NEWS FROM BALERNO
by Norman Dixon MBE
On Friday 29th April 2016 most of Central Scotland woke up to snow on the ground and to be honest it looked more like the beginning of the Blackpool weekend rather than the May Day weekend. But with the weather forecast for the following day showing a good sunny outlook in Appleby and Northwards into Scotland, preparations took place for the third Scottish Central Federation race of the season. That night 1,348 birds from the six Federation Clubs were race marked and transported down to Appleby to meet up with the other member organisations of the Scottish Central Combine to be ready for a joint liberation the following day. This was not an official Combine race, just the beginning of this seasons endeavour by the Scottish Central Combine organisations to create better racing for their members by continuing to work together after last years successful efforts.
At 9:15 am on Saturday 30th April 2016 the 3,850 pigeons from the Scottish Central Combine were liberated into a no wind situation. It was a bright sunny morning and although there was still snow on the hills that did not seem to stop the birds racing home.
In the joint liberation the first eight pigeons in the entire convoy, were timed by North West Federation fanciers. The winner of the North West Federation out of 1,633 birds competing from eight Clubs was a Blue White Flight Yearling hen; timed by Martin Conlin with a velocity of 1303.055, 2nd Federation was Alex Orr and Son with 3rd Federation A Ritchie. These Lauriston Club birds were the first three birds in the South Section of the Federation. 4th Federation and 1st North Section was Stuart Robertson from Clackmannan, 5th Federation was Martin Conlin again, 6th Federation C McLaughlin from Bannockburn, 7th Willie Alves Lauriston, 8th Federation were Alex Orr and Sons second pigeon, 9th C McLaughlin’s second bird with Willie Alves 2nd pigeon 10th Federation. A few top fanciers there really rattling in the winning birds.
Martin Conlin, 1st North West Federation, Appleby and fastest bird timed from a liberation of 3,850 S.C.C. Birds
At the Scottish Central Federation, 1st in the Winchburgh Club, 1st Scottish Central Federation and 9th in the entire convoy was Henry Borthwick with a yearling widowhood Blue Cock on a velocity of 1276.756 for the 100 miles 1235 yards home. The Federation Topper was bred in Henry’s Stock loft and is from the same Janssen based family Henry has been winning with for the last few years. This was the Cocks first race of the season and Henry is hopeful that he can emulate his brothers, sisters and cousins in the race team and become another multiple winner. 2nd Federation and 1st at Bo’ness was the Frickleton Brothers, Tam and Jack. 3rd Federation and 1st at Broxburn and Uphall for the third week running was John McNeill. 4th & 7th Federation and continuing his good form was Martyn Brown from Bo’ness, 5th Federation was Pat Rafferty and Son from Broxburn, Rab Henderson from Bo’ness was 6th & 9th Federation with Raymond and Jim Ward from way up in the snowy Pentland Hills of Balerno winning at Newbridge and taking 8th Federation. 10th Federation for the second week running was Peter Keogh from Winchburgh.
Henry Borthwick, 1st Scottish Central Federation, Appleby
Around the Scottish Central Federation Clubs:
Bo’ness 1st Tam and Jack Frickleton who I believe like a number of Central fanciers are seeing a difference to their birds performances now they are using the ‘Duz Wurks’ Herb products supplied by club mate Tom Manger, 2nd & 4th Martyn Brown, with Rab Henderson 3rd.
Broxburn 1st John McNeill 2nd Pat Rafferty and Son, 3rd
& 4th Gordon MacKenzie.
East Calder RPC 1st Colin McCreight with David Jamieson 2nd, 3rd and 4th.
Newbridge 1st Raymond and Jim Ward with a home bred yearling Koopmans hen flying spare, 2nd and 4th myself Norman Dixon with firstly a two year old Janssen Cock bred as a late bred in 2014 by Henry Borthwick and gifted to the late Rab Byers. I didn’t race him last year and this was only his second race of his life flying to 2 day old eggs with my second pigeon a John Mellor ‘Roland Janssen’ widowhood cock, 4th Neil Jamieson with one of his ‘Starview Busschaerts’ from Joan Duncan, bred from the ‘Champion John James’ lines. It was a good day for the ‘Balerno Boys’ in the Newbridge Club as Mel Noble also won the pools (for the second week running).
Raymond and Jim Ward, 1st Newbridge Club, 8th Scottish Central Federation Appleby
Pumpherston Premier David Bratchie 1st and 4th
with Gary and Dean Kane 2nd and 3rd
Winchburgh 1st Henry Borthwick with Peter Keogh 2nd to 4th.
In the Midland Federation section of the Combine liberation from Appleby, 437 birds competed, with the first four places in the Federation being claimed by fanciers from the Denny Club.
Denny Club. 1st Club and Federation was Eddie Bartsch with a two year old on a velocity of 1244. Considering the birds were racing into a North West wind and the Midland Federation being the most westerly organisation, that is a very credible result and comparable with the other leading pigeons in the Combine convoy (would have been 6th in the Scottish Central Federation race). 2nd Federation was Tam Jack, 3rd Federation Roy Kerr and 4th Federation Wattie Rollo. Ian Gibson won at Wattston Caldercruix and was 5th Federation with Jim Hendrie and Sons, Thomas and Daniel 1st at Chapelhall and 6th Federation. 7th Federation and 2nd at Chapelhall was Clark Brothers. 8th Federation was Tam Jack with his second bird. 2nd at Wattston Caldercruix and 9th Federation John Craven with Club Mates J McPheat and Son 10th Federation.
At the Fauldhouse Club race from Appleby it was the partnership of Johnny Lumsden and Derek Colligan who took the red card with a five-year-old pigeon on a velocity of 1229. The winning pigeon was first home from 432 pigeons sent by 20 members of the club. 2nd and 3rd was John McLaughlin, 4th the partnership of Robert Wilson and Alistair Mackie, 5th Jim Burt, 6th and 7th was the partnership of Lumsden and Colligan again this time with two yearlings, 8th Charlie Smillie who flies under the partnership name of C & C Smillie, maintaining his late fathers name in the sport, 9th was Walter Sneddon with Jim Burt timing his second pigeon for 10th position.
The Pentland Hills on race day morning
The first joint liberation for the Scottish Central Combine organisations went very well and returns appeared to be good across the board. Having 3,850 pigeons liberated together has to be good for the sport in Central Scotland and hopefully this Combine partnership approach will continue well into the future.