Last updated 12:25, Friday, 23 May 2008

A FIVE-year-old blue cock won his third race on the trot to give David Todhunter and Rodney Ismay their fourth Derwent Valley Federation triumph on Sunday.

The Busschaert, bred down from birds obtained from Alfie Fletcher, of Carlisle, had won successive club races from Stafford and Wollaston.

The Federation birds were held until Sunday and liberated from Cheltenham at 8am into an east-north-east wind with the Maryport club members clocking at 12.08pm.

Rodney said: “He’s been a very consistent pigeon for us and his father was just as good, scoring many times and winning two RPRA awards.”

Todhunter and Ismay race on the natural system and Sunday’s winner was sent sitting 11 days on eggs.

David and Rodney had flown separately in different racing partnerships before getting together in 1984. Their first Fed win was with Keith Graham but the last three have been just the two of them.

They sent 15 birds and got 12 back on the day and the other three on Monday.

Derwent Valley Federation (1278 birds): 1, Todhunter and Ismay 1431; 2, Sleightholm and Broatch 1430.5; 3, 4, 5, J Devlin 1430.4, 1428, 1427; 6, Nelson and Crellin 1418.

Harrington Central (11 sent 143): 1, Sleightholm and Broatch 1430.5. Maryport (4 sent 36): 1, Todhunter and Ismay 1442. Netherton (10 sent 154): 1, K Rafferty 1416. Flimby West Coast (6 sent 97): 1, A Hayton 1402.

Flimby HS: 1, Nicholson and Crellin 1418. Ellenborough (8 sent 125): 1, Barker, Charlton and Brown 1402. Workington Victoria (16 sent 172): 1, G Best 1421.

Frizington (Wollaston, 7 sent 54): 1, R J Reeves 1341. (7 sent 81, Cheltenham): 1, Mr and Mrs Burns 1416. Distington (Cheltenham): 1, R McAvoy and son 1423. Great Clifton (5 sent 68, Cheltenham): 1, Banks and Kenny 1391.

n FLIMBY West Coast stages their show race from Marlborough this weekend and all completed forms should be with the secretary before the birds are liberated.

Next week’s race is from Fareham because the Cumbria Combine changed the programme from Portsmouth so the second show race will be staged then. Sheets to be with the secretary before the birds are liberated.

West Cumbria Fed members can send their entry forms via transporter to Flimby. All bird times to secretary as early as possible. Any members who entered a bird in the £1 single bird nom must mark on entry form which bird is the nomination.