There was a time when the longer races in the racing programme were dominated by Flimby fanciers – and that was the case on Saturday.
The village took the first six places in the Derwent Valley Federation, and had 10 in the first 12 while they topped the Amalgamation and had four of the first six.
Alan Bromley was the Amalgamation winner, and was also fourth, while taking first, second and sixth in the Derwent Valley.
Not one for counting Alan believes that this will be at least six Amalgamation wins for this successful partnership, always dangerous over 300 miles and beyond.
This one was clocked at 5.40pm after a 361-mile fly from Guernsey and was covered at 39mph.
Their Busschaert family has been created over a number of years and their latest winner is from that bloodline. This four year old chequer cock was having his third race from Guernsey and has previously had a third and 10th in the Fed.
The dam of the winner is a double Amalgamation winner over the channel for the loft.
The second bird is also a chequer cock, but a two-year-old and having his first look at Guernsey after a consistent record inland this season. He’s also of the same Busschaert family.
Winning in Harrington Central was another fancier Mike Walker who likes the distance racing best and his successful pigeon is certainly a proven performer for him.
The grizzle hen is nine-year-old now and has been over seven times, although she hadn’t won since her three-year-old days – so that’s six years since her last win when she was also 3rd Fed.
Last season she flew all three Guernseys and over the years has collected 3rd, 10th, 12th, 14th, 16th and 20th Fed tickets.
She’s a double granddaughter off a very good grizzle hen that was flown by Dave White.
Unfortunately Mike hasn’t been able to breed anything off her for a number of years as she was smashed up as a yearling and has been barren ever since – but what a pigeon.
Billy Cottier is the elder statesman of West Cumbrian pigeon fanciers – into his 10th decade he’s still showing the younger brigade how to do it.
He was top of the West Cumberland Federation sheet again on Saturday with the first of the distance races from the island of Guernsey.
The West Cumbria Amalgamation birds were liberated at 8.30am in a west-north-west wind and Billy clocked his first pigeon at 5-33pm which was also good enough to take second in the Amal behind Alan Bromley of Flimby.
Billy’s bird had covered the 350 miles to his Whitehaven loft at over 38mph, and for good measure his second bird was also fifth in the Fed when it arrived at 9.07pm.
The winner was bred by Billy’s loft helper Billy Henderson from stock off Billy and Tony Ennis. They were 5th and 7th Fed with birds bred off the Ennis brothers crossed with pigeons from Steve Chambers.
It was a day of double celebration for the 92-year-old as he was the only member in Copeland NW who sent to the comeback race from Cheltenham but he took first and second in the Red Rose Fed’s west section ahead of Barrow fanciers.
Taking all five positions in the Cleator Moor club were Alan Graham and co, a loft who like to specialise in the longer races.
Their winner is a two-year-old grizzle cock who was having his first race from Guernsey. His sire was bred by John Bell of Scotland which has provided the loft with numerous winners and birds to score including 1st, 4th, 6th section NFC and 2nd Cumbria Combine.
He was also grandsire to the loft’s third bird on Saturday and grand sire to Geoff Fallows of Millom’s first bird and sire to his second bird, which is quite an achievement.
The dam was bred by Lee Davidson of Liverpool from a pigeon that scored well from Tarbes at 718 miles.
WEST CUMBRIA AMALGAMATION (90 birds): 1, 4, A. Bromley and co (Flimby) 1155, 1037; 2, Cottier and Patrickson (Sandwith) 1136; 3, A. Graham and co (Cleator Moor) 1054; 5, 6, Ostle and McNichol (Flimby) 1035, 1032.7.
WEST CUMBERLAND FEDERATION (29 birds): 1, 5, Cottier and Patrickson (Sandwith) 1136, 815; 2, 3, 4, 6, A. Graham and co (Cleator Moor) 1054, 1032, 920, 622.
CLEATOR MOOR CENTRAL (4 sent ): 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, A. Graham and co
DERWENT VALLEY FEDERATION (61 birds): 1, 2, 6, A. Bromley and co (Flimby) 1155, 1037, 965; 3, 4, C. and A. Ostle and McNichol (Flimby) 1035, 1032; 5, Mr and Mrs Proctor (Flimby) 989.
WORKINGTON VICTORIA (3 sent 10): 1, 3, 4, Varty, son and grandson 883, 510, 362; 2, L. Blacklock and sons 681.
FLIMBY HS (9 sent 54): 1, 2, 6, A. Bromley and co (Flimby) 1155, 1037, 965; 3, 4, C. and A. Ostle and McNichol (Flimby) 1035, 1032; 5, Mr and Mrs Proctor (Flimby) 989.
HARRINGTON CENTRAL (4 sent 10): 1, 3, 4, M. Walker 931, 646, 539; 2, I. and D. Wood 904.
DEARHAM (3 sent 13): 1, 5, 6, Varty, son and grandson 884, 510, 363; 2, L. Norris 652; 3, 4, Berwick, Watson, Harker and Thompson 566, 544.
CUMBERLAND SOCIAL CIRCLE (12 sent 24): 1, Mr and Mrs Proctor 989; 2, A. Graham and co 920; 3, R, Hodgson 908; 4, Varty, son and grandson 883; 5, Ostle and McNichol 870; 6, Blacklock and sons 681.
