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Berwick Peter Glenister of Borehamwood Takes Third Fed Win and 1st & 2nd Combine!

 

THAMES VALLEY FEDERATION

Jo Cuthbert

Berwick

Peter Glenister of Borehamwood takes third fed win and 1st & 2nd combine!

Fed and combine winner Peter Glenister receiving his prize money from Wetherby from Roy Barnes

Thirty eight Thames Valley members sent 395 birds to the combine race from Berwick this week and showing us all how it’s done is Peter Glenister, whose two year old round about hen flew the 290 miles in six hours and seven minutes to take first fed, first combine with a velocity of 1389. This chec hen has done one better than last year when she took second club, second fed and tenth combine from the same race point. Peter tells me that he lets his race birds ‘pair up for love’ and this hen is bred down from his stock of Brian Hawes birds and was his second pigeon home last week. Peter’s three year old round about hen taking second fed and combine on 1374 is also bred from Brian Hawes original stock and won a hard race as a young bird in the Southgate club. Taking sixth club and eighth fed on 1329 is the mother of the winning bird and she also won the fed last year. In total Peter had seven birds in the top thirty of the fed this week, really brilliant flying and well deserved. Peter told me that going back through the years he has had previous excellent results flying in the North Thames Combine where he was beaten by a decimal place from Fraserbourgh by Terry Haley of Watford to take second combine. Peter has also had a second combine from Lerwick and remembers winning the combine when the birds were brought back from Thurso to Berwick one year.  Definitely a favourite race point for Peter.  He thought the birds would have done a faster time this week and having spoken to no one throughout the day had no idea until he got to the club on Saturday night just how well his birds had come. I saw Peter at the combine lorry on Friday evening and was lucky enough to catch him being presented with his winning nom prize of £100 from Wetherby. Our fed secretary Carol and Combine sec Peter Miles went and verified the winning birds at noon on Sunday and Carol took some fab pics of Peter with his family, his wife Jill, son Lewis and daughter Kerry.

Peter Glenister with wife Jill, daughter Kerry and son Lewis holding the winning birds.

I really am thrilled for him as I remember him telling he wouldn’t say he had won the fed until he had beaten fellow club member Phil Gomes.  Well you have done what you really wanted to do this week Peter and big congratulations to you!

Taking third and seventh fed is fellow Borehamwood member A Neorchou with two cock birds on 1352 and 1330. Derek Damalie has had another good week taking fourth club and seventh fed on 1340 with his two year old cock.

Third fed winner A Nearchou

Taking fourth fed this week is none other than my very own Houghton Regis member Bill Smullen. He and Carl Ellwood had a good race, taking the first nine birds in the club between them! Bill’s winner doing 1344 is his old faithful seven year old Staf Van Reet Cock which is the sire of last years  Thurso winner and has also won many races over the years. Bill retired his Thurso bird last year but the Dad is still winning races. Next on the clock and back in the frame is Mr Ellwood on 1287 with a pied hen, sitting on pot eggs that Carl says he only sent as a last resort to make up the numbers! This hen is a grand-daughter of his bird ‘Satan’ who was from original stock Carl got from up North. He is called Satan because this bird would never trap, no matter where he was raced from, it must run in the family as ‘Son of Satan’ is the same and I have a bird from Carl the same way bred and he only chooses to come in when it suits him. Bill’s next two birds are doing velocities of 1179 and 1178 and one is the same way bred as his winner and the other bred by Carl. Actually my first bird, albeit a bit late is also bred by Carl so his family of birds fared well today. This is the bird that was my ‘almost winner’ last week. Four of the six yearlings I sent have managed to make it home so far, they may have been well behind but it’s all experience for them and they live to fight another day!

Terry Haley leads the way in Watford this week and take 6th fed on 1336 with one of his amazing ‘boomerang’ birds which can race and win on both North and South road! This blue bar yearling cock was sitting 12 day old eggs and took fourth fed from Newark last year, beaten by two loft mates who took first and second fed. Its nest mate was first club, first fed racing in the Boxmoor club in the Inter counties federation from Minstead beating 1200 birds. Terry also took fourth club with a three year old blue pied cock sitting 15 day eggs, this bird took a first club, 12th fed from Honiton also racing South.  Terry told me that he races predominantly South but switches the birds when he fancies a go on the North. I told him that it amazes me that the birds can switch route so easy and still win as I was always told you have to train on a line of flight? Terry explained to me that before he baskets he just tells them they are going down the coast as normal and then they are ok! Fed chairman Roy Barnes takes second on 1310 with a five year old chec cock followed by Mick Brimicombe with his yearling black cock bird on1302 and taking fifth and sixth places on 1265 and 1255 is Watford Scribe Ray Neale with a seven year old chec cock that has had many first positions before and a two year old grizzle cock.

Three guesses as to who won at Stonebridge this week? George Gallagher, who is having an amazing season takes first on 1298 with his three year old blue Staf Van Reet cross cock, taking its second win of the year. Fred Taylor takes second spot with his three year old mealy which is a famous ‘Heinz 57 breed’ on 1238. Another Staf Van Reet takes third position for George on 1235 and Stonebridge scribe Dr Kumara Srikrishnamurthy takes fourth on 1233 with his two year old Van Loon blue cock which is the son of his own combine winning pigeon and this bird’s mother, bred by Russell Hayes of Lincoln was sixth in today’s race, this bird obviously has the distance in his blood. Vic Rhodes and his brother take 5th club with a two year old bred by George Gallagher.

Taking six out of the first seven positions in Feltham this week are Pat and Jim Harrison, who I am told are very good friends of Janina and Alan Jenkins so I am sure Janina will be thrilled when she reads this. Their first bird, doing 1157 is a three year old Grizzle cock bred by Jim’s brother in law, a Van Vault which I am reliably informed is the only strain in Great Britain from Germany. His second bird is the same way bred and is doing 1155. Third this week is Andy Camis on 1141 with his two year old mealy Van Reet cock which has had two fourth positions from Newark this year.

There was no racing at Mill End or Apsley this week but hopefully these guys will be back sending with us again for the next race, which sees us at Wetherby.

I have heard whispers that the previous combine race from Aycliffe was indeed also won by the Thames Valley’s John Randall but I have had nothing concrete on that yet. Please do not think I have forgotten you Johnny!

Massive congratulations to all those who did well today, it was by no means an easy race and many people had gaps when waiting for their birds. To those of us who didn’t do so well, tomorrow is another day and we get another shot at it next week.

Thank you to Carol Byfield for the photos and as always you can contact me on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 01582 477860 (after 5pm).

 

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