AROUND THE UP NORTH COMBINE
by Keith Simpson
Reims, Melton Mowbray 3 & Peterborough
The Up North Combine was at Reims (1) on Friday 6th June for their second channel race of the season, the convoy of 5,195 birds were liberated at 5.45am in an East-South-East wind which proved a very fast race. At Skelton Green Mr Tony “Simply The Best” Bannister & Col Robinson timed one of their two entries to win 1st Club from a 6 members entry of 43 birds, with the pole position winner being a 2y blue bar white flight Staf Van Reet cock, the chart- topper is bred out of a bird purchased by Tony’s good friend and former loft helper Charlie Featherstone from a Louella Pigeon World sale. Charlie’s very good choice has now bred 4 x 1st Clubs for Tony, with this being the best win to-date for the red card winner recorded a top vel of 1626 to go onto win a very impressive 1st East Cleveland Federation from a 52 members entry of 330 birds, 1st North Yorks & East Cleveland Section banking £113.67 and a most impressive 22nd UNC. Mick & Boss of the Bowden Bros partnership enjoyed a good clocking day after timing three of their entries to chalk up 2nd, 5th and 6th Club, with the blue card being awarded to a 4y chequer Van Loon hen who has previous wins and other position in the first 6 in the Club from the channel. The hen who achieved a vel of 1544 to go onto score a useful 8th Fed; is a granddaughter of Bowden Bros (Mick and the late Stan) & Dave Drinkhall 1st Up North Combine Gold Medal winning “Julie”. Second on the clock for Mick & Boss was a fancied 2y Van Loon chequer hen who knocked up a vel of 1501 to lift 30th Fed and 3rd £2 Fed nom pocketing £16.00. And she was followed by a 5y blue hen out of Porter & Stevens double 1st Up North Combine Gold Medal winning “Village Lad” lines; the hen who is the previous scorer of a number of positions in her time had a vel of 1493 to notch up 34th Fed. Alan & David Wright had a couple of birds on the clock to lift 3rd and 4th Club with the green card being netted by a 3y blue Herman x Busschaert cock recording a vel of 1536 which was enough to pocket 11th Fed. The yellow card was taken by a 3y chequer Busschaert cock making 1505 for 27th Fed; the hen is scoring for the second channel race running after chalking up 2nd Club, 13th Fed Lillers when there were 829 birds competing. Alan & David who are previous winners of the Club channel average timed a third bird, a 2y doing 1492 to pick up 35th Fed. Jimmy Reed is enjoying a great season at Marske & New Marske, this week Jimmy filled three chambers to win 1st, 3rd and 5th Club; with the red card being won by a 2y blue chequer cock of Wignall & Varney bloodlines. The green card was awarded to a 2y blue Soontjen roundabout hen of Tony Hunt bloodlines; and she was followed by a 2011 bred blue Jan Aarden roundabout hen who won Clermont in 2013. Martin Hogarth filled a couple of cells to lift 2nd and 4th Club with the blue card going to a home bred yearling chequer pied hen bred down from Clubmates Craig Wedgewood and former Club secretary Tony Hunt stock. The yellow card was chalked up by a 2013 bred grizzle roundabout cock of Louella Roland Janssen stock.
Moving onto Melton Mowbray (3) where we the Skelton Green loft of Jaki Bowden & Terry Treloar record their third old bird win of 2014, from a 9 members entry of 199 birds. With pole position being won by a yearling chequer cock through Gwynn “Taffy” Williams of Goole fame Gaby Vandenabeele gift bird, bred back to a Ian Brown, Rudi Deal gift bird. The red card winning cock who netted 4th Club, 72nd Up North Combine young bird Maidstone National from a convoy of 10,841 birds (when down as a hen) recorded a top vel of 1933 which was enough to score a very impressive 2nd East Cleveland Federation from a 65 members entry of 1,305 birds. Jaki & Terry were beaten in the Fed by W (Bill) & Shaun Ward of Brotton H/S with a vel of 1937, Bill and grandson Shaun’s winner was through Mark Caudwell Staf Van Reet lines with the sire being a son off “Unlucky” and the dam off “Apache”. This was Bill & Shaun’s second Fed win of 2014 as the lads won 1st Brotton 6 Bird Club and 1st Fed from Melton Mowbray (1) with a widowhood hen bred through I & D Maddison lines cock when paired to a on loan hen from A & K Peggs of Guisborough. Bill Chapman, Sons Steve & Colin & Swinburne timed a couple of yearlings to lift 2nd and 6th Club with their blue card potter achieving a vel of 1888 for 20th Fed. Bowden Bros, Mick & Boss were in 3rd spot with a forever trying 2013 bred chequer Coopman hen making 1874 to notch up 33rd Fed. Tony Bannister & Col Robinson had two birds on the clock to take 4th and 5th Club, with the yellow card going to Banno & Col’s inform 2y smokey blue Soontjen cock doing 1871 to lift 37th Fed. The cock who was bred from stock from gift eggs off Adams & Son of Great Ayton fame off John’s 3rd UNC winner is looking good for the Club bird of the year after scoring 5th Club, 34th Fed Melton Mowbray (1) when beaten by a loftmate that won 1st Club, 17th Fed. The cock then won 1st Club, 3rd Fed Melton Mowbray (2) and followed that up by chalking up 2nd Club, 3rd Fed Rivenhall (1) a week later, Banno & Col have got themselves a star bird is this cock. The two lads who are enjoying a great season, second timer was a 2y blue bar white flight Staf Van Reet x Chapman, Sons & Swinburne cock. Martin Hogarth records his second win of the season at Marske & New Marske after filling a couple of chambers to win 1st and 3rd Club, with Martin’s chart-topper being a yearling blue roundabout hen direct from Brown & Hunt stock, with a top vel of 1894 the red card winning cock went onto score a well-deserved and notable 9th Fed. The green card was awarded to a 2y blue Craig Wedgewood x Brown & Hunt roundabout hen doing 1880 to net 26th Fed, the hen won twice as a young bird winning 1st Club Peterborough and 1st Club Maidstone National. Jimmy Reed also filled a couple of cells to lift 2nd and 5th Club with the blue card being awarded to a 1y blue Wildemeersch hen, and she was followed by a 2y Brown & Hunt blue pied hen who won 1st Club Huntingdon this season. Geoff Bavin & Son are in 3rd position with a 2y Jackie Traynor x John Whittaker of Bramley Lofts chequer hen, who is the previous scorer of 4th Club Huntingdon earlier in the season.
The birds were at Peterborough (1) on Saturday 14th June when the 85 Fed members entry of 1,586 birds were liberated at 9.30am flying into a North East wind, which was going to knock the velocity’s well down on the previous weeks Melton Mowbray (4) race. The loft of Winspear & Son break their duck at Skelton Green from a 12 members entry of 293 birds. With the forever trying Derek’s pole position winner being a yearling bred by Stuart & Joy Arkless recording a chart-topping vel of 1272 to go onto score a notable 13th Fed. The partnership have flown a very notable bird so far, chalking up a number of good positions. Including 3rd Club, 29th Fed out of Selby on the opening day of the new season, and they followed that up by netting 4th Club, 7th Fed Newark. An impressive 2nd Club, 4th Fed was achieved at Melton Mowbray (2); and then a couple of birds were on the clock at Rivenhall (1) to pocket a notable 3rd and 4th Club, 12th and 20th Fed. The lads have done very well for themselves in their first full season back in the sport, after starting back up with the young birds in 2013 after a number of years out of the sport. Ian “Evo” Everington had a couple of his entries on the clock to lift 2nd and 4th Club with the blue card being awarded to a 2013 bred blue widowhood cock. The cock who is a son of Evo’s 2012 1st Up North Combine old bird Folkestone (2) Gold Medal winning “Evo’s Lad” knocked up a vel of 1262 to notch up 26th Fed. The yellow card was potted by a yearling blue cock who is out of a I & D Maddison of Hartlepool fame cock when paired, with a vel of 1250 20th Fed. Bill Chapman, Sons Steve & Colin & Swinburne are in 3rd spot with a chequer widowhood hen making 1253 for 34th Fed; while Bowden bros, Mick & Boss timed a chequer Coopman hen to take 5th place. Eion Richardson comes into the frame in 6th position, with Eion’s timer being a Geoff Bowers & Son Nicky blue hen. Geoff Bavin & Son returned to the winners’ enclosure at Marske & New Marske, after filling two cells to win 1st and 3rd Club. Top spot was won by a 2y blue Jackie Traynor x John Whittaker roundabout hen, and the green card was chalked up by a 2012 bred hen who is full sister to Geoff’s winner. Craig Wedgewood became the second loft to have two birds in the clock to take 2nd and 5th Club with the blue card going to a 2y blue flipey John Whittaker widowhood cock, and he was followed by another Bramley Lofts widowhood cock. Jimmy Reed is in 4th spot with the yellow card being awarded to a 2y blue chequer Wignall & Varney bloodlines cock who won 1st Club Reims (1).
I see on the internet Pigeon sites and in the Pigeon press where a number of fanciers are getting late birds returning home with their ETS rings missing, it’s a very sorry state of affaire when this happens. The fanciers who suffer this would willingly give the ones who are doing this the price of the ring they are removing; it’s the hassle of re-registering the bird that’s madding the fanciers. I did read where one fancier had it happen to one of his birds twice, I don’t know where it’s leading too when a tired bird is unable to drop in at a loft for a well earned rest and drink without having it’s ETS stolen. We did have it happen to us once when a hen returned home a year later without her ETS ring, someone somewhere will have bred off her before she had the chance to escape. Another thing that has happened a number of times the past few years, is where big money rung young birds competing in the FUT and breeder/buyer races that have being missing for weeks, returning to the loft the day after basketing for the big event, making sure they have no chance of competing for the big money. Both issues are very unsporting and we can do without the people who are adding more damage to our sport, there are also fanciers having the phone rings removed from their young birds. Again it’s something we can all do without, but that will not stop the culprits from sleeping at night. With that I will sign off until next time, any news to Good Corn 6 Boulby Drive Loftus Saltburn Cleveland TS13 4JN. Tel; 01287 643624 or Email; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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