West Cumbria’s two organisations won’t be meeting up for a joint liberation on Saturday.
Then Derwent Valley Federation will race from the scheduled racepoint of Appleton while the West Cumberland Federation will be at Charnock Richard.
Although the plan was to liberate together from Appleton there is another race from the same site next week so they will go together then.
The Derwent Valley Federation raced from Charnock Richard on Sunday while the West Cumberland Fed held a race from Garstang on Friday.
Both organisations reported mixed results with some of their lofts having good returns while others did not do as well. It seems to have been the narrative for young bird races so far.
West Cumberland decided to race on the Friday from Garstang as Saturday’s forecast was very poor. They were liberated at 11-15am in a south east wind but took longer to return than had been expected.
The Federation winner was clocked just before 12-32pm by John Wilson and Neil Buchanan at Egremont, their third Federation topper of the season.
Their flying distance is just short of 49 miles and the winner covered the distance at 38mph, which was much slower than expected in a south east wind.
Like the others this one, a blue hen, is a Frans Zwols, whose sire has proved a very good breeder for the loft.
He is a son of Franciens Boy who is bred from a brother of Eagle Boy and Francien when paired to Tip Top Rekkem, a daughter of Tip Top Junior and the Queen of Rekkem.
The dam was bred for stock from one of their best breeding pairs – Lord Rekkem, son of the King of Rekkem and Dream Girl 200 when he was paired to Lady Rekkem, a daughter of the Prince of Rekkem and Blue Beauty, sister of Eagle Boy.
“All the very best Frans Zwols bloodlines are in this hen, and it wasn’t the best of races for returns. We actually had four return injured as a result of raptor attacks,” said Neil.
The Derwent Valley Fed went on Saturday but were held-over and liberated from Charnock Ricjard at 11-45am on Sunday with mixed returns. They don’t start Federation racing until Stafford when they are over 100 miles.
WEST CUMBERLAND
FEDERATION (927 BIRDS): 1, Wilson and Buchanan (Egremont) 1121; 2, Rodgers and Benn (Cleator Moor) 1009; 3, 4, 5, 6, Holliday and Dixon (Lowca) 1001, 998, 994.1, 994.06.
CLEATOR MOOR (9 sent 452): 1, Rodgers and Benn 1021; 2, R. Reeves 972; 3, 6, Dobson, sons, grandson and Lyle 969, 968.70; 4, 5, Fitzsimmons and son 968.8, 968.71.
EGREMONT RANGERS: 1, 4, 5, Wilson and Buchanan; 2, 3, D. Harrison and son; 6, Marr, Scott and Lofthouse.
LOWCA (4 sent 184): 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, Holliday and Dixon 1001, 998, 994.17, 994.06, 988; 6, D. Lofthouse 985.
SANDWITH: 1, Cottier and Parkinson 991; 2, 4, Pears, grandson and Henderson 989, 972.2; 3, 6, B. Irving 978, 966; 5, W. McGrady and son 972.1.
DERWENT VALLEY
HARRINGTON CENTRAL (9 sent 270): 1, 4, Mr and Mrs W. Carter and sons 1181.8, 1181.20; 2, 3, 5, N. and G. Wordsworth 1181.246, 1181.245, 1180; 6, I. and D. Wood 1177.
WORKINGTON SOCIAL LIMIT (4 sent 148): 1, 2, 6, G. Best 1179, 1177, 1138; 3, 4, J. Dolan, son and daughter 1173, 1172; 5, Wilson and Johnstone 1163.
WORKINGTON VICTORIA (5 sent 105): 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, Martindale and Lawman 1198, 1197, 1195, 1192, 1188; 6, Evans and Abraham 1185.
DEARHAM (5 sent 140): 1, 3, 4, 6, Berwick, Watson, Harker and Thompson 1403, 1379, 1254, 1237; 2, L. Norris 1397; 5, Deacon bros 1244.
FLIMBY (8 sent 260): 1, 4, 5, 1176, 1170.19, 1169; 2, 3, 6, R. Hodgson 1171, 1170.19, 1168.
