Two in a row for David Lofthouse in West Cumberland Federation

Barry Irving with the Amalgamation winner while David Lofthouse has their second bird.

David Lofthouse of the Lowca club has won the West Cumberland Federation for the second week in a row.

But this time there was the added bonus of topping the West Cumbria Amalgamation, and a convincing winner as well.

The West Cumbrian birds were racing from Cannock and were liberated at 9.30am in a light south east wind.

David clocked at 11.45am with the winner, a yearling blue cock doing just under 63mph over the 141-mile trip.

His second pigeon, also a yearling blue cock, was five minutes behind but still took fourth Federation.

Both parents of the winner were bred by McGimpsey brothers who have been good friends for some time now with Barry Irving who is helping out at the loft after having to part with his own set-up through ill health.

Their second bird was bred from pigeons David got from the McLuckie brothers of Workington. The loft as also fifth and sixth on the Fed sheet.

David also picked-up the special £80 VE Day prize and commemorative medallion sponsored by Long and Small of Flimby.

The Derwent Valley Federation winner was Mark Hodgson of Flimby and he was also a convincing sheet topper, covering the 151 miles at over 61mph.

Mark Hodgson who topped the Derwent Valley Federation.

His bird was a three-year-old chequer white flight cock bred through Morris and Booker/McGimpsey brothers stock who had been 6^th Fed and Amal in 2024.

But the race was marred by reports of birds returning home having been shot.

The successful Workington loft of Richard Martindale and ‘Pal’ Lawman, who actually won the Victoria club, had three return on Sunday with apparent shotgun wounds.

One of the shot birds which made it home.

“Pigeon racing is hard enough without this kind of thing happening,” said Pal.

They won the race with a two-year-old blue widowhood hen who had been 6^th Amal from Appleton.

The blue hen which won Workington Victoria for Martindale and Lawman

She’s a Bulck/Hereman Cuester and both parents have previously bred Fed winners.

Over at Workington Social Limit it was McLuckie brothers top of the sheet for a third successive week.

A yearling blue hen completed the hat-trick for Wayne and she’s through Aifie Hawthorn’s Mercury and their own UK Kittel hen.

The winner of Harrington Central for the Carter family.

The Carter family were first and second in Harrington Central, which also gave them prominent positions in the Federation and Amalgamation.

Son Tom said: “Our first win of the season was with a black hen whose sire was a gift bird to my mother.

“She has three firsts and one second to her name.

A really consistent black hen which gave the Carter family their first club win earlier in the season.

“On Saturday our winner was a yearling chequer cock out of the stock loft from Leach brothers.

“His grandfather came from Les Green and it’s mother I borrowed from Martindale and Lawman stock loft.

2nd club. 3rd Fed 4th Amal for the Carters of Harrington Central.

“Our second bird s a yearling chequer hen I bought in the Amal sale.”

WEST CUMBRIA AMALGAMATION (1673 birds): 1, D. Lofthouse (Lowca) 1836; 2, Hodgson and Saldert (Flimby) 1812; 3, 4, Mr and Mrs Carter and son (Harrington Central) 1778.6, 1778.4; 5, Holliday and Dixon (Lowca) 1777.5;6, Martindale and Lawman (Workington Victoria) 1777.1.

DERWENT VALLEY FEDERATION (1114 birds): 1, Hodgson and Saldert (Flimby) 1812; 2, 3, Mr and Mrs Carter and son (Harrington Central) 1778.6, 1778.4; 4, 6, Martindale and Lawman (Workington Victoria) 1777.18, 1775; 5, N. and G> Wordsworth (Harrington Central) 1777.17.

WEST CUMBERLAND FEDERATION (559 birds): 1,4, 5, 6, D. Lofthouse (Lowca) 1836, 1776.1, 1775, 1774; 2, 3, Holliday and Dixon (Lowca) 1777, 1776.4.

WORKINGTON SOCIAL LIMIT (7 sent 214): 1, 4, McLuckie bros 1768.98, 1767.7; 2, G. Best 1768.90; 3, Williams and Hadfield 1768.8; 5, J. Dolan and daughter 1767.66; 6, Mr and Mrs Walters 1767.64.

WORKINGTON VICTORIA (10 sent 331): 1, 2, 3, 5, Martindale and Lawman 1786, 1785.3, 1785.3, 1785.1; 4, 6, Evans and Abraham 1785.3, 1785.03.

HARRINGTON CENTRAL (8 sent 224): 1, 2, Mr and Mrs W. Carter and son 1778.6, 1778.4; 3, 5, N. and G. Wordsworth 1777, 1774.7; 4, I and D Wood 1775; 6, M. Walker 1774.06.

ELLENBOROUGH: 1, 2, Barlow and Doyle 1712, 1655; 3,4, Barker and Charlton 1654, 1622.

DEARHAM (3 sent 166): 1,2, 3, Varty, son and grandson 1748, 1736, 1735; 4, 6, D. Todhunter 1731, 1726; 5, Dempsey son and Reay 1730.

FLIMBY HS (10 sent 383): 1, Hodgson and Saldert 1845; 2,5, A. Bromley and co 1777, 1774.5; 3, I. McGarr 1774.6; 6,Varty, son and grandson 1773.

SEATON RBL (2 sent 35) 1, 2. 3. 4. Dobie and Palmer 1773. 1771, 1713, 1704.

CUMBERLAND SOCIAL CIRCLE (19 sent 37): 1. I and D. Wood 1771; 2, 3, N. Semple 1770.9, 1770,5; 4, Graham and co 1768.5; 5, Martindale and Lawman 1768.3; 6, Doland and daughter 1768.2. (VE Special race, 19 sent 19): 1, Tomlinson and Banks 1772; 2, Williams and Hadfield 1762; 3, Mr and Mrs D. Wood 1761; 4, Nelson and Crellin 1749; 5, Tinnion and Hodgson 1736; 6, J. Dolan and daughter 1731.

CLEATOR MOOR (10 sent 277): 1, 4, Dobson, sons, grandson and Lyle 1775, 1772.43; 2, Tomlinson and Banks 1774; 3, 5, 6, Graham and co 1773, 1772.42, 1771.LOWCA HS (7 sent 241):1, 4, 5, 6, D. Lofthouse 1836, 1776.1, 1775, 1774; 2, 3, Holliday and Dixon 1777.5, 1776.4.
EGREMONT HS (119 birds): 1, 2,3, 5,6, D. Harrison and son 1772, 1771, 1749.8, 1729.7, 1729.3; 4, Wilson and Buchanan 1749.3.