The second cross-channel race for West Cumbrian fanciers proved another tough affair with no birds back on the day.
They were racing from Nort Sur Edre, a 500-plus mile fly home for most after being liberated at 6.30pm with the Midlands Flying Club in a west wind.
There was a remarkable performance in the south of the county which took top spot in the Cumbria Combine.
The Millom partnership of Daryl Fullard, Arron Coward and John Murning clocked at 4.45am when their two-year-old blue cock landed.
He clearly had not been far from home on Saturday night.
It was his third time over, having scored previously from Vire and Fougeres, while the partners are no stranger to topping the Combine and were actually second to Jimmy Easterbrook two weeks ago.
The sire of the winning pigeon was a gift from Daryl’s good friend Kevin Frail while the hen was from fellow Millom fancier Adam Young.
You can hear Daryl talking to Cumbria Crack’s John Walsh about the winning pigeon and more, by listening below:
The first bird back into West Cumbria was to the Cleator Moor loft of Alan and Gavin Graham and race partner Paul Byers.
A two-year-old red widowhood cock it was his first time over the Channel but had been bred for the job in the stock loft with his grandmother, bought at Blackpool 10 years ago, packed with long distance blood.
The loft’s second pigeon home had been bred by Andrew Berwick at Aspatria and was an exchange bird in the Cumberland Social Circle.
It’s a little piece of history as Graham and co became the first members of the old West Cumberland Federation to win the Derwent Valley Federation Open.
Gavin discusses the loft’s aims, problems over the last 18 months and how they’ve overcome them in a chat with Cumbria Crack’s John Walsh below:
Second in the Derwent Valley Fed were Anthony Berwick and Kenneth Watson of Aspatria.
Their winner in the Flimby club is a three-year-old dark, widowhood cock who was 15th Fed at Fougeres a couple of weeks ago.
He won the Cumbria Combine from Messac last year and the loft plan is to send him to Vire next month.
He’s bred from a son of a red white flight cock which was a mainstay while his mother is a double grand-daughter of a pigeon called Legacy.
The partners actually joined the Midlands National FC last week and take 9th Section, 188th Open on the verification board.
Third Fed and winners in Workington Victoria were the Varty family of Flimby with a tried and tested five-year-old chequer cock.
He had been bought from Peter Rushforth’s loft after the hugely successful Flimby fancier died two years ago, and was settled and raced to the Varty loft.
Flying on the roundabout system he was one of four that the loft got home, three in race time. He had won the Derwent Valley Federation from Fougeres last year.
- DERWENT VALLEY FEDERATION (32 birds): 1, 5, A. Graham and co (Cleator Moor) 810, 695.04; 2, Berwick, Watson and co (Flimby) 764; 3, M. Varty and co (Flimby) 757; 4, 6, A. Bromley and co (Flimby) 734, 695.02.
- WORKINGTON VICTORIA (2 sent 7): 1, 2, 3, M. Varty and co 768, 578, 389.
- CUMBERLAND SOCIAL CIRCLE (5 sent 9): 1, Berwick, Watson and co 764; 2, 4, M. Varty and co 757, 583; 3, A. Graham and co 695; 5, N. Semple 350.
- FLIMBY HS (4 sent 12): 1, Berwick, Watson and co 764; 2, 5, 6, M. Varty and co 757, 583, 391; 3,4, A. Bromley and co 734, 695.
