The South West of England Lerwick Club

The SWELC was racing from Wetherby race course in West Yorkshire were the Lerwick club transporter was also met by the Welsh north road federation transporter were a joint liberation took place allowing members of the international Championship club to compete against each other the SWELC had 101 members send 1,141 birds that were liberated at 06.00 am into a light south wind to try and beat the blazing heat, they were luckily no mist or smog was present and the birds cleared well on site on the 27/5/23.

The top open twenty positions are as follows; claiming top spot is Steve Bennett who also achieved 11th and 15th open and 1st and 3rd Sodbury Vale Club flying 172 miles the winner a 2y blue cock being a Gordon Bros of Ireland strain and his sire achieved 2nd open central southern classic club from Wadebridge and he was beaten to 1st open by a loft mate Steve’s second a 2y blue cock being another Gordon Bros strain and his 3rd a 2y chequer cock being a Jellema cross Gerrit Lahuis all were sent on the natural system sitting nest eggs Steve’s velocities were 1437.976, 1416 and 1403.

Steve Bennett 1st open Wetherby

2nd open was Les Nicholls former NFC wining lofts flying 180 miles with a 1y blue cock being bred from Les’s successful Van Dyke family flown on the widowhood system Les also achieved 1st West Bristol Club with a velocity of 1437.900 a close finish for 1st open SWELC this week from a central southern classic open winning loft and a national flying club open winning loft.

Les Nicholls with friend Alan

3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th open plus 1,2,3,4 in the South Bristol club was Steve Mosley flying 181 miles who’s also a previous NFC winning loft himself his first a 1y blue cock being a Van Dyke cross Mr & Mrs Kirkland the 2nd a 1y blue cock being a Van Dyke cross Wildesmersch followed by a 2y blue cock being a Van Dyke cross Franz Zwols and the final arrival a 2y blue cock being a Van Dyke cross Wildesmersch all being flown on the widowhood system with velocities of 1436, 2 x 1434 and 1433.

Steve Mosley

7th open plus 1st Nailsworth club was Brimble & Caldwell flying 159 miles with a 2y chequer cock being a Soojen based cock flown on the roundabout system with a velocity of 1432.

8th and 20th open was the Walker brothers flying 158 miles and also achieved 2nd and 4th Nailsworth club the first a 2y chequer hen being sent on natural sitting 5day old nest eggs she’s a previous 7th open SWELC scorer from Coventry her breeding being a Jellema cross Hooyman cross Lambrecht’s followed by a 2y blue natural Lambrecht’s cock with velocities of 1431 and 1392.

9th open and 2nd west Bristol club was R Taylor & son flying 180 miles with a 1y blue cock on 1429.

10th open plus 2nd Sodbury Vale club was J Cole flying 173 miles doing 1424.

12th open was Percy Hatherell flying 172 miles with a 1y dark pied cock doing 1406.

13th open was Mike Hathway flying 182 miles with a 1y blue white flight hen being a performance Jansen cross Herman Cuesters and being kept in the young bird section she flew to as a YB last season pairing up to the 2023 young cocks her velocity was 1405. 13th open was Mike Bullingham flying 155 miles and claiming 4th Nailsworth club with a natural flown 2y blue hen being a Andre Drappa bred from Wall, Lunt & Green stock her velocity was 1404.

16th open plus 1st Bridgewater club flying 206 miles in the far depths of Somerset being the furthest flying club of Bridgewater was Jody McKay with a Micky Collins Van Den Bulk 1y blue cock flown on the roundabout system with a velocity of 1402.

17th open was Alan Meacham flying 180 miles with his loyal multiple winning SWELC open and Bristol South club 4y Grizzle van Den Bulk widowhood flown cock doing 1396.

18th open and 3rd West Bristol club was Rod Herbert flying 180 miles with a 1y blue cock doing 1395.

19th open was Derek Taylor flying 188 miles with a 2y chequer cock doing 1394.

The top open twenty well done to all. 

The Rat Man