Saturday’s big money race into West Cumbria from Weymouth proved really tough and only one gutsy pigeon made it back home on the day.
Following the 10.15am liberation from the south coast, Rodgers and Benn of Cleator Moor clocked a gallant blue hen at 6.57pm after her 272-mile flight back home.
In actual fact, with weather conditions poor on Sunday, only four other birds made it back home – two more of them to Cleator Moor.
The bird was bred by the doyen of pigeon racing in Carlisle – Tommy Gilbertson – out of two yearlings which were especially paired with this A ring race in mind.
The sire is a mealy cock, a full brother to the red cock which was second for Rodgers and Benn in the 2020 A Ring race.
The grand-dam of the mealy cock is a chequer pied hen which was first in the Cumbria Combine from Sartilly.
The dam of this year’s winner is a blue hen, line bred to JB, winner of first Cumbria Combine Niort (604 miles).
As well as JB herself breeding many winners, her sons and daughters are also breeders of multiple winners.
As well as winning the A race up in Cumbria for the partnership of Danny Rodgers, Wes and Ken Benn, the blue hen provisionally wins the big race Open organised by the North West Grand National FC, as well as the Section, and also wins the Red Rose Federation.
Four other gallant Cumbrian birds made it back home on the second day before the race closed last night.
Ian and Denise Wood of Harrington Central, previous winners of the race, were first to clock at 8.31am on Sunday with one they had bred themselves.
Their blue cock was bred in the stock loft with both parents from Paul Fisher of Blackpool.
He is a Jan Hooyman x Kees Bosua who has been to every race except Garstang and has been one of the loft’s most consistent young birds. His younger brother was 11th Fed Cannock 2.
They were followed at 9.23am by Sandra and David Wood of Lowca, also with one they had bred themselves.
He’s a chequer white flight cock and last week from Cheltenham his nestmate won the King’s Coronation medallion in the Cumberland Social Circle.
His dam is a Hereman Cuester, who was their A ring bird last season bred by Gary Spavin while the sire is Fishlock brothers stock from a good friend J Todd in the North East.
Joe and Brian Fitzsimmons of Cleator Moor clocked at 10.20am with a dark hen which had been bred by Frank McMann of Stoke.
She’s proved a bit special as she’s flown the complete young bird programme and has been their first pigeon for the last two weeks. From Cheltenham she won the pontoon and nom in Cleator Moor, earning the loft £210.
Finally, at 3.04pm another Cleator Moor loft of Nolan, Hetherington, Coultas and Easdon clocked a blue cock which had been bred in the North East by Lamb and Wigham. He’s a grandson of a pigeon called Route 66 which won the Up North Combine.
Because of the fact that there were only five birds home in race time the prize list has been revised (as per rules) as follows:
1st £4,250 each to breeder and racer; £2,500 each to the 2nd; £2,000 each to the third; £1,500 each to the fourth and £1,150 each to the fifth.
This will leave £100 out of the £22,900 prize money which will be added to the £500 charity donation.
The nomination prize of £180 was won by Mr and Mrs D Wood with the second prize of £120 for the nom going to Fitzsimmons and son.
