LES J. PARKINSON'S

NEWS-REPORTS-ARTICLES

Just as the young birds were getting an overcoat on the very cold weather set in for a few days but being down the side of the house they are pretty well protected. I did move some of the first round from the stock birds so there is a couple of weeks between the oldest and youngest. As long as the old birds cover the young well in the first few days then they should do no harm at all and they do look a good round. Having said that I do like my young birds coming out of the nest in early April because I think they have a better start in life. The problem is they are not in the best of feather for the young bird races without darkness and as you know I am not into that system at all. 

Trackers

I was watching the Super Smart Animals programme and was far from convinced as to how they believe pigeons navigate their way home. I agree training and hard training is what gets the bird’s home and probably the reason why some fanciers win the sprint races. Yes they will get to know the landmarks after many times down the road and that is why we get sprinters. However put those sprinters into a 500ml race and they more often than not fail to make their home loft, at least in good tiem, yes I know there are the few exceptions to the rule that is always the case. Then where are the landmarks for the pigeons that are sent across the channel for the first time and released say 300mls into France for the first time and come home to win a race. I think the GPS tracker had more to do with knocking the bird off it’s normal line of flight by upsetting their normal navigation skills. Yes they will get home eventually and that was the case with this test. Something that will see everyone have their own views on such a subject and one that could be written about many times. The programme was good publicity for the sport, if nothing else.

Members

A fancier called in to collect a pigeon last week and the subject of fanciers leaving the sport came up. He was saying that in his local area there have been problems with the ETS system where fanciers are insisting on filling the sheet with their birds. It always amazes me why fanciers see the need to do this at club level when there is nothing to be gained but a great deal to be lost. Nothing to be gained because it is only an ego trip that some need to go on, why in this sport I have no idea at club level, a lot of clubs have spiralled downwards through ego trips and nothing to do with the ETS. The same fanciers probably do it because they cannot do it at National level, these words might upset some but it is a known fact of life within pigeon racing, the term comes to mind “A big fish in a small pond”. What these same fanciers should think about is the way that they are upsetting the many fanciers who just want to race pigeons as a hobby and not be on a continual ego trip. In several of the local clubs there is an agreed 2 Bird limit at club level and 4 at Fed level, is that a false result, some will say it is but this is a sport/hobby and we should be looking after it. I say not because that is the way the rules state that it should be and therefore it is a correct result according to the rules of the club/fed. I know fancier who could have clocked many in the traditional way but choose not to do so because they are thinking about the sport in general and not their own ego. Yes there is a great deal to lose because all this type of clocking is doing is alienating the sport and then a loss of members who we need. The ETS is the way forward and in my own club they are now nearly all on ETS of one make or another and everyone is happy because we have rules that govern clocking birds in and those to be read off on the night of the race. These rules mainly apply to land races with channel races being a different matter because of the championship within the fed. It is not only our local club but others in the area also do the same, in fact one club has had a clocking limit for many years and I do mean many years so it is nothing fresh around here. We need to look after the sport and pigeon racing should come before anyone’s ego trips because they are what will bring the downfall of pigeon racing as a hobby or sport and not the systems that we use, they can be managed to suit the individual organisations concerned.

Joe Glover

Joe is a fancier who had a good channel season in 2011 winning all four races in his club. I doubt if there are many fanciers who have been winning for as long as Joe. I am not talking about a few cards each year, there are plenty.

Club/Fed news

Hard working sec Kenny Burke has sent me the details on the Minshull HS and this is an organisation that has worked on a 2 bird clocking limit for years and it has not proven to be an obstacle. The prize winners in this mid week club for the season were Kenny Burke 5x1sts 5x2nds 3x3rds and £45. Keith Herbert 10 prizes in the first three and £35. Ken & Clive Riley £21 for 6 prizes. Other prize winners were Alan Dimelow. John Stubbs. Jason Lambert. Ian Cooper. Mel Bratt. David & Craig Wilkinson. The AGM will be held on the 19th February at the Rudheath Social club when there will be a straight forward with no propositions so everyone must be happy. No doubt the officials will be a formality because why change anything when it is working well. The programme that the club have set for the coming season is; 11th & 18th April Wollaston. 25th April Kempsey. 2nd May Cheltenham. 9th May Kempsey. 16th May Cheltenham. There is no channel arcing for this club and the young birds start on the 18th & 25th July Penkridge. 1st & 8th August Wollaston. 15th & 22nd August Kempsey.

the Macclesfield FC prize presentation for the 2011 season saw chairman George Greenwood get things under way with a few words of his usual wit and wisdom before introducing chief guests for the evening. The guests being George & Pat Smith of Stockport who kindly attended to present the awards top prizewinners. They are never far away and this year the leaders were the dedicated father and son partnership of Rick & Simon Geary having yet another very good season with 13x1sts 11x2nds 9x3rds 9x4ths 7x5ths and a grand total of £744. Runner up is the ever consistent Kevin Moore 3x1sts 2x2nds 3x3rds 3x4ths 2x5ths  £187. PO Kevin Bowers 2x1sts 2x2nds 2x3rds 3x4ths 2x5ths £150. Martin Hough 1x1st 4x2nds 2x3rds 3x4ths 1x5th £147. Young Joe Flood 1x1st 1x4th 2x5ths £51. Alan Senior 1x2nd 1x3rd 1x5th £35. Roger Bowers 1x4th 2x5ths £26. Bernie Barrett 1x3rd 1x5th £20. Jill & Brian Smith 1x3rd 1x5th £20. The members would like to thank the following for donating 2012 ybs for the auction following the presentation George & Pat Smith, Bradbury & Barnes, Paul Beck plus top winners Rick & Simon Geary. The sale raised a very nice amount for club funds all that’s left with the 2012 season fast approaching is to wish you all the very best of luck and good racing this time from club PO Kevin Bowers.

Party

The end of January saw a special party for the better half and it was a time that I was not going to let go by without a bit of a doo and what a doo it was. About 130 turned out at the Kinderton Hotel Middlewich when the event started at 7pm and for those who wanted to stay late we went to bed at 2.30am. We would like to thank all those who attended and there were a few from the sport who had more than a few to drink.

Ray & Jackie Lunt with a surprised Elizabeth at her birthday party.

Elizabeth with her grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Les & Elizabeth being picked up to be taken to the party.

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