West Cumbrian fanciers started the new young bird programme on different days – but with similar results.
The Derwent Valley Federation raced on Friday afternoon while the West Cumberland Federation went on Saturday morning.
Flookburgh, which has often produced problems over the years, was the liberation site again and returns were rather spasmodic on both days.
One West Cumberland Federation fancier said: “I can remember when young bird racing was fun and a leveller for new starters and the like but now it’s just carnage and a massive stress ball.
“Even training is a game of luck as to whether you will get hit or not. There is no safe place to liberate, no safe time, no tricks up your sleeve to avert the incoming attacks that we all suffer. I really do fear for the sport.”
One Derwent Valley Federation winner who was 12 missing said: “Our young birds have had 30 tosses, including the Flookburgh. They were at Sellafield the same morning of the race and came brilliant.
“Yet from the race it looked as if it had been their first time in a basket.”
For one Workington fancier, however, Saturday’s race provided a red letter day – breaking his maiden status with a first win after starting up in 2022.
Johnny Dolan sent 56 to the race and he had 53 back, although one won’t go again this season because strangely she came back with all her flights apparently burnt on the ends.
The bird that provided Johnny with his first win is a blue cock that was gifted to him by the top Cleator Moor partnership of Rodgers and Benn, and was part of a kit of young birds.
He had been coming consistently well in training which is why he was the pool bird in the Social Limit.
Johnny said: “Danny has been very generous to me over the last few years. He’s a true gentleman of the sport and was delighted when I told him I had my first win.
“I’ve been on a high all weekend after getting my first win. It’s an amazing feeling.
“I would also like to say a big thank you to my dad and brother Lee who help with the birds when I’m at work. I couldn’t race the birds without them.
“Also a big thank you to anyone who has helped me since I got back into the sport with help and advice.”
Jonny’s dad, John raced from 1989-91 with Mike Cowman in Harrington Central.
Then young Johnny got involved from 1991with his dad flying as J Dolan and son – first in the back garden at Pearl Road before moving to an allotment at the back of Holden Road before they stopped racing in 1998.
“We had a couple of tickets over the water in them days but nothing like this,” says Jonny who got the bug again and started competing again in 2022.
As well as winning Victoria and the Social, he also took fifth in each club.
Winning in Harrington Central were the father and son team of Geoff and Neil Wordsworth, who took all the tickets except second which went to Mike Walker.
The winner is a blue cock, who along with his sister, was gifted to the Wordsworths by Steve Forster of Carlisle and is from his Geerinckx lines.
Richard Hodgson won in Flimby HS with a dark cock which is through a cock from Mingins brothers’ Wingdown lines which was an exchange in the Cumberland Social Circle.
The cock was paired to a hen through Richard’s own Marlon Kok distance lines.
Liam Norris had ended the old bird inland programme strongly with two wins and he’s started the young bird racing with another success in the Dearham club.
His winner is a pied cock off a Cuesters cock that Liam bought from Shane Reading of Patrington in the East Riding of Yorkshire. He was paired to a Vandenabeele hen which had been given to Liam by his grandfather Brian Reeves.
He’s not on the darkness and is flown to the perch on the natural system.
The Derwent Valley birds were liberated on Friday at 2.30pm in a light south-west wind.
The double Workington club winners, Dolan, son and daughter clocked at 3.47pm after the 41-mile fly which equates to 32mph.
The West Cumberland Federation were off on Saturday at 7.55am in a west north-west wind for the pipe-opener for member clubs.
In Cleator Moor Central the winners were Nolan, Hetherington, Coultas and Easdon who clocked at 8.58am for 34 miles which was just under 33mph.
Joe Fitzsimmons and son Brian were seconds behind into the clock but then the third pigeon (also to the Fitzsimons loft) was another six minutes behind, which illustrated the gappy nature of the race.
Winning pigeon was a red cock which is through the tries and tested family that has provided the loft with much success over the years – what they call the Ponty and Welsh lines.
He’s actually from a brother and sister pairing whose grandmother won the Combine ion 2018 from Mangotsfield and the great grandmother won the Fed from Newbury in 2015.
On the sire’s side he’s off a red cock that won the club for the partners and he was a Van Reet/Busschaert cross from Billy Parkes.
DERWENT VALLEY
HARRINGTON CENTRAL (4 sent 35): 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, N. and G. Wordsworth 935, 847, 838, 782, 781; 2, M. Walker 927.
WORKINGTON SOCIAL LIMIT (5 sent 277): 1, 5, J. Dolan, son and daughter 942, 853; 2, 3, 4, 6, McLuckie bros 939, 930, 900, 849.
WORKINGTON VICTORIA (9 sent 429): 1, 5, J. Dolan, son and daughter 984, 891; 2, McLuckie bros 983; 3, Martindale and Lawman 965; 4, Varty, son and grandson 902; 6, M. and L. Cape 887.
FLIMBY HS (5 sent 111): 1, 4, 5, R. Hodgson 840, 783, 772; 2, 3, J Varty, son and grandson 834, 815; 6, Nelson and Crellin 770.
DEARHAM HS (5 sent 143): 1, L. Norris 885; 2, Berwick, Watson, Harker and Thompson 882’ 3, 4, 5, 6, Dempsey, son and Reay 878.9, 878.9, 878.9, 878.4.
WEST CUMBERLAND
CLEATOR MOOR CENTRAL (5 sent 321): 1, Nolan, Hetherington, Coultas and Easdon 962; 2, 3, Fitzsimmons and son 958, 873; 4, 5, 6, Dobson, sons, grandson and Lyle 827.9, 827.7, 827.4.
EGREMONT RANGERS (189 birds): 1, 6, D. Harrison and son 1014, 797; 2, Mr and Mrs P. Bewsher and daughter 885; 3, 4, 5, Marr, Scott and Lofthouse 804, 803.8, 803.3.
