The New North Road Amalgamation 2Bird

The 2Bird specialist reports now the amalgamation operates a 2 bird specialist event where participating fanciers can only send one or two birds and these are liberated separately from the amalgamation and a separate result made and prize funds paid back.  In the 1970,s, 80’s and 90’s the midlands two bird championship club operated this service and was an extraordinary success paying out fabulous prize money and attracting some of the area’s top performance fanciers to participate embracing some impressive results.  In time this unfortunately dwindled away making it a nomination race from the NRCC races only and NRCC members only with no separate liberation and this was not the organisation is once was unfortunately and more or less disintegrated away.  I was asked would I run and operate this again and it was passed to operate this event again with a two bird event having a separate liberation and stand along championship event which the area has not had for over twenty years so in 2020 we operated it and we had some great fun as we say man on man bird on bird I understand it’s not everyone’s cup of tea but it’s optional and some like the skill of finding and picking out their two best birds for the event and making it a level playing field for the small team back garden fancier and the reward of some decent prize money and knowing your bird when it arrives did it all on its own in a small separate kit or just all by itself.  This is fabulous preparation for birds that you want to prepare for your special race events as you can say it’s like a big single toss and the bird has to use its brain not being a follow my leader bird and show immense skill but that’s just my opinion and the regulars that have a go in it, again optional in this sport we all have our own separate opinions on things that’s what makes this a extremely political hobby and sport.

Being our first season in operation in 2020 and 2021 we raced from Hexham, Thornton park, Elgin Creiff Perth and Thurso old birds and the youngsters from Hexham being 2022 our third season flying as a two bird we have been more or less been decimated with the two bird as the ones who support this event being in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire area were affected with two separate bird flu ban restriction outbreaks in force in both counties one before racing started preventing half from racing any pigeons anywhere and then a second area ban enforced just as racing got started so it’s hard to operate this one when most of your members cannot legally race pigeons but we managed to operate three old bird races and these I will report on now and hopefully fingers crossed this can restart in 2023 with no restrictions in place preventing members from sending and can operate all events successfully.

The first old bird two bird was being raced from Hexham race course in Northumberland and the birds were liberated on the 4/6/22 at 10.45 into a north east wind the prize winners were as follows winning the race was Derek and Ryan Nutthall flying 135 miles with a 4y chequer hen raced on the roundabout system being a Syndicate loft based bred bird being bred from off a grandson off the successful Dutch Master she wins £55 with a velocity of 1456.

Ryan Nutthall

2nd place is Barry Pearce this being his first season flying north road and all his old bird team have been switched to the north road route this season from previously flying south road route  his scoring bird a 1y blue widowhood cock being bred from stock of Brian Williams crossed with stock of Adrian Duggins of Matlock Derbyshire and his mother being a daughter of one of Adrian’s gold medal winners Barry flew 133 miles winning £25 with a velocity of 1444.

Barry Pearce

3rd was Shaun Pilgrim flying 138 miles with a 2y blue celibate flown hen being a Lambrechts bred from the late Rob Horton of Tamworth stock Shaun wins £15 doing 1443.

4th was Keith Orton & Son with a 1y blue Gabby Vandenbeale hen flown on the widowhood winning £50.60 flying 134 miles doing 1438.

5th place was Kevin Ward with a 2y blue, white flight cock being a Staff Van Reet Mardon lines from Steve Marsh stock flown on the roundabout system winning £5.50 doing 1415.

Other prize winners were P & D Wainwright flying 154 miles winning £24.60 with a natural flown own strain 2y blue pied cock and a 3y blue pied cock with velocities of 1168 and 1111.

Moving on up into Scotland for our second event this was being flown from Thornton park in Fife. On the 11/6/22 at 05.50 am into a brisk south west wind the birds were liberated the prize winners are as follows winning the race was Dougie Fisher with a 2y chequer Herman Cuesters hen flown on the Chaos system flying 238 miles winning £55 with a velocity of 1180.

2nd was Barry Pearce flying 225 miles winning £30 with a 1y chequer cock being a widowhood flown and being of Barry’s own created strain that’s flown well for him over the year’s being Jansens from Paul Wilson of Grimsby and Van Der Rhee from Bill Thompson of Nottingham with a velocity of 1169.

3rd was John Norris flying 245 miles with a 3y blue widowhood flown cock being a PJ loft Delbar winning £20 doing 1103.

4th was Dean Milner flying 212 miles with a 1y blue Herman Cuesters widowhood hen winning £10 doing 1030.

5th was John Norris with another PJ lofts Delbar of a 3y blue cock winning £5 doing 1001.

6th was Kevin ward flying 214 miles winning £31 with the same previous Hexham 2Bird scoring Staff Van Reet Blue white flight cock doing 924.

The last 2Bird event of 2022 as the bird flu nail hit the coffin lid was being flown from Elgin City in the beautiful Murray Scottish highland on the 18/6/22 into a south wind the birds were on their way thanks must always go to local fancier Stephen Micheal and all the other local Elgin club and Highlands federation members who always make us so welcome to Elgin always visiting the transporter bearing kind gifts and a hand and eye and help at the liberation winning this one was Clarance and Barbara Haymes and son Carl and grandsons Cameron and Kai who all play apart with the pigeons flying 321 miles with a 1y blue cock being a Soojen based own bred strain natural flown bird winning £34 doing 1017.

Clarance and Carl Haymes

2nd was Andy Tudor flying 345 miles with a 4y chequer cock flown on the natural system being a Van Loon crossed Herman Cuesters winning £20 this cock last season flew and won from Elgin winning the Grantham & District NRFC and scoring in the TNNRA his velocity was 1001.

Andy Tudour & John Norris

3rd was John Norris flying 343 miles with a widowhood flown 2y chequer hen being a PJ lofts Delbar winning £10 doing 925.

Well, that’s all amalgamation races amalgamation two bird and amalgamation Futurity races reported on I would like to wish everyone a very merry Christmas and a happy new year and a great 2023 season.

The Rat Man.