The latest test for West Cumbrian pigeons was from Marlborough on Saturday.
It turned out better than initial returns suggested, with many lofts getting their birds back late on the day or on Sunday.
A fog bank in the Lancaster area caused the problems according to one contact down there.
They may have tried to get round the fog and ended up going over Shap into Scotland, but there were also the usual reports of birds coming back hawked.
Back on top of the Derwent Valley Federation Open and North were Kevin Evans and Bob Taylor of Workington Victoria.
Flying as Evans, Taylor and Abraham they took the first three tickets in Victoria and were first, third and fourth in the Fed Open and section.
The winner is a yearling grizzle hen which was second Combine as a youngster and has been flying consistently this season.
She’s bred down from the old rec cock of Steve Foster, Leyland which has proved the fountainhead of the Evans loft for a number of years.
The red yearling hen that was second, is also through that red cock’s line, and is off a cock that won the Cumbria Combine in 2024.
She was second club and Fed Open last week and has followed up with second club, third Fed North and fourth Fed Open.
The birds were liberated at 7.30am and the Fed winner covered the near 235-mile trip in just short of five hours 22 minutes, flying close to 44mph.
It’s proving to be a good season for the Cleator Moor loft of Joe Tomlinson and Brian Banks who win the Derwent Valley Federation south section, as well as the Lowca and Cleator Moor clubs. They are also third Federation Open.
The winner is a two-year-old chequer cock whose sire is the son of a prolific racing and breeding cock called Ocean 7.
He was raced by Geoff Greenaway in Northern Ireland and was NIPA Bird of the Year in 2018 and won an RPRA Award the following year.
The name Ocean 7 comes from the fact that he had flown the Irish Sea seven times by the time he was two years old.
Since been put to stock has been a prolific breeder for Geoff.
The dam of the winner for Tomlinson and Banks is a daughter of another champion racer breeder Foxy Lady bred by Peter Fox’s Syndicate Lofts and raced by Prince br others from Cheadle.
The bird that was second in the Derwent Valley Open Fed won the Workington Social Limit club and there’s a nice story to it.
Graham Best was winning his first race of the season – after nearly deciding to pack in the sport.
He told Cumbria Crack: “I bought 10 young birds in 2024 from a top South East fancier but immediately they went wrong with a virus and it spread among my own pigeons.
“I lost 75% of my young birds to the virus and quite a few old birds, some of which had won numerous prizes.
“I was devastated and going to pack in but Jason Foxcroft from Preston kindly gifted me some late-breds which were reared in August 2024.
“I raced them last year but obviously they were no good against the experienced birds of my clubmates.
“They seem to be having a go now they are 16 months old and I’m hoping they can carry on doing it.
“The last three races they have scored in the top six in the Fed.
“I got 17 out of 18 back and the winner is a chequer hen off Who Dares Wins 3rd Ace pigeon and a daughter of Lady Boeing and Mini 13 bred by Jason Foxcroft.”
Nice to see John Pooley back at the top, too, in Harrington Central – a fancier of the old school who still flies as Telford and Pooley in memory of his old race partner Harry Telford.
And what a bird to win with – the oldest on the sheet – a five-year-old blue hen.
She was bred in 2021 off birds gifted to him by club-mate Ian Wood and won Salisbury as a yearling, picking up other minor tickets since then.
“It’s two years since I won a race but this old hen is as steady as they come. She only had four or five races last season and had a knock.
“But she’s been away every week this year and I will put her in for Penkridge on Saturday and that will be me until young birds,” says John.
Over the years John has had a few birds gifted by Ian and this blue hen is off a pair of his old successful Kees Bosua family.
Mark Hodgson was the winner in Flimby after a tight finish.
The winner is a four-year-old chequer white flight cock, who races on widowhood and is regarded as one of the best in the loft.
He has scored six times previously, including three wins but would have had more but can sometimes be a bad trapper.
Alan Parker continued his winning run at Seaton RBL with a yearling blue white flight hen.
She’s been flying consistently to the Parker loft and was bred by David and Sandra Wood.
Finally, back to the south section where David Harrison won Egremont Rangers and took third in the South section.
She’s a yearling chequer hen which David describes as “a bit of a nutter” who will fly the clock round and usually takes 20 minutes to get in when exercising around the loft.
However on Saturday she excelled herself with only two victory laps and then landed on the loft roof for good measure before clocking herself in.
David said: “I think she’s just booked herself place on the ferry to Fougeres in a fortnights time!
“She’s a bit of a Heinz 57 mongrel to be honest and was bred in the racing loft from a Ceuster hen that won Salisbury Combine in 2024 for me, and a cock from Tony Ali’s King Kong lines, with grandparents from Malc Scott of Gateshead and Tommy Lawrenson of South Shields.”
- DERWENT VALLEY FEDERATION OPEN (556 birds): 1, 4, 5, Evans, Taylor and Abraham (Workington Victoria) 1284, 1268, 1267; 2, G. Best (Workington Social Limit) 1281; 3, Tomlinson and Banks (Cleator Moor) 1274; 6, Telford and Pooley 1264.
- DERWENT VALLEY FEDERATION SOUTH (172 birds): 1, 2, 6, Tomlinson and Banks 1274, 1256, 1237; 3, D. Harrison and son (Egremont) 1252; 4, J. Fitzsimmons and son (Cleator Moor) 1250; 5, Nolan, Hetherington, Coultas and Easdon (Cleator Moor) 1242.
- DERWENT VALLEY FEDERATION NORTH (393 birds): 1, 3, 4, Evans, Taylor and Abraham (Workington Victoria) 1284, 1268, 1267; 2, G. Best (Workington Social Limit) 1281; 5, Telford and Pooley (Harrington Central) 1264; 6, Martindale and Lawman (Workington Victoria) 1258.
- CLEATOR MOOR CENTRAL (6 sent 105): 1, 2, 6, Tomlinson and Banks 1274, 1256, 1237; 3, J. Fitzsimmons and son 1253; 4, Nolan, Hetherington, Coultas and Easdon 1243; 5, A. and T. Kenmare 1239.
- LOWCA HS: 1, 2, 3, 6, Tomlinson and Banks 1274, 1256, 1237, 1190; 4, D, Lofthouse 1226; 5, W, McGrady and son 1214.
- EGREMONT RANGERS (34 birds): 1, 2, 3, D. Harrison and son 1252, 1201, 1163; 4, 5, 6, Bewsher, son and Park 1064, 1049, 1046.
- WORKINGTON SOCIAL LIMIT: 1, G. Best 1281; 2, 4, Mr and Mrs Walters and son 1251, 1234; 3, McLuckie bros 1245; 5, 6, Williams and Hadfield 1233, 1215.
- WORKINGTON VICTORIA (10 sent 147): 1, 2, 3, Evans, Taylor and Abraham 1288, 1272, 1271; 4, Martindale and Lawman 1261; 5, Mr and Mrs Walters and son 1255; 6, McLuckie bros 1249. Victoria Show Race – (19 sent 101) – 1, Evans, Taylor and Abraham 1284 (£150); 2, 4, Tomlinson and Banks 1256, 1237 (£70); 3, D. Harrison and son 1252 (£50); 5, 6, Williams and Hadfield 1233, 1215 (£30).
- SEATON RBL (2 sent 18): 1, 2, 4, A. Parker 1251, 1198, 1067; 3, F. Scott 1176.
- HARRINGTON CENTRAL (7 sent 78): 1, Telford and Pooley 1264; 2, 4, 5, 6, N. Semple 1244, 1184, 1160, 1156; 3, N. and G. Wordsworth 1210.
- FLIMBY HS (10 sent 155): 1, Hodgson and Saldert 1253.3; 2, 5, L. Norris 1253.05, 1239; 3, 6, Berwick, Watson and co 1250, 1237; 4, Tinnion and Hodgson 1246.
- CUMBERLAND SOCIAL CIRCLE (17 sent 34) – 1, Berwick, Watson and co 1226; 2, Nelson and Crellin 1211; 3, Tomlinson and Banks 1190; 4, N. Semple 1157; 5, Mr and Mrs Carter and sons 1133; 6, McLuckie bros 1123. (65th anniversary race – 17 sent 17) – 1, Hodgson and Saldert 1263; 2, Tomlinson and Banks 1237; 3, Williams and Hadfield 1233; 4, Varty, son and grandson 1191; 5, A. and T. Kenmare 1167; 6, Tinnion and Hodgson 1055.
