NFC SAINTES

report by www.elimarpigeons.com

The NFC Saintes race last Saturday attracted approximately 5,300 birds, an increase of over 2,000 on the previous Saintes event. The birds were liberated at 6.05hrs in a Lt and Variable wind becoming Lt West, North West en route. The convoy included a select number of birds from Scotland. A pretty hard race followed and returns were mixed.

After what must have been an agonising wait to see if they would hold onto the top spot, the honour of winning 1st Section D 1st Open NFC Saintes went to John & Sandy Westacott of Newton Abbot. The pigeon which made their dream come true is a 3y red cheq hen. This hen, who they bred themselves, answers to the name of Sybil and was sent feeding 3-day old youngsters. Previously this year she was trained from 10 miles and sent to NFC Alencon finishing 21st Section D 723rd Open. John is 55 years old and has been into pigeons for 44 years. They moved house 18 months ago and all the birds had to be broken to their new address. Together with their grandson Bailey, aged 9, they joined the Abbrook Park Kingsteinton FC. The national winner contains Henry Mairs’ Lionheart blood on the sire’s side and Cattryse on the dam’s side, these having been purchased by a Mr W. Burnell at Slabbincks final sales. The Cattryse lines of Les Davenport’s Ropley Game Lady and Roy Oldfield's Clanfield Expected are also in the mix. The national winner’s grandmother is a pigeon called Stephanie, a winner from Saintes. John and Sandy wish to congratulate the convoyer and his team for their excellent care of the birds and also thank the numerous people who have telephoned to congratulate them.

John & Sandy Westacott, who saw their dream come true when winning the Saintes National.

Crammond & Langstaff of Arundel won 1st Section A. The partnership consists of Ian Crammond and Nigel Langstaff. Ian has been in the sport 50 plus years and Nigel 12 years. Their bird is a 2y cock flown on widowhood. The birds are fed Marimans Super Winner all season with a few bits added, and are not broken down. The sire of the bird is a direct Peter Van Osch. The dam is a Van Osch bred and raced by Crammond & Langstaff. She was 7th Open in the very hard BBC Lamballe race. This section winner worked hard but arrived in good condition. They had five on the day and two early next morning in a race with sparse returns in Section A. Their ambition is to win the NFC, which nearly happened this year. They have been in fantastic form this season starting with winning the South Coast Fed followed by 1st Section BBC Messac. They then followed up with 3rd Open L&SECC Tours, then onto 2nd Open NFC Angers, then in a run of three weekends they were 1st Section 1st Open L&SECC Bergerac, 1st Section 4th Open BBC Bordeaux and now 1st Section Provisonal 71st Open NFC Saintes. What fantastic performances.

Crammond & Langstaff.

Jimmy & Kenny Wearn of Ramsdean win 1st Section B with a yearling natural hen of M & D. Evans Vandenabeele lines, who has had very NFC race this season except for Tarbes and is the winner of minor prizes previously. Jimmy said she was in superb condition with hardly any weight loss and when we spoke on Sunday lunchtime the loft had 80% returns. Their winner may now head for the Old Hens’ National. Jimmy said: ‘Pigeon racing to me is an obsession not a hobby and it is not what I can get out of it but what I can put into it that matters. I expect my pigeons to do the middle and the long races. I find it easier preparing for long distance events as I can fit the training around my work as I normally leave around 5.30am for workand don’t usually get home till 5.30pm. I can take the birds with me, approx 50 miles. My ambition used to be to win Tarbes NFC but now it’sto beatMarkGilbert in a National (fantastic flyer!). I would like to congratulate the winner on a fine performance.’ This has been another good season for the Wearn Bros and since we last spoke to them they have won 4th Open Bergerac Classicand had the Champion Old Bird CSCFC for 2008.

Jimmy Wearn.

1st, 2nd & 4th Section C are John & Dave Staddon from Merriott, Somerset. The partnership is well known and consists of father and son John & Dave. They had two birds arrive together from a batch of five, the remaining three continuing on their way north. The two hens twisted and turned around the loft like young birds and did at least 10 circuits of the loft, one keeping the other in the air. They were missing a couple of youngsters from the morning young bird race and they started to believe these were the missing young birds. Once down the hens trapped well and went straight to nest. They were in great condition. They appear to be the first two yearlings in the result.

First Section was a yearling hen now named Lady Poco. She is a pure Jos Thone bred from SumoSar and Poco Princess. Sumosar was purchased from Ian Stafford. He is a grandson of two Thone champions, the world famous Sumo and also the equally prolific Sars. He is a direct son of Jos’ leading racing hen Greeenstar, now housed with Ian Stafford. The dam, Poco Princess, was purchased from good friend Mark Dorrington of Litton in Somerset from his very good Jos Thone pigeons. Mark also bred a 1st Section CSCFC Tarbes 2008 for Roy Waters from his Thone birds, so quite a double for Mark’s bloodlines. She is a daughter of The Matrix when paired to the Poco Dream, who traces back to the Barcelona International ace pigeons of Poco Diego, The Red Barcelona & Arabella. Lady Poco was also 5th Section C from the 2007 Guernsey Young Bird National and is clearly a very good hen now taking provisional 1st Section 7th Open Saintes this year. She picked up a wing knock in an early channel race this year and John & Dave had reservations as to whether she would recover. She had been training well leading up to the race and they were delighted to see her show up so well in this race. Her prep race was Alencon NFC.

John Staddon (left) holding Lady Poco and Dave Staddon holding Lady Jackie, 1st & 2nd Section 7th & 8th Open NFC Saintes National.

2nd Section and only 10 seconds behind was another yearling hen, taking 8th open. This hen is called Lady Jackie after John’s wife. She is a Tom Gilbertson x Joe Raeburn. The sire, Jackie Boy, was purchased from the great Tom Gilbertson of Carlisle. He has been a prolific producer for the Staddons. He is sire to 2nd section 2nd Open Falaise National 2007, 3rd Section 18th Open Pau National 2007, 35th Open CSCFC Bergerac 2006 and countless other first 100 national performances and now once again 2nd section 8th Open National Saintes. The dam of Lady Jackie is a hen called Joe’s Dream, a hen bred by good friend and 1st NFC Grand National winner Joe Raeburn of Melksham. She is another great producer for the Merriott loft. She is dam of Dream Girl, 1st Section NFC Guernsey Old hens 2007 and also Dream Machine, 2nd Section NFC Tarbes 2007 as a yearling. Lady Jackie warmed up for this race by going to Tarbes NFC.

4th Section was Lady Amelia, another yearling hen and another from the best of Jos Thone. This hen is the apple of their eyes and is considered the perfect racing pigeon. She was previously 3rd Section 9th Open from Fougeres NFC from 9,450 birds. She also went to Tarbes NFC this year. Her sire, Destiny, is now dead but was a half brother to champion Avril winner of 18 x 1st prizes for Jos. The dam is Blue Amelia who is direct from Amelia. This makes Blue Amelia a half sister to Sedna 1, 1st National & 1st International Narbonne for Jos Thone. Amelia is also a full sister of The Emperor (Sumo x Eva), who sired The Legend 1st National NFC Dax 1st International Dax for Brian Shepherd. Blue Amelia was purchased from Jos and is proving a goldmine. She is dam of 1st Section 17th Open NFC Cholet National 2007, 3rd section 9th Open Fougeres NFC National 2008 and now 4th Section Prov 68th Open NFC National Saintes.

These hens will all be considered for the Old hens nationals, but if there is any doubt they will wait for next year. This was a tough race in hot conditions but the partners had 9 out of 18 on the day. The condition of the birds was excellent on return. Their better performances this year have been 2nd Section 5th Open CSCFC Lessay, 29th Open CSCFC Tarbes on the day with a yearling, 9th Open NFC Fougeres. This follows on from 3 x 1st Section and 2 x 2nd Open National 2007 & 2 x 1st BICC Hens Nationals from Falaise & Pau 2007.

The partners expect their birds to compete from 50 miles to 700 miles and to this end have won the Yeovil DHS club’s first two yb races from Minstead (50 miles). The latest with a cock bred down from Philip Newton’s NFC Certificate of Merit winner and a Hodges & Moger Jan Aarden, proving long distance birds will sprint. The birds are raced natural for the longer races and total widowhood for the early channel races. They are fed on their own mixture, which is mixed from a variety of corns and the mix will vary in accordance to the task in hand. When on natural the birds get plenty of roadwork against the wind from any direction.

The partners would like to congratulate Mr & Mrs Westacott on their fantastic victory and also Eamon Kelly & F. Lloyd on the unbelievable performance of their champion hen from Tarbes and Saintes, who has been 4th Open in both races!!!

1st Section E went to Bill Huggins of Reading who timed a 4y light chequer cock who had been on roundabout but for this race was sent sitting a pot egg; he’d had a youngster but neglected it so Bill took the youngster away and put an egg in the bowl instead. A winner of 1st Messac in 2007, he had been virtually to every inland race and every other channel race this year, and two weeks before this race he was Bill's second bird on the day from Bergerac 461mls. His sire is a Janssen cock that Bill had from Basil Chupka. The dam is a Wal Soontjen from Simon O'Brien of Reading. Feed here is mostly farm peas and barley, as the branded corn is getting too expensive, and they occasionally have a conditioner. Bill started in the sport in 1968 just afterhe moved to his present address and has had pigeons ever since, and his ambition is to win the Grand National. He had a tremendous Saintes race with 5 of his 6 home on the day. This year his birds have been very consistent and he was 2nd Section to Brian Keegan earlier in the campaign. He would like to thank Gary Bicknall, who takes him to the National marking for each race and also to the BICC.

Mr & Mrs Bill Huggins.

Phil Badnell of Oxford won 1st Section F with a 2y natural hen sitting 15 days and hopper fed a high quality mixture. Her sire is a dark cock who has had two races at the distance winning 20th Open BICC Bergerac 06 and 9th Section 153rd Open on the day Tarbes NFC 08. Phil does not race young birds, preferring to train them as far as he can get that year. This hen therefore was unraced as a baby, and as a yearling was put in the stock loft. This year she flew Alencon, Saran and Tours with the BICC prior to Saintes, from where she was winning her first prize. Phil said that, like her sire, hours on the wing do not affect herand she returned in perfect condition. Phil, who has been racing for 59 years, really enjoys his classic and national racing and has won many top section and open positions in the NFC, CSCFC and BICC over the years. He sent eight to Saintes and had four on the day and another two by the middle of Sunday.

Phil Badnell's winner.

1st Section G was won by Nigel Templer of Bristol. Nigel told us: ‘I fly on my own but with a great deal of help from my wife Nicky who looks after the stock birds and cleans out the young birds as I do suffer with the dreaded pigeon lung, but saying that, as long as I wear a mask I am okay. The bird is a Kees Bosua widowhood cock bred from direct Bosuas. The sire is the Bult,a direct son of Porky and Marbellaof Kees Bosua’s top breeding pair and is sire and g.sire of many winners, and the dam is a full sister to the mother of Muggie, which was 2nd fastest bird from Le Mans 2005 from 120,000 birds. I was first introduced to the Bosuas in 2000 when John Gerrard asked me if I was interested in buying some, and thanks to John I haven’t looked back as these birds are some of the best I have ever owned and I have constantly added to these over the years. I have full and half brothers to this cock whichhave won many prizes in the combine, openand National races. The pigeon which was 1st section Saintes National, which I now call the Bib, has scored many times in the prizes. This year alone he has been 44th Section Alencon, then he was 16th Section Angers with the NFC, and he has won top prizes in the club as well. I have previously won the section with the NFC, 1st Open with the Central Southern Classic Flying Club and 1st Open with the BBC. I feed my birds on the Vanrobeays corn from Bill,Sheila andMark Palmer in the Midlands andthe Wal Zoojtens of Gems, and use Deweerd products for keeping them healthy. I would like to congratulate Mr & Mrs J. Westacott on winning 1st Open Saintes national, and the NFCfor the good condition ofmy birds on their return.’

Nigel and Nicky holding some of their previous open race winners.

The Bib, 1st Section G.

Section H saw thirteen verifications on the night and top spot went to C & E & C. Oxborough of Great Yarmouth flying 468 miles. Eddie now races this team on his own and timed a 2y blue w/f cockbred from Jim Biss stock, which had three prep races with the East of England Club. Eddie said when he arrived he looked as though he could have flown Saintes again, which surprised him considering how hard the race had been. Eddie prefers the sprints but he decided to race the distance this year and he is pleased with his results. These distance pigeons are just left to themselves, with no particular system being used.They are fed onanything that’s left from the feed that he uses for the other pigeons i.e. sprint or young birds. Nothing is added to the water other than treatments for canker.

Only nine fanciers verified on the night into Section I and the spoils went to Gary Daykin & Son of Carlton near Nottingham flying 500 miles. Gary had a great race, timing 6 of his 12 entries on the day. His 1st Section I winner is a 3y blue hen, a Soontjen cross. She was on roundabout as nowadays Gary finds this method easier to operate than the widowhood system which brought him so much success. He uses corn from Hall Farm Granaries, and this year he has also fed Gem corn and Taylor’s Choice’s own mix. His section winner has flown two MNFC races and BICC Tours this season and she has scored at national level before, though Gary is not one for keeping records of what his pigeons have won. She looked reasonably good on arrival, with his second pigeon looking even better, in fact that one did not look as if it had been anywhere. Gary was saying that sprinting is down to the fancier but for the longer the races it is more down to the pigeon because the pigeon needs the stamina to keep going. He would like to thank Chris & Denise Sutton who train his pigeons for the National races. Gary has won all sorts of top prizes and his aim now is to add a 1st Open NFC to the list.

Stan and Gary Daykin with their first two pigeons from Saintes.

Nineteen birds were verified in Section J and it was Colin Lloyd with a real belter who won 1st Section J and probable 6th Open flying 485 miles. Colin timed a 4y blue hen. Shehas been a widowhood hen since a young bird and was paired this year to race for the first time sitting 14 day old eggs. She was fed widowhood mix with a few peanuts in the last 4 days before basketing, with Gemthepax put on the corn. Colin is a big believer in this and he also puts Naturaline in the water. The winning hen is aCattryse from a family which Colin has had for over 30yrs and more or less all the pigeons in the pedigree are 1st prize winners. The sire was 1st section 2nd fed over 3000 birds and 2nd club 4th fed 5th combine Saintes. The dam is a blue hen who was 2nd Saintes 2bird, 62nd Open MCC Fougeres over 3000 birds, 19th Open MCC Messac over 3000 birds and 22nd Open MCC Fougeres. The Saintes section winner has had 4 channel races this season winning 22nd Open MCC Lessay, 61st Open MCC Fougeres and 14th Open Messac and then into this race. She also has a lot of other performances to her name including 1st MCC from Picauville as a young bird winning nearly £2000. She was not raced as a yearling because she was paired to a Saintes winner, but was put back on the road as a 2y winning 1st Cannock Chase 2b Picauville, 6th Picauville, 1st Frome, 2nd Cannock Chase 2 bird Picauville, 140th Open MCC nearly 1900 birds, 6th Open Messac nearly 1900 birds. Her grandfather on the dam’s side was also 2nd Section 15th Open Saintes NFC the year Colin won the race. She is now going in the stock pen. Colinstarted with pigeons in 1966 and was saying that in all these years he has not really had a bad season, which is why he enjoys racing so much. He has won nearly everything in the major clubs and has only flown the full NFC programme once, winning the averages.

Colin Lloyd.

1st Section J for Colin Lloyd.

Peter Hagland of Doncaster, flying 530 miles, timed one of only two birds verified on the day in the section to win 1st Section K. His timer is a 2y grizzle hen sitting 7 days on a youngster. He took the hen’s cock away three days before basketing and she was very keen; she did not see the cock again before she went. She is off a grandson of Peggy's Boy with the dam being a grizzle hen that comes through Dave Allen. The grandsire is the original stock cock that came from Jimmy Brandtf of Antwerp. She had one channel race as a yearling and then never went over again until this year. She flew Fougeres with the NFC then was well trained for Saintes. This is the first time she has won. Peter mixes his own corn using maize, peas, tares and plenty of peanuts. He gives Origo-Stim in the water and multivits and treats for canker and cocci, more so for canker in hot weather. Peter said his hen was like an oil painting on arrival, in fact he has never had a pigeon come after so long on the wing looking so well. However, the difficulty of this race can be seen by the fact that up to lunchtime on Sunday Peter had only 3 of his 25 entries home. Peter loves his national racing and has been 2nd Open twice at Saintes and has now topped the section from Saintes three times. One of these winners was Peggy's Boy, who has since been a goldmine at stock. Peter was saying that he only races the national and was disappointed with the Fougeres race so has had little racing this year. He has brought in some extreme distance pigeons and his aim is to succeed from Tarbes.

Peter & Cynthia Hagland.

Nine game pigeons were verified on the night in Section L and the honour of winning 1st Section L went to N & G. Buckley of Rochdale flying 548 miles. Neil & Glynn are a father and son partnership and they timed ablue chequer 2y hen sitting her firstyoung bird in her life at 8 days and prior to this she has been on the roundabout. She is a Jan Aarden from stock purchased from Roy Harding of Spurstow. This season she flew a few club races, Fougeres NFC on the day (hard race), then Lancs Nantes ClubCholet (hard race) and then had some private training. She has now had 6 channel races in two years and has scored in every one of them and never nighted out. From NFC Fougeres in 2007 she was 283rd Open 6726 birds. From Cholet NFC she was 56th Open 6798 birds. From Lancs Nantes 2Bird she was 12th in a strong NE wind being the only yearling on the day when only 12 birds were clocked on the day in total. They feed farm barley and wheat mixed with the best of Versele Laga, and have used rape seed for the first time this year. They give glucose for three days and then allow two days of clear water before basketing for a race. Remarking on how their hen looked on arrival from Saintes, they said: ‘She was absolutely immaculate. We could not believe her condition.’ Neil said that in all the years he has been racing pigeons he has never had them come back as good as they do off the new national transporters. After this season Neil was thinking of having a break but the way the pigeons have flown in the NFC he is re-considering. He would like to thank the people at Bacup clock station, especially Brian and Sandra Fisher. Also Graham Ward at Middleton who trained the old birds ready for Saintes. They would also like to thank all the people who have phoned to congratualate them because it makes it all worthwhile. Neil and Glynn would also like to mention Christine, who helps out when needed and is a real gem to the team. They still cannot believe that they have won the section in the UK’spremier clubs twice in one year.

Pete Patrick of Thornton, Fife, Scotland celebrated his 70th birthday by timing his 4y chequer w/f hen on Sunday afternoon, flying 728 miles to win 1st Section M, a new section created by the NFC to attract Scottish fanciers. His natural hen was sent sitting 14-day eggs at the time of basketing. Her dam is a daughter of Survivor, who was 2nd Open Nantes and this was via a pair of eggs from John Traill who won the Niort race in the national. His sire is a son of a brother to Traill's Spark, 1st SNFC Niort SNFC 690mls and also a fed topper. As a 2y this Saintes hen won 2nd Open to Kingdom Boy at Lessay in the federation and 6th Open in the Lessay National. Last year she was 20th Open Reims in the SNRPC. Her first race this season was from 75mls, and then she had a bad race taking 9hrs, followed by Leicester 260mls, Huntington 300mls and then Reims 566 miles being fifth bird to the loft. Pete was in the middle of cleaning out when he spotted her from Saintes and he said she looked so good it was as if she had not been away. Pete feeds Versele Laga widowhood mix with maple peas added and peanuts when the longer races come along. He gives garlic juice, which he makes up himself twice each week and multivits when he thinks they need them. Pete joined the NFC two years and is pleased the Scottish fanciers have now had the chance to compete from Saintes. His only regret is that Jimmy Hamilton was not there to see the work that he did come to fruition.

Peter Patrick 1st section M

Thanks to Stuart Bowman for sending the follwoing information and pictures. As a y.b she had every race to y.b Wakefield Open 185mls. As a yearling she was flown to Maidstone 372mls. As a 2yo she won 4th Open Scottish National Racing Pigeon Club Lessay 485mls As a 3yo she won 20th Open SNRPC Reims 565 mls.This year as a 4yo she had Otterburn 78mls, Ripon 154mls, Leicester, 258mls, then Huntingdon 289mls. She then flew SNRPC Reims race but was not timed although i'm sure she would have won a prize. After Reims she had 1 toss from Peas Bay down the East coast, and 1 from Auchendinney, where Pete remembers her coming home saturated with the rain that day. She was basketed up on her 2nd flight which was about half way up, and on 14 day eggs. The sire is a full brother to Peters 6th Open Clermont 520mls. These two cocks are from a cock which is a full brother to Trails Spark and a hen bred by Mr & Mrs Padfield down ther in Sunny Wales. Actually the Padfield hen which is dam of the 6th Open Clermont is also G Dam of peters 2nd Open SNRPC Cholet 636 mls in 2005. The Dam of Silver Star is from a cock which flew Niort twice 690 mls,while the Paternal G Dam is a direct daughter of Survivor 2nd Open Nantes 620 mls, for the Late Jock Trail. I might add that Pete has been flying in the Channel races since 1965, having previously flew with his father in Kirkaldy. Pete went out of the pigeons between 1980 and 1990, but during that time learnt a few tricks from an old master Namely Jock Trail. On the day of the Saintes race Pete had to get Pete Penman SNR, to watch the loft as Pete had a Bowls Tie on which he and his clubmates eventually lost.He returned at 5pm to let Pete Penman away, for which he thanks him.Pete let the y.b's out cleaned them then cleaned some of the o'b's out etc, then came out side for a breather as it was quite sticky. Pete saw a pigeon on the y.b loft, and thought what are you doing down you should be flying, then it dawned on him it was a Saintes bird! Pete could hardly belive it, for she looked in great condition after her 728mls fly, and a night out. She was cloked at 5.33 and when Peter Penman found out he was kicking himself having left about half an hour earlier! Pete was 70 just 2 days ago and has made up for his Bowls defeat in grand style, with the NFC Section M, winner! Pete would like to thank the NFC's Convoyer and Controller for looking after the pigeons so well, the condition in which she homed from this distance is a credit to the NFC. He would also like to thank everyone who called to congratulate him and Silver Star. Pete is also delighted to get his hands on the SNRPC Silver Medal, which his old friend the Late Great Jimmy Hamilton said he had a great chance to get close to as he had the pigeons. Pete regrets however that Jimmy wasn't here to see him collect it, as it was Jimmy as we all know who was one of the main initiators of the Saintes race!  Hearty Congratulations Pete from the Members of the NFC and the SNRPC.

Peter Patrick's Silver Star

Wully & Maureen Smith win 2nd Section M flying 712 miles to Macmerry. They timed a 7y Jan Aarden/Silvere Toye dark cheq white/flight cock called ‘77 Sunset Strip’. He had been on roundabout all season before being paired especially for this race and was sent sitting 17-day eggs on the day of liberation. As prep he flew Scotch Corner, Ripon, Newark and Wanstead Flats (Inland National) and was hopper fed for the Nationals and given peanuts for a titbit. In 2006 this cock won 68th Open 27th SectionNewbury, 117th Open 19th Section Reims & 41st Open 4th SectionLessay. He was prepared for NFC Saintes in 2007, but unfortunately the race was cancelled due to bird flu. He is now going in the stock loft. Fanciers for over 30 years, some of Wullie and Maureen’s best positions are 7th Open Rennes with the SNFC; 7th & 9th Open St Nazaire with the SNRPC and, earlier this season, 7th, 79th, 121st, 122nd, 126th, 137th & 149th Open Arras with the SNRPC. Wully and Maureen said: ‘We would just like to say that this has been a great race to be in. The reports on line for the National Flying Club have been excellent and we were able to see all the pigeons coming into different sections and could follow them up the country. We would now love to fly Tarbes with the National Flying Club.’ Hopefully these two excellent performances in Section M will encourage more Scottish fanciers to have a go with the NFC.

There are some phenomenal pigeons raced in the National Flying Club and the latest to hit the heights in National racing is the one of Eamon Kelly & Frank Lloyd’ s wonderful hen who was 4th Open Tarbes & Saintes. I know she didn’t win the section but she was very close to it on both occasions and is worthy of a mention in this report. The pigeon is now known as Miss Maurice after Maurice Hull who bred it and was purchased by Eamon Kelly at the Wantage Breeder Buyer sale in 2005 to date it has won: 2006 - 423rd Open – 7th Section St. Nazaire. 2007 -169th – 5th Section Tarbes. 2008 - 1st Section 1st Open Tarbes Greater Distance Club. 4th Open 1st Section Tarbes. 4th Open 2nd Section Saints winning over £6000.00 to date. What a fantastic pigeon she is and who knows how many more top results she can put together and she is only 3yrs old.

Eamon Kelly with Little Margaret and Maurice Hull with Miss Maurice