RHONDDA VALLEY FED
Reports by Martin Dunn
2007 ROLL OF HONOUR
The 2007 season for the Rhondda Valley Federation can be classed as very successful overall. First of all the financial side of the federation is looking bright, the new transporter has been paid for, and the fed committee is actively looking for funding through the grants available to be in a position to change the 2 pick up vehicles over the next 2 years.
Membership has held up over the last few seasons, standing firm between 230 - 240 members, with an average over 200 members competing week in week out, over the season, and added to this we have new applications from clubs coming in for 2008 so the future is positive.
Racing wise can be classed as excellent in the federation races, with birdage really standing up in the critical young bird races, giving the members an excellent team of yearlings in 2008. For this we can thank the new race controller Chris Butler and the Parry boys who convoy the birds each week.
Facts and figures show that we convoyed 37000 pigeons to the old bird races and 36000 pigeons to the young bird races, giving an excellent total of 73000 plus, over the season, a nice average of 3043 birds per race, despite the Defra restrictions on the old birds racing weekly.
From the 230 odd members, 139 made the fed results over the season, not bad considering that the radius of the fed stretches some 35 - 40 miles East to West and around 15 miles north to south.
Now we come to the Honours board, starting off with the points. The federation Champion, I think it’s for the 6th time in 7 seasons, although I maybe wrong on this score, is the one and only Graham Warren of Treherbert. Graham takes the title with 348 points, although the result was in the balance right up to the final race of the season.
The points top ten in the fed is as follows:-
1st - Graham Warren 348 Points Treherbert
2nd - A&K Davies 330 Points Penygraig
3rd - Street & Hughes 313 Points Tonypandy
4th – Gill Bros 311 Points Penygraig
5th – C.B.C. Harris 220 Points Abercwmboi
6th – Butler Bros 201 Points Cwmparc
7th – Dunn son Seal 196 Points Penygraig
8th - P.Sheldon 192 Points Abercwmboi
9th – Davies & Evans 167 Points Maerdy
10th – A.Ware & DTR 161 Points Tonyrefail
10th Watkins son Cockcroft 161 Points Tonypandy
There are also the 2 trophies for the most points old birds, one for the East Section one for the West. Winner of the trophy for the East section is the Gill Bros of Penygraig, with David Gore of Kenfig Hill winning the West Section.
Channel points trophy is one of the most sought after honours and this year this has been one by Nantymoel’s Denny Phillips. Nantymoel only rejoined the fed in 2007 and they have certainly made their mark. Denny didn’t miss a result over the channel, and he also wins the 2007 channel averages, Velocity Proper, on a velocity of 1050.56ypm.
Talking of Averages, Penygraig’s A&K Davies had an outstanding season, winning the fed 3 times, with the big one from Bonn included, and this secured the following trophies: Old bird Average, the Ramsgate and Maidstone old bird and young bird average, best 2- bird average from Ramsgate young birds. Well done Arnold and Keith on another excellent season.
Talking of 2-bird average trophies, Graham Warren clinches the Ramsgate old bird 2-bird Average, with Brian and Mike Gill having 6 together from Maidstone old birds, making this average a formality.
Gerald Honeyfield of Tonypandy enjoyed a successful young bird season, culminating in 1st fed Maidstone and another close up from Ramsgate secures the best average from these racepoints.
Talking of Young Bird Averages, this was a tight one with Chris Jones of Trebanog Holding off Penygraig’s Dunn son Seal by less than 1.5 yards over the season. Chris owes this to a wonderful Belgian-bred cock that’s won, I think, 3 races including Ramsgate where he also won the 2-bird club for Chris.
Dunn son and Seal had to be content with the Combined Averages for the second year in succession. This partnership have enjoyed a successful few seasons with the young bird averages in 2005 and 2006, showing how consistent they are.
Final trophy is for the top club in the fed for 2007. Both old bird, young birds and combined points trophies went to the ultra competitive Penygraig Con H.S.. Although only 10 members strong, it’s blessed with some extremely good fanciers and if you divide the 540 points gained by the number of races, it would mean you would have to clock in the first 5 positions of the fed every week to win the club. A record to be proud of for all the fanciers in this club, every single member has contributed to the total in 2007.
The outright fed winners in 2007 are:-
Old birds
SWINDON 1 STREET & HUGHES TONYPANDY
SWINDON 2 T.GIBBONS NEWPORT
NEWBURY M.DOCHERTY&SON PORT TALBOT
EPSOM R.SLATTER TYLORSTOWN
MAIDSTONE A&K DAVIES PENYGRAIG
RAMSGATE C.B.C HARRIS ABERCWMBOI
NEWBURY M/M BRIMBLE NEWPORT
OUDENAARDE P.WATKINS MAESTEG
EPSOM 2 B.JONES&M/M GREEN TONYREFAIL
HUY GILL BROS PENYGRAIG
NEWBURY STREET & HUGHES TONYPANDY
BONN A&K DAVIES PENYGRAIG
NEWBURY M.WOODLAND &SON TONYREFAIL
Young birds
HULLAVINGTON P.SHELDON ABERCWMBOI
HULLAVINGTON P.SHELDON ABERCWMBOI
SWINDON P.SHELDON ABERCWMBOI
SWINDON A&K DAVIES PENYGRAIG
NEWBURY WATKINS SON COCKCROFT TONYPANDY
NEWBURY M.L. GIBBONS NEWPORT
EPSOM MORRIS PUGH WHITCOMBE MAERDY
MAIDSTONE G.HONEYFIELD TONYPANDY
RAMSGATE L.COLLEDGE & SON NEWPORT
HULLAVINGTON BUTLER BROS CWMPARC
LILLERS C.B.C HARRIS ABERCWMBOI
The fed presentation night will be held at the Heritage Park Hotel, Trehafod on Saturday 26th January 2008, this is the weekend after Blackpool show. Contact Clive Harris the fed secretary to secure your ticket. They are £15 each with an excellent singer lined up with a superb meal guaranteed, this should be night not to be missed.
28/11/07