Lanarkshire Federation-Thirsk Open race

Well we have arrived at the last race of season 2023 for Lanarkshire federation. We are in the weather of unpredictability with periods of torrential rain.

Here in Lanarkshire we had a thunder storm I haven't witnessed for many a year causing significant flooding on Friday.

The race was from  Thirsk in the North of Yorkshire, England. It’s around 150 miles back into lower central Scotland. The decent convoy of 1450 Lanarkshire pigeons and 8 baskets of other non-members were away at 0700hrs in a variable wind.

Variable wind is never good for pigeons but at the home end it was showing North in the wind.

When the four hours had come and gone at my own loft I knew we were in bother with the first taking 4 hrs 26 minutes taking us down into the 1000ypm the next one was 26 minutes later and that was the start of a very testing day for the pigeons and fancier.

Speaking with others there returns were also poor.

When attending the club 6 hrs after liberation there was only 25 birds home from 99 sent. That tells you the scale of the problem. The winner in the club recorded 1052ypm the last 758ypm.

By 4:30pm I had 9 from 19 sent by 7pm I was up to 13 The later birds looked less tired than the first birds telling you they must have been downed by the weather. No second day birds recorded and none thereafter.

Unfortunately our birds didn't get through the hills at the Scottish borders and by the time they possible could the damage was done.

We are a bit delusional us pigeon fanciers thinking our birds are up to the task and maybe they are just not. As word came through that our federation Young bird Champion loft Barclay McCrindle turned those returns on their head by posting 28 from 28 on the day by 5.20pm .Quite remarkable flying. 

Well done to this week’s winner of 1st North section, 1st Open Andy Graham of Graham Brothers who races in the Carluke club in the south of the federation.

          

Andy Graham showing us his Open winner, Open winner having a well-earned rest & Open winner Andy Grahams very impressive loft.

Andy is a cracking pigeon fancier who races most weeks in the South Lanarkshire club and the Carluke club(Lanarkshire Federation),two separate organisations.

Andy has a great pedigree of winning races in both organisations. He is very competitive and wins right up to National level.

He has only recently raced in the Lanarkshire federation and this is the icing on the cake winning the Young Bird Open race.

Andy is someone who always has a laid -back manner but is very focused on being at the top. He always enjoys a challenge and is starting to find his feet in the Lanarkshire federation.

With us racing out of the east over the past few years the south side are usually not up there with the winners especially in young bird racing. The birds tend to dog leg out the east and north of the federation.

This week the birds appeared to come out the south and Andy reported his winner was direct  south giving him and some of his friends who had come over to watch his race a real buzz.

Andy reported 18/25 home from the race.

Andy races all the top lines 

His winner of 1st Centre section 1st Open 1450 birds is a B/P/C managed on the darkness system.

The birds are schooled with training initially private and then on the federation transporter before first race and thereafter loft exercise only.  

It is a well-balanced blue pied cock with the mother being a direct daughter from Halles Hero (  4 x  National winner )  The winner was a first round pigeon and was put on darkness and trained to Elsrickle with federation transporter  and after first race loft exercise twice per day .He went to all the six Lanarkshire races. Andy was fortunate enough to purchase his Sire from a gentleman called Ronnie Wright from Harthill area who unfortunately had to give birds up last year.

The Sire of the winner is direct from Prince Harry and Koens Golden Girl from Mark Evans.

This week’s winners

Andrew McBurnie has had a brilliant season and wins the North section YB averages, this week’s winner for him in Chryston club is a Gaby Vanderabeele through Cruise Missle Leading Lady  Pre Olympic and Wittenbuik Princess on one side paired to a daughter of Barrowcliffe  & Holmes No 1 pair .Thats both nest mates scored this season for Andrew. Thanks to James for sending me them up and breeding me two winners this YB season. Thats it Tom down to planning over winter months.

Andrew McBurnie (L) had a brilliant season winning North Young Bird section averages and another win in Chryston club

Jim Forsyth wins Coatbridge SC with the Sire being a Frans Zwols and Dam a GWP Macaloney hen who have bred plenty of prize winners for Jim.

Jim Forsyth had an excellent winner in Coatbridge SC

John McPheat & Sons win Clarkston with a youngster they purchased at the Scottish Lier Market .

Billy(L) & Alec (R) McPheat had a good end to the YB season winning Clarkston club.

Ian Thomson had a great day recording 2nd,12th,13th Open with him winning Airdrie club with one bred out of Wullie Millen lines he has had since 2017.

Ian Thomson showing us his 2nd Open federation winner.

No other information  

Top of Open result

1st Graham Bros

2nd I Thomson

3rd Wilson & Cairns loft 1 

Bobby and Robert Cairns win Newmains club

4th Boslem & Gilfillan 

5th Boslem & Gilfillan

Section winners

1st Centre -Graham Bros

1st North- Ian Thomson

1st West -Davie Allison

        

Davie Allison proves week in week out he is up with the best, winner in Greenfield club. Davie Allison wins Greenfield with this cracking Blue cock that has won the west section the last two weeks.Top pigeon from a cracking pigeon fancier. The Sire is a  Herman Cuester cock which is turning out to be a good breeder out of his 44 cock which had 5 x 1st clubs and 4 x 2nd sections and a 3rd section in federation.He was paired to Jim Wood of Uddingston top Cuester stock hen .The winner is bred from a direct daughter of Proper Rick and Athenas Best  from Syndicate lofts.The 2nd club 2nd section is bred from the Jackpot cock who is one of his best breeders out of Eijerkamps Jackpot.The mother is a grand daughter of Nieuwe Olympiade 

Final Young Bird Average winners

1st Barclay McCrindle & Son-Champion Young Bird Loft Lanarkshire 2023

2nd Andrew McBurnie

3rd Sam Shanks

4th Boslem & Gilfillan

5th Sharp ,Cummings Durning

Final Combine Average winners

1st Eadie & Kelly -Champion Loft Lanarkshire 2023

2nd Cameron & Fann

Jim Cameron hits the cross bar finishing second in the Combine averages. Jim and his racing partner Sammy are a force in pigeon racing. They win another in Uddingston club.

3rd Walter Boswell

4th Tom Corrie Son G/son

5th James Green & Son 

James & Gary Green proved to be one of the most potent lofts in the federation. They win another in Burnbank.

6th B McCrindle & Son

7th D Allison

8th T Richardson

9th A Nelson

10th W Gordon

Billy Gordon had an excellent season and winner in Blantyre club.

Well done to Andy Eadie of Eadie & Kelly on winning the Combine Averages and being the Champion loft for season 2023 into Lanarkshire federation. Personally think it’s the hardest of trophies to win,18 race programme and the best of 3,000 miles. 

Hopefully I will get round to completing loft reports on all Combine Average Section winners before finishing .

 It was good to hear that the Lanarkshire Social Circle club will be back racing next year with a revised race programme. Watch this space for further updates.

Thanks to Paul Macaloney our race controller for all the hard work over the years and we wish him all the best in the future.

GWP Macaloney, Wullie & Paul Macaloney have dominated the Lanarkshire for 20yrs and their results will never be equalled ,we wish them for all they have done for the federation over the years and what the future holds for them out with pigeons.

Remember to get your motions  AGM and race programmes to federation secretary. Deadline dates are in your federation book.

Tom Corrie jnr

Lanarkshire Press Officer

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Joe Boyle is the one to beat in Dalziel club, winning another.

John Frood(R) winner in Lanark club

JJK Gillon & G/son win another in New Stevenson