The South West of England Lerwick Yearling Classic

The South West of England Lerwick club’s annual yearling Classic race was to be flown from Ripon on the 27/6/20 but yet again Mother Nature prevailed with force and owing  to the predicted weather forecast a dryer day was forecasted for the 28/6/20 on the Sunday but the forecast changed again on the Saturday evening to 40mph plus South West winds which are a direct head and side wind for the birds plus some extra beefy rain Showers included in the further north you went this would test the strongest birds out to proceed to the front of the pack. So, to play it safe with a testing race already on the cards it was decided to drop back to Pontefract some 40 miles closer to home on the night the birds were marked. On the 28/6/20 in the yearling classic 19 members sent 93 yearlings that were liberated at 6am into a direct strong south west wind.

The Classic Winner

To the top 15 positions now, rising up to the challenge and thriving on the tougher it gets the stronger they feel was Rocky of the skies for Sunday was Dave Smith of Thornbury NRFC Dave achieved 1st,2nd,5th & 7th to claim £129.08p all of Dave’s race team are flown on the roundabout system his  first three birds are very closely related his first two being Brothers which are Soontjen X Gabby Vandenabeele as Dave already has a well-established Soontjen family and obtaining the Gabby Vandenabeele to blend into them has worked tremendously in results coming in to display this the Gabby side of the birds all originate from Wesley Sellway and Jody McKay from Bridgewater in were Dave swapped some of his Soontjens for some of their Gabby Vandenabeele in a free exchange swap and has never looked back his fourth bird is of a pure blue chequer Soontjen hen Dave flew 154 miles with velocities of 1151,1148,1138 & 1090. Claiming 3rd place was Percy Hatherell of Sodbury Vale NRFC with a Busschaert natural flown 1y blue cock sitting eggs he was Percy’s first bird back the week previously from Pontefract his breeding originated from a Mr Fielding of Wakefield West Yorkshire Percy won £34 flying 157 miles doing 1140. 4th and 6th were A & R Smith of the Sodbury Vale with their Natural flown team of birds mainly consisting of Frank Tasker birds with some extra purchases blended into them flying 158 miles winning £30.16p on velocities of 1138.515 & 1078. 9th was Alan Meacham of Bridlington NRFC with his last week’s Lerwick clubs open winner the Pontefract Express 1y Grizzle widowhood cock of Micky Collins Dirk Van Den Bulck Donker Leo X a P & D Birmingham Stud Grizzle hen pulled into his station stop at Bridlington for Alan this cock has already earned his corn for the year with his open win and other positions achieved velocity of 1072.

Ron Szmaglik

10th was Ron & Corrine Szmaglik & Humphries of Thornbury NRFC flying 158 miles with a 1y chequer White flight cock that was bred by Graham Watkins of Oldland NRFC he was purchased by the Szmagliks at the 2019 South West of England Lerwick clubs breeder buyer young bird sale he is a Lefebre Dhaenen from a Keith Johnson lines X a Brian Milkins of Bristol blue family he was sent to this race driving his hen to the nest velocity of 1070. 12th was Darren Palmer of Oldland NRFC flying 162miles with a 1y chequer cock bred by Graham Watkins and he is a Lefebre Dhaenen originating from the Keith Johnson lines as Keith was one of the first fanciers in the late 1970’s to introduce this family to the UK he was sent by Darren on the Natural system doing a velocity of 1054.13th is Steve Robbins of the Oldland NRFC flying 162 miles his bird is a Staff Van Reet originating from birds obtained from Adrian Bishop a local south road flyer the blue hen was sent sitting 10 day old nest eggs and was his first bird back the week previously from Pontefract with a velocity of 1043. 14th is Mr & Mrs Davey of Sodbury Vale NRFC flying 158 miles with a 1yo blue hen doing 1038.

Graham Watkins Hen

15th was Mr & Mrs Graham Watkins flying 161 miles in the Oldland NRFC with a 1y blue hen flown of the roundabout system and his bred out of Sheldon Lenard stock from Ireland velocity of 1034.
The Rat Man.