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Huntingdonand R

 

 

AROUND THE UP NORTH COMBINE

by Keith Simpson

   The Up North Combine were at Huntingdon for their fourth race of the season on Saturday 23rd April, the Tees Valley Federation saw their strings cut for the 74 members entry of 1,982 birds at 0850hrs with the birds flying into a east south east wind. News from Eaglescliffe where 7 members sent 274 birds, the previous three races has seen three different winners but that changed this week with the loft of Alan Starkey & Son Lee having their birds in tip top fettle. The two lads who are winning for the second week running enjoyed a great loft performance after timing no fewer than four birds to win a very impressive 1st, 3rd, 4th and 6th Club, 1st, 15th and 18th Fed recording 1488, 1449 and 1448. Leading the way for the previous weeks 1st Club and 2nd Fed winning duo was a 5yo blue hen who won 1st Club, 3rd Fed Melton Mowbray, 3rd Club, 7th Fed Melton Mowbray and 5th Club, 7th Fed Melton Mowbray last season.

5yo blue hen, winner of 1st Club, 1st Fed Huntingdon for Alan Starkey & son Lee.

Second in the clock for Alan & Lee came a 3yo cheq Klak Janssen hen bred by Chapman, Sons & Swinburne of Skelton Green fame to lift 2nd Fed nom, the green card scoring hen chalked up a 5th Club Huntingdon when the ‘Dynamic Duo’  won a most impressive 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th and 8th Fed. The yellow card was netted by a 5yo blue Soontjen cock that is out of a hen that won 5th UNC Clermont, the cock himself is no stranger in the clock for he was the Club bird of the year in 2010. Fourth on the clock doing 1435 came a 3yo blue Van Loon cock bred by Brian Bolton, this cracking loft performance will keep Alan & Lee in good stead for the coming weeks races. Alan Armstrong & Son with the help of The Park Ranger timed a couple of birds to lift 2nd and 5th with the blue card being scored by a yearling cheq Koopman cock doing 1465 which was enough to net 5th Fed, the cock who was bred by Mick Lilley of Hartlepool fame chalked up a 2nd Club Huntingdon last year. The second bird to be timed was a 2010 bred M & D Evans Gaby Vandenabeele hen making 1442 to pocket 30th Fed, the hen is the previous winner of 1st Club, 1st Fed young bird Mansfield (2) when there were 1,607 birds competing.   

Alan Armstrong & Son's cheq Koopman cock, scorer of 2nd Club, 5th Fed Huntingdon.

   The Stockton West End partnership of Eeles & Wathen were the winners of 1st Club and 2nd Fed on 1478, while the loft of McGlade, Gibson & Partners of Portrack were the winners of 1st Club and 3rd Fed recording 1477. Nick Lyth of Thornaby fame hit the winners enclosure with his red card winner going onto lift a useful 10th Fed on 1454. Lister Bros & Walker topped the Hardwick charts doing 1451 which was enough to pocket 11th Fed.  Walsh & McKie of Portrack netted 2nd Club, 4th Fed and 1st Fed nom on 1473.

   On Saturday the 30th April the Tees Valley Federations 77 members entry of 1,812 birds were liberated from Rivenhall at 9.30hrs into an east north east wind, with seven Eaglescliffe & District H/S members sending 302 birds for the 202 mile race. The new-formed partnership of  John Wilson & Harry Heard got back to their winning ways in great style after having no fewer than three birds on the clock to win 1st, 4th and 5th Club, with the red card being won by a yearling blue Mark Vandenabeele hen bred by John and recording 1448.7 to go onto score 16th Fed. The yellow card was awarded to a 2yo blue Janssen cock making 1435 to pocket 24th Fed, third on the clock for John & Harry the 1st Club Selby winners was a 1yo Willy Thas Grizzle hen doing 1428 to notch up 30th Fed. Alan Armstrong & Son are in the runners-up spot for the third consecutive race after timing a couple of Gaby Vandenabeele family to lift 2nd and 6th, with the blue card (that was almost red) scoring blue hen achieving 1448.2 to net 18th Fed. Second to be timed came a 2010 bred cheq hen making 1423. Alan Starkey & Son Lee are in 3rd spot with the duo’s green card scorer being the 5yo blue cock that chalked up 4th Club and 18th Fed the previous week, this time with a vel of 1443 the cock lifts 21st Fed.

Harry Heard of Wilson & Heard, the Rivenhall red card winners, with Alan Starkey who is weighing up the opposition.

   The Federation was topped by the Hardwick loft of Worton, Dyball & Ruddy recording a pole position velocity of 1480. The partnership who are recording their second Fed win of the season after topping the Fed charts at Mansfield also won 1st young cocks show banking £42. Clubmates Lister Bros & Walker chalk up 2nd Club and 2nd Fed on 1473. Singh & Carrick came out on top at Portrack with their red card winner going on to lift 3rd Fed on 1740, Jamie & Mick also lift 2nd young cocks show to pocket £21. It was good see Nick Lyth of Thornaby win 1st Club and 3rd Fed, the lad has enjoyed great success for a number of years and is recording his second win on the trot. It was equally pleasing to see Norman Dixon win 1st Club and 5th Fed at Roseworth, Norman one of the sports hard grafters flew a very good pigeon at Billingham for a great number of years. Norman had enjoyed a few 1st Teesside Federation wins over the years with his 2001 old bird Epping chart-topper seeing off an entry of 4,358 birds, a second Fed win was achieved at young bird Mansfield (2) when there were 5,374 birds competing. In 2002 Norman won a most impressive 1st Club, 1st Fed and 5th up North Combine old bird Maidstone from a convoy of 21,338 birds. Norman a former Billingham Club secretary won 1st Fed old bird Selby in 2003 out of an entry of 4,482 birds, and in 2005 his Folkestone (1) pole position Federation winner went onto score a notable 15th UNC from a convoy of 24,692 birds. Norman who has always had his hands in setting clocks for a great number of years topped the Fed again in 2006 when his old bird Melton Mowbray (2) chart-topper saw off 1,456 birds. Norman topped the Teesside Federation charts again in 2008, this time from Newark when there were 2,098 birds competing. It would be fair to say that Norman has enjoyed his share of success over the years and he may not have seen the last of them just yet. E Place of Stockton West End won 1st Club, 6th Fed and 1st Fed nom on 1469.1, Heightley, Son & Hayes wins 1st young hens show on 1440 to pocket £42 while Eeles & Wathen are 2nd young hens show doing 1402 to net £22. I’ll just give a mention to Ann Worton of Roseworth for chalking 2nd Club and 25th Fed. 

   Well that’s what I have for this week, any news to Good corn at 6 Boulby Drive Loftus Saltburn Cleveland TS13 4JN. Tel; 01287 643624 or Email; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.