East Midlands & Yorkshire

With

Gregg Johnson

Hi all I hope all is well and you enjoyed your weekend away or just a day trip out to the Blackpool show. We have the final old bird race result report to publish for the organisation this was from Falaise in the north west of France  convoyer willy Ward reports all ran smoothly with no hold ups on pickups and the ferry crossing to France  the usual stops were made for watering and checking the birds welfare and the birds on Friday early afternoon were fed the countrywide feeds premier mix feeds prior to arrival at Falaise after the birds were watered and rested at the Caen docks the transporters arrived at Falaise with the transporters being applied with fresh water for the birds and a full create and lorry check inspection conducted on the race day morning the lib site was clear warm and sunny and all the French land and coastal checks came back clear then the English Channel checks and English land checks on line of flight were good it was time to liberate the birds at 07.00am into a north west wind on Saturday the 13th of July 2019 the birds were liberated willy reported after a minute the birds cleared the site completely even in a head wind the signs were good and a final check of the creates for stragglers was carried out after all creates were checked the create lids were all closed the pigeon drinkers emptied and the transporters sprayed with Vercon S biocide and the trip home began for the transporters and birds with 14 organisations sending a strong 4,051 birds which is a great send and beats some nationals and specialist clubs birdage and some of these fanciers fly a lot further in the north so as I say fanciers who are achieving high positions in this organisation deserve full credit for their performances as some of the country’s finest now fly within this so competitive competition is on the table so let’s take a look at the top 20 lofts. Winning the combine and being crowned the Queen of the combine is a lady fancier of Dora Andrews of Royston Barnsley now Dora has been knocking at the door with winning this combine ever since it began with regular top 20 positions being achieved well now she’s finally done it for her and her late husband Vince Dora is no stranger to winning many prizes have been won in both the Barnsley federations and high value prize money being won in the big Barnsley yearly futurity race. Dora wins the combine and her winning bird also wins the Barnsley and District Federation ( little Barnsley fed) and 1st in her local club Carlton HS her winner is a 2y chequer hen flown on the roundabout system and fed on Marimans corn she is a home bred hen which is bred out of Dora’s best hen called Dolly who was a gift bird from John Cobley in the Midlands and Yorkshire social circle exchange young bird scheme in 2012 as a young bird she won the Barnsley fed young bird Carentan final race for Dora her father is a Van Rijn from Brain and carol Hawes she flew 329 miles doing 1159. 2nd and 8th combine is Pat Helliwell of Sheffield pat also achieved with these two birds duplicated 1st and 4th Stocksbridge Federation 2nd and 7th Mid Yorkshire combine 1st and 2nd in his local club Wadsley Bridge FC his first bird is a 1y chequer hen the 2nd a 2y chequer hen we’re both were flown on the roundabout system and fed on BJF farm feeds corn the nest mate to the 2y hen achieved 1st mid Yorkshire combine from Falaise in 2018 all these birds are the best from the lofts of Scotland’s finest the Macaloney family pats birds flew 318 miles doing 1157 and 1149 3rd combine is Don Footitt of Retford North Nottinghamshire Don also achieved 1st Nottingham south road federation and 1st Retford central fc in his local club this is a 3y blue cock called poker face he is flown on the roundabout system and fed on Versele-Larga super widowhood mix and high fat mix’s added to the end of the week this cock has already achieved previously in his career 7th section 72nd open Midlands National Vire 9th section 164th open Midlands National Vire again plus many 1st clubs and Notts south road federation top ten positions achieved regularly he is three quarters Hermans Cuesters from the Wildwind lines X Euro lines of Tam Blair’s Laddy GaGa line he flew 307 miles doing 1154. 4th combine  and 11th combine is Richard and Kath Hodkinson of Stocksbridge were they also achieved 2nd Stocksbridge Federation 1st Stocksbridge FC and 1st Stocksbridge 2bird Club with a 4y chequer hen which is a Lewis Cureman X a Andrew De Clements were her mother is a great granddaughter from Lewis Curemans famous Bingo bird. This hen for Kath and Richard has won 7 x 1sts now from over the channel and land for them including Poitiers. She flew 323 miles doing 1153. Their second a 3y Dutch rung purchased young bird doing 1141 5th combine was Mathew Jagger of Penistone were he also achieved 3rd Stocksbridge federation and 1st Penistone HS in his local club this was achieved by a 1y chequer hen paired up on the natural sitting eggs she was matts first bird from the feds inland race the week previous to being sent to Falaise her paired cock got lost a weeks before and she sat the eggs in the nest herself for 2weeks and they were hatching when sent to this race. She was bred by Dave Ibbotson were Mathew purchased her at the Penistone clubs annual breeder buyer pen sale for just £20 in 2018 she flew 325 miles doing 1152.43 6th and 14th combine was Richardson Bros and Thompson of the Barnsley and District Federation (little Barnsley fed) with also achieving 2nd and 3rd federation flying 318 miles on 1152 and 1133 7th combine is J and S Toon of Pontefract with also achieving 1st Normanton federation and 1st Pontefract SRFC in their local club with a 3y blue hen on the natural system she’s won previously inland but this was only her second time over the channel Simon informs me she was sent feeding a 8day old chick in the nest she is a home bred bird from out the stock loft with her parents originating from Derek Taylor and Brian Cunningham paired together she flew 335 miles doing 1151 9th combine was H and N Tyler of Aston South Rotherham were they also achieved 1st central Derbyshire federation and 1st Dinnington HS in their local club this was a 3y blue hen sent on the natural system sitting 14 day old eggs she previously the week prior won the Dinnington club race with the central Derbyshire federation from Newbury she was fed on Versele-Laga Gerry plus corn with end of week high energy corn added in she is a Gabby Vandenbeale with her parents originating from Mr and Mrs Billy Folston of Woodsetts near Worksop she flew 312 miles doing 1148. 10th combine is S Gill and Son of Castleford were they also won the Northern classic club race duplicating back plus 2nd Normanton federation and 1st Roundhill HS in their local club this was a 2y blue hen flown on the roundabout system and was home bred and consists of their own created family of birds blended together the year previously in 2018 in this same race this hen achieved 1st club and 2nd again in the Normanton federation she was fed on Versele-Laga super widowhood mix blended with Banfords Wizzard high fat mix combined she flew 337 miles doing 1145. 12th combine in S Speight and Son of Morley Leeds they also achieved 1st Dewsbury Federation and 1st Morley FC in their local club this 2y blue widowhood cock also achieved 2nd combine 1st Dewsbury federation and 2nd Mid Yorkshire Combine and 1st Morley Fc in the Lemans race of the second combines race held this bird has since won the 2019 RPRA North East region middle distance award he is a Gabby Vandenbeale X a Rob Conney of Normanton stock bird he flew 340 miles doing 1139. 13th combine is Martin and Christine Cornish of Lofthouse Wakefield were they also achieved 1st Leeds Amalgamation and 1st Stourton FC in their local club the bird is a 2y blue hen flown on the roundabout system and fed on Vanrobaeys corn Martin informs me this is the best corn they have fed and have used it solely for 3 years now the bird is a Lewis Cureman X Albert Marcelis flying 339 miles on 1133 her nest mate topped and won this same Falaise race in the heavy woolen federation in 2018 for the partnership. 15th combine is S P Turner and Son of Bradford were they also achieved 2nd Dewsbury federation and 1st Dudley Hill FC in their local club stewart informs me that this 1y dark chequer cock which is a Padfield Jan Arden X Brian Denny distance strain flown on widowhood never had a race as a young bird he just received plenty of training he was sent fed on a basic widowhood mix and he flew 347 miles doing 1133 16th combine is John Briscoe of MonkBretton Barnsley were he also achieved 4th Barnsley and District Federation (little Barnsley fed) and 1st Monkbretton FC at his local club this was achieved by a 2y chequer White flight hen flown on the roundabout system were she’s fed on johns own mixes of corn all blended together she originates from stock birds from Frank Turner of South Kirby she flew 327 miles doing 1131.80 17th combine is the father and son partnership of Ron and Nigel Dennett of Maiden Vale Mansfield were they also achieved 2nd Northern Classic Club this was achieved by a 1y chequer hen called “The Egg Bound Hen “ as Ron informs me she was on deaths door as for 7days she did not pass her second egg and her health and body weight deteriorated is was not looking good for this hen but Ron said to son Nigel just leave her she has two choices live or die, and finally she laid her second egg were she was then nursed back to full health also Ron informs us she was never raced as a young bird also she is bred from some of Andrew Newton’s best stock birds purchased at his entire clearance sale she flew 302 miles doing 1131 18th combine is Neil Blakeway of Altofts village near Wakefield and Normanton he also achieved 2nd Leeds Amalgamation and 1st Altofts Lee Brigg FC in his local club this bird was also the first Nom bird in the Leeds Amalgamation winning Neil £150 this was achieved by a 2y blue widowhood cock were Neil informs me on the Tuesday before the Thursday marking for this race this cock broke a main wing flight so Neils close friend Terry Spink super glued the flight back on this cock for Neil this cock likes Falaise as back in 2018 he achieved 3rd club for Neil from Falaise and winning the Yearling club Trophies on this and other races Neil only has a small loft and garden and has only been racing 10 widowhood cocks for a number of seasons this cock is self-bred which is bred off his late uncles stock birds Geoff Crawshaw were the birds originated from Ken Darlington of Whales he flew 336 miles doing 1130.63 19th combine was D Maylett and Son of the Barnsley and District Federation ( little Barnsley fed) were they also achieved 4th federation flying 318 miles on 1130 20th is L Bird and partner of MunkBretton Barnsley were they also achieved 5th Barnsley and District Federation ( little Barnsley fed) and 2nd Carlton HS at their local club this was achieved by a 2y blue widowhood cock which is of Syndicate loft breeding and Lee informs me he’s flew steady all season fed on Vanrobaeys corn he flew 327 miles doing 1128 . So, there you have the twenty best topflight lofts in a very big competitive race.

Well done and all the Best The Rat Man ....

Christine & Martin Cornish

Dora Andrews

Neil Blakeway

Pat Helliwell

Stuart Turner

Richardson Bros & Thompson

The Poker Face Cock