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SOLWAY NEWS

By Jimmy Graham

Saturday 2nd May - Cheltenham (2) was the venue for the Solway Federation.

A small convoy of only 739 birds made it from only 77 members.

At Appleton we had 116 members flying with 2,462 birds competing, not the most birds as we had 2,594 birds at Leyland. Notice the drop from 2,594 to 739 birds and we’re only 223 miles down the road. Never in the history of racing pigeons has the Solway Fed been as low - where are they?? You can’t blame the peregrine for everything !

Nowadays there is no follow on, you get the leaders bang on time and then the gap - very few on the Sunday and that’s your lot. From this race I lost eight yearlings. I took 4th club and waited 15 minutes for the second and the rest of the day to get another 11 home, leaving 8 down.

I sent 3 birds to the S.N.R.P. Wanstead Flats, a distance of 275 miles, and got them back (3 two year olds), in fact I won the South Section and 5th open. The point I’m making is that it's the Yearlings that are going down, my 8 yearlings flew the same race point just the week before. I know it's not just yearlings it is all ages. Many great channel pigeons have vanished and just never come back. It’s a worry on race days until you see your champion arrive and then you can start breathing again. Pigeon racing nowadays is not the same - that’s for sure !

Getting back to the race, 77 members entered 739 birds, liberated at 07:30 into a light South East wind. The birds raced home at over 1600 YPM and yet again there were heavy heavy losses throughout the Fed.

The results are as follows..

Brydekirk Homing Club sent 96 birds to this one and this is where the Federation winner came from - Ex Annan member J.M. Dalgliesh now flying in Brydekirk timed his 3 year old Chec cock to an easy win to take 1st Club, 1st Section and 1st Open doing 1696.

Ewart Warwick is 2nd Club, 4th Section and 4th Open on 1684.

J.M. Dalgliesh 3rd 1567.  Ewart Warwick 4th 1567.

Hoddam Flying Club had 95 birds away from 9 members and having a dream of a race is L. Smith and Son, Les timed three birds to take 1st 2nd and 5th Club, 2nd 3rd and 7th Section, 2nd 3rd and 8th Open doing 1688, 1686, 1677.

J Dalgliesh takes 3rd Club, 5th Section and 5th Open on 1682.

Mr and Mrs J Graham take 4th club on 1682 my bird is also 6th Section and 6th Open.

Springfield Homing Club had 102 birds from 10 members, this win was overdue by Raymond White after having three seconds, Raymond’s winner  of 1678 took 1st Club, 7th Section and 7th Open.

Mr and Mrs Gus Power, who’s never far away, takes 2nd Club, 10th Section and 10th Open on 1673.

W.F.Van Nuil is 3rd and 4th on 1655 and 1637.

G Grant Jnr is 5th on 1635.

Eastriggs Homing Club had 8 members sending 95 birds and for the third time the winner went to C. Halbert doing 1669.

W Pirie takes 2nd and 5th on 1620 and 1520.

Jim Ferguson takes 3rd on 1547 and A McMillan 4th on 1521.

Annan and District Homing Club sent 100 birds from 13 members,

J McCarton (Pipe-man) timed three to take 1st 2nd and 4th doing 1672 and 1699.

C.P. Irving takes 3rd on 1665 and G.W. Campbell 5th on 1585.

Lockerbie Homing Club had only two members going to this one with 16 birds and it's E Hind taking the Red and Blue, the Yellow to Robinson and Jamieson, they were doing 1652, 1625 and 1562.

Langholm Homing Club had only three members sending 39 birds,

A Henderson is 1st and 2nd Club, 9th Section and 9th Open with his first bird, they were doing 1674 and 1672.

R.V. Graham 3rd on 1655 and again the Henderson loft in 4th on 1631.

Dumfries Flying Club sent 102 birds from 11 members and once again Mr and Mrs Karl Guenther leads the field timing a Yearling Blue Pd Cock, it took 1st Club, 1st West Section on 1603.

G Nicholson timed two to take 2nd and 5th Club, 3rd and 7th Section doing 1598 and 1506.

R Dalgliesh is 3rd Club, 5th Section and Aitken and Rae 4th Club, 6th Section, the two birds were doing 1599 and 1558.

Dumfries Social Circle were down to 3 members this week, they entered 50 birds. Lynn and Charteris took 1st and 2nd Club, 2nd and 4th Section on 1602 and 1595.

D and R Osborne take 3rd Club and 10th Section doing 1493.

Nith Valley  had only 33 pigeons competing from 6 members. W and J Smith won it doing 1489 and took 9th Section.

Well that rounds it up once again for this week. As always any news and reports call me on 01576300615 or e-mail on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

18/6/07