“The Original” Around The Up North Combine
Outstanding Season for Lister Bros & Walker
By Good Corn
The Stockton Hardwick Homing Society is one of five Clubs that competes in the Tees Valley Federation, with the other four Clubs being Portrack (Stockton), Stockton West End, Thornaby and Eaglescliffe, which had around 60 flying lofts in 2017, with the Federation being part of the Up North Combine. The Hardwick points system is 1st 5pts, 2nd 4pts, 3rd 3pts, 4th 2pts, 5th to 10th 1pt, there is also a 3-Bird Club where only one position can be won by each loft. The 2017 racing season started off with 10 lofts competing from the early old bird races, and dropping to five or six members competing by the end of the old bird campaign. The nine race young bird programme was totally different with the most lofts competing at one time being six members, with a couple of lofts only sending to a couple of races. The members have held their own in at Federation level in previous years, just like they did in 2016 when the members achieved 8 x 1st Fed wins between them. Prest & Huggett were the first Hardwick loft to clock up a Fed win in 2016 with that coming at old bird Peterborough out of an entry of 1,957 birds. Lister Bros Craig & Gary and the late Iky Walker enjoyed winning 3 x 1st Feds that year when they topped the Fed charts from Eastbourne (sub Burbure) out of 627 birds. And then from the back to back young bird Peterborough from 784 birds and Rivenhall when there were 787 birds competing. Moore Brothers Terry, Ste & Lol topped the Fed twice with the old birds, from Rivenhall (2) when there were 1,017 birds away, and then again two weeks later from Peterborough (2) out of 857 birds. The loft of John Best & Son Steven enjoyed 2 x 1st Fed wins with the young birds in 2016, with Fed win number one being won at Pontefract (1) out of 1,165 birds, with their second Fed win being recorded out of Worksop (2) from a convoy of 1,274 birds. As you can see the Hardwick members can compete with the best of them.
In 2017 the partnership of Lister Brothers Craig & Gary and the late Iky Walker, enjoyed a fantastic season winning 14 x 1st Club etc, with the Brothers scoring 61pts from the old bird inland races, 44pts from the channel, 113pts with the young birds, achieving top loft in the Club with a total of 218pts. With Craig & Gary being the winners of the “John Love Trophy”, “Burbure (1) Trophy”, “Reims Trophy”, “Burbure (2) Trophy”, “J R Burnip Best Loft Performance Old Bird National Trophy”, “Bird Of The Year Trophy”, “Barney Lawson Memorial Old Bird Combined Average Trophy”, “Joan Heightly Runner Up Old Bird Inland Average Trophy”, “Jack Nodding Channel Average Trophy”, “John McGregor Memorial Best Performance From The Two Longest Races Trophy”, “Old Bird Combined Average”, “Don Serginson Memorial Young Bird Average Trophy”, “K Heightly Memorial Young Bird National Trophy”, “J J Akeld Memorial Young Bird Of The Year Trophy”, and the “Combined Average Trophy”.
Gary & Craig Lister of Lister Brothers & Walker, top prizewinners in the Stockton Hardwick winning 14 x 1st Clubs etc.
Craig & Gary's outstanding season got under way after timing four birds at old bird Bubwith to chalk up 2nd, 4th, 7th and 8th Club, with the blue card lifter going onto claim 12th Fed. A single bird was on the clock the following week to pick up 8th Club, and this was quickly followed up by winning 1st and 7th Club out of 286 birds, 7th and 20th Fed Oakham (1) when there were 1,669 birds competing. Five birds were on the clock from Huntingdon to net 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th and 10th Club, with the first two birds on the clock taking 8th and 24th Fed. Craig & Gary achieved their second old bird win of the season at Oakham (2), the Rivenhall replacement race, where they timed another five of their squad to win a notable 1st, 5th, 8th, 9th and 10th Fed from 238 birds, 7th, 19th, 29th and 30th Fed when there were 1,402 birds competing. Craig & Gary recorded their second win on the bounce and third win of the season at the Eastbourne National when four birds were timed to win an outstanding 1st, 2nd, 8th and 10th Club when there were 215 birds away, with the red and blue card potters going onto score a brilliant 2nd and 3rd Fed when there were 1,000 birds away and their chart topper going on even further to pocket 189th UNC from a convoy of 18,257 birds.
After being out of the points at Oakham (3) Craig & Gary retuned to the winners' enclosure at Burbure (1) the first of five French races, after timing five of their channel squad to win a well-deserved 1st, 5th, 6th, 7th and 9th Club from an entry of 80 birds, with the inform Craig & Gary's winner that topped the Club charts by 7 minutes going onto score 12th Fed from 582 birds. There was no chance of any grass growing under Craig & Gary's feet for their birds came up trumps again a week after Burbure (1) when they returned to English soil or should that be grass? When a couple of birds were timed at Rivenhall to win a top notch 1st and 3rd Club when there was 114 birds away, 3rd and 11th Fed when there were 901 birds competing, the Brothers also won the 50p and £1 pools and also won 1st 3-Bird Club with their green card potting 2y. Back to France where the birds were at Roye which resulted in Craig & Gary's birds racking up another great team performance after seven birds were timed to lift 2nd, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th Club with the blue card potter netting 8th Fed, and the duo's second timer pocketing 2nd 3-Bird Club and 19th Fed.
The boys were back in Town at Peterborough where they returned to their winning ways to record their sixth win of the season after timing three birds to win 1st, 5th and 7th Club out of 148 birds which also saw their chart-topper winning 1st 3-Bird Club. The fancied winner also went onto score a very nice 4th Fed from an entry of 973 birds, while their second bird on the clock claimed 21st Fed and their third timer took 24th Fed. A single bird was in the frame out of Oakham (4) to pocket 4th Club, and the duo timed a later fancied bird to pot 2nd 3-Bird Club. And then a fancied bird was timed out of the Rivenhall National to claim 7th Club and 2nd 3-Bird Club. Craig & Gary went marching on from the fourth channel race Reims from the distance of 435 miles which proved to be a very tough race, where the lads got back to their winning ways to achieve their second channel win and their seventh win of the old bird campaign after timing no fewer than eight of their on song birds to win an outstanding 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 6th, 8th, 9th and 10th Club, 2nd, 3rd, 5th and 14th Fed out of 195 birds. The first three birds that were timed within 26 minutes of each other went onto chalk up a cracking 54th, 89th and 113th Up North Combine from a convoy of 3,193 birds, many, many birds were still missing throughout the Combine at the end of the day, with a lot of Club positions still to be raced for.
Onto Newark where the duo had a solo bird in the frame to notch up 10th Club. Craig & Gary ended the old bird season in the winners' enclosure which was from the fifth channel race Burbure (2) where they timed three birds to win 1st, 4th and 9th Club out of 71 birds with their red card winner going onto score a useful 4th Fed when there were 497 birds away and 193rd UNC from a convoy of 10,689 birds, while there yellow card potter netted 9th Fed to help them be Runners Up Fed Channel Average, and their third timer pocketed 3rd 3-Bird Club to round off a cracking old bird campaign.
Craig & Gary started their young bird season off by timing four babies at Pontefract (1) to lift 4th, 5th, 7th and 8th Club, with the yellow card potter doing enough to take 20th Fed. The following week out of Pontefract (2) a couple of birds were timed to pocket 2nd and 7th Club, with the blue card scorer taking 16th Fed. The two Brothers hit number one spot in great style from young bird race number three Worksop (1), after timing five birds to win a top notch 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 8th and 9th Club from an entry of 193 birds. With the red card winning youngster that was three minutes in front of the blue card scorer going onto chalk up a nice 6th Fed when there were 1,334 birds competing, while the blue card and green card lifters that were timed 15 seconds apart went onto lift 11th and 12th Fed. Another five birds were in the points a week later at Worksop (2) when 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 6th and 8th Club was won when there were 146 birds away, with Craig & Gary's chart-topper going onto chalk up 20th Fed out of 965 birds, while their fancied blue card scorer won 1st 3-Bird Club.
A hat trick of wins was achieved out of Melton Mowbray when the lads won the first ten Club positions out of an entry of 85 birds, with the winner that topped the Club charts by 3 minutes going onto score 13th Fed when there were 884 birds competing, and their fifth timer won 1st 3-Bird Club. The Club was down again to 75 birds away the following week at Peterborough, when again the lads won the first ten Club positions. With their pole position winner pocketing 19th Fed out of 819 birds, and their yellow card potter winning 1st 3-Bird Club. The duo had being hoping for better Fed positions than they were achieving with the young birds but that's not always possible the way racing is going at the moment. I can remember when I was reporting on the Fed a few years ago, the first 30 Fed positions from the early young bird races were taken in well under one minute but that is no longer the case, as it's now taking a good five minutes to fill the Feds top 20 positions. The birdage was down again and the birds were well split up from the very testing Rivenhall race, with the winning bird taking just under four and a half hours to cover the 205 miles. And for the fifth race running the winning bird was for Craig & Gary who timed nine of their team to win 1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th Club out of 44 birds, with the red and blue card scorers that were timed 13 seconds apart going onto net 10th and 11th Fed, the lads also won 1st 3-Bird Club.
Craig & Gary recorded their sixth consecutive young bird win from the Maidstone National which is from the distance of 246 miles, and again this proved to be a tough race for the youngsters with big gaps in between the arrivals. Craig & Gary timed eight of their entries to win 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 7th, 9th and 10th Club when there were 31 birds away. Craig & Gary ended up being fifth highest Federation points winners for 2017, no doubt something they will be hoping to improve on this coming 2018 racing season.
Moore Brothers Terry, Ste & Lol were the winners of the 4 x 1st Clubs etc, with the lads winning the Old Bird Inland Average with 85pts, fourth highest points winners at the Channel with 7pts, third highest points winners with the young birds with 19pts and Runners Up Combined Average with a total of 111pts. Terry “The Hammer”, Ste & Lol were the winners of the “Old Bird Inland Average Trophy”, “Lister Brothers Old Bird National (2) Trophy” and “Runner Up Combined Average Trophy”. The lads who are the previous winners of 1st Up North Combine Old Bird Folkestone National in 1990 when flying as Moore Brothers & Harrison flying in the former Brown Jug Club from a convoy of 25,191 birds, first points of the season were scooped from old bird Worksop where they netted 5th Club. Two birds were timed four seconds apart out of Oakham (1) to pocket a useful 2nd and 3rd Club, 11th and 12th Fed; and then the Brothers had a trio of birds in the frame from the Eastbourne National to net 3rd, 6th and 9th Club, with the lads green card scorer chalking up 15th Fed.
Terry “The Hammer” Moore of Moore Bros, winners of the Club Old Bird Inland Average.
Terry, Ste & Lol hit the winner's enclosure at Oakham (3) after no fewer than four of their team were timed to win a cracking 1st, 3rd, 7th and 8th Club out of 147 birds, 4th, 9th, 25th and 26th Fed when there were 988 birds competing. The lads enjoyed a cracking clocking day out of Rivenhall when they timed no less than six birds to pot a notable 2nd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 8th and 9th Club, which also saw their blue card scorer net a useful 3rd Fed and their yellow card potter claim 2nd 3-Bird Club and 20th Fed. Another belting team performance was racked up at Peterborough when another six of Terry, Ste & Lol's team were timed to score a notable 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 6th, 9th and 10th Club, 5th, 6th, 12th, 23rd and 30th Fed. Moving onto Oakham (4) where Terry, Ste & Lol's birds knocked out another cracking team performance after no less than seven of the lads entries were timed to chalk up a notable 3rd, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th Club, with the boys third bird on the clock winning 1st 3-Bird Club.
After a number of top team performances it was only a matter of time before the partnership clocked up their second win of the season, and that time came at the Rivenhall (sub Eastbourne 2) National when five birds were timed to win a brilliant 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 9th Club when there were 114 birds away, with the well-fancied chart-topper winning 1st 50p and £1 pools and 1st 3-Bird Club before going onto score 8th Fed out of an entry of 752 birds. Win number three of the season was achieved in earth-shattering style at Newark when no fewer than nine birds were timed to win a breath-taking first nine Club positions when there were 114 birds competing. The old bird inland average winning Brothers finished their old bird campaign off by having four birds on the clock out of Burbure (2) to pot a very nice 2nd, 5th, 6th and 8th Club, 6th, 11th and 16th Fed.
Terry, Ste & Lol have enjoyed great success over the years, with them flying a top Pigeon when the Teesside Federation was probably the biggest Fed in the whole of the UNC. Long before Clubs pulled out to form the Tees Valley Fed, while some formed the Middlesbrough & District Fed. The Teesside Fed was so competitive in the good old days with up to 7,000 birds competing from some races, they were sending more birds than some Combines in this Country, with competition being at it's very best. All Clubs, Federations and Combines have seen a massive drop in membership and birdage over the years, and sadly we are never ever going to return to the hay day of Pigeon racing. I would like to think the fanciers who raced in the 60s, 70s and 80s saw Pigeon racing at it's very best, in more reasons than one. Back to the present day where Terry, Ste & Lol only sent to one young bird race, and that was the final race of the season from Pontefract (3). Terry actually managed to put his hammer down which is very rare as he is always building something, to hammer the clock after timing no fewer than nine of their first time youngsters to win a brilliant 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th Club out of an entry of 128 birds. With the pole position winner that topped the Club charts by over three minutes going onto win 1st Fed when there were 346 birds competing, the blue, green and yellow card scoring babies that were timed within one minute of each other going onto chalk up 11th, 19th and 20th Fed to round off a cracking team performance. The lads were third highest old bird inland Fed points scorers and eighth highest Fed points scorers in 2017.
John Best & Son Steven were the winners of 2 x 1st Clubs etc, being Runners Up Young Bird Average with 23pts and were the Clubs third highest prizewinners with a total of 40pts. John & Steven had a single bird on the clock at old bird Bubwith to notch up 5th Club; and this was followed up a week later by taking 4th Club Worksop. Onto the third race Oakham (1) where John & Steven had a couple of their entries in the frame to pot 4th and 10th Club, with the yellow card potter going onto net 17th Fed. Huntingdon saw the lads notch up 4th Club, 23rd Fed; and this was followed up by having a trio of their team in the frame at Oakham (2) to score a notable 2nd, 4th and 6th Club, 15th, 17th and 20th Fed; and then 4th Club was notched up from the Eastbourne National. Onto the young birds where John & Steve who won 1st North Of England Homing Union Futurity Race from Reed in 2015, got off to a great start after timing a couple of babies in the space of two seconds at Pontefract (1) to win a cracking 1st, 2nd, 9th and 10th Club out of 110 birds, with the red and blue card scorers going onto lift 10th and 11th Fed out of an entry of 756 birds.
John & Steven enjoyed their second win on the belt from Pontefract (2), the same race point as the previous week but it was a bit stiffer race this time but that didn't stop the lads from timing no fewer than five of their squad to win 1st, 5th, 6th, 8th and 10th Club from 188 birds, with the duo's out in front pole position winner going onto rack up 9th Fed when there were 1,539 birds competing. John & Steven who are getting help around the loft from former partner Maurice Heslop, were in the young bird points for the third consecutive race after timing a brace of birds to net 4th and 5th Club, with the yellow card potter going onto pocket 14th Fed. The lads shut up shop for the season after this race, their youngsters that were flown natural had suffered mixed racing from the first three races and they were not on their own because many, many more fanciers were puzzled on what was happen to young bird racing this season. I won't be the only one that has seen big gaps in a number of Clubs returns throughout the Combine, and I'm certainly not the only one placing the blame on the increased number of UNC young bird liberations from different race points on the same day we have taken on board the past few years. Some weeks there are a great number of birds still missing on clock opening, with the youngsters that make it home taking all day to do so.
Steven Best, Maurice Heslop & John Best of Best & Son winners of 2 x 1st Clubs etc.
Chris Barron the winner of 2 x 1st Clubs etc was Runner Up Channel Average with 17pts and fourth highest points winner with a total of 35pts. Chris chalked up his first points of the season at old bird Huntingdon when he won 1st Club out of an entry of 275 birds and a fantastic 1st Fed from a convoy of 1,652 birds. A single bird was clocked at Oakham (2) to net 7th Club, 25th Fed; and then Chris timed a couple of birds in the space of 13 seconds out of Oakham (3) to lift 5th and 6th Club, with the first timer taking 2nd 3-Bird Club. Chris enjoyed a good clocking day from Burbure (1) when he timed three yearlings to chalk up a notable 2nd, 3rd and 4th Club, 14th and 21st Fed, with the blue card lifter winning 1st 3-Bird Club. Chris was in the channel points for the second race running out of Roye when a single bird was on the clock to net 4th Club, 1st 3-Bird Club and 17th Fed.
Chris Barron winner of 2 x 1st Clubs, holding the chequer pied cock winner of 1st Club, 1st Fed, 15th UNC and 16th NEHU Open Bourges.
Channel race number three of the season was from the longest race point which happens to be Bourges the distance of 545 miles for the Hardwick members. Bourges has long being known as the “graveyard for Pigeons”, with many, many birds failing to return over the years, and a lot of the losses being winners and experienced birds. A number of times over the years the Up North Combine has seen no on the day arrivals from Bourges and the same happened in 2017, where again the UNC result sheet was a long, long way off being filled with only 37 very gallant birds making it home in the 3 day race time. Chris timed a very game 3y chequer pied cock on the second day from Bourges in 2017 to win an outstanding 1st Club and the only bird timed in the Club in race time, 2nd Fed with only three birds clocked in race time, 15th UNC when there was 1,795 birds competing and 16th North Of England Homing Union Open from a convoy of 1,989 birds. Chris will have still being on cloud 9 when he had a couple of his entries in the frame at the Rivenhall National to pocket 2nd and 8th Club with the blue card potter going onto chalk up 9th Fed. More channel points came Chris's way when he timed two birds to chalk up 5th and 7th Club from the very testing Reims race where arrivals were very gappy for most fanciers in the Combine. Chris impressive channel run continued at Burbure (2) when a yearling was timed to pocket 7th Club, 2nd 3-Bird Club and 20th Fed. Young bird Worksop (1) saw Chris time two of his entries to lift 6th and 8th Club; and that was followed up by netting 9th Club out of Worksop (2) a week later. Chris then took 3rd 3-Bird Club at Worksop (2) and potted 2nd 3-Bird Club from Melton Mowbray.
The partnership of Prest & Huggert were the winners of 1 x 1st Club etc and fourth highest old bird inland points scorers with 18pts, got off to a flying start to the 2017 racing season after timing no fewer than five birds at old bird Bubwith to win a cracking 1st, 3rd, 6th, 9th and 10th Club out of 212 birds, with their fifth timer winning 1st 3-Bird Club while the red card winner went on to score 6th Fed and the green card potter lifting 18th Fed from a entry of 1,307 birds. A week later when the birds were at Worksop a couple of the lads entries were timed to pocket 2nd and 9th Club, with the blue card potter going onto score an impressive 2nd Fed. Two more birds were in the points at Oakham (1) when 6th and 8th Club was taken, with the first timer also picking up 19th Fed. The lads raced the remainder of the season in the Portrack Club, where they scored 2 x 2nd Clubs and 2 x 2nd Feds etc with the old birds and also won a cracking 1st Club, 1st Fed young bird Melton Mowbray etc.
The loft of Freddy Lancaster & Kenny Cunningham were the winners of 2 x 1st Clubs etc and third highest points winners with the old birds inland, with the partnerships first points being achieved in fantastic style from old bird Worksop when three birds were on the clock to win 1st, 6th and 7th Club out of 304 birds, with the red card winner going on to win a most impressive 1st Fed from a muster of 1,669 birds. A single bird was on the clock a week later at Oakham (1) to claim 5th Club, 18th Fed; Freddy & Kenny were in the points for the third race running out of Huntingdon when they timed one of their fancied birds to score 2nd Club, 1st 3-Bird Club and a useful 7th Fed. Onto the Eastbourne National where 5th Club taken; and the following week when the birds were from Oakham (3) Fred & Kenny had no less than four of their entries on the clock to score a cracking 2nd, 4th, 9th and 10th Club, 8th, 17th and 29th Fed, with their well-fancied blue card lifter winning the Club 50p and £1 pools and also winning 1st 3-Bird Club.
Freddy Lancaster of Lancaster & Cunningham, winners of 2 x 1st Clubs etc.
The boys were back in the frame at Rivenhall to collect 7th Club, and then took 8th Club, 26th Fed out of Peterborough, a later fancied yearling was timed to lift 2nd 3-Bird Club. Freddy & Kenny hit top spot for the second time at Oakham (4) when a couple of yearlings were timed two seconds apart to win a wonderful 1st and 2nd Club when there were 150 birds competing. The fancied pole position winner won the £1 Nom, the duo timed a later fancied bird to lift 3rd 3-Bird Club; and then Rivenhall National saw a couple of birds on the clock to claim 6th and 7th Club. Freddy & Kenny were in amongst them again at Burbure (2) where two of their channel entries were on the clock to lift 3rd and 10th Club, with the duo's well-fancied green card scoring yearling winning the 50p and £1 pools and also winning 1st 3-Bird Club to add to their money haul. Freddy & Kenny netted once with the young birds with that coming at Worksop (1) when 7th Club was taken.
The Father & Son partnership of S “Todd” & David Wilton who fly their birds to a small back garden loft were just out of the points at old bird Bubwith with a yearling that chalked up 2nd 3-Bird Club; and then clocked another 1y at Burbure (1) to lift 10th Club and just out of the frame came a 3y that netted 2nd 3-Bird Club. Todd & David took 10th Club again the following week when the birds were at Rivenhall, where their timer also notched up 3rd 3-Bird Club. Onto the Rivenhall National where yet again 10th Club was notched up. Todd & David had a couple of birds in the points from young bird Pontefract (1) chalk up a nice 3rd and 6th Club, with the green card potting youngster going onto net 19th Fed. The duo had a single bird in the frame a week later from Pontefract (2) when a useful 3rd Club, 17th Fed was achieved, and then 2nd 3-Bird Club was taken at Peterborough. The lads were out of the points from Rivenhall but still managed to lift 2nd 3-Bird Club. The duo were in the frame out of the Maidstone National when 6th Club was notched up, and this was followed by taking 10th Club Pontefract (3).
Todd Wilton of S & D Wilton, scorers of 2nd Club, 19th Fed young bird Pontefract (1) etc
Wilf Coates got on the points sheet from old bird Worksop when two birds were timed to lift 3rd and 10th Club; and then a single bird was timed at Oakham (1) to notch up 9th Club. Wilf was in the points again a week later at Huntingdon when a couple of his entries were timed to pot 6th and 8th Club, with the first timer also claiming 25th Fed. Onto Oakham (2) where a nice 3rd Club, 16th Fed was taken and then 7th Club was picked up out of the Eastbourne National; and this was followed up by taking 3rd 3-Bird Club at Oakham (3). Onto the young birds where Wilf had a couple of his Pontefract (2) entries on the clock to pocket a useful 4th and 9th Club, a later fancied baby was timed to win 1st 3-Bird Club. Wilf upped the tempo out of Worksop (2) where he timed no fewer than four of his entries to score a notable 4th, 5th, 7th and 10th Club, Wilf then clocked a firth bird to lift 2nd 3-Bird Club.
The Son & Father loft of David & Ian Wallas were the winners of 1 x 1st Club etc winning the “Roye Trophy” and third highest point scorers from the channel with 9pts got off the mark out of Burbure (1) when they timed a 2y to pocket 8th Club. David & Club Secretary Ian became the Kings of France from the second channel race Roye from a distance of 379 miles, when they timed two 2y to win an outstanding 1st and 3rd Club out of 43 birds. With David & Ian's pole position winner that topped the Club charts by 11 minutes going onto score a notable 4th Fed and their green card lifter went onto chalk up 15th Fed when there were 322 birds competing. The lads limited themselves to young bird racing, but they managed to win the Club Show Race from Rivenhall. David & Ian are hoping for better things in 2018 after moving to their new loft location just before the start of the 2017 racing season which gave them very little time to break their old birds into their new loft before racing got under way.
David Wallas of D & I Wallas, winners of 1st Club, 4th Fed Roye etc.
The loft of N Love & Son were just out of the points a few times throughout the 2017 racing season, it is a name I had seen in the results a number of times over the years. Because of this I picked out the 2009 and 2013 UNC handbooks at random to see if the partnership had topped the Fed in either of them two years, and found they won an outstanding 1st Club, 1st Fed and 66th UNC Eastbourne Yearling National in 2009 from a convoy of 3,750 birds. And then the following week the lads won a fantastic 1st Club, 1st Fed and 15th UNC Andrezel from a convoy of 3,849 birds, I hope the lads can rekindle some of that previous glory in 2018.
It was nice to meet the Hardwick members, with some of them I was meeting for the first time. I hope they have a enjoyable and successful 2018 racing season.
Time is running out to purchase rings for the 2018 Silksworth Comrades H/S European Gold Ring Breeder/Buyer, you have until the end of February so make sure you phone John Potts on 07506 326870 to order your rings before it's too late. On 9th February 149 rings had been issued, which is up from 118 rings sold in 2017, where £7,000 was flown for. Conditions of entry are (1), The rings are priced at £20 each, a maximum of 5 rings per entrant/loft/member can be purchased. (2), Closing date for the entries is end February 2018. (3), A maximum of 300 rings will be available for sale. (4), Entrants must ring a youngster with the official ring and return it, to be sold at auction on the following dates; Friday March 2nd, 9th, 23rd and 30th with the venue being at the Silksworth Comrades Club, John Street, Silksworth SR3 1ET, viewing from 7pm with the sales starting at 7.45pm. (5), Only Up North Combine members can purchase a youngster/s and will be allowed to race the purchased Pigeons in the Up North Combine races. No limit on the number of birds purchased. (6), The competition for prize money will be the Up North Combine Young Bird National. The fastest velocity with the Gold Ring wins 1st prize and so on. Claims from the buyers within two weeks after the race. (7), The race will normally be from Maidstone, a distance of 230-280 miles. (8), 15% of the income, plus expenses etc, from the ring sales and the auction will be deducted for administration. The rest will be paid out as prize money, spread over the result, prize money will be paid out in the ratio of 50% to the breeder, 50% to the buyer. (9), The prize money and how it will be distributed out over the result will be published after the figures are known following the last auction (taking into account rule 8).
With that I will sign off for another week, which will be the Brotton H/S presentation evening report.
Any news to:
Good Corn
6 Boulby Drive
Loftus, Saltburn, Cleveland TS13 4JN.
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