Cumbrian fanciers’ held their final inland race for old birds on Saturday from Holmsley and it was the fastest of the season.
The Rodgers and Benn partnership at Cleator Moor won the West Cumbria Amalgamation with a yearling chequer hen which covered the 269 miles at 63mph.
But overall it was another worrying race for local fanciers with not enough birds home on the day.
The season had started so well with excellent returns from the first five races but as the distance has increased so too have the losses.
Cleator Moor club winners Danny Rodgers, Ken and Wez Benn’s topped the Amalgamation and West Cumberland Federation, took second in the Cumbria Combine to the remarkable Peter Kirkwood, and also won Copeland North West, Flimby West Coast open race and the BNFL Two Bird Club.
Those wins meant the partnership earned £700, but it was also a poignant success as they have dedicated the victories to close family member Barbara Bewsher who died just over a week ago.
Barbara, together with husband Peter, are members of Egremont Rangers FC and the RnB loft have named their Amal winner Barbara in her memory.
The winning bird is bred from pigeons obtained from one of the top fanciers in the north beast, a close friend Ian Stafford (JPS Lofts).
Her dam is direct from possibly two of the best pigeons in Ian’s stock loft, Linbro (Lambrecht) and Little Finn, herself a winner of the prestigious Queen’s Cup.
The sire is bred off Ian’s distance pigeons so she has sprint and distance lines in her pedigree.
Danny said: “She was 3rd club, 3rd Fed from Cheltenham as a young bird; was 2nd club, 12th Fed Stratford this season and was 21st Fed Salisbury a fortnight ago.
“She certainly picked a good week to produce her best performance to date as she was well fancied and entered into all organisations and races as the partnerships nominated bird.”
The West Cumberland Federation members took the first six spots on the Amalgamation sheet with the Derwent Valley Federation winner in seventh.
Jimmy Nelson and Fleck Crellin have enjoyed a very good season in the Flimby HS club and this was another of their successful Karl Boeckx family who came up trumps.
The chequer hen has been remarkably consistent, always among the leading birds back to the loft although this was actually the first time she had led up.
Her grandfather was one of the best birds raced by the partnership as he won club, Fed and Amalgamation and her mother also scored several times with a first club, 4th Fed her best results.
Fleck said: “The Karl Boeckx came from Keith Rafferty at Maryport and they have been brilliant for us. This particular pigeon has been ultra consistent.
“We lost her mate a couple of weeks ago and when we gave her an open box she would make sure nothing got in it. However on Friday she took a shine to another cock bird and that’s proved to be the extra motivation she needed.”
Holmsley is a new race-point for the Cumbrian birds and the convoy was sent on its way at 6am on Saturday morning in a light south west wind turning fresh south in Lancashire.
The old bird programme ends this week-end with a third race from Guernsey before the young birds start on July 9.
CUMBRIA COMBINE (1,082 birds): 1, 5, P. Kirkwood (Harraby) 1877, 1838; 2, Rodgers and Benn (Cleator Moor) 1849; 3, A. Graham (Cleator Moor) 1848; 4, D. Harrison and son (Egremont Rangers) 1842; 6, A. S. Kenmare and son (Cleator Moor) 1834.
WEST CUMBRIA AMALGAMATION (521 birds): 1, Rodgers and Benn (Cleator Moor) 1849; 2, 5, A. Graham and co (Cleator Moor) 1848, 1816; 3, D. Harrison and son (Egremont Rangers) 1842; 4, A. S. Kenmare and son (Cleator Moor) 1834; 6, Wilson and Buchanan (Egremont Rangers) 1810.
WEST CUMBRIA FEDERATION (191 birds): 1, Rodgers and Benn (Cleator Moor) 1849; 2, 5, A. Graham and co (Cleator Moor) 1848, 1816; 3, D. Harrison and son (Egremont Rangers) 1842; 4, A. S. Kenmare and son (Cleator Moor) 1834; 6, Wilson and Buchanan (Egremont Rangers) 1810.
DERWENT VALLEY FEDERATION (330 birds): 1, Nelson and Crellin (Flimby HS) 1789; 2, A. Bromley and co (Flimby HS) 1772; 3, Mr and Mrs Carter and sons (Harrington Central) 1767; 4, Hodgson and Saldert (Flimby WC) 1763; 5, Rushforth and Hunter (Flimby HS) 1762; 6, I. and D. Wood (Harrington Central) 1760.
CUMBERLAND SOCIAL CIRCLE (17 sent 34): 1, A. and T. Kenmare 1834; 2, Nelson and Crellin 1789; 3, Rushforth and Hunter 1762; 4, Williams and Hadfield 1717; 5, McLuckie bros 1699; 6, Blacklock and sons 1690.
FLIMBY HS (9 sent 159): 1, 5, Nelson and Crellin 1789, 1720; 2, 6, A. Bromley and co 1772, 1711; 3, 4, Rushforth and Hunter 1762, 1731. (Show race): 1, Nelson and Crellin 1726 (£86.40, £48 nom): 2, D. Harrison and son 1667 (£64.80): 3, Hodgson and Saldert 1619 (£43.20); 4, A. S. Kenmare and son 1557 (£21.60).
DEARHAM UTD (4 sent 49): 1, Berwick, Thompson, Harker and Watson 1745; 2, L. Pearson 1714; 3, 4, 6, L. Norris 1695.5, 1695.4, 1685; 5, Dempsey, son and Reay 1687.
WORKINGTON SOCIAL LIMIT (4 sent 39): 1, Williams and Hadfield 1717; 2, 3, McLuckie bros 1701, 1699; 4, 5, Mr and Mrs Walters 1698, 1611; 6, G. Best 1609.
HARRINGTON CENTRAL (6 sent 55): 1, Mr and Mrs W. Carter and sons 1767; 2, 4, I. and D. Wood 1760, 1681; 3, 6, Telford and Pooley 1701, 1602; 5, J. Devlin 1606.
FLIMBY WEST COAST OPEN RACE (154 entries): 1, Rodgers and Benn 1849 (£224, £27 nom): 2, A. Graham and co 1848 (£168.60); 3, D. Harrison and son 1842 (£112.40); 4, A. and T. Kenmare 1834 (£56.20).
WORKINGTON VICTORIA (7 sent 111): 1, 3, Martindale and Lawman 1762, 1707; 2, Williams and Hadfield 1721; 4, 5, McLuckie bros 1706, 1703; 6, Mr and Mrs Walters and son 1702.
COPELAND NORTH WEST (13 sent 135): 1, 3, Rodgers and Benn 1849, 1716; 2, I. and D. Wood 1761; 4, Berwick, Watson, Thompsn and Harker 1705; 5, 6, McLuckie bros 1702, 1699.
CLEATOR MOOR CENTRAL (7 sent 108): 1, Rodgers and Benn 1850; 2, 4, 5, Graham and co 1849, 1817, 1781; 3, A. and T. Kenmare 1840; 6, Dobsons, sons, grandson and Lyle 1777.
EGREMONT RANGERS (33 birds): 1, 3, 4, 5, D. Harrison and son 1842, 1760, 1687, 1667; 2, 6, Wilson and Buchanan 1810, 1595.
LOWCA HS (3 sent 30): 1, Holliday and Dixon 1691; 2, Waddington and Taylor 1635; 3, 4, D. Lofthouse 1620, 1555.
ASKAM (6 sent 53): 1, 2, 3, 4, J. Walker 1704, 1697, 1692, 1654; 5, B. Lloyd 1646; 6, Bradley and Jefferson 1629.