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NFC ST MALO Old Hens & Young Bird Report Report by Pam Gladwin & elimarpigeons.com Following a one-day holdover, the National Flying Club St Malo birds were liberated on Sunday 7th September at 9.20am in a light west south west wind turning north west in the channel and in England. The birds cleared well. The convoy comprised 1,220 old hens entered by 262 members and 5,083 birds entered by 650 members. A testing race transpired and it was evident from talking to fanciers who had entered birds in both sections of the race that the percentage returns of old hens was better than that for youngsters, emphasising that experience counted for a lot. A full report detailing all 24 section winners will appear next week, whilst this report will centre on the two race winners. Our thanks to Pam Gladwin, who lives close by both, who gathered the photos and details together. John and John Brady - 1st & 2nd Open Young Birds John senior told us ‘Our season with the youngsters is completely geared towards the N.F.C. Young Bird National, as we have been extremely successful in the past in this race. Last year alone we finished 3rd, 4th and 6th National (winning the gold ring scheme). Our preparations start around Christmas time as I have time to oversee the pairings. Twelve stock pigeons are paired at the same time as twelve racers and the stock eggs are transferred. This is then repeated again with a second round, and then in the third and final round the stock rear their own young.
John Brady. Once weaned the youngsters are placed immediately on the darkness system and fed a high protein mix. They remain on this mix until the final round is weaned, at which time they are then fed a lighter mix, which encourages them to fly and range. Around June, training begins, with many short tosses up to around 15 miles. This softly, softly approach means we always avoid stressing the youngsters to prevent young bird sickness. By the beginning of July, the cocks and hens are separated and the real training starts every day with tosses up to 60 miles. Racing starts the first week of August and we now give them two to three training tosses per week leading up to the National. These youngsters are motivated on a basic widowhood technique and are allowed together for a few hours after each race. Two weeks before the N.F.C. National, we entered the B.I.C.C. National as the wind and weather conditions seemed good. We finished 2nd Old Hens National and 2nd Young Bird National, beaten in the latter by one second. Feeling we had peaked too early, we gave the youngsters a week’s rest to prolong their form and treated them for the first time for coccidiosis and canker. Our final preparation was two 60-mile tosses, then off to the race...
John Brady’s winner. On Sunday 7th September, after checking the internet, my son John (the other J in the J & J Brady partnership) called me from Las Vegas with the news of the liberation into a North-West wind and in true (Elvis) Vegas style he said, "Dad, it’s 'Now or Never'." I invited my long time pigeon-racing friend Bob Fagg to watch the race with me and we anticipated a four to five hour race. After four hours and thirty-five minutes, a pigeon appeared from the north-west, did one loop, crash-landed onto the ridge tile and went over the back of the loft. After a few seconds it appeared. It was completely exhausted and made its way to the landing board. By this time, a second pigeon was circling and made straight for the landing board, bringing the first pigeon down onto it as well. The rightful winner, a blue chequer cock now named ‘Geronimo’, then entered the loft taking 1st National, with the later arrival (also a cock) named 'Pontiac' finishing second. Geronimo is 100% Jos Thone, being from a son of ‘Olympic Ginwa’ and a daughter of ‘Blokje’. Fortunately, we placed a gold ring on this youngster and should again win this year’s young bird gold ring scheme. ‘Pontiac’ is 50% Jos Thone from son of Sars x Vi from Fortuna. With our own Janssen based stock (made up of Edwin Scheffer, Marcel Sangers, Tini Van Herpen and various others) making up the other half. A few years back we realised we had the right system but we felt that our Janssen pigeons lacked a few extra yards across the Channel. We had seen the results of Jos Thone and upon hearing the International result of Brian Sheppard decided these were the pigeons to invest in. My son (a former British Champion, International Gymnast) was training for an acrobatic job in Belgium and visited Jos Thone to purchase some pigeons. Unfortunately, Jos informed him that the only way to purchase any pigeons was from his soon to be held, first U.K. auction. At the auction, we purchased as many pigeons as we could afford and have continuously added to our team. We continue to have a close relationship with Jos and he is always there to give us extra advice.
John Brady and John Cowlin, both Leigh club members, taken shortly after they knew they had won. Our National win is the culmination of fourteen years of hard work and
continued pressure to improve year after year, which we have always done. We
had heard we were leading the provisional result and my son was checking the
internet for permanent updates. On his final phone call, he said, "Dad, I
think you’ve done it and won the national. You can die a happy man now!! But John Cowlin - 1st Open Old Hens
John Cowlin. 22 years old, John won his first race when he was 12 yrs old. As a child, he spent a lot of time with his granddad’s birds and decided that he would like to race on his own, so he talked his Dad into building him a loft in the garden when he was ten. He started with a few gift birds and joined the Rayleigh and Leigh North road clubs. The only help he had was training the birds and that was only because he was too young to drive. When the Leigh club turned to south road racing, John went south as well. He was given help with training by John Gladwin and later became partners with him in Formula One Lofts. As soon as he was old enough to drive, he passed his test and brought a van. No car for John, he needed to train his pigeons.
John Cowlin’s loft. He is very dedicated and gets up at 4am every morning to train before work and again in the evenings. John kept these hens with his young bird team this year. They were treated as young birds, put on the darkness system along with the young birds, trained with them and sent to the same races. All in preparation for this race. As well as winning the very strong Leigh club John has also been 5th Open London and South East Classic and 5th Open BICC. This year he has won the Leigh club and was 2nd. 8th. 28th. Open Guernsey with the London & South East Classic. The pigeon that was 8th is the same pigeon that he has won with this week. The nestmate of the dam of this bird has also bred 1st open hens national 2007, 2nd open yearling national and 3rd open BICC Tours. The sire of this pigeon also bred 7th section (provisional) London & southeast classic club the day before this race. The sire and dam of today's winning bird are: GB05B19660 Blue W/F Cock bred by Ron Williamson of Ireland owned by Formula 1 lofts. This super cock isa g.son of Champion Millennium Superstar & Fantastic Light.Millennium Superstar 1st NIPA Nenagh 22,585b, 1st NIPA Mallow 22,889b, 1st NIPA Tramore 23,585b, R.P.R.A sprint champion 2002, three times 1st Open over 22,000 birds. Absolutely mind boggling! Plus 2nd, 24,105b, 3rd 3421b, 16th 20,699b. Fantastic Light winner of 1st open NIPA 24,915 birds. GB05B19640 BCHbred by Ron Williamson of Ireland. Owned by Formula 1 lofts.The sire of this bird is a brother to Yeboah & Paul Boy. Yeboah 1st Sec E, 1st Open NIPA Arklow 20,220b, 1st Sec E, 3rd Open Talbenny 17,340b, and 23rd Open Wexford 24,248b. Yeboah was RPRA Irish Sprint award champion 95 and the best bird any distance in the British Isles in 95. Ron-Ville Paul-Boy 1st Open Bude 12,748b G.Sire of 640 is Ronville Record Breaker 1st Open NIPA 22,337b, and sire to Blue Flash super performer who was NIPA YB of year and RPRA winner top result being 1st Sec, 2nd Open NIPA 22,023b. Blue Flash in turn is sire of 03/025 1st NIPA Kilkenny 29,356b. 640 & 641.
John Cowlin’s Old Hens’ winner. John races every week with the Leigh club and says it is great for giving the birds a good line for the National. His ambition has always been to win a National, and at 22 years of age he has achieved it. Is he the youngest flyer to do so? We have known John since he was a child and a nicer lad you could not find. Well done John, you deserve it. - Pam & John Gladwin.
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