St Philbert OB National Race Report 2026

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Barcelona International 1 st

OPEN 1

st

SECTION B

Tony Stephens from Poole With “Blue Roy”

Well, it’s come round again. The biggest race in the Club’s calendar, Barcelona the “Blue Riband”.

A real marathon for only the fittest pigeons to excel and as always it has shown up some exceptional

performances. This year 91 members entered 250 birds with 39 of these being duplicated from the

BICC and an overall total being entered in to the International of 21,143 pigeons. It was great for the

BBC and BICC to work together in collection and convoying of the birds to Belgium. I would like to thank Carol Francis for her advice and John Tyerman and Albie Deacon for their help in making this possible.

These are the reports received up to being sent to the magazines. More reports will follow next week.

WINNER OF THE “BLUE RIBAND” RACE IS TONY STEPHENS FROM POOLE 1

st

OPEN 1

st

SECTION B.

Tony is no stranger to timing from Barcelona being 1 st

SECTION B 8

th

OPEN IN 2013, 5

th

SECTION B 22

nd

OPEN IN 2012. SO HE’S BEEN KNOCKING ON THE DOOR.

He also flies a good bird at all distances, 2014: he was 7 th &amp;amp; 8

th

SECTION 15

th &amp;amp; 17 th

OPEN CSCFC

Messac, 56 th &amp;amp; 61

st

OPEN BBC NIORT, 61

st

OPEN BEING HIS BARCELONA WINNER. 2013, 40

th

OPEN MESSAC

CSCFC, 23

rd

OPEN CSCFC BERGERAC. 2012, 52

nd

OPEN NFC SAINTES. 27

th

OPEN CSCFC MESSAC. HIS

Barcelona winner was 3 rd

SECTION 5

th

OPEN NFC FOUGERES. 2011, 26

th

OPEN BBC MESSAC, 50

th

OPEN

BBC Carentan. 2009, 27 th

OPEN NFC ALENCON. 2008, 37

th

OPEN NFC TARBES AND 19

th

OPEN CSCFC

Messac. “Blue Roy” is a 2009 late bred, bred by Scott Storie. He is from a 1995 supercrack cock from Roy

Seaton of Annan, which was twice bird of the year. With 7 x 1

st the dam is from Mr &amp;amp; Mrs Brian Long’s blue GB08N00731. She is from Elan GB98N441. Sire of Glazer 1 st 3

rd

OPEN NFC PAU.

Highest priced bird at Jim Biss’ sale and went for £9,000.

Recent performance is 3 x Tarbes in race time, 30

th

SECTION B 164

th

OPEN 3,290 BIRDS, 12

th

SECTION B

113 th

OPEN SAINTES NFC 4,131 BIRDS, 3

rd

SECTION 5

th

OPEN NFC FOUGERES 7,064 BIRDS AND 61

st

OPEN

Niort National a few weeks ago. Thanks to Scott Storie not only for giving me the bird but for taking the bird to the marking station.

Well done to everybody who clocked in a pigeon.

Tony Stephens.

Blue Roy.

Keith Gosling &amp;amp; Mick Jarvis of Mountnessing who are 2 nd

OPEN 1

st

SECTION J ARE A PARTNERSHIP

of all rounders 29 th &amp;amp; 51

st BICC Tours, 9 th , 38

th ,58 th &amp;amp; 95

th NFC Carentan, 7 th

OPEN BBC BARCELONA

2013, 25 th &amp;amp; 37

th BBC Messac, 88 th NFC Cholet, 69

th

OPEN BICC ALENCON, 69

th

OPEN NFC CARENTAN

2012. 11 th BBC Barcelona , 59

th BICC Agen, 33 rd BBC Fougeres, 42

nd BICC Pau, 46 th , 61

st , 71 st &amp;amp; 90

th BICC Tours , 46 th BICC Falaise 2012. 30

th BBC Fougeres, 10 th &amp;amp; 33

rd LSECC Bergerac, 55 th &amp;amp; 56

th LSECC Tarbes, 1 st &amp;amp; 2

nd

SECTION 4

th &amp;amp; 6 th

OPEN BBC POITIERS, 26

th

OPEN BICC FALAISE 2011. 7

th

OPEN &amp;amp; 24

th

OPEN NFC ST MALO, 5

th &amp;amp; 6 th

OPEN BICC FALAISE YB, 1

st

SECTION 4

th

OPEN LSECC

Tarbes, 2 nd

OPEN LSECC PAU 2007. SO AS YOU CAN SEE EXCELLENT FLYERS AT ALL DISTANCES.

The partnership timed a 3 year old widowhood cock. The sire of the winning pigeon is Kiro bred by

Jim Biss and is grandson of Vend 1 st NFC Pau and Salve the sire of Turban 2

nd NFC Pau. The dam is 57 bred by Ponderosa UK Stud and is a Muller Aarden Mona Lisa x Cartier lines. The winning pigeon has always been very reliable but often beaten by loft mates he was 135

th

SECTION NFC AS A

yearling and last year he was 12 th

SECTION 87

th BBC Niort which was a very testing race. Prior to Barcelona he had 3 inland races, Messac, Tours and Poitiers. He is exercised twice daily for 1 hour and was fed on Verse Laga super widowhood and Liege mixed with plenty of peanuts. After

the Poitiers race he was just exercised on the Friday prior to basketing, all the other cocks were removed from his section and he was given his hen until the morning of basketing.

From experience it seems to calm the cocks down as they are away from the loft so long. This is the partnerships 3 rd ever attempt at Barcelona, 2012 11

th

OPEN, 2013 7

th

OPEN AND NOW 2

nd . The partnership had a great day they were also 4 th

OPEN IN THE BBC FOUGERES RACE.

Keith is holding 2 nd

OPEN AND MICK 4

th .

Keith Gosling &amp;amp; Mick Jarvis.

Tony Cowan from Southampton. 3 rd

OPEN 1

st

SECTION A.

Tony needs no introduction. He has been a top flyer before most of us were born! Recent performances, provisionally 2 nd

SECTION 25

th

OPEN NFC MESSAC, 13

th

OPEN CSCFC BERGERAC 2013,

46 th

OPEN CSCFC TARBES 2013, 69

th

OPEN NFC MESSAC 2013, 30

th

OPEN NFC CARENTAN, 58

th

OPEN

CSCFC Tarbes 2012, 19 th

OPEN CSCFC BERGERAC 2011, 5

th

OPEN CSCFC BERGERAC, 1

st &amp;amp; 3 rd

OPEN

CSCFC Messac 2010, 3 rd , 13

th , 21 st , 47

th

OPEN NFC ALENCON 2009. 2008 6

th

OPEN CSCFC TARBES,

3 rd

OPEN BICC PAU, 10

th

OPEN BICC ALENCON. OVER THE YEARS TONY HAS WON SEVERAL OPENS.

My heart always misses a beat when our Clare phones. Usually about sending the wrong race sheet or I’ve added it up wrong. But this time it’s very pleasing to be told that “Sheppard’s Delight” was 1 st

SECTION, ESPECIALLY WHEN WITHOUT HER OR MARTIN’S HELP I PROBABLY WOULD NOT OF SENT. THEY TOOK MY

entries to the marking station due to the trouble and strife having a stay in hospital and unlike Johnny

Attrill of Salisbury’s wife, Maria is not pregnant. The blood lines are the legend Brian Sheppard with Lucas on the sire’s side. One race this year and then in to Barcelona, no training, just locked out most of the day, being chased by hawks etc.

The feeding is GEM the best quality and value on the market, still 25 kilos and Brian Wall being my stress councillor often recommends several of his excellent natural products to good effect!

I stated in an article last week that I was going back to long distance racing, so after many years of not competing, within a week up pops “Sheppard’s delight”.

Tony Cowan.

Bert Shepherd of Woodmancote. 4 th

OPEN 2

nd

SECTION A.

Bert is a Barcelona specialist. He has a beautiful family of pigeons. His 4 th

OPEN WINNER NOW BEING

awarded a Spanish Diploma. In 2012 Bert was 16 th

OPEN NFC TARBES, 2011 8

th

OPEN NFC TARBES,

15 th

OPEN BBC PALAMOS, 2010 4

th , 17 th &amp;amp; 30

th

OPEN NFC TARBES, 1

st

OPEN BBC BARCELONA, 2009

15 th

OPEN BBC LAMBALLE YB, 6

th &amp;amp; 7 th BBC Barcelona, 34

th

OPEN NFC TARBES, 2005 2

nd &amp;amp; 4 th

OPEN

NFC Pau. As you can see an outstanding distance man and family of pigeons.

I would like to start by thanking our secretary Clare &amp;amp; Martin for doing a great job for the BBC club, and my thanks go to the liberators.

My bird is called SHERGAR and some performances to date are 2 nd

CLUB GUERNSEY BEATEN BY A LOFT

mate, 58 th

SECTION A FOUGERES NFC, 27

th

SECTION A SAINTES NFC, 35

th

SECTION A, 293

rd

OPEN TARBES

NFC, 20

th

SECTION A 131

st

OPEN TARBES NFC, 18

th

SECTION 216

th

OPEN TARBES NFC, 1

st

SECTION A 4

th

OPEN BBC BARCELONA, 2

nd

SECTION A 6

th

OPEN BARCELONA AND IF THIS RESULT DOES NOT CHANGE HE WILL BE

2 nd

SECTION A AND 4

th

OPEN BARCELONA AND WINNING A SPANISH DIPLOMA.

I would like to say a big thank you to all the fanciers that phoned me with congratulations, many thanks to all.

Bert Shepherd’s “Shergar”

Jim &amp;amp; Hazel Hooper from Cardiff. 5 th

OPEN 1

st

SECTION C.

Jim and Hazel have been great Ambassadors for the BBC and also tireless servants. Since retiring from his BBC commitments Jim has been able to concentrate his efforts on his long distance team being very successful. 16 th

OPEN BICC PAU 2013, 22

nd BICC Agen 2012, 18 th

OPEN CSCFC TARBES

2009, 10 th

OPEN BICC PAU 2008 AND 22

nd

OPEN CSCFC MESSAC 2008.

When I received a very welcome phone call from Clare the club secretary informing me that our bird was winning the section from Barcelona you can imagine that I was up on cloud nine as it was only our second attempt at this distance since the mid sixties due to being involved in administration which did take up a great deal of our time, leaving not much time to give to the birds, so to be competing at this type of race, long distance racing, it is a bonus when not only getting the bird safely home but doing so well in the actual result.

The cock I timed was our only entry but sent with every confidence as he has been a good and

consistent bird having flown Pau 591 miles on the day and then on to Barcelona 743 miles homing

just a couple of hours after race closure plus other performances previously, so this year he was earmarked just for Barcelona and how he has done us proud for although being in the pigeon game nigh on most of my life with my dad before me that after clocking him in, it took me quite a while to come back down to earth after seeing him back home being greeted by his hen myself included, the excitement of it all is unbelievable such is the thrill of long distant racing.

I would like to thank all those who have rang/e.mails etc to congratulate Hazel and myself it is really appreciated.

The cock timed was sent sitting on eleven day eggs at basketing and has been bred down from a hen bred by Tony Leggatt when mated to a cock who is a mixture of Ken Hine, Lol Green, Derek Reid, all of which I might add were gifted to me and my own Kirkpatrick family, all full of well known distance bloodlines.

We send our own congratulations to all who gets a bird home from Barcelona as it is a very special

RACE THE BLUE RIBAND IN ANY CLUB. HAZEL AND JIM.

Jim Hooper.

Alan Turner from Dover. 6 th

OPEN 1

st

SECTION G.

Another fancier who has excelled from long distance racing for almost 20 years. Just some of his most recent performances are: 13

th

OPEN BICC PERPIGNAN 2013, 11

th

OPEN BICC ST VINCENT 2013,

17 th

OPEN BICC BARCELONA 2012, 2

nd

OPEN, 7

th

OPEN, 15

th

OPEN BICC PERPIGNAN 2011, 7

th

OPEN

BICC Barcelona 2011, 6 th

OPEN BICC PAU 2011, 19

th

OPEN BBC PALAMOS 2011, 13

th

OPEN BICC

Narbonne 2010, 9 th

OPEN BICC TARBES 2010, 3

rd

OPEN BICC BARCELONA 2010, 3

rd

OPEN BICC SARAN

2010, 3 rd

OPEN BICC PERPIGNAN 2009, 2

nd &amp;amp; 4 th

OPEN BICC TARBES 2009, 8

th

OPEN BICC BARCELONA

2009, 5 th

OPEN BICC PAU 2009 ALSO WINNING THE EUROPA CUP FOR THE BEST AVERAGE IN ALL

International races competing in the BICC. Preparation for this race was eight trainers at Bedhampton which is 100 miles to me. Midweek training from Staplefield about 60 miles. My blue cock is from my old Delbar family and was sent to

Barcelona with a big youngster in the nest and sitting five days. He has flown Bergerac, Pau and

Perpignan 15 th

OPEN 12

th

ES 585 miles. BICC Barcelona 2013 43

rd

OPEN 21

st

ES, BBC 2013 23

rd

OPEN 4

th

SECTION G. FEEDING CONSISTS OF BUCKTONS IRISH MIXTURE, SUNFLOWER HEARTS, PEANUTS AND

canary mixture. Alan Turner.

Tony &amp;amp; Carol Welch from Chichester. 7 th

OPEN 2

nd

SECTION G.

This partnership has had a brilliant last couple of seasons of which most would be proud of. Recent

RESULTS INCLUDE: 1

st

SECTION 63

rd

OPEN BBC NIORT 2014, 1

st

SECTION 183

rd

OPEN BBC MESSAC 2014,

26 th

OPEN BBC TOURS YB 2013, 83

rd NFC Carentan YB 2013, 36 th , 38

th , 50 th &amp;amp; 53

rd BBC Fougeres

YB 2013, 39

th

OPEN CSCFC GUERNSEY 2013, 34

th

OPEN BBC BORDEAUX 2013, 5

th

OPEN BBC MESSAC

2013, 67 th

OPEN TARBES 2013, 31

st

OPEN BBC CARENTAN 2013, 1

st

OPEN CSCFC CARENTAN YB 2012,

7 th

OPEN BBC BORDEAUX 2012, 18

th

OPEN CSCFC TARBES 2012, 36

th

OPEN BBC BARCELONA 2012, 18

th

NFC Messac 2012, 55 th

OPEN NFC TARBES 2008.

The pigeon I clocked is a 5 year old blue hen. I flew her out of Tarbes twice and she performed well.

When I sent her to Barcelona she was sent with high hopes. She is bred down from a Martin

Mitchell/ Janssen pigeon which he flew out of 500 miles plus. Which was a gift pigeon from my good friend Lou Severe.

Tony Welch.

Bill Knox (SR &amp;amp; WH Knox) of Canterbury. 10 th

OPEN 3

rd

SECTION G.

Here is yet another top distance partnership. They talk about pigeons with good pedigrees but this partnership has a great pedigree themselves. 4 th

OPEN BICC ST VINCENT 2013, 16

th

OPEN BICC AGEN

2013, 15 th

OPEN BICC PAU 2013, 1

st

OPEN EECC PITHIVIERS 2012, 2

nd , 14 th &amp;amp; 20

th

OPEN BICC

Barcelona 2010, 5 th

OPEN LSECC PAU 2010, 11

th

OPEN BICC PAU 2010, 10

th, 13 th &amp;amp; 15

th

OPEN BICC

Marseille 2010, 6 th

OPEN BICC TARBES 2008, 2

nd

OPEN BICC PAU 2008, 6

th

OPEN BICC PAU 2007,

10 th &amp;amp; 11

th

OPEN BICC MARSEILLE 2005, 4

th

OPEN BICC BIARRITZ 2005 AND 4

th

OPEN BICC BARCELONA

2005.

The 5 year old chequer cock was sent sitting 10days at basketing. His preparation was 3 EECC

races, Cannappeville 140 miles, Saran 234 miles and Pithivers 223 miles. He has previously flown

Tarbes 512 th

OPEN NFC, PAU 76

th

OPEN, ST VINCENTS 51

st

OPEN AND 34

th

OPEN AND PERPIGNAN 66

th

OPEN ALL WITH THE BICC.

This Barcelona was his 20 th time across the channel which was a good result as he arrived with a cut breast. His sire is a Kirkpatrick x Biss and his dam a Kirkpatrick x Chris Gordon.

Bill Knox’s pigeon.

Bomber Mellis from Portsmouth. 11 th

OPEN 3

rd

SECTION A.

Bomber timed hi real superstar from Barcelona. This game pigeon has already achieved in 2012, 29 th

OPEN BICC BARCELONA, 2011, 20

th

OPEN BBC POITIERS AND 7

th

OPEN BBC BORDEAUX, 2010, 89

th

OPEN BBC POITIERS, 2009, 89

th

OPEN BBC BORDEAUX AND 31

st , NFC Saintes and 53 rd

OPEN NFC

Tarbes. Bomber has many top performances distance or otherwise. I will start with the heading “Man gets separated from pigeon and still finds his way home from the pub” as this was the heading on the email I received about Bomber.

Bomber timed a 2008 blue hen which has always been consistent for him this being her second time she has completed the flight back from Spain. Sending only 2 birds to Barcelona he is hoping for 100% returns.

Bomber Mellis.

Telephone and Website verifications which may be subject to change.

OPEN MEM NO FLYING NAME TOWN RING NUMBER A-A-T DAY VELOCITY

1 B181 A Stephens Poole GB09J47469 13 51 32 2 835.984

2 J767 Gosling &amp;amp; Jarvis Mountnessing GB11N76446 17 58 12 2 752.336

3 A954 A Cowan Southampton GB10J353 16 55 31 2 739.666

4 A620 A E Shepherd Woodmancote GB07N15256 19 22 3 2 672.621

5 C1 Mr &amp;amp; Mrs J &amp;amp; H Hooper Cardiff GB08C74294 7 54 59 3 612.942

6 G772 A J Turner Dover GB07P17930 6 35 54 3 580.873

7 G37 Mr T &amp;amp; Mrs C Welch Chichester GB09B61524 8 1 8 3 548.145

8 J754 Mr &amp;amp; Mrs L Hawkins Bishops GB08J18787 12 44 50 3 531.659

9 D152 Mr &amp;amp; Mrs S Fear Hayes GB09N62680 12 38 25 3 516.284

10 G220 SR &amp;amp; WH Knox Canterbury GB09J10803 11 35 42 3 512.777

11 A683 E Mellis Portsmouth GB08N65478 11 16 13 3 502.738

12 G842 F Knowles &amp;amp; Son Canterbury GB10R30886 12 18 57 3 501.620

13 B355 J P Halstead Gillingham GB10N34448 14 34 58 3 484.235

14 E756 J G Rigg Congleton GB09N61824 7 23 2 4 464.859

15 A620 A E Shepherd Woodmancote GB10A612 15 4 1 3 459.870

16 C49 J Ludlam Nelson GB09P05032 20 30 42 3 459.261

17 G842 F Knowles &amp;amp; Son Canterbury GB10R31185 16 11 54 3 457.221

18 J767 Gosling &amp;amp; Jarvis Mountnessing GB09N92055 19 25 34 3 444.441

19 A25 L Kidd New Milton GB09N51852 18 15 41 3 429.457

20 B20 D Whitefield Dorchester GB07N13273 18 59 14 3 428.031

21 G842 F Knowles &amp;amp; Son Canterbury GB11N96486 8 0 34 4 375.046

22 G220 SR &amp;amp; WH Knox Canterbury GB10N10237 9 28 52 4 366.393

23 C650 C G Taylor Bristol GB10S45425 18 21 52 4 334.290

Thank you also to Karen James who has been a great help.

Clare Norman. Tel: 023 8057 3919 Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.&lt;/pre&gt;</pre>

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