The West Cumbria Amalgamation proved to be a one-two for John and Liz Walters in Workington Social Limit.
The Derwent Valley have not started federation racing and are still just involved in club racing, but they still compete in the Amalgamation.
The Social Limit loft had two go over the pad on the same time, clocking at 4.24pm for the 98-mile fly at 45.6 mph.
They had been liberated at Appleton at 2.15pm with conditions not right to let them go any earlier.
Taking first place was a pencil blue cock which had been purchased at the A ring auction. His breeder are the well-known Northern Ireland fanciers J and L Smyth.
John and Liz have had a lot of success in the past with Joe’s birds and this one was sent on the natural method, chasing hens.
On the same time but coming second was a blue hen bred in the race loft. Her sire was bred out of Ian Stafford’s Lambrechts while the dam was second Cumbria Combine earlier this year.
It was a tight affair in both the Social Limit club and neighbouring Workington Victoria and here it was Williams and Hadfield who came out on top.
They won Victoria with a blue cock flying to the perch off two birds they purchased off Tim Atkin, of Warwickshire, last year.
Atkin’s performances in the Warwickshire and District Federation impressed the Workington partnership and their purchases have had an early success.
Neil and Geoff Wordsworth continue to lead the way in the Harrington Central club and they won again this week with a sweet-looking blue white flight hen.
It’s her third ticket of the season and is one of 11 young birds that the top local loft of Martindale and Lawman presented them with this year.
“Richard and Pal were generous enough to gift my dad and me these 11 youngsters so it’s a big thank you to them.
“This one is off one of their best racing hens, the 72 hen. This winning hen’s nest brother was 5th club, his second prize of the season.”
This week’s winner for Peter Dobie and Ralph Palmer was a blue ‘A’ ring cock bred in the racing loft off two of their best young birds from last season.
Peter said: “Both of them won and the sire is the nest brother to the hen which was 8th Combine Cheltenham YBs last year.
“Having only ten left to race following some shocking training tosses it was pleasing to get a full house!”
In Dearham it was David Todhunter and Mark Grisedale who won with a blue hen, a Lambrecht, which was bred in the race loft.
They also took second with a blue cock which is a Franz Zwols from birds off top Carlisle flyer Peter Kirkwood.
Richard Hodgson won Flimby with a hen that was bred in the race loft and is off Marcel Sangers blood crossed with gift birds from John Gale and Peter Rushforth.
The sire has been 15th Feds, 29th Amal, 36th Combine from Stratford and 9th Fed, 13th Amal, 22nd Combine from Cheltenham this year while the dam was 3rd Fed, 3rd Amal, 6th Combine from Grevilliers this year.
On a sad note this week, the death has been announced of a very successful fancier in the Derwent Valley Federation who reluctantly left the sport over ten years ago.
Kenny Harper, who started racing at Moss Bay, Workington and later at High Harrington competed in several clubs, notably Workington Victoria in his last decade in the sport.
Very good at both inland and channel racing tributes have been paid by fanciers throughout the West Cumbria Amalgamation.
In the West Cumberland Federation David Lofthouse pulled off a hat-trick of wins – and for good measure the in-form Lowca member was first, second and third.
In a remarkable start to the young bird season the loft has won the three Federation races so far from Garstang, Charnock Richard and Appleton.
He was also fifth in the latest race, a 92-mile test from one of our area’s best race-points.
David’s first bird, a blue cock was clocked at 4.17pm and his leading trio went over the timing pad inside 11 seconds. They were all doing the equivalent of 45.3 mph.
In Cleator Moor the winners were Paul and Susan Byers with a blue hen.
She’s a Van den Bulck from Morris and Wayne McLuckie of Workington. It comes from the same bloodlines as their Amal-winning blue cock.
John Wilson and Neil Buchanan won in Egremont with a blue cock which is a Franz Zwols x Cuester/Lambrecht bred in the stock loft.
His sire was bred by Formula One lofts from Argon and the 052, while his dam was bred for stock from a Hereman Cuester cock off Alan Devlin which was bought at Harrington Breeder Buyer and won £300.
The dam is a Stefaan Lambrecht hen who was a very good racing bird for the loft, including taking 2nd Amal when they had five drop together.
Both her parents were bred by Ian Stafford from Asian/Boom and Lambretta/Fleure.
WEST CUMBERLAND
FEDERATION (894 birds): 1, 2, 3, 5, D. Lofthouse (Lowca) 1331, 1330, 1329, 1323; 4, W. McGrady and son (Sandwith) 1327; 6, Dobson, sons, grandson and Lyle (Cleator Moor) 1321.
CLEATOR MOOR CENTRAL (9 sent 381): 1, P. and S. Byers 1327.7; 2, 4, Dobson, sons, grandson and Lyle 1327.2, 1324.1; 3, 5, 6, Rodgers and Benn 1324.8, 1320, 1318.
SANDWITH FC (6 sent 193): 1, 2, 4, W. McGrady and son; 3, L. Pears; 5, 6, B. Irving.
EGREMONT HS (180 birds): 1, 4, Wilson and Buchanan 1317, 1282; 2, Marr, Scott and Lofthouse 1312; 3, 5, 6, D. Harrison and son 1287, 1265, 1264.
LOWCA HS (5 sent 200): 1, 2, 3, 4, D. Lofthouse 1331, 1330, 1329, 1323.
COPELAND NORTH WEST (Wollaston, 3 sent 17): 1, 5, G. Best 1536, 1370; 2, 4, A. and J. Maudling 1429, 1404; 3, 6, J. Dixon and M. Cockbain 1411, 1098.
DERWENT VALLEY
FLIMBY HS (7 sent 240): 1, 6, R. Hodgson 1325, 1266; 2, I. McGarr 1306; 3, 5, Berwick, Watson, Harker and Thompson 1297, 1281; 4, A. Bromley and co 1290.
SEATON RBL (40 birds): 1, 2, 4, Dobie and Palmer 1346, 1322, 1275; 3, Mr and Mrs Dustin 1281.
WORKINGTON VICTORIA (9 sent 425): 1, Williams and Hadfield 1354.8; 2, 3, Mr and Mrs Walters and son 1354.1, 1354.1; 4, 5, 6, McLuckie bros 1353.7, 1353.7, 1353.
WORKINGTON SOCIAL LIMIT (5 sent 234): 1, 2, 4, Mr and Mrs Walters 1339.1, 1339.1, 1338.4; 3, Williams and Hadfield 1339.008; 5, 6, McLuckie bros 1338.1, 1338.1.
DEARHAM (2 sent 77): 1, 2, 4, 5, Todhunter and Grisedale 1355, 1354, 1348.3, 1313; 3, 6, Dempsey, son and Reay 1348.9, 1305.
HARRINGTON CENTRAL (6 sent 185): 1, 5, N. and G. Wordsworth 1336, 1314; 2, Mr and Mrs W. Carter and sons 1332; 3, Mr and Mrs D. Wood and son 1329; 4, R. McAvoy and son 1320; 6, I. and D. Wood 1308.
