The Cleator Moor loft of the Dobson family rounded off the 2026 inland programme with a top performance from Holmsley.
They took the first eight positions in the club race; were first fifth and sixth in the Derwent Valley south section and had the pleasure of topping the DV Federation Open.
They are the second of the old West Cumberland Federation members to win the Derwent Valley.
A three-year-old blue hen she’s been flying well for most of the season and this is her fifth ticket. She is bred off the loft’s number one stock pair.
Her sire is a Van den Bulkke off Keith Rafferty from Maryport while the dam is a Leo Herman’s from Micky Collins of Birmingham.
The Dobsons actually split them this year to try something different but plan to put them together again for next season.
It was a good race for the loft, too, as on a tough day they got 18 out of 19 on the day.
The birds were liberated at 7am in a west wind and the Dobsons clocked at 1.27pm after the 269-mile fly from the New Forest.
The best bird into the old Derwent Valley area was to the Workington Victoria loft of Kevin Evans and Bob Taylor, 15 minutes later after another eight miles.
Young bird of the year in the Amalgamation last season, picking up positions on the sheet at Stratford, Cannock and Appleton that has been followed this year with third from Marlborough and now winning Victoria from Holmsley.
Third Fed, to the loft of David Harrison won the Egremont Rangers club at 1.32pm.
A red chequer cock he had been second club from the first Holmsley race when beaten by a blue white flight hen which was third to him this week, so a nice turn around there.
The winner is a grandson of Mal Scott’s No1 stock pair Bret x Becky which are Hereman Ceuster bloodlines.
Taking fourth on the Fed sheet was the winner in the Workington Social Limit club for Graham Best, a yearling chequer hen on roundabout who had recovered well from a knock earlier in the season.
Her sire is a Lambrecht x Jan Kuizer, bloodlines that Graham has had for at least 20 years. The dam is direct Premier Stud from a batch of birds he bought in an auction. They have gone on to breed lots of good pigeons and are from Geerinck crossed bloodlines.
Winners in the competitive Flimby club were Andrew Berwick and Ken Watson of Aspatria with a consistent two year old chequer widowhood cock who previous to this season had taken second tickets for the loft.
He had been 2nd from Holmsley and second from Marlborough previously but also won the Cumberland Social Circle race from Marlborough.
The winner was bred by Workington Victoria fancier Kevin Evans and is similarly bred to a blue cock 438 they had off him which went on to win six races.
Mike Walker won in Harrington Central with a yearling blue white flight cock which he had also clocked from the first Holmsley race although it didn’t manage a ticket on that occasion.
It’s the first time he has scored for the loft but he has been a steady, consistent bird flying on the natural system.
This weekend has been set aside for fanciers to continue training their young birds and next week (July 18) will be the first young bird race from Flookburgh, along with the final channel race from Vire.
- DERWENT VALLEY FEDERATION OPN (263 birds): 1, Dobson, sons and grandson (Cleator Moor) 1222; 2, Evans, Taylor and Abraham (Workington Victoria) 1211; 3, D. Harrison and son (Egremont Rangers) 1195; 4, G. Best (Workington Social) 1193; 5, Bewsher, son and Park (Egremont Rangers) 1175; 6, Berwick, Watson and co (Flimby) 1172.
- DERWENT VALLEY SOUTH SECTION (7 sent 84): 1, 5, 6, Dobson, son and grandson 1222, 1133, 1092; 2, 4, D. Harrison and son (Egremont Rangers) 1195, 1146; 3, Bewsher, son and Park (Egremont Rangers) 1175.
- CLEATOR MOOR CENTRAL (4 sent 75): 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, Dobson, sons and grandson 1223, 1134, 1093, 1058, 1034, 1030.
- HARRINGTON CENTRAL (6 sent 46): 1, 6, M. Walker 1053, 936; 2, I. and D. Wood 1037; 3, Mr and Mrs W. Carter and sons 985; 4, N. and G. Wordsworth 982; 5, N. Semple 963.
- WORKINGTON VICTORIA (5 sent 57): 1, 5, Evans, Taylor and Abraham 1214, 1086; 2, Williams and Hadfield 1126; 3, 5, Varty, son and grandson 1106, 1091; 4, McLuckie bros 1101.
- FLIMBY (7 sent 86): 1, Berwick, Watson and co 1172; 2, A. Bromley and co 117; 3, 6, M. Varty and co 1104, 1085; 4, Hodgson and Saldert 1097; 5, I. McGarr 1086.
- WORKINGTON SOCIAL LIMIT: 1, 4, 5, G. Best 1193, 1080, 1009; 2, 6, Williams and Hadfield 1123, 997; 3, McLuckie bros 1099.
- CUMBERLAND SOCIAL CIRCLE (10 sent 20): 1, McLuckie bros 1099; 2, Mr and Mrs Proctor 1042; 3, Mr and Mrs Carter and sons 985; 4, Berwick, Watson and co 925; 5, Hodgson and Saldert 864; 6, Varty, son and grandson 842.
