Lancashire Social Circle
Following what has been one of the most disastrous of young bird racing seasons in everyone's memory, with heavy losses by all fanciers in all different parts of the country including the many one loft races. The Lancashire Social Circle held its one and only young bird race on the 5th September, with what I can only describe as an excellent entry under the circumstances all members have experienced. The race was a complete success with some fantastic returns, many members having all their entries in the clock. As this race in three parts the young bird race itself alongside the Breeders Exchange and the Friendship races. It was to be expected the numbers were down in both the exchange and friendship races when these entries are exchanged at the start of the season. With any member holding on to these pigeons come the end of the racing season is all credit to them.
The reason for the losses of young birds can only be described as a like a jigsaw of many pieces, and unless you have all the pieces we can't fully understand or try to resolve the situation. What I mean by many pieces is, the weather, clashing, birds of prey, dehydration, etc. and unless we can put all these elements together we will never fully understand the problem. When we enter the birds into a race, this is the last time we see them until they arrive home, and we don't know what they have to encounter on that flight home. I understand the use of trackers on the pigeons has proved helpful with this problem and has gone some way to answer the question of poor returns.
We the fanciers can only look to ourselves if we are to resolve the problem of losses. Years ago many fanciers who entered a race and had birds missing on the day, would find many return the following day. This is not the case with today's pigeons, why? Years ago most fanciers only kept a small team of race birds and stock pigeons almost none, with only the odd old retired racer with a string of prizes. From this small team of proven racers is where the next team was bred from. But today everyone has a stock loft with a large team housed, with big pedigrees, but no racing experience. Large teams of youngster are bred to race on a system, a system of spoon feeding, large amounts of training with no loft flying that have resulted in pigeons flying on a line of flight at high speeds with little or no reserves should a problem occur. Again years ago before roundabout, widowhood, antibiotics, along with the many other products added to the water, fanciers raced on a more natural system when they understood their pigeons preferred nest conditions. I am not saying this is the whole answer, but I am sure we need to look at ourselves if we are to resolve the big losses of young birds going forward. It seems funny our birds are in good condition until we mix them with birds from other lofts in the race crates and then the more recent illnesses occur, Young Bird Sickness, Fat Eye to name but two. These last few years has seen new enemies affecting our birds Rotavirus, Adenovirus and Fungal Infections, not to mention Salmonella and Paratyphoid. It's no wonder we are finding it more and more difficult to get our birds home.
Getting back to the race with race marking held at Alder Root Golf Club on the Friday with a total of 4 crates used to transport the pigeons, which I was surprised at, as a number of member had called me over the week explaining they would not be sending as they had lost most of their young bird team. Following race marking and before lunch the Secretary was pleased to introduce two sisters Julie and Deborah the daughters of a past member Gordon McKay who was a member of the Circle from 1972 until 1989. The reason for their invite was their father Gordon now age 91 was in a Care Home suffering from Dementia and the sisters now had the tasks of clearing his house. In his possessions was the old Lancashire Social Circle Nantes trophy Graham had won outright back in 1986 (40years ago) It was the sisters wishes the trophy be handed back to the Circle members where it could be competed for once again. Both Julie and Deborah understood the history of racing pigeons as both their grandfather and father had raced pigeons. Having watched the race birds marked on the ETS system they were amazed at the size of the clock, as they both remembered the old Toulet clocks and thimbles used with them. Following the presentation of the trophy the Secretary presented them with a LSC Centenary Book written by the late Brian Newson with the pages clearly marked the covered there dads race performances which covered a number of wins from Niort, Nantes and in the young bird races.
Following on from this I have been contacted by the son of one of our past Presidents Bill Hammond also called Bill who had a number of Hand Books and old Squills and Homing World Stud Books and was wondering if I might be interested in them. I paid him a visit and spent a couple of hours with him and brought back four bags of the above books but sadly none of these held any history of the Circle. But he also had in his dads collection, a couple of small cups presented as replicas of past performances along with a silver ashtray engraved LSC that I think was a past Parsonage Award.
Back to the race which was held on Saturday 5th September with the birds liberated at 10 00am into a light west wind that I understand was changing up country. The morning had some heavy showers at the home end in the morning but these turned to sunshine as the day progressed. I understand most members were looking for the winners to do around 45mph that proved not far off the mark. The winner of the race was Roger Sutton who timed a grizzle hen flying almost 170 miles with a velocity of 1405. Roger wins the Frank Battersby Trophy and a Frank H Parsonage Award he also wins the Joe Haworth Trophy for the Best Average from the last OB race and the YB race with a velocity of 1349. In second place is Les Adams who timed a blue hen doing 1401, Les timed his second bird only seconds later which won him the Best Two Bird Average and the Irish Trophy, he also wins the Brian Woodhouse Trophy for the first nominated bird in the race, the Sir William Proctor-Smith Trophy for winning the Combined Average on 1240, and was only one of two members to time a Nom pigeon in from every race winning the Brian Dickinson Trophy, the Bill Ishmael Trophy for the winner of the lowest winning velocity.
Bobby Brandon was third timing a home bred blue hen racing to the perch along with the rest of the young bird team have been flying well around home, but have been landing on the house as a cat has been hanging around. but with the help of fellow club member Henry Krasowski has put some netting up which seems to have solved the problem. Bob was one of the longer flyers on the day flying 202 miles doing 1316. Mark Smith was fourth having both his two entries home in just a minute the first of these a grizzle hen carrying his nomination on 1297. Bob Smith was fifth with a well fancied chequer hen flying 187 miles on 1275. The final diploma went to Jimmy Frost whose young chequer hen timed a few second before Bobs pigeon but flying a few yards less was also doing 1275. Peter Latham was the second of the two member to time a Nom bird in from every race and was runner-up for the Brian Dickinson Trophy. Other notable performances came from John Winstanley who won the Lady Proctor-Smith Silver Salver for runner-up Combine Average. The Anglo Scottish Friendship Trophy for the Combined Average based on a points system went to Bob Smith with 145 points followed by Les Adams with 134 points. The Bird of the Year went to Alan Bamford with his 3y old blue hen who was 8th Lsigny-Sur-Mer and 7th Nort-Sur-Erdre winning the Holland / Meyer Trophy and the Tom Holland Award. And finally Graham Mackay won the Three Musketeers Trophy for the highest winning velocity doing 1499.
In the Breeders Exchange race we have a number of new members in the mix which is good when it comes to the prize presentation on the weekend of 13th 14th November later this year. Taking the top spot is Les Adams with a youngster from Brian Jones a blue cock on 1289. Les wins the Barrett Trophy and a John Marsden Award for the racer of the winning pigeon and Brian wins the Braithwaite Trophy and a John Marsden Award for the breeder of the winning pigeon. John Winstanley was second, his youngster coming from Chris Corfield on 1287. John had both his pigeons in the race and timed them both in good time being 2nd and 8th on the result. Bob Smith was third doing 1272 with a mealy cock bred by John Mills. Alan Jones was next in fourth place timing a blue w/f hen bred by his good friend Peter Morris on 1223. Peter returned the favour by timing his exchange from Alan a chequer cock flying 181 miles on 1219. the final diploma went to Eddie Williams who clocked his exchange from Billy Wilson a blue hen on 1143.
The Friendship race is where members and guests, including honorary members get together at the Gatherings and the guests or honorary members provide a pair of youngster to a member to race in the YB race at the end of the season. This has proved a great success with many guests being more involved in the presentation when many of them collect a prize. The winner of this year's race taking first and second was Roger Sutton with a pair of youngster from Alastair Ewart. Roger's first in the clock a chequer cock on 1320 five minutes ahead of his second a blue hen on 1289. Roger wins the Dave Allen / Brian Newson Trophy as the racer of the winning pigeon and Alistair wins the Colin Brough Memorial Plate as breeder of the winning pigeon, Alastair also wins the R McLaughlin Trophy for the breeder of the runner-up in the Friendship race. Maurice Jackson who has figured in this race many times over the years was third with a youngster from Graham Marskill and his son Adam who Maurice tells me will be his guests at the Autumn Gathering, his timer a blue w/f hen on 1065. Picking up the final two places was David Jones from North Wales who had both his two entries home albeit a little late the first a blue cock followed by a blue hen both bred by Brian Dearn.
In closing I would like to thank Alan Jones who has decided to take a back seat from racing this next season with age catching up on him, had decided to be an Associate Member for 2027. Having been a member for a good number of years and enjoyed the company of the many members and guests over those years has sponsored the young bird race by paying for the transport of the pigeons, a gesture most appreciated by all the members.
Brian Dearn Tel. 07514 743391.
