Both local federations raced from Charnock Richard at the weekend but liberated at different times and they each had decent races.
The Derwent Valley were first away at 10am in a light north west wind with the West Cumberland following at 10.35am in what was then a west north west wind.
Winning velocities were basically on a par with some familiar names at the head of the results sheets.
David Lofthouse clearly has his team in good order as he topped the West Cumberland Federation again.
Racing from Charnock Richard, a distance of 72 miles to his Whitehaven loft, David was first and second.
Remarkably both were gift birds from Barry Irving, of the Sandwith club, as they were last week – and guess who was third, fourth, fifth and sixth on the sheet.
Yes you’re right, Barry Irving, whose generosity has cost him two federation wins – although he doesn’t mind, enjoying David’s success.
A chequer cock that won the race is off Barry’s 8th Combine pigeon while the mealy cock which
David clocked his winner at 12.08pm following the 10.35am liberation and it had flown home at 46mph.
In Cleator Moor Central the first three tickets were taken by that well know team of ‘solicitors’ Nolan, Netherington, Coultas and Easdon.
First over the pad was a blue pied hen out of a cock from club-mate Danny Rodgers which was a gift paired one of their own inbred Staff Van Reet birds, mainly through a bird they call Lot Eleven.
These Van Reet have bred quite a number of good birds for the loft over the years.
A good day at Egremont Rangers was had by the successful partnership of John Wilson and Neil Buchanan who took first prize plus third and sixth to boot.
The winner was a Frans Zwols blue hen who is a sister to a federation winner and both parents were bred specially for stock.
The sire is bred from Bert’s Boy 685 and a daughter of Amor while the hen is bred from a son of Tip Top Rekkem when paired to a daughter of Lord Rekkem and Lady Rekkem. Second fourth and fifth went to Marr, Scott and Lofthouse.
Club chairman Graham Best won in Copeland North West from Stafford with a chequer cock which had previously been third club from Lymm.
He is a Dirk Van Den Bulk from two birds from P and D Lofts which go back to Reset Kittel on one side and Grotte Witte Pitbull on the other
The Derwent Valley haven’t started Federation races yet, it’s still just club racing but in the Workington Social club John and Liz Walters topped the sheet, clocking at 11.40am following the 10am liberation which equates to 46.5mph over the 77-mile trip.
A silver cock, which had been third from Flookburgh, headed a clatter of pigeons for the McLuckie brothers. The cock was bred by David ‘Sugar’ Wilson, who has supplied the loft with a number of winners in recent years.
There are few flying better than Neil and Geoff Wordsworth in Harrington Central or Kevin Evans in Workington Victoria.
After two consecutive clean sweeps one to six, Neil and Geoff had to settle for first and sixth this time with the winner a blue hen who was a gift from top Workington fanciers Martindale and Lawman.
Kevin had a third consecutive 1, 2, 3, in Victoria with the winner a chequer hen bred off his RPRA award winner which was through his old red cock from Steve Foster.
Jason Dempsey topped the sheet in Dearham with three together and the first over the pad was a chequer white flight cock.
He was bred off a pair of birds that Jason bought from a clearance sale for Trevor Jennings from Doncaster, He bought five pairs, all of which had won federation cards.
In Dearham Peter Dobie and Ralph Palmer were first again, this time with a full brother to their hen which was 14th in last year’s Who Dares Wins final from Falaise.
His sire was 3rd in the 2019 RPRA one Loft Final and has turned into one of their best breeders being also the sire of 6th Cumbria Combine Cheltenham YB in 2020 as well as several other good one loft racers.
WEST CUMBERLAND FEDERATION (928 birds): 1, 2, D. Lofthouse (Lowca) 1357.5, 1357.3; 3, 4, 5, 6, B. Irving (Sandwith) 1356.8, 1356.5, 1356.09, 1355.
SANDWITH: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, B. Irving 1356.8, 1356.5, 1356.09, 1355, 1347; 6, W. McGrady and son 1345.
CLEATOR MOOR CENTRAL (8 sent 436): 1, 2, 3, Nolan, Hetherington, Coultas and Easdon 1354, 1353.8, 1353.8; 4, Dobson, sons, grandson and Lyle 1351.9; 5, Tomlinson and Banks 1351.5; 6, Rodgers and Benn 1351.1.
EGREMONT RANGERS (195 birds): 1, 3, 6, Wilson and Buchanan 1344, 1287, 1286.2; 2, 4, 5, Marr, Scott and Lofthouse 1343, 1286.8, 1286.6.
LOWCA HS (4 sent 159): 1, 2, D. Lofthouse 1357.5, 1357.3; 3, 4, Tomlinson and Banks 1348, 1346.
COPELAND NW (Stafford, 4 sent 27): 1, 2, 4, 5, G. Best 1164, 1155, 1137, 1110; 3, 6, A. and J. Maudling 1147, 1107.
DERWENT VALLEY
HARRINGTON CENTRAL (6 sent 189): 1, 6, N. and G. Wordsworth 1362, 1331; 2, 4, I. and D. Wood 1342, 1339; 3, 5, Mr and Mrs D. Wood and son 1341, 1336.
DEARHAM (4 sent 105): 1, 2 3, 5, Dempsey, son and Reay 1340, 1339.8, 1339,18, 1321; 4, 6, Todhunter and Grisedale 1139.14, 1320.
WORKINGTON SOCIAL LIMIT (6 sent 256): 1, Mr and Mrs Walters and son 1364.8; 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, McLuckie Bros 1364.6, 1364.1, 1363.9, 1363.9, 1363.9.
WORKINGTON VICTORIA (10 sent 451): 1, 2, 3, Evans and Abraham 1388.5, 1388.3, 1388.1; 4, 5, 6, McLuckie bros 1386, 1385.7, 1385.4.
SEATON RBL (59 birds): 1, Dobie and Palmer 1328; 2, 3, 4, Mr and Mrs Dustin 1325.7, 1325.08, 1321.
FLIMBY HS (9 sent 308): 1, 2, 3, A. Bromley and co 1325, 1319, 1318; 4, R. Hodgson 1312; 5, J. and D. Hine 1303; 6, Nelson and Crellin 1301
