The South West of England Lerwick Club

The SWELC held its sixth race of the 2021 young bird season from Pontefract West Yorkshire at the Pontefract race course where Pontefract is famous for its Sweet manufacturing history and now in the distance from the liberation site is the large Haribo sweet factory so on the 11/9/21 at 9.15am into a west south west wind the birds were liberated by convoyer Peter. 

The top twenty open positions were as follows; winning the race plus also claiming 2nd & 18th open was Mike Bullingham flying 139 miles.  It was really a “Star Mix” Haribo performance and Mike was certainly the Star of Pontefract and also in the winner’s enclosure VIP box his winner a cracking little Red Hen that has already this season achieved a 8th SWELC open from Coventry she was Directly bred by Alan Newton of South Wales and is bred from off the National birds obtained from Derek Flowers one of the many Legends of South Wales with high quality performances Mike’s second bird a Blue cock was also directly bred by Alan Newton and is a Leo Herman bred from the Blue Leo lines and Mike’s 3rd bird being a blue cock which is a Andrea Drapper which is bred from stock birds obtained from the entire clearance sale of the famous Wall Lunt & Green partnership Mike’s Young bird team were flown on the darkness system and left together with both sexes left to run together on natural his velocities were two birds arriving together on 1159 & 1132.


Mike Bullingham with his red hen

Claiming 3rd, 10th , 16th & 17th open was Dave Smith flying 154 miles with four birds paired up and sitting nest eggs on the Darkness system and these were all Dirk Van Den Bulks bred by Jody McKay  of Bridgewater for Dave his first a blue cock then a blue hen and then a blue chequer cock and a mealy cock coming together ,Dave’s velocities were 1156, 1148, & 2 x 1133.


Jody McKay breeder of 3rd, 10th, 16th, 17th open

4th open was Ian Pollard flying 140 miles with a blue chequer cock flown completely on the old traditional natural young bird system and this is cock is of Ian’s own created strain of pigeons kept over the years he has created his velocity was 1153.

5th open was Alan Meacham flying 165 miles with a Dark cock that is a Dirk Van Den Bulk and he is a half-brother to Alan’s “41” cock that is responsible for 4 x SWELC open wins plus many other prizes this young cock was flown on the Darkness system flying back to just the perch his velocity was 1152.

6th, 7th, 8th & 9th open was Phillip Stevens flying 135 miles with his Darkness separated young bird team Phil’s first a Chequer white flight cock followed by a blue hen that are of Phil’s Irish strain imports obtained and bred from then followed by a mealy hen which is bred out Phil’s Scottish long distance family crossed a Martin Williams bird then finally a chequer cock that is bred from one of Phil’s other Irish speed sprint family Phil had six birds arrive together at the loft the first four only count with a 3 x velocity 1151 & 1150.

11th open was David Fox flying 140 miles with a blue hen which is a Staff Van Reet crossed a Janet Wilcox Bushart flown on the darkness with both sexes left to run together on natural David’s velocity was 1146.

12th & 15th open was Bevan & Fisher flying 132 miles their first bird a blue hen were her parents came from Stuart Wilcox and her father being a William Bonoff pigeon and her mother a Franz Zwols their second bird a red chequer cock were his father originates from fellow SWELC members Luff & Walker Brothers of Gloucestershire  and is bred from their Euro Diamond collection of birds and his mother a red Jan Thelan theses were raced on the Darkness on the natural being left to run together their velocities were 1136.878 & 1135.

13th open was D & K Bullingham flying 140 miles with a blue chequer hen on the Darkness flying back to the perch on natural she is a Gaston Van Der Wower originating from Dave Zerk of Cardiff stock birds her velocity was 1136.304.

14th open was Chris & John Adams flying 158 miles with a blue cock that was bred by Joe Thompson of Bristol that is a Syndicate loft based bird and was flown on the Darkness system left together to run his velocity was 1335.824.

19th open was Chris Templar flying 166 miles with a dark cock that was bred by Stuart Innett through Adam Wealthall and being a grandson of the famous Lambrecht the snow ball and was on the darkness paired up and sitting nest eggs his velocity was 1129.462.

20th open was Andy George flying 165 miles with a chequer hen which is a Staff Van Reet cross his own strain flown on the Darkness on the natural system left running together Andy’s velocity was 1129.233.

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