The Rat Man reports.

Hi folks I know this is late in the season to report and publish this result article but I can’t do everything whilst working six days a week and maintain a young family as well  as maintaining my own pigeons & other pigeon sport roles so it’s better late than never, and an organisation of this volume & scale it is required an article report. The Combine now consists of 14 south road racing organisations & there is still room for more! The organisations first race was from Falaise in the northern western province of France the liberation site where I’ve visited many years ago it is situated on the Falaise castles grounds on the large open fields and is a nice walking distance away from the French busy market town. The combine also held for the first time for this event which will become now a annual event a charity sponsored race this first race being from Falaise was the sponsored Prostrate cancer charity race were the combine flew for some great selection of prizes including booze hampers bags of corn a Land Rover off road day driving experience plus many more if birds were sponsored in this race They could participate this race raised £1,504 which will be paid to the charity things can only get bigger after the first trial run & things learned from this either way it is a great start for a great important cause the committee would like to kindly thank all who supported the event.

Now over to the convoyers report the race was scheduled for 25/5/19 the chief convoyer is William Ward of Leeds and the Steve Teasdale pigeon transport driver crew. A bumper send of 5,202 birds were entered so as you can see it’s a result to be well earned and not just glanced at competition is strong from some of the three counties best fanciers including many national winners competing in the combine. Willys report now once all pigeons were loaded Thursday evening the trip down to the Portsmouth docks started with the three transporters ready for action looking smart after their impressive resprays & prostate cancer racing pigeon sponsored banners on the wagons began, on arrival at Portsmouth docks in the early dawn period the lights were applied in the transporter passage ways and all water drinkers applied with water so birds could drink then the lights turned off to allow the birds to rest . Prior to boarding the ferry at 730am Friday morning the water was drained and the transporters loaded onto the ferry. After the six hour journey to the French docks of Caen the transporters were off loaded & parked in a secure compound were the birds were fed on the premium countrywide super widowhood mix as countrywide feeds are the combines corn sponsor then water applied making all birds drink after a good measured feed the birds were then left to rest alongside the driving crew and following the tachograph driving legislation laws of hours of rest. After the birds were all fed and watered and rested after the feed to allow digestion it was legal to drive. The journey to Falaise began.

On arrival at Falaise at 6pm the transporters were levelled, and water reapplied for the birds. The Saturday morning of the race saw a warm sunny clear morning and after a full  clear line of flight were the checks started at 4.30am until the liberation a clear home flight provided the 5,202 birds were liberated at 07.30am into a north west wind after liberation all creates were inspected for stragglers and once all clear water drained off creates all closed and the transporters sprayed with Vercon S biocides following DEFRA rules and the journey home began.

Now to the top 20 positioned birds out of the 5,202 bumper number entered in first position & winning the combine was the father & Son partnership of Dovaston & Son of New Hughton near Mansfield & Bolsover Flying 299 miles they are members of the central Derbyshire federation which they achieved 1st federation as well & their winning bird is a 1y blue widowhood cock that was purchased last year at the Workshop flying clubs annual futurity young bird sale the bird was bred and entered by the famous Geoff Kirkland ace Staffordshire flyer the birds winning velocity was 1334 next in 2nd, 9th & 18th combine, also achieving 1st duplicated into the Northern Classic Club is Dave Evans & his partner Jacko of Clipstone Mansfield flying 297 miles their 3 x scorers are all hens flying on the roundabout system their first is a Gabby Vandenabeele X syndicate lofts with her parents originating from the ace north road flyers of Derek & Ryan Nutthall of Newstead and Dean Skuse of Newstead Notts as these helped & provided Dave & Jacko with stock birds when they decided to set on racing pigeons their second the famous Scottish master Macaloney x Syndicate loft bird their third a full syndicate loft strain velocities of 1332,1314 & 1300 their birds were also duplicated into the Northern Classic Club Derbyshire SR  federation & the Nottinghamshire SR federation duplicated back 1st Derbyshire SR fed was achieved & 1st Nottinghamshire SR federation 3rd combine is Terry Hague of Ecclesfield Sheffield from the Stocksbridge federation were duplicated won the Stocksbridge federation aswell his bird is a 4y blue chequer cock flown on the roundabout system where he is Terry’s most consistent channel flying bird scoring before from France he is of Premier Stud Herman Cuesters x with Ian Stafford’s the Famous Machine lines he flew 318 miles achieving 1328 4th Combine is Steve Cooper of Gleadless Sheffield AkA (Copper Man) flying in the Stocksbridge federation were duplicated won 2nd Stocksbridge federation & 1st Gleadless HS in his local club his bird being a 2y blue hen flown on Steve’s own version of the roundabout system she is a Pearce & Dransfield Busschaert x a Billy Hague junior of Woodhouse Sheffield Gabby Vandenabeele flying 312 miles doing 1326 5th Combine is John Briscoe of Monk Bretton Barnsley who flies in the Barnsley & District Federation ( the small Barnsley fed) were he also achieved 1st Barnsley federation & 1st Monk Bretton FC in his local club flying 327 miles doing 1325 with a 2y blue chequer hen flown on the roundabout system she is a Harthogg strain & originates from Frank Turner birds of South Kirby Wakefield 6th combine is Mr & Mrs Newton & Heather Downs of Warmsworth Doncaster competing in the Derbyshire Federation were 2nd fed was achieved as well flying 321 miles doing 1320 with a 3y red widowhood cock where he is a Geerinckx x Van Koppen his mother was a baby purchased in a kit of 24 young birds from Foxwood Lofts his father a Van Koppen from Alywne Paddy of Doncaster this cock has already achieved a 4th north section in the Midlands National from Ancensis as a yearling in his career plus many other wins. 7th combine is Steve Hallam of Sutton in Ashfield Mansfield competing in the Central Derbyshire federation & the Northern Classic flying 296 miles doing 1319 with a 1y blue chequer widowhood cock which is a Geoff & Catherine Cooper bird X a Geoff Kirkland bird of the Famous Snake Bloodlines 8th combine is Mr & Mrs Dora Andrews of Royston in the Barnsley & District Federation flying 329 miles on 1315 the bird a 2y dark hen flown on the roundabout system she is a Herman Cuesters x a good Belgium imported hen who as a baby topped the Big Barnsley south road fed from Carentan in 2012 for them. Dora is a lady fancier as when her Husband Vincent passed away in 2014 Dora rather than get rid of the pigeons kept them on and she’s achieving some great results were I’m sure Vincent would & will be very proud of you well done Dora for sticking with the pigeons. 10th & 19th combine is McCormick & Simon Scholfield of Leeds of the Leeds Amalgamation Simon also wins the Leeds Amal duplicating back & winning his local club Harehills FC flying 346 miles doing 1311.78 this is a 2y blue widowhood cock he is a Marike Vink pigeon bred from Kevin Rooney & Son of Northern Ireland birds this cock picked up form up every week prior to this race with achieving  weekly Leeds Amal inland federation positions prior to being sent to Falaise. Their 19th combine bird doing 1300 is a 2y blue hen flown on the celibate system and she is a Leo Hermans which was bred by close friends Gary & Paul Carter 11th combine is D & M Broxup of Wakefield flying in the Leeds Amalgamation flying 338 miles on 1311 the bird being a 2y Dark Hen flown on the roundabout system she is a granddaughter of 2 x national winners of the Van Herton Schuurmans who were the Best of all Belgium fanciers 2016 her mother & father are children from 2 x direct Belgium National winners this Dark hen 4 weeks after flying this race won the Wakefield Featherstone flying clubs open race from Reed 260 birds entered  were the birds were liberated with the Barkston Ash federation of 1,150 birds were she would of achieved 2nd all open if duplicated 12th combine is B & H Nicholls of the Doncaster federation flying 334 miles on 1310 13th combine is Mr & Mrs Pitman of Rotherham flying in the Derbyshire federation achieving 1306 flying 320 miles 14th Combine is D Bowker also of the Derbyshire federation on 1305 flying 320 miles 15th Combine is T Higgs also of the Derbyshire federation on 1302.96 flying 318 miles 16th combine is Alywne Paddey of Doncaster of the Derbyshire federation with a Van Koppen flying 321 miles on 1302 17th combine is D & A Green of the central Derbyshire federation flying 299 miles on 1302 & 20th combine is Ron & Nigel Dennet of Maiden Vale Mansfield flying with the northern classic club of a distance of 302 miles on 1299 their bird a 4y bred from purchased Andrew Newton pigeons of Shirebrook At his entire clearance sale that was held. She has previously scored national flying club & Midlands national section positions a as this partnership achieves this on a regular basics. That’s it folks the top 20 lofts all the best.

The Rat Man