The New North Road Amalgamation

The TNNRA last old bird race event of 2024 to report on was being flown from Thurso on the northern tip of Scotland with £868.50 on the table with all four sections taking  part in the event and the birds were liberated at 06.35am into a west south west wind with strong early morning sunshine over the sea front the top ten in each competing sections are as follows the north section was Mr Distance claiming 1st and 2nd open amalgamation and 1st and 2nd north section was Richard Oldham flying 394 miles with velocities of 2 birds together just three seconds apart doing 1328 first over the pad was a 1y blue hen being a Jan Arden based blood bred and on one side European bull and Joe 90 of the late David Rouse Jan Arden's  his second bird a 2y blue hen being a Wildesmeersch with both parents originating from Alan Bamford of Lancashire of the Branford's corn brand both were flown on Richard's version of the Roundabout system.

Richard Oldham

Next up making Thurso look like a sprint race was Glynn Tryner flying 390 miles claiming 3rd,4th,5th,6th,7th and 9th open and the same in the north section with the birds more or less arriving in droves these were sent paired up on natural for the event after being flown on the roundabout system all season and were all Syndicate lofts and Gabby Vandenbeale created blood based bred birds with velocities of 1309, 1297, 2 x 1292, 1291 and 1284.

8th open and 8th north section was Steve Wallace flying 388 miles with a 4y chequer white flight hen being a Gabby Vandenbeale and was sent sitting 16 day old nest eggs on the natural system she when flying south road for Steve achieved 2 x 1st cards and this Thurso event being only her 6th race on the north road route her scoring velocity was 1285.

10th open and 10th north section was Steve Hallam flying 388 miles with a 3y blue hen being a Geoff & Catherine Cooper bird crossed the late legend Mr & Mrs Geoff Kirkland bird her father for Steve achieved 2nd open northern classic Poitiers and a string of many cards achieved and he has bred Steve some good loyal scoring distance birds she was sent to Thurso on the natural system sitting 10 day old nest eggs with a scoring velocity of 1283.

The Central section now top ten 1st, 2nd, 6th and 8th central section plus 33rd, 49th, 74th and 80th open was Dennis Morrisey flying 433 miles his 1st, 2nd and 3rd birds are off the same pair of stock birds that Dennis purchased from James and Vicky cook of Tumbley lofts and being of Jan Arden's of a 2y dark cock and a 2y dark hen and the third a 3y dark cock and the 4th arrival a 3y chequer cock that was bred by Graham Groom of Burton Lattimer Northampton and being a Herman Cuesters all of Dennis's sent Thurso birds of six entries returned and were flown on the natural system feeding 5/6 day old nest young with velocities of 1201, 1134, 1025 and 965.

Dennis Morrisey

3rd section and 52nd open was Kevin Walker flying 412 miles with a 4y chequer cock that carded from Thornton Park and has raced south road also for Kevin him being a Van Den Bulck crossed Herman's and was flown on the chaos system with a velocity of 1126.

4th central section 57th open flying 419 miles with a 1y blue hen was Ion Pirvu the hen being a half-sister to ions Albastrel who won the sections and finished 2nd open from Thurso and Fraserburgh 2023 and is a full sister to ions Olimpiu 25th final 27th semi-final 61st grand average international king of Atlantic Arona Tenerife one loft with the one loft performing birds blood and Romanian top fanciers blood in her creation she for this Thurso race was raced on the natural system with a velocity of 1109.

5th central section and 68th open was TP Wainwright flying 412 miles with a 4y blue cock of his own created distance family raced on the natural system with a velocity of 1051.944.

7th, and 10th central section plus 76th and 85th open was John Havens flying 414 miles his first a 2y blue van Loon cock previously raced on the widowhood for the season but paired on natural for the Thurso event sent sitting nest eggs and his second arrival a 4y blue cock of Wim Moems strain again switched from widowhood to natural system for Thurso sent sitting nest eggs with velocities of 1002 and 941.

9th central section and 82nd open was Paul Robinson flying 427 miles with a 2y chequer cock doing 963.

Over to the west section and Rocket Ron dominates this of Ron Szmaglik & Humphries partnership flying 488 miles into the west of Bristol no east coast gliding here a great performance by the partnership taking 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 7th west section plus 50th, 53rd, 54th and 69th open their first a 2y dark cock being a Raun De Sablon  crossed De Weert the sire coming from Sheldon Horn of Bridgewater and the dam from J Rake of Caldicott he was sent sitting 10 day old nest eggs on the natural system the second a 3y blue chequer hen of Jan Hooymans crossed Jan Arden. Crossed Polders also sent sitting 10 day old nest eggs on natural the third arrival a 2y blue chequer hen of De Weert crossed Jan Hooyman sent sitting 14 day old nest eggs on the natural and the fourth arrival a unpaired flying back to the perch of a 3y blue chequer hen of Desmet Matthys crossed De Weert with velocities of 1132, 1118, 1116 and 1051.

Szmaglik & Humphries & Szmaglik & Humphries Thurso birds

4th west section and 55th open was Chris Orchard flying 475 miles with a 2y chequer cock being a grandson off Stan Dangerfield's NFC open winner sent on the natural system sitting 14 day old nest eggs with a achieving velocity of 1113.

5th west section and 56th open was Steve Bennett flying 490 miles with a remarkable hen of 7 years old this blue hen is special and has won from south road at classic and specialist club level and the same on the north road at long distance on both routes being switched routes at any time and coming to win she's probably one of the best racing hens Steve's ever had he said she's now bean placed into the stock loft for a well-earned retirement for the season she was raced on the Mark Sparey roundabout system but paired up to natural for the Thurso event but she was slow at laying yet paired so Steve placed some pot eggs into her bowl but she was having none of it and rejected them so Mark Sparey told Steve to try a young chick so Steve found a young week old  chick and placed it in her bowl and went to work on his return she had took to it instantly to all’s surprise you needed a crow bar to get her out her nest box and bowl her breeding is of a Gerrit Lahuis crossed a Mel Mayo of Wales bird  her Last racing velocity of her final flight was 1110 well done to bird and fancier.

6th and 9th west section and 65th and 83rd open was the Walker Brothers flying 478 miles their first a 2y blue pied hen being a Jellema crossed Cor De Heijde sent feeding a 3 day baby in the bowl and their second a 2y chequer pure Jellema sent feeding a 3 day old nest baby this hen flew Thurso in 2023 as a 1y and won the South west of England yearling classic for the brothers their velocities were 1080 and 955.

8th west section and 71st open was Roger Flew flying 492 miles with a 2y blue hen doing 1034.

10th west section and 91st open was Adrian Bishop flying 495 miles with the blood base of Brian Olver birds of a 1y blue cock doing 882.

Over to the Welsh section were only a few were activated into this a event winning the section and claiming 59th open was Mr & Mrs Russell flying 471 miles just sending one entry and getting it back this partnership always get them from the far Scottish distance into south west Wales and have had some good achievements over the years their bird a 3y blue hen raced on the roundabout system with her sire coming from Malcom Eieley & sons of Wales and the dam a home bred Jansen based hen their velocity was 1093.

Mr & Mrs Russell

2nd Welsh section and 102nd open was William Holpin & Son flying 464 miles with a 2y blue pied hen being a Patrick Vandenbeale bred by Jimmy Davis & Daughter from Tredegar south Wales she was flown on the natural system with a velocity of 736.

Well that's a good Thurso reported on well done to all. 

The Rat Man.