The West Cumberland Federation fanciers decided to cancel their opening young bird race from Flookburgh on Saturday.
It was generally felt the birds needed more training and weather permitting the programme will now start this Saturday from Flookburgh.
There is also one more channel race at the weekend although weather prospects for Vire don’t look good and West Cumberland Federation interest is likely to be minimal, if at all.
The Derwent Valley Federation clubs decided to start as programmed on Saturday although a vote had been split and indeed Harrington Central did not compete. It wasn’t a good first race, however, with several lofts experiencing disappointing returns.
The winners of both Workington clubs suffered in this respect and would have gladly sacrificed their success to have more of their birds back home.
Williams and Hadfield were first, second and third in the Social Limit but had less than half their entry back at nightfall.
Their winner, a chequer hen is off their old Steve Foster grizzle lines and a barless cock through Kevin Evans’ good red cock.
Kevin was first and second in Victoria but he was still short of 17 on Monday, and he will have some of the best trained youngsters in the Federation.
His winner is a chequer hen through a red grizzle hen and a grizzle cock off the old red cock from Steve Foster of Leyland.
With news that Sandra Wood, of Harrington Central, is finishing at the end of the season, along with fellow club member Bobby McAvoy, comes news from Dearham of another departure come September.
Jason Dempsey, who has had pigeons since he was nine, has been advised to pack in the birds on medical grounds, and is gutted.
He took all six tickets in the Dearham club on Saturday and probably had the best return in the federation with 51 back out of 53.
His winner is a blue hen which is bred off a daughter of Culbert and Hambling’s double Combine winner when paired to her son. Both parents are grizzles and this is the first blue they have produced.
A number of lofts didn’t send, opting for more training, and they are looking to race when the birds go back to Flookburgh on Saturday.
There has been a report from an eye witness that the birds were attacked by peregrines coming over the Coomb and a large number of them were turned and they took off the wrong way.
Subsequent reports from Lancashire have detailed flocks of birds flying round clearly lost with the day’s high temperatures not helping.
WORKINGTON VICTORIA (7 sent 323): 1, 2, 6, Evans and Abraham 1469.4, 1469.4, 1392; 3, 4, 5, Williams and Hadfield 1403, 1402, 1401.
WORKINGTON SOCIAL LIMIT (6 sent 304): 1, 2, 3, Williams and Hadfield 1340, 1339, 1338; 4, 5, G Best 1335, 1315; 6, Mr and Mrs Walters 1309.
FLIMBY HS (6 sent 125): 1, 4, 5, M Varty, son and grandson 1367, 1361, 1360; 2, L Norris 1366; 3, 6, A Bromley and co 1362, 1355.
DEARHAM (2 sent 100): 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, Dempsey, son and Reay 1329, 1328, 1327, 1326, 1270, 1269.
