LES J. PARKINSON'S

NEWS-REPORTS-ARTICLES

For the last couple of weeks I have been dwelling on the not so perfect weekend in pigeon racing of a few weeks ago and all the comments that have come my way. I had had a few interesting points raised but the one that stuck out was when AJ said that with the weather forecast the good fancier leaves the birds behind and on reflection I am inclined to agree with him. I was quite pleased with the fact that nearly all agreed and said that we the fanciers are as much to blame because we were told what was coming and we still sent. I did have one fancier call and the number was withheld and all he said was, “Les I read your notes on the weekend’s racing and all I am going to say is, In God we trust” and he put the phone down, I think he was referring to the convoyers and not god. However things over the following two weeks were not good either, nowhere near as bad but not what we would want, the winds are still cold.

Where do they go?

We very often hear many stories about where our pigeons go to after a hard race or even an unusual training toss. We have all had experiences where pigeons have gone missing and we all wonder why, have I done this or have I done that, things at time we can never answer because we genuinely don’t know. In this case we do actually know why the pigeons went missing and we could say that there extenuating circumstances because we never know what is in the air when we have a disastrous weekends racing but we do have them from time to time. Does this stop us carrying on, it might some but not the die hard pigeon fanciers who will put up with anything that happens to them in the pigeon world. Well this is a true story of what happened to a pigeon and this is why we keep going, our feathered friends prove that there are times when they show us the reason why we race pigeons in the first place. Over to Craig; “Friday dinner time my dad received a phone call ‘Hello sir I have a pigeon of yours a grey bird with a green neck and one white feather’ my dad then asks ‘Where are you’ the reply was ‘Le-Mans France’ he then asks what the number of the pigeon was and after reading the phone number then the ring number my dad  realises he is our good chequer w/f cock a son of our best two pigeons "Champion Sparky " x "Princess Paige"  The cock that was reported in France won 3 x 1st across the channel in 2011 and we had big hopes for him this season. The man who had the pigeon was telling my dad the cock was living on a chicken farm and was fed chicken corn and turkey pellets for 10 days. Then he told my dad he was released as 08.30am so with all against him the cock that was lost from 80 miles has to fly roughly 350 miles into a headwind on his own we thought not a lot of chance. So we were talking about it down the club and a lot were saying its a big ask but this cock was clever and a good racing pigeon at 250+mile races. Later that night I was at home and received a phone call from my dad in a teary voice saying, ‘The cock has landed that was released on his own he weight’s nothing’ he said it was like when we won the Three Counties from Niort was the feeling he had'.

This is just one story but no doubt there have to be many more of pigeons being lost and where they go to but to fly home as this chequer w/f cock did is a story on its own. David was saying that he doesn’t think he will be able to race again this season but after a winter’s rest and a good moult he should come back to his best. After any not so brilliant race there are those pigeons that come up against the odds and show that they are better at their job than many give them credit for.

North West Classic

News is that the ETS marking will not be available at the Preston Marking station until the young bird races I am told that this is unavoidable.

Club/fed news

In the South West Cheshire fed race from Mangotsfield 38 members entered 577 birds that were liberated at 11.10am in a north east wind. This was a good race for Mr & Mrs Keith Lovatt taking 1st 2nd 6th 7th racing with the Crewe West End whose members took 7 of the top 10 fed positions. Middlewich 5B winners Mark & Heather Smith are 3rd while Mick & Wendy Mellor also had a good race collecting 4th 8th & 9th with Alan Groom 5th and Greenbank winner Steve Parkinson 10th. Other club winners in the fed are Hitchen & Horsfield with Wettenhall and Brian Heath over at Hankelow. In the Moulton FC race from Wincanton 7 sent 81 that saw K & S Bell collect the red card appropriately with a yearling red hen on 1219ypm. Harry Vernon is 2nd after seeing home a grizzle cock on 1193ypm to collect the first share of the pools. 4th goes to Peter Atherton who saw a chequer cock drop through the door to record a vel of 1164ypm while his second in the clock collected the last share of the pools. The main man is 4th when Mr & Mrs Keith Herbert clocked up 1158ypm after a slatey cock dropped through the trap. Also sharing in the pools are Mr & Mrs Roy Croxton. The Minshull midweek is one of those clubs that has been around for many years and when I first started racing the headquarters and marking station were on the Crewe side but over the years has been at Middlewich and now in Northwich. This is a good mid week club that has been used by many fanciers in the Mid Cheshire area and one that has always been run well. Anyway this latest race for the club was from Worcester when 86 birds were headed home by a 5yo blue pied cock and a 2yo chequer pied hen racing to the lofts of Keith Herbert recording vels of 996/994ypm. Alan Dimelow was 3rd after seeing home a yearling blue hen on 973ypm ahead of Ken & Clive Riley who saw home a 2yo chequer hen on 945ypm. As you can see from the vels this was a tough race that followed a hard race the weekend before. The club then went to Wollaston when 88 birds saw an easier race with the winning vels being 1417/1415ypm after a blue pied hen and chequer hen both 2yo’s easing their way back to their home with Ken & Clive Riley who also have a couple of trailers for training that do a good job for the local fanciers 4 days each week. Jason Lambert came home 3rd on 1381.92ypm after clocking a yearling chequer pied hen while Keith Herbert was 4th after seeing home a yearling blue cock recording a vel of 1381.45ypm making this a close finish for 3rd & 4th positions. The Lostock club were at Wincanton when 91 birds competed for the premier positions. Once again leading the way home we have the farming partnership of Ken & Clive Riley with a 2yo chequer hen on 1255ypm. The next two positions go to the ever present Robert Kent who clocked  a yearling blue cock and a 2yo blue cock recording vels of 1240/1238ypm. That leaves 4th to hard working secretary Kenny Burke and his pal Gary Hodkinson who saw home a 4yo blue cock clocking up 1230ypm. Flying with the Lymm and District Federation Old Lodge HS were at Mangotsfield for the race on the first Saturday in May. Tom Jackson and loft manager Jimmy had their first win of the season with a Van Reet hen bred by Tommy Whitehead of Preston. The hen who was also 6th Lymm Fed is a direct daughter off Tommy’s Federation Hen winner of 3 x 1st Feds. The pair also took the 6th card with a 3yo Bussheart hen that has previously won many prizes. Tom and Jimmy who won the 1st NFC race in 2011 from Fougeres are just coming onto form at the right time and are hoping for a repeat performance this year. Last year they won the race doing a velocity of 1800 ypm and unless the wind changes from the north to a south it will be an impossibility to see the race won at such speed this year. Looking at the long-range forecast this morning it looks like it will be a tough weekend racing yet again.

Tom Jackson from Preston

Harrison and Hull timed three in the cards finishing 2nd Club & 8th Fed with a 3yo widowhood distance cock bred from stock cock Jay B Boy bred by Tommy Gilbertson of Carlisle when paired to a daughter off our Taveirne-Rigole King Barcelona stock. Next in the clock finishing 3 rd Club and 11 th Fed was a Louis Cooreman, this 2yo cock was 3 rd club and 13th Fed from Cheltenham and is a Grandson of Dakota bred from The Pencil Cock when he was paired to a Granddaughter off Newgate Theo. The partnership was also 5th Club with a yearling Janssen cock that is showing some promise having also been 2nd club and 12th Fed Cheltenham and 3rd Club and 4th Fed Worcester this year. Mr and Mrs K O’Hara were 4th Club and 13th Fed with a blue cock but no details were supplied. Now onto the Acton Bridge FC Race from Wincanton when the birds were liberated at 09:15 into a North West Wind. Taking the Red card this week is Mr & Mrs Howman doing 1276 with their 2yo blue Gaby Vandenabeele widowhood cock, this one John had selected for the Midlands National Race on the 19/05/12  and now may carry the burden of some pool money. 2nd Club is the Brothers from Little Leigh P & M Child with their very good Blue check 2 year old widowhood Cock doing 1268. This cock finished 1st club 2nd Fed last week, its sire is a direct son of R & B Smith’s Wigan cock the dam is of the lines of the sun city winner of Brian Clayburn it has won 5 first in the clubs and high fed positions and also other prizes Pete rates this family very highly and already has winning sisters in the stock loft. 3rd in his first race this season was Danny wells doing 1254 who is recuperating from a knee operation he has done very well to get them ready for this race and be so competitive well done Danny. 4th spot goes to Rob Bebbington who gave them a week’s rest after the black Saturday Race as it’s been christened and bounced back with a prize well done Rob. 5th are Fletcher and Gobin who have them coming steady on 1241ypm Gordon says it’s always interesting waiting in the Garden on race day with the Banter going on. PS it was nice to meet Billy at the club Saturday night. 6th Club are Mr & Mrs Howman who clock the cock that won the 2nd Race of the season doing 1239ypm. Other members on the Result were A & D Gobin and A Oates. Well lads the Nationals are upon us Next week good luck to all the club members sending lets hope one of us can keep the Acton Bridge clubs name to the fore. Here is the Macclesfield FC report on Blandford with 12 members sending 149 birds that saw Richard & Simon Geary claim the red card on 1303ypm clocking a yearling widowhood cock that is home bred and is a Vandenabeele x Sootjenn which was a prize winner as a young bird and showed good prospects on the road. Stuart Goldstaw carry’s on his good season in second position on 1299ypm with the yearling widowhood cock that’s already scored a first for him this time. Club secretary Bernie Barrett is third on 1294ypm with a Brasspening x Sootjenn yearling widowhood cock having its second race of the season. Richard & Simon are also fourth on 1293ypm with a 2yo widowhood cock that is a Van Den Bosche x Sootjenn bred by themselves the sire was Hollins Boy a multi prize winner for the lads inc 1st Middlewich 2B, 1st Cheshire 2B and 1st North West Classic. The race was sponsored by fellow club member Kevin Moore whom the club wish to thank. The Royal Wires FC moved down to Wincanton for their next federation race when 9 sent 121 birds. John Lawson last weeks club winner goes 1st & 3rd this week recording vels of 1273/1254ypm with a 2yo widowhood cock bred from a Syndicate Lofts cock being from the lines of Golden Gaby x Wal Zoontjen. The 3rd club bird is also a widowhood cock is also a Syndicate pigeon this time from the Kannibaal lines crossed with a Janssen hen, this one takes the nom. Don Risley is 2nd on 1260ypm with a blue Cassaret/Marijke Vink widowhood cock and is a yearling that is racing very well this year. The Kingsway were also at the same race point and once again it was a fresh North West wind. Andy Noon & Geoff Callan are 1st 2nd 3rd in this tough race with the club winner being bred from their very good team from A & S Hughes of Rochdale stock. Mr & Mrs Jones are 2nd with an Adrian Duggins Janssen cock that has already won 5 x 1sts for Jim and raced on the widowhood system. Got a couple of Mid Cheshire fed results to cover and we start with the race from Mangotsfield when 1062 birds from 91 members were liberated at 10.10 in a north east wind. Top spot was taken by Kingsway winners Mr & Mrs Jim Jones who were also 4th fed. Coming in between are Acton Bridge winners P & M Child finishing 2nd ahead of Eric Taylor who topped the list in the Sandbach club. Derek Woodward  came in with 5th fed after collecting another red card in the Rudheath club while M Williams took the top two in the Crewe Premier and finished 6th & 8th fed. Mr & Mrs John Howman are keeping the pressure on in his local club and collects 7th fed. The top two positions in the Wrinehill club went to Joe Glover and adds 9th & 11th fed to his extensive collection of winning cards. 10th & 19th go to Steve Parkinson who is an excellent fancier because wherever he goes the pigeons win. 12th goes to D.J & C.J Wilkinson which sees David have a good start to the season and in this race wins the Middlewich FC. 13th goes to Charlie Peel just ahead of Malcolm Hewitt followed by Weaverham winner Arthur Stanway. Mellor Bros finished 16th & 18th then we have Andy Noon & Geoff Callan 17th with Mr & Mrs Dudley Niblett 20th. From the 11 member clubs those winners missing on the fed result are Harry Vernon at Moulton, Woyal Wires winner John Lawson and Winsford leaders Jones Bros. The fed then went to Wincanton when an increased number of birds to 1425 were liberated at 9.15am in a north west wind. Mick Stockton from the Sandbach club took 1st 6th & 9th positions with Middlewich winners and easy at that Mr & Mrs Dudley Niblett are 2nd fed. 3rd & 4th go to Tommy Hulme & Son while Wrienhill winner Joe Glover is 5th ahead of Eric Taylor who is 7th 15th & 20th fed. Derek Curley is 8th with fellow club members Dave & Baz Mellor 10th & 11th with Kingsway winners Andy Noon & Geoff Callan being 12th & 16th. Mick & Wendy Mellor are 13th, Mr & Mrs Jim Jones 14th, Ian Cooper topped the list at Rudheath and ended up 17th fed with Acton Bridge winners Mr & mrs John Howman are 18th and Royal Wires leader John Lawson 19th.

Les.J.Parkinson, Elimar, 11 Rushton Drive, Middlewich, Cheshire, CW10 ONJ. Tel/Fax; 01606 836036. Mobile 07871 701585 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. web-site www.elimarpigeons.com