The New North Road Amalgamations last race of the 2020 season was being Flown from Berwick Upon Tweed in the furthest depths of North Northumberland for the young birds.

The race was being flown on Saturday the 19th of September 2020 and this day was a full sunny blue skied day for almost all of the UK.  From Berwick all the way down to the central Midlands then all the way down the Welsh borders and South Somerset with also a helping North East wind, it was just a waiting process to allow the sun to burn more to generate the heat in the air as early mornings, even though clear and sunny, can be cold in late September.  So once the sun was fully high and warm the birds were liberated by Clarence and Cameron Haymes at 9am into a North East wind and the birds were then on their way home.

Early morning at Berwick

To the top 10 in each section and open; with having a great season with flying his young birds on the North Road route and being the mighty Quinn as being new to North Road racing after making the decision to fly North Road for the future and flying his 2020 young bird team on the North Route with some impressive results being achieved in the Nottingham North Road Federation after flying his old birds on the South route with great success is Shaun Pilgrim of Hucknall Town, where Shaun won the Amalgamation and also took the first 8 open positions and the first 8 in the North section plus many other positions lower down the table. 

Shaun Pilgrim

Shaun sent 19 young hens and had all 18 back home in 22 minutes and the one missing back at evening time so a great day he had, plus scooping £217.40p prize money.  Shaun informs us his 19 hens were sent on the sliding door system with the hens being very keen to the cocks and showing promising signs all week they were sent to try.  They have also been flown on the Darkness system and were in good full feather. 

His winner is a Robbie Horton of Tamworth Lambrecht’s cock paired to a gift hen from Gregg Johnson of Ilkeston which is a Leen Bores Greek rung hen from George Charisiou of Greece as she was purchased at the Bulgarian Kalimanci one loft race 2018 final sale and brought back over from Bulgaria to the UK, his second bird a Kevin Lawson Lambrecht’s young hen, his third bird another Kevin Lawson Lambrecht’s young hen, his fourth a syndicate lofts line bred hen which is bred from a direct Daughter bred out of the famous Drum, his fifth bird a Robbie Horton Lambrecht’s X a Kevin Lawson Lambrecht’s young hen, his sixth bird another Robbie Horton Lambrecht’s X a Kevin Lawson Lambrecht’s, his seventh bird a Monty Buxton Joop Kock line bred young hen and his eighth bird another Robbie Horton Lambrecht’s X Kevin Lawson Lambrecht’s young hen.  Shaun flew 191 miles with velocities of 1585.047, 2 X 1584.799, 2 X 1584.674, 2 X 1584.550 and 1584.302.

The Amal Winner

9th open and 9th North Section was John Parker of Eastwood.  His first bird which the week previously to being sent to this race flew Dunbar in Scotland 220 miles and achieved 4th Section A in the NRCC plus also achieving 3 x 1st clubs for John in his local club the bird a blue pied Darkness flown hen has been one of John’s most consistent bird with the young bird team she is a Walter Peach of Castleford Staff Van Reet cock  X a Dr Richardson Lancashire Social Circle exchange bird hen paired together where both these birds were purchased by John for just only £10 each at the Pinxton pen sale auction events held in the winter months, John flew 191 miles doing 1574.959.

John Parker

10th open and 10th North section and also winning the Derbyshire NR Federation and £175 in the federation was Roger Hallsworth of Selston with a young Belgium rung darkness flown blue hen that was purchased at the Belgian Bevel football club squeaker young bird sale on the John Wheatcroft pigeon tour trip events held annually she flew 187 miles doing 1571.500.

Over to the West section and winning the section plus 2nd, 3rd, 8th, 9th and 10th section plus 23rd, 24th, 25th, 43rd, 44th and 45th open plus first open South West of England Lerwick Club and winning £39 plus over £250 plus pools in the Lerwick club was the A & R Smith partnership of Bristol their first, second and sixth birds were bred by Dave Smith of Thornbury South Gloucestershire.  Andy informs me the team are of natural flown bird as all are just flying back to the perch and not on the Darkness system.  Their winning bird bred by Dave Smith is a Soojen hen from the famous Paul Stobbs “Gypsey lines” paired to a gift Delbar cock given to Dave Smith as a gift from Gregg Johnson of Ilkeston.  The second scoring bird, a red cock, is a Dave Smith Soojen paired to a Mark Pitman of Bristol Mealy Soojen cock and their sixth bird back (10th section) scoring blue hen also bred by Dave Smith is the nest mate to their second scoring red cock.  Their third bird, a home bred blue cock from their Frank Tasker line birds, their fourth bird was a Dave Clarke of Bristol bred blue hen and their fifth bird a home bred blue Frank Tasker lines blue hen.  They flew 293 miles with velocities of 1508.110, 1507.963, 1507.890, 1405.968, 1405.712, and 1405.585.

Andy Smith

4th West section and 27th open and being one of the organisations furthest flyers is Wesley Selway of Bridgewater South Somerset flying 315 miles with a very special young chequer cock when you hear his story.  Firstly he was bred by David, Tony and Mike Moore of Bristol and he is a Paul Stobbs Soojen X Paul Llewelyn Bushart.  When as a young bird exercising around the loft before any young bird training had started Wesley’s birds were attacked by a Peregrine Falcon and this young cock dived out of the sky, out of the way of the Falcon and he hit the telephone wires and returned back to Wesley’s loft several hours later and was in a very badly dire injured state but Wesley’s Daughter Tracey insisted on caring for the bird and making him better so Wesley and Tracey applied antiseptic creams to his wounds and stitched up his split skin the best they could and just left him to rest.  Wesley informed me he was very sore and damaged and was touch and go for the bird but within a month the bird was back to his self-exercising around the loft and within five weeks, with a young cock, he was in spinning mode showing at young hens in and around the loft.  It was time for him to have some training flights with all his fellow loft mate birds and from this cocks first training flight he has never made a mistake and has been sent to the Bridgewater NRFC, all 8 young bird races in the South West of England Lerwick club, which add up to the mileage of including this Berwick race of 1,226 miles plus all his training flights before his Berwick race not being included,  where he achieved 1st Bridgewater NRFC 4th open South west of England Lerwick club he was also in the season 3rd club Ilkeston 140 miles and 2nd club Ripon 210 miles the week previously being sent to Berwick.  He was sent to Ripon to the Berwick race he was sent paired up to an old spare Hen sitting two days over old eggs of 20 days old and was sent fed on a Monday and Tuesday light diet mix and then the rest of the week a high fats energy mix I personally think this is a great achievement for a young bird and so does Wesley and Tracey so they have called this bird Rocky, he also won £45 in the amalgamation plus monies and pools in the Lerwick club with a velocity of 1491.735.  

"Rocky"

Wesley, I would also like to share, that he sends all his north road race team of birds regularly south south road as well when he feels like it and he sends in the National Flying club where he has previously won the National Flying Club from Fougeres back in 2005 plus with many high open and section positions achieved and also some good results achieved in the Central Southern Classic club also which is quite impressive when probably the birds have been raced all their lives North Road and I know of some of Wesley’s birds flying Thurso and Lerwick one season and scoring which included Lerwick Club open wins and then the following season the same birds being sent to Pau or Tarbes on the south road and they are still in the loft to tell the tale as one hen for Wesley won a RPRA South West Distance region Award in 2019 I must say Wesley does do this and always has a go… Well Done Wesley

5th west section and 30th open was Dave Smith with a Powell Jansen X Soojen blue cock flying 290 miles doing 1475.303 and winning £45.18p.

6th and 7th West section and 31st and 38th open was C & J Adams of Bristol flying 294 miles their first bird a Dark Chequer Coreman X Wall Lunt & Green Jansen cock he is already a previous club and open Lerwick club scoring top 10 position bird their second bird was a young Red cock that is a Coreman X a David Cowen Talbot bred bird with velocities of 1472.783 and 1424.864 they also won £20.13p.

Well that’s another season finished and it being only our second one in operation and we are growing still.

On a ending note I would personally like to thank Elimar Pigeon services in a great job Les does in uploading our reports and to all fanciers new and previous that have supported us and to our transport and race advisers Rose and Ray Lander, Dave Smith, Corine Szmaglik and the Haymes Family and please take care over the winter in these difficult times all many thanks

The Rat Man.