AROUND THE UP NORTH COMBINE
by Keith Simpson
EASTBOURNE & MELTON MOWBRAY 1 - MAY 2014
Col Robinson with Tony “Simply The Best” Bannister, holding their yearling Tony Hunt x Ian Axe Herman x Soontjen mealy cock, winner of 1st Club, 17th Fed Melton Mowbray (1)
The Up North Combine were due to basket the birds for the Eastbourne (1) National on Friday 9th May but due to the very poor weather forecast for the Saturday race it was decided to put back basketing for 24 hours, Friday morning saw the committee put back basketing for another 24 hours in the hope that the Sunday basketing for a Monday race was on the cards. Once again the weather was very unkind on the Monday, so the birds were held over. Tuesday 13th May saw the UNC convoy of 16,708 birds liberated at 7.10am; it turned out to be a very close finish indeed. 1st UNC was won by the High Southwick, Sunderland & District Federation partnership of R & A Evans, Dixon, Gibbon & Smith recording a winning vel of 1391.9 to win the “R. Rowntree Memorial Trophy”, the “Hylton Thomas Trophy”, a UNC Gold Medal and £174.60 prize money for 1st Section 4. The top class partnership were 2nd UNC from this race in 2013, the loft flying under different names but always as Evans & Son or Evans and whatever partners has come so close to winning 1st UNC a number of times over the years, so this is a well-earned and overdue Combine winning performance. Woodroffe Bros of Cornhill, Sunderland & District Federation who won 1st UNC from this race in 2013 to give them their fourth 1st UNC win were 2nd UNC this time around with the top class partnerships Silver Medal winner achieving a vel of 1391.76 to win 1st North Of England Championship Club, winning the “J Rollo Memorial Trophy” replica and £231.28 in pools and prize money. The third top class loft of Ali McLeod of Billingham TU, Teesside Federation wins 3rd UNC with the Bronze Medal winner knocking out a vel of 1391.72, to win 1st Section 6 and £131.92 prize money. Ali was 2nd UNC from the Eastbourne (2) National in 2013 with the lad been within a cats whisker of winning 1st UNC; Ali is a previous winner of 1st UNC when flying as Ali McLeod & Keith Perkins. Congratulations to all three lofts and their birds for a outstanding achievement. Dave Marsay, Trevor Taylor & Robinson of Great Ayton recorded a vel of 1390.3 to score 4th UNC; while Kelly & Office of Whitley Bay won 1st Section 1 on 1390.3 to lift £122.12 prize money and 5th UNC. Gray Bros, Gateshead Federation won 1st Section 2 on 1385.2 to win £78.00 in prize money and 6th UNC; then came the Walker, Newcastle partnership of Harrison, Blackett & Renwick who timed two birds within a minute to record vels of 1385.2 and 1381.6 to chalk up 7th and 8th UNC winning the “Ian McDonald Memorial Trophy” for the Best Two Bird Performance with a average vel of 1383.2. The lads timed another three of their entries to chalk up 19th, 30th and 35th UNC with vels of 1376, 1372 and 1371 to round off a earth-shattering loft performance. Terry Craggs & Son of Celtic, Houghton Federation were the winners of 1st Section 3 pocketing £71.40 in prize money and 20th UNC on 1376; while Gwen Holden of Thornley won 1st Section 5 banking £114.27 in prize money and 28th UNC on 1373. Morrow & Walton of South Bank, North Yorks Federation were the winners of 1st Section 7 winning £146.70 in prize money and 66th UNC on1363.
At Skelton Green Alan & David Wright timed a couple of birds to win 1st and 6th Club from a ten members entry of 236 birds, with the red card being won by a 2y dark chequer Busschaert hen achieving a chart-topping vel of 1348 to chalk up a notable 4th East Cleveland Federation from a 91 members entry of 1341 and 199th UNC. Second on the clock was a 2y dark chequer Busschaert cock doing 3120 for 23rd Fed; with the cock being the brother to Alan & David’s winner. Mr Tony Bannister & Col Robinson are in 2nd spot with the duo’s blue card potter being a 2y chequer cock through Chapman, Sons & Swinburne lines, with a vel of 1345 the cock went onto pocket a useful 5th Fed. Bowden Bros timed a couple of their entries to take 3rd and 4th Club with Mick & Boss’ green card potter being a previous scoring 2y blue Van Loon cock making 1336 for 11th Fed. The yellow card was netted by a 2y chequer Van Loon cock doing 1329 to notch up 14th Fed. Bill Chapman, Sons Steve & Colin & Swinburne clocked a previous scoring 3y chequer hen who is a daughter off their 2005 1st Up North Combine old bird Folkestone (2) Gold Medal winner, to take 5th Club, 21st Fed on 1322.
At Marske & New Marske the loft of Jimmy Reed records his third consecutive win after filling no fewer than three chambers to win 1st, 3rd and 5th Club; with the inform Jimmy’s red card winner being a 2y blue roundabout hen through Tom Gilbertson of Carlisle stock recording a top vel of 1327 which was enough to go onto score 17th Fed. The green card was chalked up by a 2y Brown & Hunt bloodlines red roundabout hen who carded twice as a young bird, and she was followed by a 2y chequer pied Homer & Williams of Grangetown fame roundabout cock to round off another fine loft performance. Geoff Bavin & Son the Selby winners are in 2nd spot with their blue card scorer being a yearling chequer roundabout hen of Jackie Traynor bloodlines via Clubmate John Clayton. Craig Wedgewood is in 4th position with a 2y blue flipey widowhood cock from John Whittaker of Bramley Lofts.
The East Cleveland Federations fifth race of the season took place from Melton Mowbray (1) on Saturday 17th May when the 85 members convoy of 1,796 birds were liberated at 9.20am flying into a light Westerly wind, which proved a very fast race. Mr Tony “Simply The Best” Bannister & Col Robinson hit winning form at Skelton Green, after timing two of their entries to win 1st and 5th Club from a thirteen members entry of 312 birds. With pole position being won by a yearling mealy cock bred through Tony Hunt of Marske x Ian Axe Herman x Soontjen lines, with a chart-topping vel of 1688.2 the red card winning cock went onto score 17th Fed. Second on the clock for the joyful Banno & Col was a 2y smokey blue Soontjen hen through John Adams of Great Ayton fame doing 1677 for 34th Fed; to round off a very good day for the “Dynamic Duo”. Roche, Terry “Benno” & Daniel Bennison & Tich Crame are enjoying a good start to the season, with the lads timing a couple of birds to chalk up 2nd and 6th Club with the blue card going to a 2y chequer Janssen x Chapman, Sons & Swinburne hen achieving 1688.1 to pocket 18th Fed. The partnerships chequer hen was on the clock the same time as Banno & Col’s winner, but had to give 13 yards in overfly, I’m tipping Benno & Daniel to hit the winners’ enclosure soon. The lads second timer was a 2012 bred chequer Janssen hen knocking out a vel of 1674 to notch up 40th Fed. Mick & Boss of the Bowden Bros partnership timed two birds within the space of 8 seconds to score 3rd and 4th Club with their green card potter being a yearling chequer Coopman x Van Loon hen doing 1684 to take 24th Fed. Second on the clock in the yellow card position came a 2y Busschaert cock making 1682 to pot 27th Fed. Craig Wedgewood records his first win of the season at Marske & New Marske, with top spot being won by a 3y red chequer widowhood cock from John Whittaker of Bramley Lofts. Club secretary Martin Hogarth is in 2nd with a yearling blue chequer roundabout hen, the sire of the blue card scoring hen is direct from Brown & Hunt stock, while the dam is bred down from Louella Roland Janssen stock. Jimmy Reed filled no fewer than three chambers to lift 3rd, 4th and 5th Club, with the green card being awarded to a 2013 bred chequer Jan Aarden roundabout cock. In cell two was a yearling dark chequer Homer & Williams roundabout cock who won best young bird in the Club last season, and he was followed by a 2y blue chequer Homer & Williams Busschaert hen flown on the roundabout system.
Former Brotton H/S fancier Bill Heslop donated his £100 fee for auctioning the young birds at the Loftus Championship Club breeder/buyer to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, Redcar. Bill received a letter from the Redcar Lifeboat Station thanking him so much for the very generous donation. They were very grateful to Bill for nominating Redcar Lifeboat to receive his donation, and he was assured the money will be put to good use in helping save lives at sea. As you probably know, all their funding comes from voluntary donations and legacies, so you can see how valuable the contribution has been in helping to maintain the Station and provide their brave crews with the best equipment available when the crew put to sea on rescues.
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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