LONDON NORTH ROAD COMBINE
Reports by Grasshopper
Stonehaven - June 2014
Stonehaven is a town in Kincardinshire and is roughly 15 miles south of Aberdeen. It lies on Scotland's north east coast, and is often referred to by our Scottish friends as the “Auld Toon” due to its iron age fishing links. The London North Road Combine for a number of years have had a love hate relationship with the “Auld Toon”, and year after year the decision is to either have the combine race from Stonehaven or Arbroath. However the decision was made that for 2014 the combine would go with Stonehaven and have a joint liberation with the Essex & Kent Combine.
Saturday 21st June the 922 birds representing the London North Road Combine were liberated at 7.15am in a North Westerly wind with many fanciers competing around the distance of 388 miles. Much like the last combine race from Berwick, the buzz of excitement was expecting very good speeds, but unlike the Berwick predictions many for the Stonehaven race were nearly spot on, with the leading birds recording 53 miles per hour, with many reporting excellent returns.
Below is the Convoyer's race report:
“After pick ups, departed for Stonehaven and checked birds on route 9am Friday. All ok. Arrived Stonehaven 1 o'clock and had trouble getting on car park as very small and full of cars. After sorting this out, watered birds. Lifted shutters. All ok. Fed and re-watered birds at 3.30pm. Closed shutters at 6.45pm. Saturday, up at 4.15am. Overcast with high clouds. Opened shutters at 4.45am and re-watered birds. On opening shutters, one broke and had to lift them by hand. Apparently it had been repaired before. Phone call from Mr Ashenden around 5.30am. After discussion, it was decided for another phone call later as cloudy on site. Cloud broke quickly, after phone call from Mr Ashenden, it was decided on 7.15am lib. Had to move cars in car park as we had very limited space. Birds liberated at 7.15am. They broke into 3 different batches and hung around for 2 - 3 minutes then cleared. The weather on route home was fine, visibility as far as the eye could see. Arrived home at 8.45pm. Hope a good race was had by all”. - D Moore.
The winner of the London North Road Combine can and should be considered as one of the great partnerships to ever have raced in the organisation, as with this win they are now crowned as 5 times winners. In the past they have won 1st Open London North Road Combine Berwick Yearling, 1st London North Road Combine Stonehaven, 1st Open London North Road Combine Arbroath, 1st Open London North Road Combine Newcastle, to add to their new title of 1st Open London North Road Combine Stonehaven, that's not to mention that the partnership is also hugely successful on the South Road, where they fly and compete with various organisations such at The BBC, The BICC and The NFC, where they have also won 1st BBC National young birds, 1st Open BICC Falaise Old Hens, and also 1st Open L&SECC Tours, as well as having a Merit award winner with the L&SECC from Tarbes. As can be seen the winning partnership are top, top drawer, and north or south is no obstacle as they perform to the absolute highest standard on both routes. If you have not guessed by now, it is the formidable family partnership of D. Wilton & Son of Chadwell St Marys.
Robbie started in the sport in 1978 as a teenager with his father and his interest grew from watching his Uncle Roy's pigeons returning from races. Their first loft could be considered extremely different to what it is today, as back then the loft was a converted back end of a lorry. Success was instant for Robbie as he won his first race he ever entered in 1979, and he still races in the same Club (Chadwell St Marys) and federation (West Essex Federation) as well as address today. Young Andrew, who is also heavily involved with the birds, has been brought up with the pigeons from a young age, and his real ambition in the sport is the big south road national racing.
The fantastic muscled 2 year old Pencil Blue Cock now named “Barn Boy” is a direct son of a Janssen based cock who previously won 4th Open London North Road Combine Berwick Yearling and his dam is a hen bred for the partnership from George and Steven Chalkley from their successful family of Hartog pigeons. “Barn Boy” has come to the winner’s podium before. As a young bird he was raced in the South of the Thames Federation, where he won 2x1st Club, and 20th Open Essex and Kent Combine Ripon, and was 2nd club two weeks prior to his win on the big stage with the London North Road Combine. The winner is raced on 100% pure widowhood and had every race prior to Stonehaven. For combine racing the cocks only get to see the bowls about an hour before basketing and only see their hens on return as a reward. The widowhood cocks are exercised twice a day an hour of a morning, and if flying with speed and vigour an hour and a quarter of a night. The brands of feed used are Versele Laga Superstar Plus IC and Super Widowhood as well as GEM Super Widowhood. The birds are given Lugol Plus made by Travipharma on a Sunday and Monday, and on a Wednesday, Thursday mixed on the grain is Wheatgerm oil. Their diet is also supplemented with the use of peanuts every evening, just a couple per bird. The future for “Barn Boy” is in the basket, however the partnership are unsure if he will be competing with the London North Road Combine at Thurso.
The Wiltons
The journey for 2nd and 3rd open was to the partnership of A & P Woodger of Chadwell St Marys. The partnership have hit dream form in the last two London North Road Combine races, as from Berwick they recorded 7th Open, and 2nd Open Berwick Yearling. With such great performances they have put themselves in the running for the prestigious Tommy Long trophy and a chance for their name to go in the history books. Andy and Peter started in the sport in 1978 after a visit with their father to the famous East End market Petticoat Lane. However it took a lot of persuading and eventually on the second visit to the market their parents caved in and allowed the brothers to obtain some, and neither have been without pigeons since. They both raced singularly at first however they joined forces in 2006. In the last few seasons they have done many alterations to the loft and obtained new pigeons, which is showing to be working as their results have steadily been improving, with this season being their best to date.
A & PWoodger
The 2nd and 3rd open widowhood cocks are both small apple bodied pigeons, and they are 100% Louis Massarella Corbett Busschaerts. Both their sire and dam were obtained directly from the Pen Sales at the famous Louella Pigeon World in Leicester. The 2nd Open Mealy cock 'NWHU12-B-4921' has always been a consistent pigeon for the partnership, and could be considered Peter's favourite bird in the loft. To his credit he now has a 2nd, 3rd and 4th club. The 3rd open Chequer Cock 'NWHU12-B-4949' actually won the Newark race prior to the Combine in the club, so as can be seen he has started to hit the super form. Both birds are raced on the widowhood system, and before the combine the cocks received the bowl for 30 minutes, and the hen for an additional 30 minutes, before being basketed. The two cocks have not missed a race since the start of the season. The cocks are exercised twice a day morning and night for one hour. The brands of feed used are Versele Laga Super Widowhood, and Depurative, plus the use of Red Band. The only supplementation used is on the day of return, and its waiting for them in the drinkers is Cider Vinegar. The future for both cocks is that they will be raced again but much like the winning partnership of D. Wilton & Son, they are unsure if they will be sent to Thurso. As well as the fantastic results the partnership achieved the last two London North Road Combine, they are most proud that they have achieved 7th open London north Road Combine before, also the buzz they got from racing south road out of Alencon.
The London North Road Combine Provisional Top 30 and station winners are as follows:
1 D WILTON/SON C.S.MARY 1524
2 A & P WOODGER C.S.MARY 1523
3 A & P WOODGER C.S.MARY 1520
4 A & R TUBEY DAGENHAM 1507
5 M CONNOLLY/SON CUSTOM/HSE 1506
6 LING BROS BARKING 1505.3
7 R SCOTT DAGENHAM 1505.1
8 J CROXTON HORNCHURCH 1502
9 H M & G FOWLE TILBURY 1500
10 S BAKER/SON CHESHUNT 1498
11 G CHALKLEY/SON E.L.N.R 1497
12 CLARK BROS HORNCHURCH 1496
13 D WILTON/SON C.S.MARY 1494
14 F DAWKINS/SON PLAISTOW 1493.6
15 CLARK BROS HORNCHURCH 1493.3
16 P E KELLET DAGENHAM 1493.0
17 R SCOTT DAGENHAM 1491.9
18 M/MS THORPE ILFORD 1491.6
19 G CHALKLEY/SON E.L.N.R. 1490.
20 J LAMPRELL CHESHUNT 1489
21 M/MS CAVERLLY DAGENHAM 1487
22 S GOODWIN NEWHAM 1486
23 L NIEDZWIECKI CHESHUNT 1485.6
24 K MARTIN/DTR DAGENHAM 1485.4
25 R SCOTT DAGENHAM 1483.9
26 T HEWITT C.S.MARY 1483.6
27 S BULLARDS/SON CUSTOM/HSE 1483.2
28 M/MS THORPE ILFORD 1483.1
29 S BAKER/SON CHESHUNT 1481.8
30 J CRASKE PLAISTOW 1481.4
Tilbury station
D Wilton/son 1524
A & P Woodger 1523
A & P Woodger 1520
HM & G Fowle 1500
D Wilton/son 1494
T Hewitt 1483
D Wilton/son 1479
M Cooper 1474
N.Eltham
K Doughty 1429
K Doughty 1424
K Doughty 1389
Hornchurch
J Croxen 1502
Clark Bros 1496
Clark Bros 1493
J Croxen 1478
T Dunn 1471
L Stock.son 1446
Dagenham
A & R Tubey 1507
Ling Bros 1505.3
R Scott 1505.1
P E Kellet 1493
R Scott 1491
M/m Calvelly 1487
S Goodwin 1486
R Scott 1483
Cheshunt
S Baker 1489.89
J Lambrell 1489.05
L Niedzwiecki 1485
S Baker/son 1481
L Niedzwiecki 1468
S Baker/son 1461
Stratford
M Connolly/son 1506
G Chalkley/son 1497
M/ms Thorpe 1491
G Chalkley/son 1490
M/ms Thorpe 1483
J Craske 1481
The next London North Road Combine is from Thurso with a joint liberation with the Essex & Kent Combine. I would like to take this opportunity to wish all my readers the best of luck, and I look forward to visiting the top 3 competitors.
Grasshopper
07712432824
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