The decision to put racing back 24 hours at the weekend proved a sound one by the West Cumbria Amalgamation.
The birds were liberated at Charnock Richard on Sunday morning at 10am in a south east wind and it resulted in a very fast and successful race for both Federations.
Heading the West Cumberland Federation was David Harrison of Egremont with a 2023 late bred that that flew a full programme in 2024 scoring 5th club at Salisbury. Both parents were bred by David’s great friend Malcolm Scott from Gateshead who over the years has provided him with some wonderful stock.
This pair bred a son to win 2 second feds and second Amal in 2022/23 . The dam was an exceptional racer and breeder having topped the Gateshead fed and section herself and bred many winners including one for Gary Scott of Gateshead to win six first clubs and two first feds and two first sections.
She also bred a first and a second in the unofficial “Bobs Top 10” which is a list of the top 10 velocities in the north east showing the fastest pigeons on a particular race day. The sire is a grandson of Malcolm’s 1st club 1st fed 21st UNC Ypres pigeon and has bred a winner with another mate.
In the Copeland North West it was another excellent day for the county’s oldest competing fancier Billy Cottier who took first, second, fourth and sixth in a fast race from Penkridge.
In the Derwent Valley Kevin Evans continued to impress in Workington Victoria where he was the top flyer last year.
To add to his four tickets on the opening day he won the club with a yearling red cock which is bred through his Steve Foster Lambrecht lines. In fact he’s a grandson of the hugely successful old red cock from Foster.
He beat John and Liz Walters by a decimal but there was consolation for them by winning Workington Social Limit with a yearling blue hen bred through David ‘Sugar’ Wilson’s successful family.
She’s on the roundabout system and last year as a young bird she scored twice.
WEST CUMBERLAND FEDERATION (620 birds): 1, D. Harrison and son (Egremont) 1847; 2, 3, D. Lofthouse (Lowca) 1821.8, 1821.4; 4, Blaney bros (Lowca) 1817; 5, Dobson, sons, grandson and Lyle (Cleator Moor) 1812; 6, Wilson and Buchanan 1803.
EGREMONT RANGERS (112 birds): 1, 6, D. Harrison and son 1847, 1797; 2, 3, 4, 5, Wilson and Buchanan 1803, 1799.9, 1799.5, 1798.
CLEATOR MOOR CENTRAL (8 sent 270): 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, Dobson, sons, grandson and Lyle 1823, 1803.6, 1803.2, 1802.8, 1802.8, 1801.
LOWCA (7 sent 279): 1, 2, D. Lofthouse 1821.8, 1821.4; 3, Blaney bros 1817; 4, Holliday and Dixon 1798; 5, 6, W. McGrady and son !795, 1795.
COPELAND NORTH WEST (Penkridge – 5 sent 61): 1, 2, 4,,6, B. Cottier 1654, 1652, 1647, 1630; 3, A. and J. Maudling 1651; 5, G. Best 1639.
WORKINGTON VICTORIA (9 sent 332): 1, Evans and Abraham 1812.1; 2, Mr and Mrs Walters and son 1812; 3, Wilson and Johnston 1808; 4, Williams and Hadfield 1807.13; 5, J. Dolan and daughter 1807.11; 6, Martindale and Lawman 1806.
WORKINGTON SOCIAL LIMIT (6 sent 257): 1, Mr and Mrs Walters and son 1784; 2, Wilson and Johnston 1780.5; 3, J. Dolan and daughter 1780.445; 4, 5, 6, Williams and Hadfield 1780.443; 1779, 1778.
DEARHAM (3 sent 151): 1,3, 6, Varty, son and grandson 1727, 1718, 1714; 2,4, 5, Dempsey son and Reay 1720, 1715.9, 1715.6.
HARRINGTON CENTRAL (6 sent 144): 1, Mr and Mrs Carter and sons 1802; 2, N. Semple 1798.8; 3, 4, 5, 6, N. and G. Wordsworth 1798.05, 1795, 1791.7, 1791.3.
ELLENBOROUGH: 1, 2, Barker and Charlton 1632, 1630; 3, 4, Barlow and Doyle 1629, 1625.
