Parkinson 252 racing pigeons

LES J. PARKINSON'S

NEWS-REPORTS-ARTICLES

How things cross your mind for one reason or another, one such time was as I was putting these notes together, not very quickly I might add while we are having a new kitchen fitted. Anyway I looked out the window and it was only 8.30pm and it was going dark. This took me back a few years when I was keen on young bird racing and the season was just coming to an end. As we sat there having a pint I said, “What are we going to do on a Saturday now” Roy Smith replied “One thing’s for sure you’re going to find out” and we did with a long hard winter. Yes the dark nights are creeping in fast and before you know it the meetings and shows will be here. This is when I used to envy Ted Keen who would race pigeons here in the summer and then in the winter he would race them in Portugal. That was also the case with Edd Sittner who raced in Las Vegas and in Belgium during the summer months. But nowadays I am not sure whether I want that much racing because by doing it that way you must be on a continuous merry go round of racing pigeons so there must come a point when you think enough is enough. Anyway September is here and we are approaching the end of another season that I for one have learnt from.

Europa Classic

Here is the loft managers report on the final hot spot that was another good race with excellent returns. “After a week of really rubbish weather where we had to miss a lot of training, the birds were security marked and loaded onto the transporter Thursday night for the 160 mile last hot spot. Then a 0230 hrs start saw the sun come up by the time we got to Stafford and a super clear blue sky and tail wind by the time we arrived at Leyland at 0650 with a great weather forecast for the whole country for the whole day, we liberated the 884 birds at 0700. The clever money was predicting the birds would make a mile a minute, but for once the gathered crowd at the loft were disappointed and had to drink some more coffee, until 0950 when the first batch of just 12 birds were seen very high up diving for the loft, these were just 200 yards in front of another batch of 35 and these were just 500 yards in front of a batch of 150! As the first batch of 12 hit the concrete trapping area the second batch pitched right behind them, and as these were trapping the third batch of 150 landed and all these birds, 197 in total were all in and recorded on the clock in 64 seconds flat! We then had a gap of 3 minutes until they started coming again in batches of about 20 at a time non stop for ten minutes by which time we had over 600 birds on the clock. By night fall all but 50 of the birds were home. YES INDEED ANOTHER GREAT RACE, which has set us up nicely for the main race on Sunday Sept 12th as can be seen from the result we have over 100 birds still for sale at £100 each (all prefixed BFS) for those who have not got a bird in the race or indeed those that would like to top up their team, these are a great gamble! Don’t forget entry to the loft site on race day this year, is free of charge, we also have a few rooms left in our 4 star hotel at £69 per person which includes bed breakfast and dinner dance for the Sunday night. However we have no rooms for Saturday Night, but you can of course make your own plans in Cardiff for Saturday and join us at the Copthorne for Sunday. Further details on the main race events are now posted on the website www.europaclassic.co.uk Best of Luck to you all The Europa Team” Yes the final of the 2010 Europa Classic looks like being a good one with a comparatively low number of birds missing since the lofts were opened. This has been another good year but from what I can gather the one loft races are not doing as well as when they first started unless of course where there have always been restricted entries in which case the entries would not decrease. The Europa Classic 5th Hotspot race that took place on Friday 27th August 2010 from Leyland 160mls. The pools and nominations paid out less 15% are as follows. 2nd Cooneys Gand Synd with GB10V46070 in ABCDEFG & £668.10. 3rd Aquaflight with GB10X33360 win ABCDE & £268.26. 4th W Gray & Son with SU10SB1845 win ABCDE & £178.84. Prize winners for the 5th hotspot. 1st Glen Zimmerman with GB10V41513 winning £900. 2nd Cooneys Gang Synd with GB10V46070 winning £600. 3rd Aquaflight with GB10X33360 winning £300. 4th W Gray & Son with SU10SB1845 winning £200. 5th Shengshi Beijing with GB10X33168 winning £150. 5th The Glassman with SU10CA3808 winning £150. 7th No Problem with WHU10D02821 winning £100. 8th Bamfords Bidders with WHU10D02831 winning £100. 9th Owen & Hogarth with WHU10D05450 winning £60. 10th BFS Stuarts Tryers with GB10B27936 winning £0. 11th Owlview Lofts with GB10Z58369 winning £60. 10th Prize not activated pigeon so the prize money goes to 11th position.

Europa Classic Result of the 5th Hotspot race click here

Stray

I had a call from a lady at the Dunhelm store in Stafford after one of our young birds decided it was better looking at the young ladies in the shop instead of me, can’t blame him. Jan was telling me that her late father raced pigeons in Uttoxeter so she was aware of racing pigeons and what they were about. She went on to tell me that the youngster had gone into the store and they trapped it under a basket where they kept and fed it for nearly a week before reporting it to the RPRA. I promptly had the pigeon collected and returned to the loft to once again fly out around home. A week later when they went training again I sent the youngster and yes the following day I had a call from Jan to tell me that they had once again captured the visitor so once again a call was made to get the pigeon back to Middlewich. It’s odd how strays get it into their head that they want to stay in a particular place instead of at home where they should be. There have been many good pigeons in lofts over the years that have gone in as strays to win top prizes, once they get settled they are much happier no matter whose loft it is. The second toss when this one first went missing was a bad one with 9 missing on the day when the clouds really came down. That one went to what he considered was a safe place then we had one came back and even Rob who was fitting the new kitchen was wondering how he got back. So we got four the following day up till 3pm.

Linda Garnet Charity

The sale is going well and we now have a near complete list of those donating and we have to say thank you to those fanciers who have also shown an interest in donating pigeons but the decision was made to limit the number to be sold. We must thank the staff at the BHW who have included some of the fanciers who have donated to the sale in these notes and the addition of the photos in last weeks edition, those pigeons have now got bids on them and they are listed on the sales list. The list is increasing with details on www.elimarpigeons.com where you can find out more information on the pigeons and fanciers concerned. Please remember that this is a website/saleroom auction where we want to raise as much money as possible for St Annes Hospice. We must thank those who have donated pigeons and your support at the sale will be greatly appreciated.

One Loft racing

The subject of one-loft races has been under discussion lately because fanciers are asking what the next step is. Well there are plenty of ways to move forward and the one that John McGee has been talking about is to continue with the Barcelona race. Anyway after the success of the Barcelona Challenge they are looking to make an additional attraction to the race in France. We are all aware that some pigeons perform at different ages and distances and with this in mind they are considering the possibility of starting the birds in a series of young bird races with one of the local clubs. Thisseries would end up atover 300mls where the young birds would compete for a set amount of money as with any one loft race and that would be a real test for the young birds. They could then move them on to the yearling stage where they would again compete at the highest level and then as 2yo to Tarbes before going to the Barcelona International as 3yo. I am sure that you will agree such a programme would test your birds at each stage of their lives and they would be well prepared for the ultimate race in Europe the Barcelona Challenge. This would be just like a normal racing loft but with other fanciers breeding the pigeons of course there would have to be attractions each year so that fanciers entered but those going to the ultimate race would be far better educated in the art of racing. There would of course be a cost each year for pigeons entered into this programme but I am sure it would be worth while. I still believe that the fanciers in the UK are more than good enough to breed and race pigeons as good as any other fanciers no matter where they come from. There are a lot of fanciers who still show the old British Bulldog attitude and are looking for new challenges. There are not many more challenges left other than to breed pigeons to these one loft races where it is pigeon against pigeon with no advantages whether it be position, wind, money or whatever. In these races they have one system and one location.

Young birds

I had got to the stage where the young birds were going to get their final push in training and into a few of the later young bird races but only as trainers. But then the weather decided it was not going to play ball for either the fancier or the pigeons. I had thought about sending to the last mid week race but the weather forecast was not good and guess what, on the day the forecast was wrong again and they had a good race with good returns. So once again I missed out with the young birds but I did manage to arrange to get them down to 90mls on their own and that toss is two days after I send these notes off so I hope nothing goes wrong and they do go. I have had a good look at them and some have only half a tail while some have patches elsewhere and some are towards the end of the wing. I wonder how fanciers used to race years ago when there was no darkness and they were all sent in heavy moult and they coped then but it appears that fanciers don’t think that they can now. The training toss prior to the 90mls was not a good one but that’s the way it goes.

Club/fed news

At the Poynton RBLHS 7 members sent 117 birds to Frome where they were up at 8.35am in a WSW wind. Mike Webb was 1st & 2nd Club, 4th & 11th Fed 104/1809 birds vels 1503/1495ypm with two Koopmans. Geoff Townley took the next two position vels 1491/1489ypm. In the 5th YB race 9 members sent 101 birds to Hullavington when the birds were up in a NE wind and a tough race ensured. Richard Given took the red card and was also 10th Fed 108/2123 birds vel 1088 with a Rolland Janssen X Willy Thass hen out of birds from Chris Knowles. Mike Webb was 2nd Club 11th Fed vel 1085 with a Lefebre Dhaenen X Janssen. Ken Johnson took the next two positions vels 1075/1058 with two Kirkpatricks. The weekend of the Wincanton race for the Middlewich FC saw a mixed weekend when the Mid Cheshire held over. The birds were away on the Sunday when David & Craig Wilkinson took the top two positions recording vels of 1455/1454ypm with a chequer Janssen cock that was paired and a chequer hen bred by Joe Glover that is one of their breeder/buyer entries and is off a cock that has had 3 x 1st feds. O’Hare & Woodward are 3rd on 1451ypm with a Vandenabeele blue hen sent sitting while 4th goes to Alan Groom with a Blue Van Den Bosch cock on 1445ypm. The Middlewich 5B at the same race point Wincanton but were not held over and oddly enough the winners recorded the same velocity as the FC birds. Billy Whisker picked up another red card plus 4th with vels of 1455/1445ypm after seeing home a blue Starview Busschaert hen. Bill then clocked a black pied hen sent sitting and was bred by Carol & Robert Carson who were also 2nd in the race clocking up 1453ypm after taking the rubber off a chequer hen from their Heinz 57 variety and was bred from a cock that flown well in the NWCC. 3rd goes to Alan Groom with a blue Van Den Bosch hen on 1446ypm flying to the perch. The Moulton club were also at Wincanton when the Weaver Street king Mel Bratt collected the top three on 1480/1469/1423ypm with three chequer hens I wonder how much he is rubbing it in to Mr O. Rob Barnett is 4th recording a vel of 1407ypm after seeing home a blue hen. The Lymm FC were at Cheltenham when the birds were out in a south west wind at 8.15am. the top two positions went to Fell Bros with a couple of their Wall, Lunt & Green stock recording vels of 1600.5/1600.2ypm with a blue hen and blue cock. 3rd & 4th go to Martin Joy with a De Mayer red cock and a Lucien Greets chequer cock on 1600.1/1599ypm. The Rudheath results from Mangotsfield appox 122 miles for most members when the 1st prize went to new member who is back after a few years out of pigeon racing John Stubbs. The winner is a pencil Vandenabeele hen with a vel of 1266 and it was good enough too top the fed as well so a great start back for John. He was also 3rd last week now winning and topping fed dit doesn’t get any better than that. John is suffering with really bad illness at the moment so hope you get back to good health soon John from all the lads at Rudheath. 2nd & 3rd go to Ian Cooper with two blue hens both being from his consistent team of Busschaert’s. 4th are B & G Mainwaring with blue pied hen with club PO Malcolm Hewitt snatching the pools. Now on to Wincanton about 151 miles for most members and after another holdover they where up at 8 am in west wind. 1st club goes to our secretary Bob Hall vell 1425up at Top Secret Farm well done Bob. 2nd is Mr green fingers Frank Lockwood with a Busschaert hen with a vel of 1407ypm. 3rd is Ian Cooper on 1400ypm with another hen while 4th B & G Mainwaring a blue hen bred by Mr Edwards from the Midlands exchange swap and takes the pools to boot. Lets hope the weather lets us have a race without a holdover Malcolm went on to say that his youngsters are dropping to bits with being stuck in basket 2 days these last few races. The Wettenhall club were at Swainswick when they were liberated in an east north east wind. The red card went to G & K & C Hitchin with a blue Coormans cock racing to the nest at 1213ypm. The mighty Jones Bros are 2nd with one of their fast flying Andre Clemens lines that won two weeks earlier and on this occasion this blue pied cock was flying to chipping eggs clocking up 1198ypm. The next two positions were on the same vel of 1195ypm just decimals apart racing to the lofts of Mr & Mrs Albert Austin. Their first in the clock is a mealy Lambrecht hen sitting eggs followed by a blue Wildermeersch cock. Wincanton was the latest race over at the Royal Wires when 8 sent 100 to see Bill Mather having a good day taking 1st 2nd & 4th on 1428/1427/1403ypm. The winner is a blue Ponderosa Janssen cock followed by a Charlie Blain Janssen while Bill won the nom with his next in the clock. The ever present Don Risley is 3rd on 1418ypm with a blue hen while the breeder/buyer was won by Paul Seed with a youngster bred by Andy Noon & Geoff Callan. I must apologise to Kenny Burke who sends the details from the Lost & Minshull clubs after finding an envelope on the baskets in the garage where I had left it the week before. So we start with the Swainswick race where 11 members of the Lostock club sent 198 birds. Robert Kent took the first two positions on 1294/1286ypm after seeing home a blue pied hen and a blue cock. 3rd & 4th go to John Stubbs who clocked a chequer pied and blue pied both being hens recording vels of 1279/1269ypm. The Wincanton race for the club saw 6 send 126 when Keith Herbert finished 1st & 2nd with a chequer pied cock and blue cock on 1640/1633ypm. Robert Kent clocked two blue hens on 1579/1578ypm for 3rd & 4th positions. The Minshull mid week were at Wollaston when 8 sent 200 that saw Kenny Burke take the top two positions recording vels of 1116/1115ypm with two blue hens. 3rd went to Keith Herbert on 1111ypm after taking the rubber off a blue pied hen while 4th went to John Stubbs who saw home a chequer pied hen on 1105tpm. We now move onto the race from Kempsey when7 sent 133 that were led home by a blue pied cock and chequer hen racing to the lofts of Billy Whisker on 1461/1458ypm. 3rd goes to Ken & Clive Riley who clocked a blue hen on 1454ypm followed by a blue pied cock racing to the lofts of Keith Herbert on 1453ypm. 9 members of the Blackpool Col sent 328 birds to Hereford and this was another late lib due to bad weather and what a nightmare it has been for race controller Tony De Valle this year. This week the young birds had a hard race in a north east wind and it took the leaders just over three hours for the 1123ml journey home. The birds were well split up and sadly there were quite a few missing on the night. However a lot did make it home on the Sunday but to date many fanciers still have birds missing. Winners of the Col are Ron & Shirley Mott with their red Lambrecht cock which has flown brilliant this year. Ron told PO Mick that had the cock through the ETS first over the last three weeks he would have won 3 x 1sts 2nd fed 2196 birds. This cock was well fancied by Ron & Shirley and wins the first share of the £5 single nom. 2nd club goes to Mick Barlow with the same bird as last week and he is another that will not trap and once again wasted two minutes. He was also a £5 single nom and picks up the second share of the £45 up for grabs. Mick is pleased that these Vandenabeele’s are now starting to show some promise. But it is only since crossing them with the Karel Boeckx stock that they are showing more promise. 3rd club goes to George Parker with a blue cock off George’s own family of Thas x Haeltermans. It’s good to see Robert Dickson getting a card as he sends to to every race, every year and loves his pigeons. The South West Cheshire Fed race from Swainswick saw 50 members send 776 birds that were liberated at 13.15 in an east north east wind. The Crewe West End members had a field day taking 9 of the first 10 positions with Mr & Mrs Keith Lovatt took the top two positions. The next three plus 9th went to Mick & Wendy Mellor while Mr & Mrs Richard Young are 6th 7th & 10th. The only other club to get a share are Greenbank whose winner John Peever was 8th. Those winning their club but missing out on the fed result are G&K&C Hitchin racing with the Wettenhall club while A Williams wins over at Hankelow and Billy Whisker wins the Middlewich 5B. Not heard anything about covering the West Coast Fed of HPS so I shall carry on with the Hereford race when 77 members sent 2196 birds. This was a steady race with less than 30yds separating the top 30 with the vels all being in the late 1100’s. 1st 3rd & 7th go to Roskell & Williamson racing with the Pilling Inv FC who as a whole had a good race. The Blackpool Col saw their winners Ron & Shirley Mott collect 2nd fed while Holloway & Colley from the Fleetwood & Dist are 4th 8th 18th 21st 26th & 27th to continue their very good season. Mr & Mrs Pearson also had a good race taking 5th 6th & 15th with 9th going to B Swarbrick. Mick Barlow is 10th followed by Mr & Mrs French who are 11th 17th 25th & 28th. Marton Village HS winners T Eves & F Fleming saw three go through in 5 seconds for 12th 13th & 14th positions. Jones & Harrison won the Kirkham & Wesham HS to collect 16th fed with George Parker 19th. Thwaites & Holloway win the Fleetwood HS for 20th ahead of Robert Dickson 22nd with Thornton & Cl HS winner J A De Valle 23rd. Walter Riding is 24th with Stalmine HS winner J B Riley 29th leaving 30th for Blane, Edge & Blane. Other club winners are Brian Fisher racing with the Queens Inv HS. B. Morrison over at the St Annes HS. Walsh Bros from the Staining HS. The David Blenkinship Trophy saw 685 birds entered at 5p per bird making a total of £34.25 divided 50% to the winner and 50% to charity. The winners are Roskell & Williamson on 1197ypm and the win the David Blenkinship trophy. The Winsford HS were at Mangotsfieldwhen 11 members sent 188 birds that resulted in another red card on vel 1259 for Jones Bros with a blue pied hen already won 4th club 2 weeks previous and she had laid 3 days before the race. After all the wins I think we are all aware now that they have a cracking team of Andre Clemens stock. In 2nd position on vel 1234 is Dave Dickenson with a blue cock sire being Dave’s best widowhood cock from the Romani x Van Den Bosche lines with the dam being a Van Den Bosche. Dave is also in 3rd position on 1225.7ypm with a blue pied hen whose sire won 4th fed Kempsey and 13th Middlewich 2 bird East Prawle. In 4th position just pipped on 1225.6ypm are Jones Bros with a blue hen flying to the perch. Her sire is a winner of 3 x 1stand of course from the impressive Andre Clemens lines. Club pools was won this week by club PO Rob Bebbington with a vel of 1150ypm. Sandbach were at Wincanton when Eric Taylor finished 1st & 4th with a blue cock and blue hen from his now super Verheye McDonalds recording vels of 1469/1468.5ypm. John Allbutt is 2nd on 1468.8ypm with a blue Staf Van Reet cock sent sitting. Wayne & Roy Beverley are 3rd with a vel of 1468.7ypm after seeing home a Kuyper/Staf Van Reet blue cock. The club race from Magotsfield saw Eric Taylor secure the top two positions clocking up vels of 1250/1235ypm. The winner is a blue Kuyper cock bred by Wayne & Roy Beverley that is a squeaker exchange with the next in the clock being a blue cock from his winning Verheye/Mcdonald lines that have kept him at the top for many years. The next two positions go to Wayne & Roy Beverley recording vels of 1226/1205ypm with the first in the clock being a grizzle cock from a good winning line and a blue Staf Van Reet hen. The Mid Cheshire Fed race from Wincanton saw 66 members send 1014 birds the numbers were well down this week after a few races where there have been many spending the night on the tiles. The Andre Clemens pigeons from the Winsford HS members Jones Bros came home with 1st 2nd 3rd & 5th just missing out on doing an ET. 4th goes to Mel Bratt racing with the Moulton club who is also 8th fed. Crewe Premier member Ken Parton is back in the driving seat after a few years away from racing so he has not lost his touch to finish 6th. Sandbach winner Eric Taylor is 7th 11th 14th & 18th with John Allbutt 9th, Wayne & Roy Beverley 10th, Rob Bebbington 12th, Dave & Baz Mellor 13th, Billy Whisker 15th, Mick & Wendy Mellor 16th & 17th Dave Dickenson 19th and Earlstown winners W & P Brown 20th. Acton Bridge winners are Geoff & Paula Bebbington. David & Craig Wilkinson top the list at Middlewich. Bill Mather wins the Royal Wires. Bob Hall does likewise in the Rudheath club with Mr & Mrs John Howman leading the way over at Weaverham.