Top lofts continue to shine in West Cumbria

Cumbrian pigeon fanciers had a great start to the season, followed by some tougher outcomes as the old bird season nears its completion.

But either way it’s been quite telling how the same, familiar lofts have been to the fore in the results sheets.

There really are some outstanding pigeon racers in Cumbria who would more than hold their own in more favourable and lucrative areas of the country.

At the top of the West Cumbria Amalgamation from the latest inland test of Salisbury is Kevin Evans of the Workington Victoria club. For good measure he took second as well.

Kevin, who flies as Evans and Abraham as a tribute to his former race partner Willie Abraham, has been a consistently good flier in the Amalgamation virtually since its inception.

A lot of his successes have been down to the introduction of the Lambrecht breed from Steve Foster of Leyland, and that was the case on Saturday.

The grandsire of both first and second is a good red cock that Kevin purchased from Steve and which has gone on to breed numerous Federation and Amalgamation winners.

The winner is a yearling chequer cock which has been very consistent. From Appleton he was 3^rd club 25^th Amal; from Cannock he was 1^st club, 3^rd Fed, 3^rd Amal, 35^th Combine and from Marlborough he was the club ko winner, 24^th Amal.

A splendid season has now been topped by 1^st club, `1^st Fed, 1^st Amal and 3^rd Combine from Salisbury.

The second bird for Kevin has also been very steady and consistent with a good performance two weeks ago from Marlborough when she was 4^th club, 6^th Fed, 6^th Amal, 6^th Combine.

Workington Victoria club filled the first eight positions on the Amalgamation sheet with Martindale and Lawman taking 3^rd, 4^th, 5th and 6^th, followed by McLuckie brothers 7^th and 8^th.

Those three leading lofts have been there or thereabouts all season in club, Derwent Valley Federation and West Cumbria Amalgamation.

The birds had been liberated at Salisbury in a light south west wind at 10am and Kevin clocked his Amalgamation winner at 2-38pm with the second pigeon just three seconds behind. They had covered the 256 miles at 55mph.

The Derwent Valley lofts took the first 21 places in the Amalgamatio with the West Cumberland Federation winner in 22^nd.

But Alan Graham and co, who took first and fourth in his Fed result is another partnership enjoying a very successful season however hard the race, Their winner is also one of the best birds in the Amalgamation.

She is a roundabout yearling hen, bred in the north east, who has had 1^st, 4^th, 5^th, 15^th and 20^th Fed and had the loft been flying in one of the more favourable locations would certainly have improved on that record.

“We sent 34 to the race and got 31 of them and were pleased with how they came to take 1^st, 4^th, 9^th, `11^th, 12^th, 18^th and 19^th in the Fed.

“The first two came together but the second one just touched the loft roof before going in,” said Alan.

The second pigeon is from a cock that race partner Paul Byers bought out of the Who Dares Wins sale and was paired to a daughter of the loft’s National Flying Club’s section winner ((527 miles on the day).

The nest mate to that second pigeon was also 11^th Fed on the day.

The Graham’s pigeon was clocked at 12-37pm following the 10am liberation and covered the 248 miles at 53mph.

The Copeland North West birds were also at Salisbury and it was the Workington loft of Morris and Wayne McLuckie which shone taking the first four positions while Lawrence Tinnion at Flimby was 5^th and 6^th.

This week the Cumbrian Combine birds are back at Guernsey for a second tester from the island.

CUMBRIA COMBINE (1,576 birds): 1, R. Mitchell (Harraby) 1649; 2, P. Kirkwood (Harraby) 1645; 3, 4, Evans and Abraham (Workington Victoria) 1622.5, 1622.2; 5, 6, Martindale and Lawman (Workington Victoria)  1621, 1620.

WEST CUMBRIA AMALGAMATION (826 birds): 1, 2, Evans and Abraham (Workington Victoria) 1622.5, 1622.2; 3, 4, 5, 6, Martindale and Lawman (Workington Victoria) 1621, 1620.6, 1620.5, 1619.

DERWENT VALLEY FEDERATION (547 birds): 1, 2, Evans and Abraham (Workington Victoria) 1622.5, 1622.2; 3, 4, 5, 6, Martindale and Lawman (Workington Victoria) 1621, 1620.6, 1620.5, 1619.

WEST CUMBERLAND FEDERATION (279 birds): 1, 4, Graham and co (Cleator Moor) 1575.8, 1575.1; 2, 3, Dobson, sons, grandson and Kyle (Cleator Moor)  1575.6, 1575.2; 5, Nolan, Hetherington, Coultas and Easdon (Cleator Moor) 1574; 6, A. and T. Kenmare (Cleator Moor) 1573.

FURNESS FEDERATION (409 birds): 1, T. Johnson (Barrow) 1585; 2, G. Bradley (Millom) 1561; 3, 4, J. Walker (Askam) 1547, 1546; 5, R. Oakley (Ulverston) 1539; 6, Riley and Leece (Askam) 1539.

CLEATOR MOOR CENTRAL (8 sent 146): 1, A. and T. Kenmare 1578; 2, 4, Dobson, sons, grandson and Kyle 1577, 1576.7; 3, 5, Graham and co 1576.9, 1576.2; 6, Nolan, Hetherington, Coultas and Easdon 1575.

LOWCA (3 sent 45): 1, 2, 3, 4, Holliday and Dixon 1568.9, 1568.7, 1547, 1546.

EGREMONT RANGERS ( 47 birds): 1, 3, 4, 5, D. Harrison and son 1562, 1549, 1539.4, 1539.4; 2, 6, Wilson and Buchanan 1558, 1518.

FLIMBY HS (10 sent 216): 1, 2, Tinnion and Aitken 1581, 1580; 3, Berwick and co 1575; 4, Nelson and Crellin 1572.8; 5, Rushforth and Hunter 1572.5; 6, A. Bromley and co 1570.

CUMBERLAND SOCIAL CIRCLE (18 sent 36): 1, A. Graham and co 1575.8; 2, Berwick, Thompson, Watson and Harker 1575.6; 3, Nelson and Crellin 1572; 4, Rushforth and Hunter 1545; 5, McLuckie bros 1502; 6, Todhunter and Grisedale 1498.

SEATON RBL (31 birds): 1, 2, F. Scott 1517, 1483; 3, 4, Dobie and Palmer 1438.1, 1438.

HARRINGTON CENTRAL (8 sent 92): 1, 5, Telford and Pooley 1510, 1489; 2, N. Semple 1500; 3, I. and D. Wood 1499; 4, N. and G. Wordsworth 1492; 6, R. McAvoy and son 1459.

WORKINGTON VICTORIA (7 sent 147): 1, 2, Evans and Abraham 1626.4, 1626.1; 3, 4, 5, 6, Martindale and Lawman 1624, 1623.8, 1623.7, 1622.

DEARHAM UTD (7 sent 85): 1, 4, 5, Berwick, Thompson, Harker and Watson 1616, 1541.9, 1541.7; 2, Dempsey son and Reay 1592; 3, 6, L. Norris 1575, 1538.

FLIMBY WEST COAST OPEN RACE (155 entries): 1, Martindale and Lawman 1619 (£226): 2, 3, McLuckie bros 1610 (£169.50), 1586 (£113); 4, 5, Hodgson and Saldert 1582.9 (£56.50); 1582.9 (£26 nom); 6, Williams and Hadfield 1581.

WORKINGTON SOCIAL LIMIT (4 sent 67): 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, McLuckie bros 1610, 1586, 1585, 1582, 1575; 5, Williams and Hadfield 1581.

HARRABY (9 sent 135): 1, 3, 6, R. Mitchell 1649, 1609, 1596; 2, 4, 5, P. Kirkwood 1645, 1601,89, 1601,80.

ASKAM (5 bsent 60): 1, 2, J. Walker 1547, 1546; 3, Riley and Leece 1539; 4, R. Parrington 1522; 5, Bradley and Jefferson 1518; 6, B. Lloyd 1513.

COPELAND NORTH WEST: 1, 2, 3, 4, McLuckie bros  1609, 1586, 1584, 1581; 5, 6, Tinnion and Aitken 1580, 1579.