The South West of England Lerwick Club

The SWELC held its second old bird race of the season from Coventry on the 7/5/23 were 113 members sent 1,805 birds that were liberated at 13.30 into light west wind the top open twenty birds were as follows, claiming 1st, 2nd and 4th open plus 1st, 2nd and 3rd Cheltenham parks club was David Caudle flying 46 miles doing 2 x 1420 and 1409.

3rd, and 5th open plus 1st and 2nd Longford club was Fred Cauruna flying 53 miles with 2 x widowhood flown hens the first a 1y blue Van Den Bulk hen which last season achieved a 4th from Coventry and his second a 2y blue hen being a Herman Cuesters X Van Den Bulk with velocities of 1414 and 1402.

Fred Cauruna’s 3rd open Coventry

6th open plus 1st Nailsworth club was Mike Bullingham flying 60 miles with a 1y blue chequer cock being a Ray Lunt Bossa strain mentioned on the parent’s pedigrees Mike informs us he was flown on the natural system doing 1397.

7th, 9th and 12th open plus 2nd and 3rd Nailsworth club was the Walker Brothers flying 65 miles with their natural flown old bird team sent sitting eggs due to heavy peregrine attacks around home they have decided to fly natural to keep the birds calm this season their first a 1y Jellema X Lambrecht’s chequer hen the next a 1y blue chequer Herman Cuesters X May and Mick Collins lines hen and their final clocked a Franz Zwols of Formula one lofts X Brian Milkins Gerritt 1y blue hen with velocities of 1392, 1389.260 and 1385.357.

8th open plus 1st West Bristol club was A & K Bedford flying 86 miles their bird being a 3y chequer widowhood flown Herman Cuesters cock last week from Stratford this cock won the West Bristol club and achieved 13th open SWELC this week’s velocity was 1389.743.

10th open was Ray Bevan and also achieved 3rd Longford Club flying 52 miles with a 1y blue hen of Rudy Van Reeth strain raced on the chaos system she also scored as a YB for Ray her velocity was 1386.

11th open was Brimble & Caldwell flying 66 miles and achieving 4th Nailsworth club with a 2y dark cock being a Soojen x Mark Caldwell lines raced on the roundabout system doing 1385.783.

13th open plus 1st Sodbury Vale club was Darren Moore flying 78 miles with a 2y chequer cock being a Gabby Vandenbeale flown on the roundabout system doing 1384.

Darren Moore’s 13th open Coventry cock

14th, 15th, 16th and 17th open was Chris & John Adams plus 2nd, 3rd and 4th Sodbury Vale Club flying 79 miles with their widowhood flown team the first a 3y chequer Wall Lunt & Green hen followed by a 2y blue Hardy Kruger hen then a 2y blue Coreman cock and their final a 1y blue Van Den Bulk hen their velocities were 3 x 1383 and 1382.

18th open plus 1st South Bristol Club was Chris Templar flying 88 miles with a 1y blue white flight cock being bred from out the race team loft he never raced as a young bird as he was lost in a training flight and then turned up after the young bird racing season last year so Chris just left him in the cocks section and now placed him on the road again to try and now he’s scored his velocity was 1381.

19th open was Steve Bennett flying 79 miles with a 2y natural chequer cock sent sitting pot nest eggs and being bred from Gordon Brothers birds his velocity was 1380.715.

20th open plus 4th Longford club flying 52 miles was John Morefield with a 1y blue chequer widowhood flown Geurnex cock doing 1380.450.

The Rat Man