West Cumberland Federation fanciers dominate the first channel race of the season

The Derwent Valley Federation winner Albert Hayton was only ninth in the West Cumbria Amalgamation as the Copeland fanciers ruled the roost.

Holliday and Dixon, of Lowca, continued their good form by taking first and fourth and had four pigeons in the first 11 on the Amalgamation sheet.

The loft is run by Andy Holliday and son Gary, although they retain the flying name of Holliday and Dixon.

Their winning pigeon is a two-year-old blue hen flown on the roundabout system. She is a Syndicate Lofts x Kees Bossua and she scored three times at Fed and Amal level in 2016 all from over 200 miles.

The bird that was 4th Amal' is also a two-year-old blue Hen. She is a Kees Bossua bred by Alan Wheldon of Mansfield. She scored three times at Fed and Amal' level last season.

A four-year-old blue hen was 7th Amal' and she previously had been 7th Fed from Carentan in 2016.

Their fourth pigeon, which was 11th Amal' is another blue hen, a two-year-old who was one of the stars of 2016, scoring five times at Fed and Amal' level including 2nd Fed Bedhampton.

She is a Syndicate Lofts x Fishlock Brothers and is a daughter of the loft’s Bedhampton Fed winner in 2015.

The loft has now topped the West Cumberland Federation ten time in the last four years and has been in excellent form this year. The father and son duo were first and second Amal' from Appleton with over 3500 birds competing.

They also topped the West Cumbria Federation from Marlborough the previous week.

Albert Hayton, who competes in the Flimby West Coast club, topped the Derwent Valley Federation with a three-year-old chequer hen.

The birds were liberated in northern France at Carentan at 7am on Saturday into a light west wind. Holliday and Dixon clocked their Amalgamation winner at 3-25pm after flying 377 miles.

Albert’s Derwent Valley winner was clocked at 4-01pm after flying 383 miles.

Results

West Cumbria Amalgamation (314 birds): 1, 4, Holliday and Dixon (Lowca) 1313, 1265.1; 2, Nolan, Hetherington, Coultas and Easdon (Cleator Moor) 1293; 3, Rodgers and Benn (Cleator Moor) 1265.3; 5, 6, D. Harrison and son (Egremont) 1263, 1255.

Derwent Valley Federation (221 birds): 1, A. Hayton (Flimby WC) 1247; 2, D. Creighton (Silloth) 1245; 3, 4, A. Bromley and co (Flimby HS) 1223, 1220.31; 5, Tinnion and Aitken (Flimby HS) 1220.30; 6, Varty, son and grandson (Flimby HS) 1210.

Seaton RBL (4 sent 13): 1, Mr and Mrs Dustin 1159; 2, F. Scott 943; 3, Dobie and Palmer 733; 4, A. Parker and son 659.

Ellenborough FC (2 sent 4): 1, Barker, Charlton and Brown.

Cumberland Social Circle (19 sent 38): 1, J. Devlin 1202; 2, McLuckie bros 1185; 3, P. Rushforth 1183; 4, Martindale and Lawman 1181; 5, Nelson and Crellin 1165; 6, Varty, son and grandson 1139.

Flimby HS (8 sent 37): 1, 2, A. Bromley and co 1228, 1226; 3, Tinnion and Aitken 1224; 4, 6, Varty, son and grandson 1214, 1190; 5, Ostle and McNichol 1203.

Workington Social Limit: 1, A. Walker 1208; 22, Mr and Mrs Walters 1201; 3, McLuckie bros 1185; 4, G. Best 1180; 5, Brash Semple and Devlin 1097; 6, K. Murray 1070.

Harrington Central (10 sent 37): 1 J. Devlin 1202; 2, 4, M. Walker 1196, 1179; 3, I. and D. Wood 1187; 5, N. and G. Wordsworth 1092; 6, Mr and Mrs W. Carter ad son 1085.

Netherton HS (3 sent 13): 1, 3 4, 6, Reay, Dempsey and son 1186, 867, 610, 542; 2, Musgrave and son 879; 5, J. and T. Whitehead 568.

Workington Victoria (10 sent 46): 1, Mr and Mrs Walters and son 1201; 2, McLuckie bros 1185; 3, Martindale and Lawman 1181; 4, 5, 6, Evans and Abraham 1166, 1164, 1144.

Dearham Utd: 1, 2 4 5, 6, Harker and Berwick 1212 1129, 1056, 1002, 1001; 3, Deacon bros 1069.

Flimby West Coast (4 sent 20): 1, 2, A. Hayton 1247, 1167; 3, Ellwood and co 1159; 4, 5, Hunter bros 1117, 1113. Show race (7 sent 24): 1, 3, Fitzsimmons and son 1201 (£45 and £5 special), 1127 (£24); 2, Ellwood and co 1159 (£34 and £7 nom); 4, Hunter bros 1117 (£12); 5, J. and D. Hine 1079.