BICC
Narbonne International - liberated 24th July 2010
Report by Pam Gladwin
13,500 birds were liberated at 5.30 GMT at Narbonne. The English contingent consisted of 39 members sending 137 birds. There were no birds into England on the Saturday and when I got up on the Sunday morning it was raining, but thankfully the rain soon passed. M G Mitchell clocked the first bird at 10.18.32 in Dover. By nightfall on Sunday there were eight birds recorded in England, five in the east section and three in the central section. Congratulations to these flyers.
1st. Open and 1st. East Section. M G Mitchell from Dover. Vel. 755 flying 558 miles. Their single entry to this race, a blue 2007 hen bred from a pair of Fear Bros pigeons. This hen’s best performance to date was 2009 B.I.C.C. Perpignan International 16th open 12th section.
She is full sister to the 13th home in the ”Barcelona Challenge "2010, and the 14th 0pen, 10th section 2010 B.I.C.C. Tarbes International. Mike said once again he must thank Cynth for the effort she puts in and the care, especially with the hens - "Her Girls".
2nd. Open and 2nd. Section. Terry Johnson from Ramsgate. Vel. 742 flying 573 miles. With a two-year-old dark chequer pied cock. Sire was bred from 'Spartan', first BICC Barcelona 2002, when paired to a Jos Thone hen purchased from Stuart Wilcox. Dam was bred from 'Spartan' when paired to a Chris Little of Scotland hen. This year it has been to St Quentin twice & Reims twice, mostly with the Bromley Continental Club, basketed Friday evening & liberated early Saturday morning. He races on his own system of cocks & hens separated, but they can see each other most of the time. He feeds farm beans & barley but sunflower hearts, peanuts & maize as basketing approaches. Terry has kept pigeons since 1952 and raced since 1960. He flies on his own, but with help from John Lane, Terry Noble & his wife Marge plus several good friends. His bird arrived home a little tired but still chasing the hens. He hopes that it will go to the BICC International next year.
3rd. Open and 1st. Central Section D Bullen & Son of New Addington. Vel. 709 flying 582 miles. With a Blue Cock, a grandson of their Dark Chequer cock that was 1st National 5th International Dax in 2005, and a grandson to their blue hen that was third open LSECC Pau only six home on day. As a young bird, he had BICC Falaise as his only race, as yearling he had four BICC races for training, as a 2 year old he had 3 BICC races also for training, and this year Tarbes in the BICC winning 27th Open.
4th. Open and 3rd. East Section Mark Bulled from Harlow. Vel. 654, flying 608miles. Mark timed a 4-year-old chequer cock bred from his dad’s old distance family, which have won many top honours north and south. He was earmarked for Tarbes, but returned on the day from NFC Poitiers minus half his tail. It was then a case of waiting for his tail to re-grow and Mark always had Narbonne or Perpignan in mind depending on when he was ready.
He usually races widowhood cocks and a few hens, and then re-pairs for the distance events, which are his main interest. This cock is particularly erratic on widowhood and has made previous mistakes but always comes better when paired, and he has previously scored from Tarbes. For this race, he was on a big baby and had taken over another nest box in which he was sitting eggs.
He was in good condition but obviously a little tired for his 608-mile journey, but Mark has no doubt he could have gone on. He came from right out of the east so no doubt he had flown more like 700 miles in this race. He will now try to prepare him for next year’s Barcelona race, but he knows to his cost that such plans don’t always work out, having lost his Tarbes winner at Tours this year.
5th. Open and 4th. East Section F Knowles & Son from Wingham, flying 566 miles vel. 630. A 4 year old chequer hen of Jan Aarden x Krauth bloodlines. She has previously been 25th open Tarbes 2008, 23rd open Tarbes 2009 and 47th open Pau 2010. She was sent sitting on day old youngsters,
6th Open and 2nd. Central section Mr Mrs Newman from Petersfield flying 572 miles vel. 597. His two-year-old blue chequer cock was bred from an unrung cock from Jimmy Shepherd’s Dax cock. He had pigeons in 1948 but did not start racing until 1952. In 1985 he won the BICC from Barcelona , and in 1996 and 1997 he was 1st and 8th. Barcelonawith the Bromley Continental club. He packed up racing pigeons for ten years and has only recently started again. The pigeon was sent to the race feeding a three-week-old baby. He does not do much training, but he takes them anywhere regardless of distance or line of flight. They have an open hole loft and are out all day.
7th. Open 5th. East Section F Knowles & Son from Wingham. Vel. 546. A 2 year old dark hen - Sire: Ted Ivory's Treble Eight x Krauth.
Dam: Barker bloodlines from the late Roy Stanley of Littlebourne, Kent.
8th. Open 1st. West section. Mr Mrs Gardner, from Caldicot. Vel. 536. Flying 640 miles. They timed in at 6.28.23 Monday morning, and he told me had it not been for his wife phoning him up from work, she was working nights, he would have missed it as he was still in bed. I am always pleased when I see his name come up as we have a lovely chat. He keeps promising me he will send me a photo that I can use, but he said he is still trying too find a good one. Therefore, I have said in the winter months we will try to get over to see them and I will take loads of photos so I have them for next year, as I am sure he will be there on the result again next year. His two-year-old full-blooded Van Den Roy hen, which has had five channel races already and was clocked from Saintes last week, arrived home this morning having been shot or hawked. Tony from Ponderosa Stud is a good friend to them and in 2000 Tony rung to say he had a baby from the “Black Giant” and was he interested. He went straight down there and brought it and today’s hen is a great great granddaughter of this pigeon.
9th. open and 3rd. Central Section A & T Deacon from Waterlooville. Flying 556 miles. Vel. 528. Jan said: "There is not much we can say on our bird from
the Narbonne International, except that he was a gallant bird
who made it home in excellent condition. He was 11th Sect. 40th Open Tarbes
Int. 2008, flew Pau Int. in 2009 and this year he flew the Saran National
race, which turned out to be a very hard race. He was sent driving his hen to
nest and is one of our old Southwell family, which are always reliable."
10th. Open 6th. East Section J Underdown from Basildon. Flying 591 miles. Vel. 495.
11th. Open 7th. East Section David Hales. Vel 489.
12th. Open and 4th. Central Section Mike Bunney. Vel. 443. These later ones have arrived just as my article is going to press so no details are available.
It has been a very hard race and any pigeon that gets home is a winner in my eyes. Next week we have our last International race this year from Perpignan and lets hope the weather is kind to us and we see a lot more birds home in race time.
The BICC prize Presentation is being held once again at the Queens Hotel, Bournemouth on the 19th. February 2011. It may seem a long way off now but it is never too early to book as the tickets sell out fast. You do not have to have won the race or even entered the race to come along and have a great time. Why not make a weekend of it, come Friday and on Saturday you can go shopping or sight seeing after breakfast or stay in the lounge and chat with the many pigeon fanciers who stay behind while there wives go shopping. A weekend not to miss. Contact Carol for tickets.
