alan Graham, son Gavin and Paul Byers from Cleator Moor won the West Cumberland Federation and West Cumbria Amalgamation.
Andrew Berwick and Kenneth Watson (who fly as Berwick, Harker, Thompson and Watson) topped the Derwent Valley Federation.
The Graham loft had three in the first 11 on the Amalgamation sheet and seven in the top 40.
Berwick and co had three of theirs in the first 16 in the Amalgamation and in the first 10 of the DVF.
The Amalgamation topper for the Grahams is a three-year-old roundabout cock who came the following morning from Guernsey last year to take 17th Fed.
He is the son of a pigeon called Big Smithy when he was paired back to his mother, Pure Diamond who bred countless UNC performers from Bourges.
The dam was loaned to the loft by Tim Webster of Chorley and was a grand-daughter of Euro Diamond,
The second pigeon was a three-year-old roundabout hen who has never had a night out. Last year she flew 13 hours 50 minutes to be 29th Amal from Guernsey.
She is bred from a son of Syndale Express (Ist NFC Tarbes, 725 miles) and the dam is homebred from a son of Legacy and a daughter of Wingdown.
Gavin said: “We sent 16 and by Monday we had 11 home, seven on the day. All 16 had just four races preparation – two Lymms, Cannock and Stratford – rested for a week and then into Guernsey.”
The Amalgamation winner was clocked just before 6.55pm, covering the 349 miles at 40mph.
Andrew Berwick and Kenneth Watson have been left to race together after the sudden death in March of Ian Thompson. Andrew’s original, long-time race partner Colin Harker had died a few years ago.
They had three on the day led by a good five-year-old blue cock who has previously flown well over the channel and in the leading results from Carentan and Messac.
He was injured last year but still flew Guernsey and is being hopefully lined-up for a tilt at Messac in July with the National Flying Club.
Their second pigeon is also a blue cock, a three-year-old who was 2nd Fed, 2nd Amal and 7th Combine from Guernsey last year.
Andrew said: “Another blue cock was our third pigeon home on the day and he has been a good inland performer with eight or nine tickets. But all ours have to go the distance.
“The Fed winner is off a cock we got from Kenny Todd, being a direct Marshall pigeon from the old Machine lines. We paired him to an Alan Darragh hen off his Rose Bowl pair.
“The second pigeon is a grandson of our old good red cock and the third is a mix of our old red cock breed and a direct Ian Stafford hen from his Machine birds.”
They clocked their Derwent Valley Fed winner in Aspatria just before 7.25pm after a 365-mile fly, just under 40mph.
Another prominent loft performance came from Joe and Brian Fitzsimmons of Cleator Moor with four of their birds on the Amalgamation sheet.
Pigeons for courses is just as apt as horses for courses, as exemplified by Les Blacklock’s winner in Workington Victoria.
His yearling chequer hen was first club, fourth Fed, 9th Combine from Guernsey last year and this time as a two-year-old has been first club, first Cumberland Social Circle, 5th Fed and 9th Amal.
She was bred off a chequer white flight cock from Ray White of Gretna paired to a daughter of Les’ very fine barless hen which won the Cumbria Combine in 2016.
For fanciers in the Copeland North West club it was a busy day with two races to compete in – from Guernsey and also from Cannock.
The Berwick/Watson loft at Aspatria, almost the club’s longest flying members, took first and second with Ian and Denise Wood getting third.
The Cannock birds were liberated at 9.30am in an east north east wind and it was the Cleator Moor loft of Rodgers and Benn that led them home with a yearling hen from Billy Cottier and Barry Patrickson, and Jimmy Moreau.
The West Cumbria Amalgamation birds are back inland this week-end when they race from Salisbury.
CUMBRIA COMBINE (488 birds): 1, J. Walker (Askam) 1229; 2, G. Bradley (Millom) 1201; 3, Fullard and Murning (Millom) 1195; 4, A. Graham and co (Cleator Moor) 1182; 5, Berwick, Harker, Thompson and Watson (Dearham) 1170; 6, J. Fitzsimmons and son (Cleator Moor) 1140.
WEST CUMBRIA AMALGAMATION (256 birds): 1, 4, A. Graham and co (Cleator Moor) 1182, 118; 2, Berwick, Harker, Thompson and Watson (Dearham) 1170; 3, J. Fitzsimmons and son (Cleator Moor) 1140; 5, Mr and Mrs Carter and sons (Harrington Central) 1110; 6, A. Bromley and co (Flimby HS) 1101.
WEST CUMBRIA FEDERATION (92 birds): 1, 3, 5, Graham and co (Cleator Moor) 1182, 1118, 1076; 2, 6, J. Fitzsimmons and son (Cleator Moor) 1140, 1046; 4, Wilson and Buchanan (Egremont) 1093.
DERWENT VALLEY FEDERATION (164 birds): 1, 6, Berwick, Harker, Thompson and Watson (Dearham) 1170, 1083; 2, Mr and Mrs Carter and sons (Harrington Central) 1110; 3, A. Bromley and co (Flimby HS) 1101; 4, I. and D. Wood (Harrington Central) 1084.7; 5, Blacklock and sons (Workington Victoria) 1084.3.
EGREMONT RANGERS (10 birds): 1, 3, 5, 6, Wilson and Buchanan 1093, 983, 710, 635; 2, 4, D. Harrison and son 992, 725.
CLEATOR MOOR CENTRAL (6 sent 51): 1, 3, 4, Graham and co 1182, 1118, 1076; 2, 5, J. Fitzsimmons and son 1141, 1046; 6, Rodgers and Benn 1036.
LOWCA HS (2 sent 14): 1, 2, Holliday and Dixon 659, 644.
HARRINGTON CENTRAL (6 sent 27): 1, 5, Mr and Mrs Carter and sons 1110, 978; 2, 3, I. and D. Wood 1084, 1048; 4, N. Semple 1001; 6, N. and G. Wordsworth 703.
CUMBERLAND SOCIAL CIRCLE (16 sent 32): 1, Blacklock and sons 1084; 2, Berwick, Harker, Thompson and Watson 1083; 3, Martindale and Lawman 1057; 4, I. and D. Wood 1048; 5, Varty, son and grandson 1027; 6, Nelson and Crellin 1020.
FLIMBY HS (7 sent 74): 1, 3, 4, Berwick and co 1170, 1083, 1043; 2, A. Bromley and co 1101; 5, 6, Varty, son and grandson 1027, 1024. Show race (256 birds entered): 1, Mr and Mrs Carter and sons 1110 (£118 and £39 nom); 2, A. Bromley and co 1101 (£88); 3, Berwick, Harker, Thompson and Watson 1083 (£59.50); 4, Martindale and Lawman 1057 (£29.50).
DEARHAM UTD: 1, 2, 3, 5, Berwick and co; 4, Dempsey, son and Reay.
WORKINGTON VICTORIA (6 sent 33): 1, Blacklock and sons 1084; 2, Martindale and Lawman 1057; 3, McLuckie bros 1048; 4, 5, Varty, son and grandson 1027, 1024; 6, Mr and Mrs Walters and son 769.
WORKINGTON SOCIAL LIMIT (4 sent 20): 1, 6, McLuckie bros 1048, 587; 2, 4, 5, G. Best 1002, 697, 670; 3, Mr and Mrs Walters 769.
FLIMBY WEST COAST OPEN RACE (19 sent 68): 1, Wilson and Buchanan 1093 (£176, £19 nom); 2, Blacklock and sons 1084 (£132); 3, Berwick, Harker, Thompson and Watson 1083 (£88); 4, Martindale and Lawman 1057 (£44).
COPELAND NORTH WEST (Cannock, 13 sent 93): 1, 4, Rodgers and Benn 1489, 1487.2; 2, Cottier and Patrickson 1488; 3, 5, J. Moreau 1487.5, 1487.1; 6, Fitzsimmons and son 1483. (Guernsey, 13 sent 93): 1, 4, Berwick, Harker, Thompson and Watson 1169, 1082; 2, Fitzsimmons and son 1139; 3, 5, I. and D. Wood 1085, 1049; 6, McLuckie bros 1047.
MILLOM: 1, 3, 5, G. Bradley 1201, 1113, 1100; 2, 6, Fullard and Murning 1195, 1080; 4, Wilson and Barrie 1109.
ASKAM (5 sent 16): 1, 6, J. Walker 1236, 648; 2, 5, R. Parrington 1104, 714; 3, 4, B. Lloyd 970, 877.
