Enfield Continental Flying Club

At the cabbage patch the next old bird race arrived which was from Exeter, and for this race there was a lot lower birdage as of late due to some members not sending, however at the end of marking 9 Members had sent 161 birds. The next morning i received the usual phone call from Dave Housden saying that the birds had been liberated at 7.15 in a North East Wind. This week’s winner and continuing his good form is Steve Holloway with a 2-year-old Blue Pied Lambrecht Cock who was bred by Geoff Barker and has just picked up his 4th win as well as scoring many lower positions. Steve said that this Cock has now been named “Pedro”. This Cock got he’s name after Steve and his wife Alix had a visit from their friend Julie who was visiting them from Spain recently and she named him “Pedro” after they had sunk a few glasses of Lambs Rum in Steve’s Garden. 2nd Club once again is Steve Holloway with a Blue Chequer Van Reet Cock, one of the originals from Louella in 2015 when Steve started back up in the sport. Third Club was Geoff Barker with a Chequer Pied Braspenning x Jan Loots Cock, who is a full brother to Bob Hutton’s 1st UBI Combine Carentan winner. This Cock’s previous performances include 5th Club Exeter and 47th UBI Combine Honiton. Fourth spot was Club Secretary Steve Sheffield with a Blue Pied Busschaert Cock. Fifth Club went to Geoff Barker with a Grizzle Lambrecht Cock, a past winner of 3rd Club Blandford, 3rd Club Exeter, and 5th Club Blandford. Finally, in 6th is Steve Holloway with a Blue Lambrecht Cock “Manuel” who’s won several lower positions and is the nest mate to “Pedro” the 4x1st Cock of Steve’s who was bred by Geoff Barker.

Chequer Pied Cock 1st Club,8th Fed, 44th UBI Combine Falaise. Owned by Geoff Barker

Blue pied Cock. "Pedro" 4x1st. Owned by Steve Holloway.

Our next race was from Guernsey with the UBI Combine and the marking for this race was one day earlier on the Thursday, and it would be a busy day for some members as the BICC and BBC were marking the same day.

For the Guernsey Race 12 Members sent 129 birds which were Liberated at 9.15 in a North West Wind. Taking top spot is Steve Sheffield who also took 5th Fed & 13th UBI Combine with a Blue Busschaert Cock who contains the old Starview Busschaert bloodlines. 2nd Club, 8th Fed, & 22nd UBI Combine is Geoff Barker with a Blue Lambrecht Cock, previously 1st Club, 13th Fed, 17th UBI Combine Exeter, 2nd Club, 17th Fed, 18th UBI Combine Exeter, 2nd Club Yeovil, 13th Fed Blandford and 3rd & 4th Club Exeter.

Geoff also took 3rd Club, 14th Fed & 37th UBI Combine with a Chequer Pied Cock, a Cock with a race record of 1st Club, 12th Fed Exeter, 11th Fed, 13th UBI Combine Falaise, 1st Club, 16th Fed, 3rd Club Yelverton and 2nd Club Exeter.

Fourth Club went to Steve Holloway with a Blue Chequer Van Reet Cock, one of the originals from 2015 from Louella. Fifth Club was Peter Twyford with a Blue Chequer Busschaert Cock who has previously taken 3rd Club Honiton and 6th Club Carentan as well as numerous other top 10 positions. This pigeon has got a bit of fight in it, as it returned badly injured from Falaise last year & since then has performed well. Sixth Club Geoff Barker with a Blue Lambrecht Cock, past 1st Club Honiton, 3rd Club, 12th UBI Combine Falaise & 20th UBI Combine Le-Mans.

 The same day the BBC raced from Fougeres and only one member sent in it and that was Steve Sheffield who ended up taking 83rd Section, 387th Open.

The BICC also went from Alencon and they liberated at 10.15 and it ended up being a tougher race than anticipated.

Mealy Cock 1st Club,4thFed,8th UBI Combine Honiton. Owned by Steve Holloway

The Club result from the BICC Alencon was 1st Steve Holloway with a Van Lint Cock who had been a consistent pigeon for Steve before getting lost around the Loft whilst exercising. 2nd Steve Holloway with a Blue Janssen Cock bred from birds given to Steve from Billy Watkins. 3rd Geoff Barker with a Chequer Vinkenborg x Soontjen Cock, Fourth and Fifth was Paul Stone with a Dark Pied Van Den Bosche x Busschaert Cock & a Blue Braspenning Cock.

The following week was a UBI Combine race which was due to be from Exeter but was changed to Honiton. This race was a lot harder than expected with some members saying that they were still short at the time of our strike, but they were all expecting them to return that night. Once again, the inform loft of Steve Holloway takes the top Spot, also 4th Fed, 8th UBI Combine with a Mealy Van Reet Cock, one of the original Louella ones from when Steve restarted back up in 2015. 2nd Club, also 16th Fed, 23rd UBI Combine was Steve “Willie” Williams with a Blue De Rauw Sablon Hen. 3rd Club, 28th Fed, 35th UBI Combine was Peter Twyford with a Blue Chequer Lambrecht Cock bred by Geoff Barker. This Cock has been a winner from Honiton as well as being 2nd Club Blandford and has been quite consistent in the past and is normally on the result most weeks. 4th Club, also 39th UBI Combine was Steve Holloway with “Pedro” the 4x1st winning Lambrecht Cock who was bred by Geoff Barker. Fifth Club, 47th UBI Combine was Steve Williams with a Blue Chequer Van Rijn x Janssen Hen. Finally, in 6th spot is Geoff Barker with a Grizzle Lambrecht Cock who also took 39th UBI Combine.

The Following week we had our Second overseas UBI Combine race. This one was to be flown from Falaise, as well as the BICC who were racing from Cholet on the same day.

 At the end of marking 10 members had sent 100 birds. On the Saturday morning i received the usual phone call from Dave Housden to say that they had been liberated at 8.15 in a West wind, and then checked to see if the BICC had liberated, which they had. They went at 6.45 so i could inform the members as well. Some Clubs phone all of their members to say that their birds have been liberated, but that can be quite time consuming as you end up having a full-blown conversation with everyone. So, for the last 4 or 5 years i text all of the members all of the details that they need, and they all receive the message at the same time.

For the UBI Combine Falaise the top spot went to Geoff Barker, who also took 8th Fed & 44th UBI Combine with a Chequer Pied Cock, a previous winner of 1st Club, 12th Fed Exeter, 2nd Club, 11th Fed, 13th UBI Combine, 1st Club, 16th Fed Honiton, 3rd Club, 14th Fed, 37th UBI Combine Guernsey.

 Second Club and Third Club was Steve Sheffield who also took 10th & 19th Fed as well as 49th UBI Combine with a Chequer Van Lint Hen whose parents originated thru Jamie Turner and contain the bloodlines of Champions Amos, Amanda and Anita. As Steve was away on Holiday, he asked Club mate Jamie Turner to time in for him. This Hen should have taken second Club from Guernsey, but her arrival did not register on the ETS. Steve’s third placed pigeon was a Blue Chequer Busschaert Hen. Fourth & Fifth Club, also 20th, 26th and 29th Fed was Geoff Barker with a Blue Joop Koch Cock and a Blue Chequer Lambrecht x Janssen Cock, a past winner of 5th Club Lyndhurst & 3rd Club Honiton. Finally, in Sixth spot is Algis Tiatauris with a Blue Jan Theelen Hen.

Our next race was a comeback one and was from Blandford to which our members would fly between 97-110 miles and at the end of marking 11 members had sent 190 birds.

This week’s top 6 were as follows. 1st & 2nd Club Steve Holloway with a Blue Lambrecht Cock bred by Steve Sheffield and “Manuel” a Blue Lambrecht Cock bred by Geoff Barker. This Cock is a consistent performer and is the Nestmate to “Pedro” 4x1st Club as well other top positions up to Fed level. Taking 3rd Club is Geoff Barker with a Lambrecht Grizzle Cock, Geoff also took 4th & 5th Club. The 4th pigeon is a Grizzle Lambrecht Cock, a past winner of 25th Fed Honiton 3232 birds. Geoff’s 5th Club is another Grizzle Lambrecht Cock, previously scoring 3rd Club Blandford, 3rd Club Yeovil, 5th Club Blandford & 5th Club Exeter. Finally completing the top 6 this week is Peter Twyford with a Blue Chequer Cock from his Combine winning Busschaert family.

Our next race is a Channel race with the UBI Combine from Le-Mans, as well as some members who will be sending to the BICC who are at Poitiers.

In the next Update, Results from the UBI Combine at Le-Mans as well as the BICC at Poitiers as well as all other things happening down at the Cabbage Patch. 

Before I end this latest write up, I would like to Congratulate two of the nicest fanciers who you would wish to meet, they are Bob & Anthony Besant for their 1st & 2nd Open BICC win from Cholet. Bob & Anthony are no strangers to winning Nationals and they are best known for winning 1st International Agen with Noble Dream with the BICC.

Until next time,

Take Care

Jamie T....