The New North Road Amalgamations £76,040.22 Race
The TNNRA held its annual Futurity race event of the year and after running costs deduction and administration £76,040.22 was available for prize money paid back over 96 bird positions in the event. The same as probably most pigeon fanciers the weather determines everything and whether a classic race, one loft race event, breeder buyer ect ect with what you have been looking forward to all season. The weather will change everything that day or weekend of the planned event guaranteed and this occurrence happened it was not looking hopeful and the decisions in the interest of the birds was made to postpone the north section and centre sections race event from Dunbar for a week and try the following week as with overcast and drizzle most of the weekend it was a risk we did not want to take. The south section was scheduled to be at Hexham further down country and this being at the 250 mile mark for most members, again the weather was not looking good as predicted but better further down country and Friday being the best day so Hexham was hopefully a go but this did not materialise with low cloud and rain at Hexham so to play it safe the birds were liberated further back where sunshine and blue skies were evident at Wetherby race course in West Yorkshire at the 180 /150 mile mark so at 12.05 pm on Friday the 15/09/23 into a south east wind the south section was flying for £24,450, were liberated on their way.
The following week at Dunbar in Scotland just over the Scottish Borders on Saturday the 23/9/23 at 10am into light west wind the Centre section and north section events were liberated with the north section flying for £29,470.22 and the centre section flying for £22,120, were on their way.
A report on all three section winners now and my next report will be on the rest of the results. First up the south section event winners bagging £10,000 in prize money was Chris and John Adams of Bristol flying 173 miles from Wetherby with a red cock. This was bred by themselves and was purchased back at auction by the brothers.
John & Chris Adams with their winner
The brothers did also take part by purchasing other members birds as of Tom Woods of Nottingham with one of his Gary Tomlinson Kittel birds where this achieved some club cards and south west of England Lerwick club open position cards for the brothers in build-up races before this big day but on the day it was their own that came in winning £5,000 buyer £5,000 breeder the brothers have been flying north road for donkeys years into Bristol and would fly no other route with the Lerwick club and have won from every north road race point the club has attended they are keen pigeon fanciers and are those that clubs all need as no matter what of any race they always turn up with a basket full of pigeons to support and race and are not social media racing people of picking races and days and as we say arm chair race advisors no matter what, the birds go and boy have they won some achievements in the Lerwick club, local club of Sodbury Vale and now the international championship club that Tom Harris operates and new north road amalgamation west section cards and open positions the bird being bred of a Coreman cock that is a son off a gift pigeon gifted from Tony May of Yate town of Gloucestershire to the partnership the mother being a Wall Lunt & Green line bred Jansen hen where she has raced on the road for the partnership and has achieved a 2nd international championship club open Hexham 238 miles plus many many Sodbury vale club cards and open Lerwick club achievements and cards and also a pool money banking hen for the partnership when on the road for them being a good pooler bagger this winning red cock in the event for the partnership was sent to every young bird race held in the 2023 race programme of the south west of England Lerwick club and its final race of the season was Wetherby making 8 consecutive races sent to he was raced on the darkness system flying back just to his perch not paired up or showing no interest in any young hen in the young bird section the brothers keep the young bird sexed left together to do as they please. The brothers race their young birds and including this event race Fed on Bamfords super fly mix applied 7 days a week with nothing else added keeping it clean and simple only electrolytes added to the water fountain on the race day, return day only the young birds every week twice a week are trained at the 30 mile mark weather permitting their scoring velocity for the event was 1038.511.
Over to the winners of the centre section this was the partnership of Walter Bailey and David Harrison and of Walters late father in law Tommy Litherland of the flying partnership of Litherland, Bailey & Harrison of Swadlincote, Burton Upon Trent flying 228 miles from Dunbar with a grizzle hen that was bred by John Mee of Cromford Matlock Derbyshire and the breeder receiving £3455.07 and the buyer racer receiving £3455.07 with a total of £6910.14.
David Harrison holding the winner The centre section winner
This grizzle hens breeding is of Dirk Van Den Bulk which John informs us the parents of this hen come from close friend of Alan Clamp of Woodville Burton upon Trent and they originated from the P & D Stud of their successful Van Den Bulks. Alan was always a force with the racing scene winning regular at the time the strong Nelson Club of Woodville and achieved some great success flying in the Burton & South Derbyshire SR federation and also gold medal wins in the once big mighty Derby Burton & District SR federation but owing to health issues he stepped back from the racing scene after racing for many many years he just concentrated on breeding birds to enter into one loft race events all over the country and keeping small cage birds also. He flew in one loft events under the name of Clampy with some good achievements gained but now owing to advanced health issues has now unfortunately no pigeons or birds with John Mee being in the Derbyshire dales of many hazel woodland with this the best wood for making walking sticks and Alan having an interest in painting and carving walking sticks John would collect and take Alan sticks from the local beautiful Derbyshire Matlock dales woodland for him to paint and design and Alan would gift John a few pairs to try and test himself to race and Alan said I’ve some beautiful good grizzles direct from P & D Stud so John bred just two birds to enter and try in this event we’re the partnership of Litherland Bailey & Harrison purchased one at auction to race in the event.
John Mee
Walter informs us this grizzle hen was up and running in training and before her first race with the Warwickshire & District federation from Wakefield she unfortunately was hawked and over half of her tail missing after an attack so after some rest and the tail flights starting regrowing she was placed on the road again and Walter informs us was always in the front pack of arrivals from all young bird races sent to, their aim was to get her in as many races as possible and with regular training flights to Mansfield and as much as possible to fit in only if health is there is a must for the partnership occurring training flights where possible she was picking up form. The partnership have achieved some good success flying south road and north road with this season a 1st Warwickshire Federation 1st centre section 12th open new north road amalgamation Perth plus Barcelona club section cards on the north road and south road routes with midlands national section wins and other section card positions plus local Federation cards achieved. Their grizzle hen for this event was flown on the Darkness system flying back to her perch. The partnership feed S & S Seeds of Sedgfield of 5 of their mixes blended together with chicken layers pellets added and depurative mix blended in with the pellets all blended with a little oil added and on race day return natural Spirulina powder added with the corn mix and oils with always a consistent supply of fresh mixed grits available the partnership likes to use and follow the Schroeder Tollison treatment programme to maintain the birds good health the partnerships winning velocity was 1022.429.
The north section winner was two famous names tag teaming up together of Robert Pearson of Kilburn Derby and Kevin Lawson of Ollerton. Robert being the buyer and racer flying 212 miles from Dunbar Kevin Lawson being the breeder of the winning bird a dark chequer white flight hen bred off a very very special unique pair of producing birds as your ears will prick up and mind go into over drive when the true facts of what this one pair have bred for Kevin and several other people are as follows; for Kevin himself 8 x individual birds of brothers and sisters out this same pair have all topped the Nottingham & district north road federation and won at Ollerton HS for Kevin himself then the same brothers and sisters winning thousands of pounds for Kevin and others out of the new north road amalgamation over the years of Paul spendlove of chesterfield and Kevin winning £4400 plus another off spring winning the late Phil Horseman of chesterfield and Kevin £700 and the Ireland Brothers of Nottingham with two blood related brother and sister related descent bred from the original pair lifted £900 in past Futurity events and in this event the ones of Kevin off this original pair lifted £8840 for Rob and Kevin in this event Rob won £13,283.70 as in the next report we will focus on other scoring birds in the event also other scoring off spring direct off this special pair of Kevin’s are as follows; Richard Newton & Heather Downs of Doncaster 1st open North East Provincial Championship club and 1st open Derbyshire SR federation Brighton and for Kevin’s close friend of Angus Orr & Son of Scotland achieving 28th open Scottish National flying club from Upper Heyford a remarkable pair and producing pair of pigeons that are pure Lambrechts. The cock being a black pied and the hen a dark chequer originating from Steve Foster of Preston and Alan Dungworth of Barnsley they produce dark pieds darks and black pieds were Kevin lives in Ollerton which was famous for the black gold of coal and now it’s surly famous for black gold of Lambrechts over to Robert Pearson and he’s achieved some fabulous performances over the years with 2nd, 3rd & 4th open midlands national young bird Chale plus a 1st & 2nd open North midlands continental club and topping local federations of the North Derbyshire SR federation Burton & South Derbyshire SR Federation the Derby Burton & District SR Federation and the Derbyshire NR federation.
Robert Pearson with his winner
I’ve personally witnessed on federation sheets when I flew south road many years ago Robert taking the first 15 positions in the federation and this season flying north road Robert had 10 young birds drop together from Alnwick 166 miles all within 35 seconds taking the first 10 positions in federation and club Roberts young birds on the north road this season were flown on the Darkness system with sexes separated with the cocks and hens running together on night to prior of race marking and on race day return they are trained as much as possible before racing and in between racing Rob believes in not enough training regime can be given but health and good quality feed applied the young birds are fed Versele-Laga Gerry Plus mix and Vanrobaeys super diet mix on race day return and the young birds are canker treated every 3 to 4 weeks. Robert is a working man working for the Co-operative supermarket chain in the distribution sector and has a small back garden set up that is in the high peak of performing midlands lofts over the years he’s kept pigeons. Robert said after purchasing Kevin Lawson’s birds at the Futurity event he commented on thanking Kevin for the vast knowledge of pigeons he knows and advice and new knowledge Kevin has given him Roberts winning velocity was 1251.821 as Robert in this event had 6 drop together.
Robert Pearson’s back garden set up
Well that’s a brief report on the three section winners and the breeders of the birds myself would like to thank the following people who made this event happen every year and for this year with support and work thank you from myself and the organisation to Barry Baker Graham & Sue Watkins John Norris Peter Norris John Scott Rose Lander Clarence Haymes Dave Smith Tom Harris John Humphries Ian Jarrad Rob Jarrad and Dave Woods your input and work is appreciated.
The Rat Man.