The South West of England Lerwick Club

The SWELC fifth race of the young bird season was being held from Newbold Verdon in Leicestershire and on the 5/9/21 at 13.15pm into a light East wind, Peter the convoyer released the birds on their way. 

The top twenty open positions are as follows, winning the race plus claiming 6th, 7th & 8th open was Phillip Stevens flying 69 miles. Phil’s young bird team is now separated into two teams after a few successful results they are now alternative weeks one team is raced in the SWELC & the other team in the South West of England South Road Combine as for this season they turned north road with young birds after Phil’s first bird way out in front he had 6 birds come together and trapped over the pad in 8 seconds but only four birds per member count in the open result in the SWELC Phil’s winning bird a blue hen is of Phil’s created Irish strain of birds he is developing from his Northern Irish friends and his 2nd & 4th birds were also of his Irish strain being closely related his third bird being a Scottish distance bird crossed with a Martin Williams bird Phil’s velocities were 1464, 2x 1421 & 1420.


Phil Stevens

2nd & 11th open was Freddie Caruana flying 65 miles with 2 x Dirk Van Den Bulks flown on the darkness system with both sexes left together flying back to the perch his first a home bred Van Den Bulk blue hen then his second a chequer pied hen that is bred from stock birds from Jonny Birch of Birmingham’s Dirk Van Den Bulks Freddie’s velocities were 1450 & 1416.

3rd, 4th 16th & 17th open was Dave Smith flying 89 miles with his darkness system flown young birds left together to pair up and all four birds were sent sitting eggs Dave’s first and fourth birds were both gift bred birds from Shaun Pilgrim of Hucknall the first a blue hen which is a Jan Grondelier X a Grandson of De Caprio this hen’s mother has bred now 5 x federation winners including these for other fanciers and not just for Shaun the other bird bred by Shaun a blue cock is a Syndicate lofts Drum line bred bird the 2nd & 3rd scoring birds for Dave were both Bred by Jody McKay of Bridgewater and are of Jody’s Dirk Van Den Bulks. Dave’s velocities were 2 x 1438 & 2 x 1408.


Dave Smith

5th open was Steve Moseley flying 100 miles with a blue cock doing 1423.

9th & 10th open was Alan Meacham flying 99 miles with 2 x Dirk Van Den Bulks flown on the Darkness system left together flying back two the perch with a mealy hen and a blue hen doing 1420 & 1419.

12th open was Chris & John Adams flying 92 miles with a Welsh rung blue cock that has already scored before this season in the SWELC open he came into their lofts as a lost stray and would never leave he is from John Andrews of Barry South Wales birds flown on the Darkness flying back to the perch with a velocity of 1414.975.

13th open was A & R Smith flying 93 miles with a Dave Smith bred Soojen blue cock flown on darkness left together on natural doing 1414.156.

14th open was Wesley Selway flying 120 miles with a Jan Hoyman blue white flight hen bred by Bob Kirby of Devon she was sent paired up to a young cock flown on the Darkness doing 1410.

15th open was Luff & Walker Bros flying 77 miles with a blue hen flown on the traditional young bird natural system both her parents were from Crammond & Langstaff and are bred from off Mark Gilbert of Windsor birds of “ Starlight” , “Southfield Mellisa “ , Southfield Supreme” & “ Daughter Monar” this hen the week previously in the South West of England South Road Combine on the North Road route won their other club from Ashbourne and also including 15th Combine her velocity was 1409. 18th open was Mark Pitman flying 86 miles with a blue cock flown completely on natural his father is a Paul Stobbs Soojen X a Dave Smith Soojen and his mother a Morris Verhaye this pairing is successful as Mark like myself works hard and long hours and he has achieved some very impressive one loft race results in which he likes to enter to compete and test his birds out with his birds and from this pairing they have achieved very good positions in one loft events Mark’s velocity was 1396.

19th open was Percy Hatherell flying 91 miles with a blue chequer cock doing 1394.

20th open was Bevan & Fisher flying 65 miles with a dark chequer hen which is a full sister to the partnership’s SWELC Coventry 1 open winner her parents are both from Ashley Marshall of Birmingham and are of a pair of Lambrecht’s X Van Den Brande their hen was flown on the darkness system left with both sexes together in the loft their velocity was 1391.

That’s the top twenty for that race completed, some other news to report on the 2022 New North Road Amalgamation Futurity race will take place from Alnwick on the 17/9/21 and the West Country & Welsh ring and sale agent and marking operator will be Mr Graham Watkins the secretary of the Oldland & District Flying Club when rings are available a notification will be announced thanks...

The Rat Man.