West Cumbrian fanciers had their first difficult race on Friday from Marlborough with numerous empty perches at nightfall.
Racing returns so far have been excellent, even in testing conditions last week, but this time the south west wind didn’t provide the help that was hoped for.
Birds have been reported all over the place – Scotland, Wales, the north east and one a little nearer home in Appleby – so no real clues as to what might have happened.
Last week’s big winner David Harrison of Egremont topped the Cumbria Combine but his winning bird was among those still missing earlier this week.
This week’s Combine winner has been particularly well received throughout the region – Wayne McLuckie of Workington who continues to fly as McLuckie brothers after elder brother Morris died suddenly earlier in the year.
As a special tribute Waye has named his winning pigeon Ange after Moris’ widow.
“The winner is a yearling blue hen who has flown consistently this season after scoring as a young bird.
“She’s off the double Amal cock who twice won from Marlborough when paired to a hen of Les Green’s called Super Stefanie,” said Wayne. “We had a few second Combines over the years so it’s nice to have a winner.”
It was a photo finish too with Wayne’s bird just edging out Jimmy Nelson and Fleck Crellin of Flimby on decimals.
In-form David Harrison had to settle for second place in the West Cumberland Federation this time behind another loft which has been firing on all cylinders, that of Whitehaven’s Mike McGrady who is now flying in the Lowca club.
Mike won with a yearling blue cock which is bred from a pair purchased from Kevin Hibbert of Rotherham. This pair has already bred six Fed winners.
He said: “The nest sister to this cock came to top the Fed three weeks ago but unfortunately missed the pad and had to be caught and swiped across the pad by hand, but still managed fourth place.”
Aspatria team of Berwick, Watson and co won the Flimby club with a yearling chequer cock on widowhood, It’s his first win but has been very consistent.
Andrew Berwick said: “He’s out of the stock loft being a direct son of our Eijkampt cock paired to a Van den Bulke from WDW. We got 33 out of 37 from the race with one reported in Spennymoor.”
Neil and Geoff Wordsworth won in Harrington Central with a yearling widowhood hen who has been flying consistently after scoring as a young bird.
Neil said: “She is one of the three that we won in the DVF transporter fund bonus ball. She’s from one off Adam and Keith Young’s Combine winner.”
In Dearham David Todhunter won to take fourth Fed, A yearling blue hen she’s yet another consistent bird who scored as a youngster.
The sire is from the McLuckie brothers successful loft while the dam is a Lambrecht from Glen Johnston of Lincoln.
CUMBRIA COMBINE (1767 birds): 1, McLuckie bros (Workington)1478.8; 2, Nelson and Crellin (Flimby) 1478.2; 3, N. and G. Wordsworth (Harrington) 1472.8; 4, 6. W. McGrady and son (Lowca) 1472.2, 1470; 5, D. Harrison and son (Egremont) 1471.
WEST CUMBRIA AMALGAMATION (1023 birds): 1, McLuckie bros (Workington)1478.8; 2, Nelson and Crellin (Flimby) 1478.2; 3, N. and G. Wordsworth (Harrington) 1472.8; 4, 6. W. McGrady and son (Lowca) 1472.2, 1470; 5, D. Harrison and son (Egremont) 1471.
FERWENT VALLEY FEDERATION (707 birds): 1, 5, McLuckie bros (Workington) 1478.8, 1465; 2, Nelson and Crellin (Flimby) 1478.2; 3, N. and G, Wordsworth (Harrington) 1472; 4, D. Todhunter (Dearham) 1467; 6, Evans and Abraham (Workington Victoria) 1464,
WEST CUMBERLAND FEDERATION (315 birds): 1, 3, W. McGrady and son (Lowca) 1472, 1470.8; 2, 6, D. Harrison and son (Egremont) 1471, 1460; 4, Dobson, sons, grandson and Lyle (Cleator Moor) 1470.7; 5, Tomlinson and Banks (Cleator Moor) 1466.
WORKINGTON VICTORIA (9 sent 236): 1, 2, 6, McLuckie bros 1483, 1470, 1443; 3, 4, 5, Evans and Abraham 1469, 1444,3, 1444,07. Show race (15 sent 88): 1, Nelson and Crellin 1478; 2, 3, McLuckie bros 1473, 1438; 4, Hodgson and Saldert 1434; 5, A. Bromley and co 1398.5; 6, Varty, son and grandson 1398.4.
WORKINGTON SOCIAL LIMIT (5 sent 93): 1, 2, 3, 4, McLuckie bros 1478, 1465, 1438, 1401; 5, Wilson and Johnstone 1400; 6, Williams and Hadfield 1398.
HARRINGTON CENTRAL (8 sent 160): 1, N. and G. Wordsworth 1472; 2, I. and D. Wood 1437; 3, Mr and Mrs D. Wood 1419; 4, 5, J. Devlin 1406.8, 1406.6; 6, Mr and Mrs Carter and son 1404.
SEATON RBL (2 sent 17): 1, Dobie and Palmer 1404; 2, 3, 4, F. Scott 1385, 1375, 1350.
FLIMBY HS (10 sent 276): 1, Berwick, Watson and co 1495; 2, Nelson and Crellin 1487; 3, L. Norris1485; 4, 6, Hodgson and Saldert 1461, 1445; 5, A. Bromley and co 1446.
DEARHAM (2 sent 67): 1, 2. 3. 4. 6. D Todhunter 1467, 1430, 1424, 1406, 1395.44; 5, Dempsey son and Reay 1395.47.
CUMBERLAND SOCIAL CIRCLE (19 sent 38): 1, McLuckie bros1463; 2, Hodgson and Saldert 1450; 3, Mr and Mrs D. Wood 1419; 4, Martindale and Lawman1412l 5, Tinnion and Hodgson 1395; 6, Blacklock and sons 1384.
CLEATOR MOOR CENTRAL (9 sent 166): 1, 5, Dobson, sons, grandson and Lyle 1472, 1429; 2, 3, Tomlinson and Banks 1466, 1459.2; 4, Nolan, Hetherington, Coultas and Easdon 1459.03; 6, A. and T. Kenmare 1424.
LOWCA (5 sent 89): 1, 2, 6, W. McGrady and son 1472, 1470, 1397; 3,4, 5, Tomlinson and Banks 1466, 1458, 1421.
EGREMONT (86 birds): 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, D. Harrison and son 1471, 1460, 1393, 1389, 1385; 6, Wilson and Buchanan 1384.
