The Joe Murphy Column

Received a phone call then an email from Martyn Brown of Bo’ness club he was the organiser for the clubs breeder/ buyer sale which was held earlier this year.  Martyn wrote ‘Hi Joe, all I can say about the breeder buyer is there is some light at the end of a disastrous young bird season for me. I know most fanciers are in the same boat. We had an entry of 40+ pigeons in the sale and at the end of the season I only had 5 pigeons results submitted to me. These bird’s results were submitted to an independent judge, and your entry a red cock SU18 288 that I purchased and raced was deemed to be the winner. He achieved 6th club from Tow Law from an entry of 463 birds and he also won 19th club Otterburn from an entry of 290 birds. The prize money is £500 to the breeder (Joe Murphy) and £500 to the buyer (Martyn Brown). I would to thank you for helping me advertise the sale and everyone else who supported the Bo’ness Homing Society breeder buyer sale, either by donating a pigeon or buying one on the day. I hope I can count on you and everyone else’s continued support in order to make a success of next year’s sale. I also hope you make a full recovery and return to good health in the near future; yours in sport Martyn’. The breeding of the winner is a follows: the sire was BELGE14 4250212 bred by Daniel Aerens his sire was from Dax winners while his dam is a daughter of St Vincent Duiven winner of 1st international St Vincent she in turn is a full sister to 1st Barcelona winner for Daniel. Dam of the breeder/ buyer prize was bred by Mr & Mrs Mark Gower of Salisbury. Her sire was a son of Deweerdt famous Kedirtje top national racer and breeder when he was mated to a daughter of the famous Raldo. The Gower hen mother was bred by Mark Gilbert and contained the best of Mark’s winning bloodlines. Her sire was Southfield Treble when mated to a daughter of Mark Gilberts ‘Night Flight’ winner of 1st NFC Saintes.

End of an Era

While speaking to my dear friend John Tyerman (president of the BICC) he informed me that the Barcelona Challenge lofts will soon be wound up and John and Lou McGee and their family will return to the UK. As a result all birds will be brought back to the UK and sold by auction on Elimar Pigeon Services web site. John and I both have old birds that were some of the first to go to the loft and they have raced from Barcelona; Perpignan and Narbonne quite a number of times and John wondered if I would like my bird back, to which I said ‘Yes’ as I still have his father and uncle in my stock loft. Away back in 2008 John and Linda Tyerman and John and Lou McGee decided to race pigeons in the locality Nord Pas De Calais Federation Colombophile which boasts some 9000 pigeon fanciers. Much of the region was involved with pigeon racing on a large scale, with the Colombophile sending up to 20, 000 pigeons a weekly race. Prior to the move the two Johns had talked about the International racing scene and other fanciers had also expressed interest in sending birds over to France, so after much discussion  a partnership was formed  to bring into fruition the "Barcelona Challenge One Loft Race". The idea was to accept and train young birds, that would be raced as yearlings to 300 plus miles and then as 2 year olds they  would be further prepared to compete in the prestigious Barcelona International event, a distance of some 625 miles to the  new lofts at Hernicourt. At the start of the 2008 season, these 103 birds were paired then trained and later raced on the roundabout system in the Club and Nord Pas De Calais Federation.  The local fanciers took great interest and welcomed John and Lou into the clubs and although neither spoke French they seemed to get by with a few gestures and smiles.  Racing was a bit different from the UK, with liberation times via the local radio and no great emphasis placed on the weather. I flew into to Beauvais and then took a train to Arras where John & Linda Tyerman met me and after visiting the 1st world war sites we made our way to Hernicourt.  The 70 entries from the Barcelona One Loft were liberated at 08-45 hours, (GMT) from Barcelona along with 27,627 International pigeons on Friday 3rd July these birds were the ones left from the original 99 entered late in 2007, and they had been well trained and raced out to Angouleme 350 miles as yearlings, and prior to going to Barcelona had four races out to 200 miles, plus several 40 mile training tosses from Amiens. The 2 John’s had handled all the candidates, prior to basketting and they were in superb condition and all were sent sitting between 12/14 days on eggs. By race day it was somewhat cooler in Northern France, but still very hot in the south, so it was never going to be an easy race over the 625 miles back to the lofts at Hernicourt, or indeed for any of the birds wherever they were homing to. It soon became clear that the race was going to be a difficult one and the weather conditions had taken their toll on day one, so only the best and fittest pigeons would come through. Then at 11-55 am (GMT) a dark chequer hen entered by Crammond and Langstaff dropped onto the Barcelona loft and quickly entered the loft to be recorded at11-55-14. (GMT) Although she had lost a bit of body weight she was in good condition and was bred out of stock pigeons purchased from Herman van Helmand whose family of birds excel in long distance events. Ian and Nigel were absolutely delighted when told they had won 1st open Barcelona Challenge Loft, plus £1000 prize money. The hen was bred from a Wim Muller cock containing the lines of Madonna, Mona Lisa and the Golden Breeder. The dam of the winner is also bred from two direct Wim Muller pigeons and was absolutely steeped in the finest distance bloodlines from the best of the Jan Aarden lines and many top Barcelona positions showing in the winning hen’s parents and grandparents. If memory serves me right this hen was in the top 400 from the 27,627 International entry, so quite a feat for a two year old on its' first attempt at Barcelona. John McGee is having 5 sales on Elimar but had previously agreed to a pen auction at the Whithawk FC at Brighton on Sunday 16th December, viewing 12 midday sale starts at 1pm. I’m informed there are some cracking birds going on the sales lists and any fancier with an eye to competing at the distance, will no doubt be keen to follow these sales and who knows may buy a bird or two that could make a name for them in the national races in the future.

Another loft that is calling it a day is my good friends Marlene, Tom & Scott McEwen of Elphinstone in East Lothian. It is with regret that they are making all birds available for sale. This has come about due to on-going health issues and Scott finding the time available to help out his mum and dad. The McEwen family are well known throughout Scotland having won 1st open Scottish National Flying Club 3 TIMES. Plus many other outstanding positions 4th open Rennes (542 from an entry 7476 birds; 4th open Niort (673 miles) 4th open Nantes (602 mile) 5th open Reims 546 miles; 7th open Roye (495 miles) to name a few. Their main families are their own distance bloodlines of Petite Rose winner of 1st open SNFC Tours (611 miles). Mark Gilbert of Windsor this family has bred many winners with the baseline Deweerdt, including Emiel, Ted, Magnus, Kedir, plus Euro Diamond and Starlight families. Paul Stobbs of Consett stock included sons and daughters of the Gypsy, Bobs Choice, Greystoke Boy and Flo: these birds have been outstanding for the McEwen loft right from the start. Look out for their advert in this week’s BHW I wish Marlene, Tom & Scott all the best for the future.

Tom McEwen

Petite Rose

Good SNFC Birds

This week I start with 2 blue bar cocks from the loft of double Gold Cup winner John Duthie of Dundee. The first bird is SU15DF1788 in 2017 he won 27th section C 85th open from Bedhampton flying a distance of 399 miles 22 yards and recorded a velocity of 1221, he was then sent to Ypres a distance of 459 miles 515 yards and won 7th section C 19th open with a velocity of 1037.05. This year he was sent to Buckingham and win 54th section C 309th open recording a velocity of 937.6 for the 321 mile 1069 yards. He was then sent to Maidstone a distance of 393 miles 1559 yards and won 71st section C 189th open recording a velocity of 1223.8. John’s second blue cock is SU16DF404 who won twice in 2017 his first win was from Bedhampton when he won 134th section C 515th open recording a velocity of 1030 for the 399 mile trip, he then went to Ypres a distance of 459 miles and won 40th section C 137th open with a velocity of 924.03. This year he was entered into the Buckingham race and he won 4th section C 112th open with a velocity of 1051 for the 321 mile race. Continuing in Dundee we come to the loft of M Young who has a chequer hen SU16DF 1160 who has won 3 times from inland nationals. In 2017 she won 53rd section C 189th open from Bedhampton recoding a velocity of 1163 for the 398 mile trip. This year she won twice with the first from Buckingham a distance of 321 miles and she won 69th section C 357th open recording a velocity of 919, she then went to Maidstone a distance of 393 miles and won 24th section C 57th open with a velocity of 1303.

Joe’ Joke

An old lady offers the bus driver some peanuts... so he happily munches them. Every 5 minutes she gives him a handful more peanuts. The driver says ‘Why don’t you eat them yourself’ to which the old lady replies ‘I can’t chew, look I have no teeth’. The driver says ‘Why do you buy them then’ The old lady says ‘I just like the chocolate round them’.

Please continue to keep the news flowing; to Joe Murphy Mystical Rose Cottage 2 Flutorum Avenue Thornton by Kirkcaldy KY1 4BD or phone 01592 770331 or Email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. REMEMBER THE J IN THE MIDDLE or you can also view online editions on: www.elimarpigeons.com www.fancierchat.co.uk www.pigeon-chat.co.uk - www.Pigeonbasics.com - Pigeon Racing the Basics! - thecanadianpigeoninternational.com www.internationalracingpigeon.com or

https://sites.google.com/site/internationalracingpigeon/

Who wish my weekly contribution portfolio on pigeon topics from Scotland

© Compiled by Joe Murphy