LONDON & SOUTH EAST CLASSIC CLUB

BERGERAC CLASSIC (15th JULY 2011)

The London and South East Classic Clubs fourth race of the season took place from Bergerac. The birds were liberated on Friday 15th July at 5.45am into a no wind at the liberation site turning south westerly between Poitiers and Nantes and westerly over the channel. This meant a steady race was expected and the anticipation of day birds for this 400 plus miles race would turn to reality as 54 day birds were recorded with some getting more pigeons home on the day. This provisional result is subject to change depending on the second and third birds timed.

1st Open 1st North East Section were Dave and Gary Heywood of Laindon with a velocity of 1231ypm. This ultra successful loft has over the past 20 years had five national wins plus this is their second classic win and they have won two combines to date. The winning pigeon is a three year old widowhood cock of Hartog bloodlines. Preparation for this race was Falaise with the BICC, Alencon and Tours with the L&SECC and then rested for three weeks before a final 50 mile toss two days before basketing. The pigeon is not yet going into the stock loft and may well come back next season to challenge for this race. Dave mentioned that for the Hartogs this is about there limit in distance (465 miles), and will work hard for up to 12 hours.

2nd Open and 1st South West Section is Peter Stubbs of Redhill with a velocity of 1224ypm. This is another very consistent and successful loft, with Peter previously winning 1st Open L&SECC Alencon and 1st Section 3rd Open Guernsey in 2001. In the Reigate Coly where Peter is President he has won and most weeks taken 2nd and 3rd only losing three races in 2011 so far! Peter's first pigeon, an 04 hen now called ‘Destiny’, is from Peter's old established bloodlines which are mainly Janssen Van Loon; she was sent on chipping eggs. Bergerac must be her favourite race point having won 1st club 1st Federation, 1st club 2nd Federation, 6th Combine and for good measure 1st club 8th fed, 27th combine. ‘Destiny’ is from Peter's No.1 stock cock that himself was a multiple first prize winner and also won 12th section 28th Open L&SECC Sennen Cove and is now producing the goods in the stock loft. The dam is also from a very successful winning line of winners. Preparation for this race was two club races Blandford and Kingsdown followed by the NFC Messac. When asked what is next for ‘Destiny’, Allison, Peter's loft manager, said it's the stock loft for her now.

3rd Open 2nd South West Section was John Cudmore and Sons (Karl and John) with a velocity of 1220ypm. This three year old blue hen (although she wears a 05 ring) was sent sitting 12 days. Her bloodlines are Deweerdt from Brian and Angela Goodwin of Hanworth, crossed with John's own Deweerdt family.

4th Open 3rd South West Section were Darran and Des McFadden of Cranleigh with a velocity of 1215.280ypm. Darran was 4th Open in the Tarbes Classic in late June this year and is having a great channel season in his club and NFC this year. The first pigeon is a yearling hen on widowhood; this was her seventh channel race of the season including Saintes and Cholet. She is a grand daughter of Darran’s No.1 Stock Cock and previously best racer ‘Megan’s Lad’, and the Dam is from Chris Little of Eastriggs, SNFC National winning bloodlines.

5th Open 4th South West Section were the ultra successful Ian Crammond and Nigel Langstaff of Fontwell with a velocity of 1215.142ypm. The partnership clocked five birds in an hour from Bergerac. Their first bird which was their fancied bird  is a Douserduyn x Demeyere which has started to put up some good performances considering he had his first race of the season on the 25th of June with the Solent Federation from Fougeres where he was 4th club, 4th Federation (1593 birds) from a distance of 175 miles. His second race was NFC Tarbes one week later where he recorded 10th sec, 134th open (3290 birds) of a distance of 527 miles and then to Bergerac on the 15th July probable 5th open 800 plus birds of a distance of 418 miles. Last year as a yearling he went to Tarbes NFC which was with the International and he was 15th sect, 93rd open (2833 birds). The partnership’s race cocks are only on the widowhood system and are fed on Mariman’s ‘Junior Super Power’, and are still being trained from 35 miles twice a week to keep them on their toes. This pigeon is now earmarked for the BBC Bordeaux race at the end of July.

1st North West Section and 6th Open was D Hughes of Windsor with a velocity of 1206ypm. This two year old widowhood cock has had an interesting two weeks flying the BICC Open race 508 miles. He returned early the next morning and so was sent to this race. He was the first bird back to the loft from the BBC Poitiers this season and won 3rd club Bergerac as a yearling. His bloodlines are Bruggeman from Mel Hewitt of Cheshire.

1st South East Section 15th Open was Malcolm Gogle of Chatham with a velocity of 1138ypm. This winning 06 mealy hen flew Tarbes NFC, but Malcolm didn’t clock her as he thought loads of pigeons were home, she would have been in the top 300. This season she has had two channel races with the East of England Club, which Malcolm joined to encourage his pigeons to fly a better line when homing from the channel. One request he has for the committee of the London and South East Classic Club is that we liberate with the Central Southern Classic Flying Club and Welsh National Flying Club for the longest two races, and he would like to have separate liberations.

DARYLL LUXFORD (L&SECC PRESS OFFICER)

PRESIDENT’S COMMENT

Will all members please note that the Steyning marking station is closed forthwith and Bergerac was last time we mark the Classic at the Steyning Cricket Club. The two 2011 Young Bird / Old Hens races are still Friday marking and the new venue for the southern fanciers is: YMCA Football Ground, Gorings Mead, Horsham, Sussex, RH13 5BP. Marking times at Horsham are: 09.00hrs to 11.00hrs and for any further details telephone Brian Doick on 01903 816247. The Classic secretary, Terri Hoskin was recently informed by the RPRA that the Carentan liberation site is now not available on the weekend of our first young bird race, because they are holding a three day music festival on the Cattle Market car park. This late switch has caused Terri a lot of extra work and the first young bird and old hens Classic in August will now be flown from Vire.The programme now is: 20th August – Vire: Young Bird / Old Hens, 10th September – Carentan: Young Bird / Old Hens. It is very satisfying to see we have nearly £3,500.00 in Breeder / Buyer and ‘Gold Ring’ prizes already set up for the two young bird Classics this summer. I would like to take this opportunity to wish all our members the very best of luck for this seasons young bird racing!

What a brilliant race Bergerac turned out to be! Outstanding returns, with 54 first bid verifications on the day and our ol’ friends Dave and Gary Heywood recording their third winner in the L&SECC. I noticed our press officer wrote that the Laindon loft has won two firsts in the Classic and he is perfectly correct, they won 1st open Guernsey (YB) in 2010, making it two outright wins, but they also won the Yearling Derby from Tours with their good pied cock, ‘Diane’s Choice’, in 2002. Dave and his son, Gary, have become pigeon racing legends in Essex, with their many National and Classic wins and after their two visits to my home in Claygate, I’m hoping to go up through the Dartford Tunnel very soon to visit their loft for an article. Well done to the Heywood family on yet another great winning performance! That’s another highly successful transport amalgamation with the Central Southern Classic Flying Club over for this year! Financially the Tarbes / Bergerac amalgamation is essential to both organizations, and both have enjoyed great racing in the 2011 season. Thanks to every one at the CSCFC for their cooperation and long may it continue!

The L&SECC ‘Blue Riband’ race winner, David Bridger of East Preston, recoded the only bird on the day of liberation from Tarbes and won our Classic by a big margin, on what turned out to be a very testing race. Peter Taylor and I made the 50 mile drive down to the south coast this week to visit David’s loft, with the view to doing an article. We saw a great loft of top class pigeons and were made very welcome by an outstanding fancier! It’s an article to look forward to and it will appear in the fancy press next week.

KEITH MOTT

WEATHER REPORT BY STEVE APPLEBY

The weather for this the last old Bird race from Bergerac for the LSECC & CSCFC was very good. A widow of fine weather was available before a break down in the weather arrived from the west for the weekend. Localised mist developed over night affecting the Bordeaux and Bergerac areas but fortunately the Bergerac race point remained clear over night. This confirmed after speaking to Nigel Rigiani the convoyer for the two classic clubs. The weather through France at first light from Bergerac heading north to the English Channel was one of clear blue skies. As the morning progressed white cumulous cloud developed over all areas as temperatures rose.  Some light patchy rain forecast to reach the West Country and the Channel Isles by evening arrived early from the west.  Winds were light and variable at the race point but a light south west air flow (see chart) became available approximately from the Saintes region. So to conclude an excellent day for racing from France as both clubs recorded day birds.

RUBE JOHNSON'S CONVOYER’S REPORT

My assistant for the last old bird race from Bergerac was my good mate, Ian Mead, and I must say he has worked out of his skin for the three Classic races he has covered with me this season. The life of a pigeon convoyer is a very hard one and Ian has done a brilliant job as my assistant, in spite of his recent back problems.

We dropped off empty baskets at the marking stations the day before marking and on the Tuesday marking day we left my home in Chertsey, and had a good clear run around the M25. We arrived at the South Ockendon marking station to find all their work finished and waiting for our arrival. We picked up pigeons at South Ockendon and Maidstone, arriving at Leatherhead at 12.10hrs for the final pick up. All the birds were watered at the marking stations. We set off for Southampton to load our birds on the C.S.C.F.C. transporter at 13.10hrs and arrived at the CSCFC marking station in mid-afternoon. The place was buzzing, and the atmosphere was brilliant! The CSCFC were convoying several organizations to Bergerac and the place was very busy with fanciers ether marking or transferring pigeons to the Classic’s aluminium race crates. Ian and I unloaded the 850 L&SECC birds and the crew at the Salisbury marking station did a brilliant job of re-basketing them, which was very hard work. I must say a ‘well done’ to Martin Norman and his band of workers, who transferred all our birds into the CSCFC baskets.