The New North Road Amalgamation

Three of our members furthest events to report on and selection strategies to endure were the fanciers selected the birds to do the distance primary on their own first up the south west of England Lerwick club was holding its 2023 Lerwick race from Lerwick in the Shetland islands for this event for the SWELC the birds were transported and liberated with the NRCC birds after a 4 day hold over the birds were liberated at 6am into a north west wind turning west on route the SWELC birds had to battle the west wind and cut across country from Lincolnshire down to the south west of Gloucestershire and Somerset on their own having two birds on the clock was Gavin Duggan of Evesham flying 560 miles his winner a 7y chequer cock sent on the natural system sitting a nest young bird this cock flew south road and has flown Pau and Tarbes 615 miles for Gavin so Gavin knew with his breeding and clocking achievements and section carding  from Tarbes it was in him Gavin sent this cock in 2022 after switching him from south road to north road to Lerwick in 2022 with him just having 4 x north road races with the SWELC before the voyage to the Shetland islands were he did return but just out of the SWELC race time frame but still a great achievement so Gavin tried again with him in 2023 and came up trumps and with him sitting the youngster tightly and keenly he had full faith as this old boy has certainly deserved his retirement place to the stock loft as not many pigeon fanciers can say they have a bird that’s flew Tarbes and Pau plus other channel race points and carded then flew Lerwick twice and won it a brave strong quality bird Gavin well done his breeding is of Jan Arden and the famous champion Vlekje in his line breeding which have also shown over the years for Gavin on hard enduring days his winning velocity was 698.

1st Lerwick SWELC                                                                              Gavin Duggan’s second Lerwick bird

2nd place SWELC was Lorraine and Andrew Butler of Longford Gloucestershire flying 577 miles as flying partnership of A & L Butler with a 3y blue hen being a Marshall and Marshall and smith strain bird of the north east from their famous machine lines she was flown on the partnerships celibacy system and she’s been a good loyal hen flying the 300 plus mile mark from Scotland in 2022 scoring from Thornton Park in Fife 3rd club 7th section 14th open international championship club and the Queens jubilee race with the international Championship club and new north road amalgamation from Balmoral castle and this season 2023 at 216 mile mark achieving 1st club 18th SWELC and 9th west section and 46th open in The TNNRA from Hexham she’s been a consistent loyal hen always returning in good stead and her Lerwick velocity was 619. 3rd SWELC was Gavin Duggan again with a power house distance machine of the Loyal Jan Arden Vlekje of a pretty dark chequer pied cock of 6y old sent natural again sitting a nest baby in the nest bowl he also has flown Pau and Tarbes and achieved 114th open 4th section NFC for Gavin he’s now switched north road and has been sent with the SWELC the Warwickshire & District federation and the TNNRA and international championship club events in preparation for his first voyage to Lerwick on the grand old north road route his scoring velocity was 466. Gavin wins £304. 50 and the Butlers £ 104.50 well done all.

Andy & Lorraine Butler

Over to the two bird results in the TNNRA at Fraserburgh on the 24/6/23 at 6.15 am into west south west wind again a battling wind £121 was on the table and the two bird specialist over the years came top of Keith Orton & Son flying 320 miles with a 2y blue cock being a Herman Cuesters being of Blue Ray and Northern bound in his creation he was flown on the jealously system with a winning velocity of 939.

Alan Wayman and Keith Orton

2nd place was Mr & Mrs Clarance and Barbara Haymes & Sons & Grandsons flying 317 miles with a 2y black pied natural flown cock that’s carded in club and the 2bird before and in 2022 he flew the full TNNRA race programme being sent to Hexham, Thornton Park Balmoral castle Elgin city Thurso and the Stormness Orkney islands for the partnership his breeding is of Jan Arden True grit lines from Ray and Rose Lander and the mother bred by Gerry Francis and was purchased at the Potteries one loft race end of year sale his velocity was 556. 3rd was A Kemp & Son flying 328 miles with a 3y blue cock flown on the roundabout system this cock has flew and carded in the 2Bird events before from Elgin and Thurso for Andy and has carded in his local club of Calverton HS with the Nottingham North Road federation Andy informs us he’s been a good consistent bird and is of Andy’s own created strain from over the years bred from off old faithfuls within the lofts his velocity was 502.

The last old bird 2Bird being held at Thurso on the furthest tip of Scotland on the 9/7/23 at 9am after the sea fret had cleared into an East south East wind the birds were liberated £126.80 was on the table and a hard work out was in the sky but the gym master of the sky and claiming top spot was another loyal 2Bird supporter and specialist at picking them out was A Kemp & Son flying 400 miles with a 2y dark chequer hen flown on the roundabout system and this hen 4weeks before this race was racing from Newton Aycliffe with local Club Calverton HS with the Nottingham North Road federation went into the loft of Russell Wade of Durham and Russell after reporting her as lost to Andy offered to Feed and water her and released her at Motto Trowell Services M1 Nottingham on a trip down he had arranged for her going down south were she returned back to Andy so he rested her at home for a week and the following week started her again at local club and Federation races  after a few races he sent her to Thurso as Steve Hallam of Sutton in Ashfield who bred her for Andy as a gift told Andy to send her as the distance and hard racing was bred in her so she was sent to Thurso her breeding is of its sire being a son of champion Padfield’s Invincible 1st west section 2nd open BICC Barcelona 754 miles in 2009 purchased direct from the House of Arden the dam being directly bred by the NFC legend Geoff Kirkland from a pair of pigeons of Geoff’s called thunder and lightning these sold at Geoff’s sale and have bred many winners fully NFC and international sides and is Daniel Aerens of national standard performance based strain which Geoff obtained to blend into his famous snake lines so Steve told Andy this is a training chuck for her please send it to test it out for me her winning velocity was 743.

Andy Kemp with his Thurso Hen

2nd was Wayne Knobbs flying 391 miles with a 3y chequer cock being a Bushart bred directly and gifted to Wayne by Ray and Rose Lander he was flown on the natural system sitting nest eggs his velocity was 701. 3rd was John Swinn flying 391 miles with a 3y mealy cock that’s already carded in the local club of Blidworth NRFC and section cards in the Nottingham North Road federation his breeding is of Jan Arden were John purchased his parents from Doncaster pigeon show from a stand selling Jan Ardens he informs us he was sent also on natural sitting 12 day old nest eggs his velocity was 410.

The Rat Man.