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John Halstead 2nd Open BICC Barcelona International 2011

 

 

JOHN HALSTEAD

2nd OPEN BICC BARCELONA INTERNATIONAL 2011

The Barcelona International convoy of 26,044 birds was liberated at 9.00am on Friday 8th July. With the distances involved, there were no pigeons into the UK on the first day but a steady stream of birds made their lofts from early afternoon onwards and at the close of day two, 24 pigeons had been verified into the UK. Winners of 1st Open are the top distance partnership of Crowley & Green of Compton Bassett in Wiltshire, whose five-year-old hen leads the fields with a velocity of 992ypm. You can read about their great hen by clicking here.

In 2nd spot is John Halstead, whose three-year-old widowhood cock, now named Cassius, was flying 700 miles. The sire of Cassius is a pencil cock bred by Jim Biss. Unfortunately he is no longer filling. He is a son of Turban – 2nd Open NFC Pau when his loft mate Vend won the race and 5th BICC Perpignan x a dtr of Yealdon when Yealdon was paired to a daughter of Favori. This daughter of Yealdon, rung 93N93649, was the dam of Bilbo – 5 times in the first ten of the section in the NFC. The pencil cock which bred Cassius is also the sire of Ashley – 2nd Barcelona. The dam of Cassius is the dam and g.dam of several good national performers. She is a daughter of two Jimmy Sheppard Southwells. Her sire is out of Boomerang who flew the channel 30 times inc. 6th & 10th BICC Marseilles x a  daughter of Champion Morie – 8th Barcelona. Her dam is out of 92J97579 who was a son of Diego (1st BICC Barcelona, only bird on the winning day) and a g.son of Black Lace (3rd Open NFC Pau) x 94J74636 – 17th Open BICC Dax.

Cassius won 17th Section NFC Tarbes as a yearling. At two he won 3rd Section 155th Open NFC Tarbes, 8th Section 45th Open BBC Poitiers and 3rd club 4th fed Messac. This season he has been 60th Section 293rd Open BBC Messac, 53rd Section 412th Open BBC Poitiers (9 hrs 5 mins on the wing) and then a fortnight ago flew Carentan in John's local club, taking three and a half hours. He was conditioned along the same lines as John's BBC Palamos winner (which you can read about elsewhere on Elimar) and John says he was very confident of a bold show. Pictured below are Cassius and his sire and dam.

Cassius - 2nd Open BICC Barcelona 2011

Son of Turban. Sire of Cassius - 2nd Barcelona. Also sire of Ashley - 2nd Barcelona.

Dam of Cassius - 2nd Barcelona. Jimmy Sheppard Southwell lines.