LES J. PARKINSON'S

NEWS-REPORTS-ARTICLES

Unfortunately due to getting gout overnight in my foot and we were supposed to be going away on holiday we were unable to attend the funeral of Brian Long. As I said in the report last week Brian will be missed in the sport because of his generosity. His support to the sport and the friends that he ahs made were highlighted when so many turned out for the funeral that included fanciers from all over the UK and further afield in Europe. I was rather sad the following day when I was told that Cornelia had decided to part with the birds because when I last spoke to Brian his thoughts were that she would carry on racing. However I do understand that the pigeons were their favoured hobby and they did it so well together. No doubt we will be seeing Cornelia attending the major functions because I know that many of her friends will want to see her especially at the BICC and NFC functions.

National Flying Club

Roy Gough brought Bill Bresnahan over to get a photo of his first section L winner in the Tarbes National and while here we gathered a bit of information. Bill was telling me that he left the sport and worked in the building trade. One day he was on site and watching a batch of pigeons going round close to where he was working. Bill being interested in pigeons decided to find out where they were and met Keith Fenwick who kept the pigeons but did not race them. The year was 1992 and this is when and how Bill decided to take up racing pigeons again. Since then Bill has come a long way with many good results and in the later years concentrated more on the specialist races. The dedication to those specialist races saw Bill have a cracking three week spell that included 1st Wigan 2B, 1st North West Nantes Club and then 1st section L 13th open National Flying Club Tarbes flying 722mls and all in a three week spell must also mention that he was also 14th section in the MNFC Fougeres a few weeks earlier. This was Bill’s first attempt at 700mls and he could not have been more pleased. The pigeons kept are the Hermans for the sprint races while he has the Bertus Corneal pigeons for the distance along with the Van Wanroy lines. The latter were from a loft near to the famous Lier Market in Belgium.

Roy Gough, Bill Breshnehan, Les J. Parkinson, Derek Woodward

As we sat in our back garden I was saying that we have the Dordins and Bill said that many years ago he also had a good team that performed well for him but as we all know fads in everything change and that is no different at these lofts. Bill has now called the winner “John Joseph” after his brother who passed away just before Christmas. Although Bill had met Keith Fenwick it was his brother who really got him back to racing and winning ways. Bill was saying that he is now turning more to the Nationals where he is getting a great deal of satisfaction and I am not surprised with the results that are now going his way. There was a lot of confidence in this National pigeon right the way through because he was showing potential all the time not leaving from the earlier races right up to the Tarbes race. I must admit that when he was talking about winners he said. “The problem many fancier share is that they have forgotten about observation.”

Another point Bill raised was that he always changes the mix of his corn because no-one likes to go home to the same thing all the time, even if you were going home to steak each night you would get fed up so the pigeons can get fed up with the corn mixes and Bill does like using the oil-based seeds. They do have cod liver oil on their corn with S & M baby food. Bill thinks that the variation they are given and the time spent with them is a major reason why they race so well to the loft. Permanganate of potash is added to the water twice each week. The cats even go into the loft when Bill is cleaning out and the pigeons do not bother, which is also part of the contentment for the home life that these pigeons have. I did ask if he was going to send this pigeon again but he is undecided. Some fanciers have told him to stop it and leave him at hone while others have a different opinion. There is also the problem of wires around the lofts and if he continues to fly out one day they might just catch him out. There are two lofts both being 32ft long with one not being up all that long so the older one will be taken down when the time is right. Bill made the loft himself out of reclaimed timber that Patrick & Thomas Devine obtained for him. Through being in the construction business for so long bill knows the loft needs to have plenty of ventilation and admitted that his lofts have had snow in them before now even when he ahs been breeding.

The team housed for racing is 20 racing cocks but the loft was built with 36 in mind. The lofts also contain 10prs of stock and 50ybs are normally reared so with the two lofts there is plenty of room for them. The majority of the young birds go to the coast but a few are selected after they have flown Wincanton for the longer races later in life so and left at home. Although Bill is now looking at the distance races he still has a team that are kept for the sprint races that have not been at the lofts long enough to be thoroughly tested. What he does with one section he does with them all, they are all treated the same so that they are all in the same fit and healthy condition. The pigeons at these lofts are trained ¾ times each week at 40mls weather permitting and they are also exercised around home twice each day for one hour, again weather permitting. I was impressed with Bill’s attitude to new members when he said that he paid the subs and bought 5 rings as a Christmas present for a new member to help him along, perhaps more help would suit younger members of the sport and keep them flying. Bill certainly had a good three-week spell at such a high level and to recognise the achievement John Hartless a friend of Bill had a T-Shirt made up of his winnings (see photo). Well-done Bill on those excellent performances in such tough competition and such a short space of time, when they are on form they are unbeatable. 

British International Championship Club

News from our secretary Jan Deacon is that there has been a change of marking venue for Salisbury. Due to the fact that the same team mark the BICC birds as well as the CSCFC we have decided to combine the two at the Salisbury Livestock Market. Marking for the BICC Guernsey race is 12:00 till 14:00 followed by the CSCFC Lessay marking from 15:00 till 18:00. These instructions were received from Nigel Rigiani. There has also been a change in co-ordinates for the Marseille race, which was news to Jan, but she did obtain all the correct distances prior to the race being finished.

I was looking at the stats of Paul O’Leary for all the BICC races up to the Internationals. Falaise; Falaise; Alencon; Saran; Tours. 1st Mr R J Pickering GB04J17323. Flying a total of 1736mls 1759yds flown in total flying time of 45h35m58s at an average velocity of 1117.382ypm. 2nd Mr & Mrs Bebbington GB05A28398 1831mls 767yds flown in total flying time of 48h24m14.13s at an average velocity of 1109.871ypm. 3rd Cosmin Talas GB06K00327 1279 miles 482 yards flown in total flying time of 35h23m21s at an average velocity of 1060.363ypm. 4th W J Elliott GB04E50390 1359 miles 1631yds flown in total flying time of 41h57m23s at an average velocity of 950.777ypm. 5th F & T Zahra & Son GB07E62649 1076 miles 775 yards flown in total flying time of 34h32m59.12s at an average velocity of 913.916ypm. 6th W J Elliott GB04E50377 1359 miles 1631 yards flown in total flying time of 43h40m37s at an average velocity of 913.324ypm. Congratulations to all fanciers and their pigeons in what has been a hard task in 2008 with the East winds during the old bird season.

It was then interesting to note how the individual lofts worked out from these race points, Falaise; Falaise; Alencon; Saran; Tours. 1st Hathaway & S & B Poole flying 1105mls 1362yds flown in total flying time of 26h24m26s at an average velocity of 1228.302ypm. 2nd Mr & Mrs Bebbington 1831mls 767yds flown in total flying time of 43h45m17.23s at an average velocity of 1227.800ypm. 3rd Kirk Hames 1127mls 279yds flown in total flying time of 27h4m6.72s at an average velocity of 1221.467ypm. 4th Meg Murray 1166 miles 223 yards flown in total flying time of 28h5m42s at an average velocity of 1217.526ypm. 5th L A Smith 1422mls 1718yds flown in total flying time of 34h19m14s at an average velocity of 1216.199ypm. 6th Cosmin Talas 1279mls 482yds flown in total flying time of 30h54m36s at an average velocity of 1214.020ypm. It was also interesting to note that one of the longer flying members Mr & Mrs. Geoff Bebbington from up in Cheshire were second in both categories.

From the past with Andre & Piet Kuypers of Neer

The first loft that I visited in Holland was the Kuypers Bros winning loft where the owners don’t even bother to clock their birds at the shorter races. They are only concerned with the distance events that their country has to offer. It is not the National races that the bros are interested in but the more prestige internationals where they can compete against the best in Europe, and nearly always manage to get amongst the prize-winners. From what I have seen from these lofts you can be sure that over the next few years they will become an even bigger name in pigeon racing into Holland. If they did clock in a little more from the shorter races who knows what heights they might have already reached on the National and International front. Anyway going on a little let’s get back to our arrival at Keypers who were our first stop after arriving at Masstricht. It was rather a long journey to the lofts across some very flat country side before arriving at the household where our hosts were waiting to show us there champion racers and breeders.

Andre & Piet Kuypers

Andre and Piet Kuppers are bachelors and it is well known locally that when a great performance is put up, which is very often a good time is had by all with many of the local community joining in by turning out to celebrate. At one a bus was even laid on to go out and enjoy themselves all by curtsey of the brothers. I would have liked to have spent more time with these lads but it was hard enough getting what little info I have. Perhaps if I could have had a crash course in Dutch I would have found out exactly why the partnership do not bother with these shorter races its ongoing why they do not bother even the channel specialist in the country clock in from the shorter events.

Still I once again have Willy Beacon to thank for the information that I do have, as he was the interrupter who has an extremely hard job of asking and answering. On entering the house a well wanted cup of coffee was made for all while Willy interpreted the conversations where possible. The trophies in the room were plentiful and of various sizes plus of course many mounted photos of the champion pigeons that the majority of fanciers can only dream about. Since 72 the partnership have been around the top of the list of the Barcelona race with very few fanciers beating them in either Holland or Belgium and at that they are one of the furthest flyers. It is believed in this part of the country that the Dutch fanciers are far better racers when it comes to the distances than their Belgium counter parts.

A point that is shown in the many results that was at hand. We were very fortunate in the fact that we had the privilege of handling the bros 1981 winner of the 1st International hens and 2nd international overall from Pau 1002km against 2553 pigeons plus winning five thousand guilders. This 78-bred hen has a very good eye and is not a very big pigeon at all but I can tell you she is an extremely impressive pigeon in the hand. This pigeon has won in the type of competition that the bros like, from the distance. On the wall in the living room were several pictures of very good pigeons including a chequer cock winner of 3rd Nat 17th International, 1976 then in 1977 he returned injured, 1978 34th Nat 168th International 1979 13th Nat 26th International and remember these are all from Barcelona 1135km. The eye in this cock and in all these cocks is very rich with plenty of depth and in the hand is first class with a strong body.

The cocks that we handled were all the same with good rich eyes that had plenty of depth and when one handles these pigeons one can understand what a family being like peas in a pod means. After seeing the great performances that these pigeons have put up I cannot understand why there pigeons have not hit this country like so many others of the continental strain have these last few years. No doubt the way these pigeons are flying it will not be very long before they will be winning from the distances into the British Isles. The pigeons for both the natural systems and widowhood the cocks are all paired in March with the stock birds being paired in January. With the teams that amounts to around 130 which rear in the region of 70 y/bs. The cocks raced are all on the widowhood system with the natural hens being prepared for the extreme distance races where they excel when they are sitting a five day old squeaker. Then as soon as racing has finished all birds are given the open hole where they are allowed to go back and forth to the fields all day long.

The y/bs are not really taken a great deal of notice as they are sent to around 200 miles with the intention of keeping them for the National and International races in future years. As I say the bros are known for not clocking in those early races which are not taken into account in the long run and perhaps is why are not known a little more in this county.

Other fanciers have flown well to win with these pigeons and include a 1st Nat St Vincent 9000 birds, which was bred from a brother at the great 113. 1st St Nat Dax with a pigeon of the old original stock against 6980 plus birds. For the great stock pair that is responsible for the best winners that the bros have been approached about this pair and many fanciers have been interested in them. But they have always been worth far more to stay in the loft where they have bred pigeons as good as any at the distances, wherever one may go. The family have been cultivated over the last 10 years with paring mother to son and cousins together etc which has given this family such a good likeness in both looks and when handling with the balance of these pigeons altering very slightly and I mean slightly

As expected with the continentals these days this partnership have a fine set up for their pigeons and when one has seen the set up one can appreciate how much room the pigeons are given. There are three lofts in all two of which can be seen from the photos. The third loft is a wooden construction built between the two brick lofts next to which there is a pen where a rather large dog is kept. Everywhere is so clean throughout both inside and outside the lofts. Even though the partnership have a floor covering that is made up of lava from Italy which is riddled regularly and changed every 6 months, this method is used because it helps the lofts so dry. I have seen and heard of all sorts of floor covering but this is my first experience of seeing larva on a loft floor and I am surprised how effective it is.

To give you an idea on how good these pigeons are at the distance here are a few details of winners housed at these first class lofts, information supplied by my friend Willy Beacon, chequer hen 73 1364113 1975 Barcelona Nat 3rd 1032 International 16th 8301, 1976 Barcelona Nat 1st 1748 International 4th 11016 two bros together were together two fastest pigeons International. Chequer hen 72 577053, all races from Barcelona 1974 21st 10500 International 134 10273 birds. 1975 Nat 2nd1032 birds. 13th International 8301 birds. 1976 Nat 116th 1748 birds. 1st International at 922nd 11016 birds. 1977 44th 1988 International 268th 10502 birds, 1978 Nat 95th 2058 birds. International 330th 11131 birds. Chequer Hen 73 1364192 November late bred again Barcelona positions 1976 Nat 3rd 1748 birds. International 17th 11016 birds. 1977 Nat 477th 1988 birds. International 2208th 10502 birds came home with broken breast bone 1978 Nat 54th 2058 birds. International 168th 11131 birds. 1979 Nat 13th International 26th returned hurt which he was put in the stock loft. Pau Douffer 1973 Nat 3rd 21st International 1416 birds. 1974 Nat 2nd 281 birds International 9th 1082 birds. 1981 saw the bros again fly a great pigeon out of Pau when they were 2nd International 1st International hens, 1st Nat hens this very nice chequer hen was there to be handled and we did not hesitate to have a good look at this game pigeon.

As well as the above winning pigeons at Barcelona and Pau the bros have also had many good wins from such race points as St Vincent Dax and Bergerac plus many more We had the honour of handling the above pigeons which made the visit so worth while. All the pigeons handled were of the same breeding something that did show throughout the loft achieved through careful selection when it comes to pigeons that are put in the stock loft. Looking at the pedigrees for these pigeons I did see that the Jan Arden family were there once again I say again because I have seen this family mentioned well in the Kempeneers studbook. I also believe that this line are in the pigeons of the Dutch champion Marcel Braakhuis who has had many pigeons going back to the great Jan Arden base hen 113 who is believed to be one of the best hens in the world when it comes to breeding after she was a proven racer.

With the p/ship winning so well at distance races I would have liked to have spent more time in order to get as much information as possible but once again the lingo had me a little stumped. So with a bit of luck I shall be going over to this part of the country again in the not too distance future to spend a holiday at which time I can gather a lot more information for you lucky readers. It is always nice to visit winning lofts where they may be but to visit lofts like this is not that often as the opportunity does not arise on many occasions. So Elizabeth and yours truly are going to see about staying in this part of the country and compiling as much information as possible so that the gazette can keep on bringing as much information and winning lofts that is possible to its many readers. I shall finish by thanking Bruce McAllister for the invitation that took us to one of the leading European lofts. Thank you also to Willy Beacon who spent his day with us also to Paul Smith for taking the photos last but not least Piet and Andre Kuypers who allowed us the honour of handling there many International winners and more important the pigeons that bred them. Thank you one and all.   

Club/Fed News

In the Middlewich FC Kempsey race Alan Groom tops the list with a blue pied cock and was also 3rd with a blue w/f hen on 1285/1242ypm both are from the Van Den Bosche family and flying to the perch. W Lyons & Daughters are 2nd & 4th after seeing home a blue cock bred by Rick Geary and a blue Van den Bosche hen bred by Alan Groom to record vels of 1271/1241ypm flying to the perch. The same weekend the club were at Lessay when they were held over for one day that saw Alan Groom top the list with a yearling widowhood blue cock that was 3rd at Fougeres a month earlier. Alan was also 4th after seeing home a yearling blue cock their vels being 1057/935ypm. Syd Latham was 2nd after taking the rubber off a dark pied cock sent sitting. Peter and Dawn Lathat are 3rd on 995ypm with a dark cock also sent sitting. Alan Groom took the top two positions in the Middlewich 5B race from Cheltenham with a blue hen and dark chequer hen flying to the perch and clock up 1340/1267ypm. Billy Whisker is 3rd on 1258ypm after taking the rubber off a Starview Busschaert chequer-pied hen. While Ted Carson came in 4th on 1217ypm with a homebred pied hen. The 5B were also a Lessay when the top two positions went to Carol & Robert Carson on 809/800ypm. The winner is a Busschaert dark w/f cock sent feeding a 10-day-old youngsters followed home by a dark cock sent sitting. Peter & Dawn Latham make it a double at number three with a chequer hen sent feeding a youngster and record a vel of 797ypm. 4th goes to Alan Groom on 775ypm with a blue widowhood cock. The first young bird race of the season for the Royal Wires FC saw 6 enter 161 birds to be liberated at 8.30am in a West wind at Kempsey. The top two positions go to John Kirk on 1318/1314ypm. The winner is a dark followed by a blue both being from the Walter Docx stock and raced on the widowhood. Bill Mather is 3rd after seeing home a blue Janssen cock on 1251ypm. The club then went to a second race from Kempsey to be liberated at 13.20pm in a North West wind when George Davies finished 1st & 2nd on 1210/1182ypm. The winner is a chequer hen that was bred by John Kirk from his Walter Docx stock while the next in the clock is a blue hen also bred by John. 3rd goes to John Lawson with a blue Janssen hen on 1167ypm racing to the perch. 

Les J.Parkinson. Elimar, 11 Rushton Drive, Middlewich, Cheshire, CW10 ONJ. Tel/Fax; 01606 836036. Mobile 07871 701585 les.Parkinson@btinternet.com   Elimar.pigeons@btinternet.com  web-site www.elimarpigeons.com   

ris photos