Ashby & Ilkeston Gold Ring

The Ashby & District flying club and Ilkeston & District flying club held a joint gold ring event for the young birds of 2023 to be flown from Berwick upon Tweed at the Berwick Rangers Football Club on the English and Scottish Borders and the prize money to be split between a north section flying less than 200 miles and a south section flying 200 miles and above with £2,100 available in prizes on the table.

On the 9/9/23 at 9am into a south west wind Clarance Haymes and Dennis Bailey liberated the gold ring birds winning the open and the north section and scooping £500 was Mr & Mrs Haslam & Son flying 191 miles with a darkness flown blue hen being flown on the sliding door system Ian informs us he purchased this bird this year in a kit of 14 babies bred by Robert Reeves of Northern Ireland his winning velocity was 1239.

2nd north section and 2nd in the event was Robert Pearson winning £250 flying also 191 miles with a blue hen on the Darkness system also on the sliding door system separated this hen has achieved federation and club cards already this season for Robert and her parents are from the best of Brian Johnson of Pollington near Pontefract being a Herman Cuesters Robert would like to thank Brian for the quality of birds he has supplied Robert over the seasons her scoring velocity was 1236.

Robert Pearson

3rd north section and open event was Daniel Soanes Brown flying 180 miles with a dark chequer hen winning £150 and was she was bred by Daniels 9 year old son Archie as the mother is the tamest bird they have and the scoring daughter the same way having a great temperament the mother being gifted to Archie by John McNamee she was sent to the event paired up but with no nest bowl given Daniels and Archie’s velocity was 1153.

4th and 5th was Steve Hallam flying 184 miles taking a £100 prize and a £50 prize Steve’s first arrival a blue hen being a Koopman crossed Franz Zwols crossed Jos Thone with the Border lofts stud lines bred into it and the second bird a blue hen being Geoff and Catherine Cooper crossed a JPS loft stud bird of the famous Machine of Marshall Marshall & Smith lines both hens were flown on the Darkness system left together with the young cocks in the young bird loft to do as they please Steve’s velocities were 1083 and 1055.

Over to the south section board and winning 1st south section and £500 was Peter Norris flying 205 miles his winner a blue hen being bred and gifted to Peter by Gordon Tune of Epworth bred from out the best of Simon Parkinson’s birds she was flown on the Darkness system flying back to the love of home and her perch her velocity was 993.

Peter Norris

2nd spot was the partnership of Litherland Bailey & Harrison flying 209 miles with a chequer white flight hen winning £250 she being a Van Den Bulk bred from a cock they purchased off Elimar Pigeon Services that was sold by Andrew Thompson of Warrington when paired to a Ian Cameron Van Den Belle hen she was flown on the Darkness system with a velocity of 863.

3rd was Jonathan Swift flying 203 miles with a dark cock winning £150 his breeding being bred from off a son of John Fretwells national winner crossed a granddaughter of Frank Bristows Oscar NRCC Lerwick winner the bird has flown the young bird program for Jonathan flown on the light system Jonathan uses his scoring velocity was 735.

4th and 5th was John Norris flying 203 miles winning two prizes of a £100 and a £50 his first a chequer hen then his second a chequer pied cock both were bred by johns son Peter Norris as gifts to his dad and they both being bred out peters PJ loft stud birds and they were flown on the Darkness system just flying back to the perch left together in the young bird loft Johns velocities were 660 and 652.

The Rat Man.