The New North Road Amalgamation
The TNNRA last old bird race to report on was being flown from Thurso on the far northern tip of Scotland on the 8/7/23 the marking was put back 24 hours due to storms on Friday and Saturday forecasted to be on the line of flight so the race marked Friday for a Sunday race. Organisations of the South West of England Lerwick club, Derbyshire North Road Federation, Welsh North Road Federation, Warwickshire Federation, Mid Northants Federation, The Eclipse 650 Championship Club, The International Championship Club and individual clubs of Grantham & District NR FC, Sutton Colliery and Brixworth NRFC all took part and activated birds at their choice to fly united from the sending organisations. £709.70 was on the table for prizes.
The birds were liberated at 9am after the sea fret had burnt off and the Orkney Islands could be seen in clear view and local ex-pigeon fanciers of Graham Sutherland and John McGregor giving local knowledge and a helping hand and aided the liberation into a strong East South East wind, this was a testing weekend and unfortunately no day birds arrived and the day before our liberation the great London Combine liberated on the Saturday and they only had one day bird timed in. Congratulations to that fancier and pigeon, a gallant bird.
Thurso locals Graham Sutherland & John McGregor
Over to the result and sections, first up the north section winning 1st open amalgamation 1st north section 1st Derbyshire North Road Federation and 1st Pinxton NR HS was Wayne Knobbs flying 391 miles with a 1y blue cock Wayne purchased this blue cock last season in the new north road amalgamations Futurity young bird auction and it flew the full young bird programme and the amalgamations 2022 Futurity final race it was bred by the Walker Brothers of Dursley in south Gloucestershire the cocks sire was bred by Owen Markey of Northern Ireland direct from Superstar Seamie winner of 1st open NIPA Fermoy 22,210 birds crossed with miss Rooney Owen’s gold mine breeding hen breeder of 1x open national winner and 2 x 2nd open national winners in the NIPA his mother (Dam) is the Walker Brothers best breeding hen which has bred them 3 x separate breeder buyer winning birds plus breeding a 4th section 10th open Central southern classic scorer from Perth and also a South West of England south road combine winner for them and club card winners and now she’s bred a new north road amalgamation winner for Wayne a good breeding hen she was bred by Formula one lofts from their Franz Zwols collection of the famous Tip Top Junior Truke and Bella are in her creation from the studs breeding Wayne sent this cock to Thurso paired up on the natural system sitting 7day old nest eggs his velocity was 873.
Wayne Knobbs Thurso winner
2nd and 5th section plus 3rd and 8th open plus 1st and 2nd Cromford NRFC and 2nd and 5th Derbyshire north road federation was Colin and Jean Shimwell of Youlgrave in the Derbyshire Peak District flying 381 miles their first a 4y chequer pied natural flown cock being a Leo Pronk crossed House of Arden Jan Arden bird and their second a 4y blue natural flown hen being bred from their previous Tarbes NFC section winning cock and also achieved 2nd section Massac crossed a Dennis Dall bird their velocities were 759 and 667.
3rd section 5th open plus 1st chesterfield Stute NRFC and 3rd Derbyshire north road federation was Joel Hallam flying 381 miles with a 1y natural flown own breed dark hen doing 738.
4th section and 6th open and 2nd chesterfield Stute NRFC and 4th Derbyshire north road federation was Aspley & Wragsdale flying 383 miles with a 2y blue cock being a Van Loon crossed Herman Cuesters sitting ten day old nest eggs on the natural his velocity was 718.
6th section 9th open and 1st East Leake club and 2nd Warwickshire federation was D Merritt flying 407 miles with a 2y blue white flight hen doing 705.512.
Over to the centre section just sending one bird and achieving 1st section 2nd open and 1st Warwickshire federation and 1st Appleby magna club was Ion Pirvu flying 419 miles with a 1y blue natural flown cock being a Rotarescu V & M with Herboots/ Faber bred bird his velocity was 852.
2nd and 3rd section plus 4th and 7th open plus 1st and 2nd Brixworth NRFC was Stuart Wisken flying 445 miles his first bird a 2y Grizzle hen being bred from off a gift Grizzle bred from the world famous Mark Gilbert this was gifted to Stuart by the late Wagg Freeman as Wagg was unfortunately terminally ill and he gifted Stuart this Grizzle and said please test this bird out I really think it’s something so Stuart to his word tested the young birds off the grizzle Stuart paired the grizzle to a good loyal scoring cock of his own strain of flying Scotland to Northamptonshire he has created over the years of flying pigeons regularly the bird was flown on the natural system sent feeding a nest baby of 7day old and this being its first ever baby reared Stuart’s second bird a 3y blue hen again flown on the natural system sitting a 7day old baby the first of the season for her she is of Stuart’s own creation of distance birds that originate from Dave Woodland of Somerset she’s previously carded in the Brixworth club and Leicestershire north road federation and bean a loyal hen for Stuart, Stuart’s velocities were 756 and 710.
Stuart Wisken & Stuart’s Scoring Thurso Grizzle
4th Centre section and 15th open plus 1st Ashby & District club and 3rd Warwickshire federation was TP Wainwright flying 412 miles with a natural flown 3y blue cock being of Tommy’s own created strain keeping no stock birds and only breeding off birds that return home from distance races flown over the years of the amalgamation and NFC Tarbes Saintes and Pau before switching north road his velocity was 637.
5th and 6th Centre section plus 1st and 2nd Shipstone club and 4th and 5th Warwickshire federation was Gavin Duggan flying 447 miles and both being 2y stunning looking red cocks the first red cock is bred down from Ian Gills 1st Barcelona one loft race bird crossed with a Harrison & Hull 2nd Barcelona one loft race 2010 bird on his father’s side and his dam being a little ginger red hen that’s bred Gavin some good birds one achieving 11th open BICC Agen 550 miles in 2013 she’s still breeding them out and she also bred Gavin’s International Championship club winner 2022 Royal Balmoral Castle jubilee race plus 1st South west of England Lerwick club and scoring in the New North Road Amalgamation also of section wins also another son out of her Gavin sent to Barcelona 767 miles which returned just out of race time for him he was sent on the natural system sitting a newly hatched two day old chick he was also Gavin’s third bird back from Fraserburgh 389 miles this season which set him in good stead for Thurso Gavin’s Second also being related to the Barcelona reds he has and the ginger hen in his creation again flown on the natural system Gavin’s velocities were 604 and 594.
Over to the west section now and the brothers are there again of the Walker Brothers who seem to thrive on a tough challenge claiming 1st, 4th and 6th section plus 10th, 26th and 30th open plus 1st open south west of England Lerwick Club 1st open international championship cub and 1st Nailsworth club and breeding Wayne Knobbs open winner the brothers flying 477 miles with their natural flown old birds their first a 2y blue cock which the brothers call wild man as he does not like to be caught and is very lively in the loft and very timid his sire is a son of the brothers champion Hardy cross Golden the Queen bred by Kipp & Son of Germany Hardy being the winner of 1st section G 20th open NFC Tarbes plus a draw full of cards for the brothers and his mother being special Ivey bred my Geoff and Catherine Cooper being inbred to their famous Farm boy and Starlight the father to this scoring cock (wild man) and his brother the uncle to wild man the brother’s advertised for sale on pigeon chat sale site at the back end season one year and they did not sell or get a bid so they obviously kept them and it’s the best thing that happened as they bred this cock (wild man) and have both bred other winning birds for the brothers so it was a blessing they did not sell. Their second bird a 2y chequer cock sent feeding a large nest baby and he’s been a constant racing cock for the brothers until last season he returned smashed up so the brothers stitched him back up and was left to recover his sire is a full older brother to the above Wild Man their winner in this event and the mother being a Jan Hooymans crossed Gino Clicque bred by Astbury & Horton partnership. Their third scoring bird a 1y blue chequer hen sent on natural feeding a 5day old nest baby her breeding being the walkers brothers own creation strain of champion Hardy based crossed a Jellema inbred to Zwart Goode bred by Bertus Timmer the brothers velocities were 705.033, 514 and 438.
Phil & Steve Walker & The Mad Wild Man
2nd and 5th section plus 20th and 27th open was Nick Evans flying 473 miles his first a 4y blue pied cock followed by a 2y blue pied hen with velocities of 580 and 503.
3rd section and 23rd open was David Fox flying 476 miles with a 3y blue natural flown hen being of David’s distance family of the NFC late Stan Dangerfield strain and Tony Reid of Loughborough Huyskens Van Reils with a velocity of 527.
Congratulations to Wayne Knobbs and the Walker Brothers and all scoring birds and thanks to everyone who supported the old bird events take care.
The Rat Man.