Published at 11:13, Thursday, 07 June 2012

THE first Channel race of the season from Carentan at the week-end proved to be a disaster.

The West Cumberland Federation sent 76 birds to the race and they had just 18 back in race-time. Ninety birds were sent by the Derwent Valley Federation and after a 7-00am liberation in Normandy only six made it home on the night – and a further four on Sunday.

But even so the successful loft of Bobby McAvoy from the Distington club put up a remarkable performance, winning the Federation and Amalgamation by 41 minutes.

The winner was clocked at 4-22pm, a two-year-old red Marcelis cock which was tackling the channel for the first time.

He was giving Bobby his tenth Fed win but his first Amalgamation success, and a special one being the Diamond Jubilee with a £100 prize from the Cumbria Region.

A widowhood cock, who had been sent to the coast as a yearling, he had been fourth in the Portland Gold ring race and has had minor club positions, beaten by loft-mates.

Bobby introduced the Marcelis family about ten years ago and has never regretted it. They came from Alan Raby and Derek Pedley, who had some original bloodlines.

The loft is enjoying an outstanding season, although only clocking one of three candidates on Saturday. Four roundabout hens will represent the McAvoy loft this week-end when the Cumbrian birds go back to Carentan.

Bobby McAvoy’s West Cumberland Fed winner was clocked almost two hours in front of Albert Hayton who won the Derwent Valley Federation.

Most observors believe that the Cumbrian birds had cleared the channel well enough but ran into trouble in the form of bad weather in the midlands and further north.

The West Cumberland Federation organised an open race from Stafford last week and returns were nowhere near as good as they should have been, so a repeat race from Stafford this week-end has been cancelled.

Published by http://www.whitehavennews.co.uk