The 2023 racing season for Cumbrian fanciers opened on Saturday in good conditions.
The West Cumbria Amalgamation birds were up together at Garstang, although only the West Cumberland used it as a Federation race.
No wind was given as the birds were liberated at 10.30am and the Federation was won comfortably by Mike McGrady of the Sandwith club less than an hoiur later.
Mike’s winner, a yearling chequer hen, was clocked at 11.28am after flying 52 miles 1107 yards.
It was a good race for Mike as he took first, second and third in the Sandwith club, which equated to first, fifth and sixth in the Federation.
The winning pigeon, which had scored three times as a youngster, is bred from birds Mike obtained off Yorkshire fancier Kevin Hibbert.
Offspring have scored on several occasions and this is the first from the next generation – a grand-daughter – to land a Federation win.
To complete a good day’s work Mike had all his birds back home by the time he took his clock in to be checked.
Dobson, sons, grandson and Lyle won Cleator Moor with a yearling chequer cock bred from birds they have brought in from Andy Gregson of Preston.
On great circle measurement, however, they were third on the Federation sheet behind clubmates Joe Tomlinson and Brian Banks.
That partnership was also successful in the Lowca club taking first and second.
Taking the first six tickets in Egremont Rangers club were John Wilson and Neil Buchanan .
The winner is a five-year-old Frans Zwols hen who has proved a very good bird, winning and scoring on many occasions.
She is bred from a son of Amor and the Queen of Rekkem when paired to a daughter of the King of Rekkem and Gracia.
Second club for the loft was another Frans Zwols hen, previously a West Cumberland Federation winner.
She is bred from a son of Francien’s Boy when paired to Tip Top Rekkem. A brilliant daughter of Tip Top Junior and the Queen of Rekkem.
Although the Derwent Valley Federation birds were competing only in club races there were some good performances.
Chris Wilson and Martin Johnstone had a quiet 2022 season but started this time with a good win in the Workington Social Limit club.
Their yearling blue hen certainly came to win, appearing like a rocket with trapping to match.
She’s from James Whitley, through his Van den Brade family which has taken many first prizes for his loft.
The Workington partnership use the roundabout system and their birds get two hours exercise a day in preparation for the week-end racing.
The loft had all 24 entries back home in good time.
It really was the trap that won it because right behind were Williams and Hadfield with three in rapid succession.
Their first pigeon was only one and a half seconds off winning and this bird is off a grizzle that has bred 13 individual first club winners and other positions.
The loft’s purchases from Steve Foster of Preston have been the backbone for their best performances since the early 2000’s.
Top loft in the area in recent years has been that of Richard Martindale and George ‘Pal’ Lawman and they started with a one-two in the Workington Victoria club.
Their winner was purchased at last year’s Amalgamation Moot off panellist Lyndon Joesbury and had a couple of tickets in the Fed/Amal last season. He is a grandson of Olympic Hurricane.
Their second pigeon, on the same second as the winner, is from the stock loft with the sire bred by Juan Castello from Huddersfield.
The dam is a sister to two of the loft’s Cumbria Combine winners.
John Devlin won Harrington Central with a yearling blue cock – Leo Heremans x Cooremans who was scoring for the first time.
The second race of the old bird season this weekend is from Charnock Richard.
WEST CUMBERLAND
FEDERATION (826 birds): 1, 5, 6, McGrady and son (Sandwith) 1583, 1559, 1556; 2, Tomlinson and Banks (Cleator Moor) 1569; 3, Dobson, sons, grandson and Lyle (Cleator Moor) 1564; 4, Graham and co (Cleator Moor) 1562.
CLEATOR MOOR (457 birds): 1, 4, Dobson, sons, grandson and Lyle 1581, 1573; 2, 6, Tomlinson and Banks 1578, 1562; 3, 5, Graham and co 1574, 1568.
LOWCA (5 sent 179): 1, 2, Tomlinson and Banks 1569, 1554; 3, J. Moreau 1553; 4, 6, D. Lofthouse 1547, 1544; 5, Holliday and Dixon 1546.
EGREMONT RANGERS (3 sent 116): 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, Wilson and Buchanan 1535, 1531.4, 1531.03, 1531.03, 1530, 1526.
SANDWITH (6 sent 179): 1, 2, 3, McGrady and son; 4, 5, 6, B. Irving.
DERWENT VALLEY
DEARHAM (8 sent 268): 1, 2, 3, Todhunter and Grisedale 1526.9, 1526.2, 1525; 4, 5, 6, Dempsey, son and Reay 1518.8, 1518.4, 1518.4.
SEATON RBL (5 sent 116): 1, 3, Dobie and Palmer 1606, 1596; 2, A. Parker and son 1600; 4, F. Scott 1591; 5, Mr and Mrs Dustin 1587; 6, J. Gale 1581.
WORKINGTON VICTORIA (11 sent 398): 1, 2, 5, Martindale and Lawman 1628.9, 1628.9, 1625.5; 3, Wilson, son and Johnstone 1626; 4, Evans and Abraham 1625.7; 6, McLuckie bros 1621.
WORKINGTON SOCIAL LIMIT (8 sent 323): 1, Wilson and Johnstone 1556.8; 2, 3, 4, Williams and Hadfield 1556.2, 1555, 1550.3; 5, 6, McLuckie bros 1550.01, 1548.
HARRINGTON CENTRAL (8 sent 252): 1, J. Devlin 1558; 2, N. and G. Wordsworth 1552; 3, Mr and Mrs Carter and sons 1545; 4, 6, Telford and Pooley 1539.9, 1539.5; 5, R. McAvoy and son 1539.7.
FLIMBY HS (10 sent 380): 1, 2, 4, Nelson and Crellin 1614, 1613, 1607.1; 3, R. Hodgson 1607.5; 5, Varty, son and grandson 1603; 6, A. Bromley and co 1599.
