Midlands National Flying club Y.B. Falaise
Williams & Wilks Clock a Cracker!
Yes the above heading has a double meaning to it as not only did Williams & Wilks super little pied hen put up a brilliant result by winning the race by a margin of 49 yards when she was recorded at 1200 ypm. Also she proved herself a real ‘star’ as only a few days previously she had won 1st section J and 11th Open in the NFC’s Coutances race. If that doesn’t make her a cracker I really don’t know what does?
Williams & Wilks 1st Midlands National winner
Let’s now take a closer look at the bird herself. She was sent sitting tight on 12 day old eggs which is a classic condition and probably helped her recuperation after her previous National result. The bird had previously been raced in both the Shropshire and Heart of England federations where she had won 1st 2nd and 3rd in these club races. So it is clear that she was a well fancied young lady. No doubt readers will wish to hear a little of her breeding lines. The sire bred by Dean Williams is known as ‘84’ was bred from stock from Shaun Woodhouse and C & L Williams and is predominately of Vandenabeele breeding. On the dam’s side she has Flor Engles blood in her veins originating from the partners old friend Howard Jackson. The boys wish to thank the above fanciers for their winning lines. The lads tell me that their birds are fed on corn supplied by Cosworth feeds and that they seek their medical help and advice from David and his team at Belgica de Weerd.
Happy Chappies the Williams & Wilks team
John Wilks lays much of the credit at his partner’s Kirk Williams door as he has spent hours training and caring for their young bird team with John saying ‘’Your hard work has paid off mate and what a way to round off a very successful young bird season’’. John also wished to mention young Jay Kirk’s son who is the resident pigeon spotter.
The partners also wish to pass on their congratulations to fellow clubmates Wade Davies, Duane Arthur and ‘Tinker’ Taylor who also flew so well in the race. Thanks were also expressed to Ian Stokes and Reece Williams who run the local clock station and to both of the partner’s wives Nicky and Clare for their assistance and patience.
Wade Davies with his girls and his 2nd Open winner
Finally advanced apologies to their fellow clubmates who will become sick of hearing ‘We are the Champions’ playing on the pub jukebox!!
In 2nd Open we see Wade Davies and his daughters Casey and Kira who also reside close to the winners on the Clee Hill a beautiful part of Shropshire. Wade tells me that their bird was bred by Tad Truszkowski and is of Hereman Ceusters breeding containing the blood of Jackpot, new Olympiade and Euro lines x a Michel Van Lint hen containing the breeding of Amos and Christina. Their pigeon took 6 hours 41 minutes to complete the 262 miles journey and record a velocity of 1151. Wade wishes to pass on his gratitude to Tad for a fine bird.
In 3rd spot and 1st West section is achieved by a tandem that constantly seem to reach new heights and this is R & B Smith who clocked a bird that they tell me is simply bred for cross channel racing. Her dam is a sister to the partners Saintes hen which won 1st section and 16th Open with the NFC from Saintes a distance of 540 miles. The bird is in fact related to several of the Smiths base birds namely Hughie and The Hilson cock and the father of ‘5’ the loft’s 1st MNFC Open winner from Carentan. Brian tells me that the bird was bred in the stock loft and put straight on the darkness system and raced unpaired. Like the race winner she was having her second cross channel flight as she also flew the tough North West Classic race from Carentan. I think I can see a pattern emerging here.
R & B Smith's gallant 3rd Open winning hen
Mick Godfrey carried on his excellent form after winning the Portsmouth National race a fortnight earlier. His 4th Open and 1st ESE section winning bird on this occasion is a Blue Chequer Leen Boers x Leo Van Rijn cock that previously won 4th Open in the earlier race. Well don Mick.
Mick Godfrey with his 4th Open winner
1st North West section is a guy who has in his own words enjoyed a magical three weeks and this is Congleton’s Bill Turnock. At the beginning of the month Bills grand Pencil W/F hen won 1st North Staffs 4 Bird Classic race sitting 15 old eggs then two weeks later she was sent back to Carentan nursing a 10 day old baby when she took 2nd North West Classic Club.
Bill Turnock with his fine 1st NW section and 5th Open winner
Then one week later her mate carried the baton and this Chequer Cock didn’t let the boss down winning 5th Open. Yes Bill a magical period and an even more amazing pair that have lifted their owner over £1600 between them. The grandsire of this one was a top channel performer with 1st NW Classic Club from Saintes then 3rd section from Bordeaux and 12th section in the NFC Tarbes race being the pick of his performances. The mother of the cock is a Grizzle hen gifted to Bill by Peter Hagland who many will be well aware is an excellent channel fancier. This is highlighted when in this same race Peter won 2nd North section and 8th Open with a very well fancied Chequer hen that will lift over £400 for her efforts.
In 6th Open we see yet another loft that is in super form in the form of Simon Parkinson who followed his feat of taking the top eight North section places from Portsmouth with 1st 3rd and 4th section and also 11th and 12th Open. Simon tells me that he is very proud of his birds and he has every right to be with results like these to hang his hat on. The section topper, which will very likely feature prominently in the ace pigeon award as he won 11th section in the earlier race. The bird is bred from his original Jochem van Hasselt imports and his mother is a real super breeder. Being responsible for no less than 6 x 1st section winners an 2nd 4th 5th 6th 9th 10th 10th 12th 12th and 16th open with the MNFC and birdages up to 9800 birds. Yes Simon you don’t get many like this one. This year she was paired to an half-brother who like his ½ sister is father to multiple winners. So the latest performer is quite an inbred pigeon which tops of his owners season as it wins the Club’s Gold Ring race and lifts £668.
Simon Parkinson's 1st North section and 6th Open winner
7th Open is filled by the winners of the ENE section in the form of Paul & Helen Johnson who have been performing splendidly for a few seasons now. The couples winner was bred by Nigel Simms from their Stuart Ward Van de Merwe’s when coupled to a stock cock from Homer & Williams and he is bred down from their fine bird Instergram.
Paul Johnson with the partners latest section winner in the ENE
Brian & Sue Stone clocked a young Blue hen to win the NE section which was well fancied and will collect a decent pay cheque for her sterling efforts up into the hills of Belper.
Another SW section bird takes 3rd section and 10th Open for Duane Arthur. His pigeon was bred for him by C & L Williams. The bird is of Engels x Roodhoft breeding. The sire being a son of Wade Brothers good hen Jean which won 1st NEHU Classic against an entry of 28,134 birds. The mother is great granddaughter of the Engels super breeder the 231. This hen has bred no less than 12 x 1st prize winners and 3 x fed toppers.
Duane Arthur's 10th open winning pigeon
Duane tells me that this is his first year racing and he is chuffed to bits with his bird’s performance. Well done sir. Rounding up the SW section 4th place is filled by R & G Jones & Batt who timed in a chequer cock on 999.
Roger Sutton who has also enjoyed a fabulous season fills 2nd 3rd and 4th places in the NW section section. Roger’s third timer takes 2nd place in the Gold Ring race. It is without a doubt worth mentioning that from a really tough race Roger’s team of 15 made it look relatively easy when he had no less than 11 birds on the result a truly wonderful team performance.
yes it's Roger Sutton again taking 2nd 3rd and 4th NW section and enjoying an amazing race.
2nd in the NE section is the 2017 Combined Average winners in the form of Mansfield fanciers Bowskill & Gascoigne. Their bird is a Schalie cock his sire is inbred to M & D Evans Vandenabeele Shadow and the mother is a hen bred by David Boot. Filling 3rd place is Blue cock entered by Tony Durcan. Aubrey Baker of Retford clocked a bird bred by his good friend Kevin Bowskill and it is of Marina Vandevelde breeding. Aubrey wishes to thank Kevin who has bred him young birds for the past few years and they have flown well for him in the Young bird Nationals. Aubrey also clocked a second arrival of similar breeding.
Bowskill & Gascoigne 2nd in the NE section
Aubrey Baker with his 4th NE section winner
Jonathan Walker wins the East section with a gift bird from Dickie Evans. Dick has bred Jonathan a few birds this year and as this one was 7th section and 99th Open in the previous race could well be another star off the Evans production line. 2nd section is claimed by Andrew Jacklin who timed a Frans wols bird off birds from Kevin Crotch and the dam is the same way bred as Kevin’s NRCC winner. Andrew has had his photo taken with his young daughter who I’m told is a big help to her dad with the pigeons. B Sears of Anderby wins 3rd section with a Slatey hen doing the job for him. In 4th place we see Ward & Winchester of Grimsby who saw home a Blue W/F hen from the 322 mile trip.
Jonathan Walker with Dickie Evans who bred his East section winner
Andrew Jacklin with his daughter and their 2nd East section winner
Brian Sears 3rd East section
In 2nd place in the ESE section are Ron & Angie Auker who timed a Van Der Wegen based bird bred from a pair of their stock birds. She was prepared with three young bird races and went to the BICc Guernsey race being their third arrival after which she was kept in shape with three 40 miles tosses. She was hatched in March and not put onto the darkness system but had the lights on for an extra two hours in both the morning and evening. This seemed to have had a positive effect and she homed in good condition considering the 4 day stay in the basket due to the two day holdover. Interestingly the birds are only raced to the perch and given two or three training flights per week. Taking 3rd and 4th section in the ESE is Alan Maile of Wisbech with two Blue hens recording 826 and 647 respectively.
Ron & Angie Auker 2nd ESE section on this occasion
Sanderson & Ramshead lead the way in the NNW section taking both 1st and 2nd places. The section winner is a crossing of a homebred hen x a cock bought at Doncaster of Machine and Big Smithy lines. The bird had shown her potential the previous week when she won the North East Lancs 2 Bird Breeder Buyer from Portland which is a distance of 225 miles. The partners had motivated her by coupling her to an old cock which was introduced and removed when required. The 2nd bird clocked just one second behind a Dark Pied hen which has flown well all season and is bred from a hen that won 20th Open earlier in the year from Ancenis with the NFC. This pigeon is closely related to the other bird and out of the old family enhanced with pigeons from our good friend David Parker of Clitheroe. As the lads said it has been a tough season so congratulations to everyone who timed in on a very hard day. In 3rd slot is the Hesketh Banks loft of A Jones & Son who clocked in Chequer hen after a 12 hours and 50 minute fly. While in 4th spot is O D j Harrison & Son of Banks on 696
Sanderson & Ramshead takes 1st & 2nd in the NNW section
The South Centre gets the old 1 and 2 from Billy Marbrow of Whitwick. Both of these two pigeons were in the Treble Chance race and take the first two places in that race also. Dalby Brothers of Braunstone take 3rd place with a little hen that was sent feeding six day old babies. She is of Van Lint breeding being a gift off Mick Osborne which was bred by Dean Pallatt and gifted to Mick in a batch of six. So a big thank you to Dean. Bill Marbrow then comes back and also fills the 4th section placing.
Bill Marbrow 1st 2nd & 4th SC section
Back now to the West section now and in 2nd place we see Derrick Jones who clocked a Chequer Cock which had prized previously in a local Gold Ring race. The birds dam won 5th Open last season in the MNFC’s Coutances race in 2017. And she is a granddaughter of both the Niort Cock and the Bordeaux cock. The father of Derrick’s latest performer is a son of both ‘666’ and the Bucket Hen who is in turn a daughter of the afore mentioned Niort Cock. The predominant lines are down from Gaby Vandenabeele’s Picanol. In 3rd west section we see J & B Oakley who saw home a Van Den Bosch based young cock that was sent sitting 4 day old eggs. The partners tell me that this cock has been very consistent only missing out on 4 x 1st section in the fed by being beaten on the pads by loftmates. He also went to the NFC’s Coutances race where he finished 3rd section in the Gold Ring race and 30th section J and 90th Open. The bird’s sister won 3rd section and 24th Open in the MNFC Carentan race in 2017. The partners send their congratulations on to Williams and Wilks for their bird’s fantastic performance on an extremely hard day. Nairn & Brown who have enjoyed a good year with the MNFC take 4th place with a chequer hen on 777.
Derrick Jones 2nd west section
Nairn & Brown 4th West section
Down in the South East section now we find Mark Lawrence take top spot. The bird is a home bred Grizzle hen which I am told is Ruby his daughter’s favourite. The birds granddam won 7th Open for Mark from Fougeres last year. Northampton is the location of the 2nd section winner to the loft of S Chabrowski. The bird is a grandchild of Chris Czaplinski’s famous ‘19’ which had won several 500 miles plus races at both federation and National levels. Stanislaw believes that his bird’s constant fighting with another cock over a box provided the motivation for the bird to put up such a good performance. Adrian Webb followed up his good win in the previous race to take 3rd section on this occasion with a young Blue hen. J & T Gateley take 4th on 591 with a Slatey hen.
Little Ruby Lawrence holding her dad's SE section winner
The North Centre section is won by Brandon and Nigel Simms but sadly I have no further details on their Blue cock which covered the 366 miles to get home on 913 to win a creditable 33rd Open. It is the same tale with the Castello Family who took the next three places to finish in 2nd 3rd and 4th NC section. What a pity!
I feel that I must comment on the poor amount of prizemoney especially the young bird events. This is due entirely on the revenue from the low birdages as 1600 birds don’t generate a decent amount of money to pay to the leading birds. So I’m afraid it’s all down to the poor finances by way of entry fees.
MNFC One Loft Sales
There is to be three sales of the 191 birds that remain in the loft at the end of the series of races.
The first eighty finishers in the final will be at auction in the Hoops Bistro Bar at Uttoxeter on the 10th November.
A similar amount will be open to phone bids and the list of these birds will be in the papers on the 26th October.
Finally a small number of well-bred birds with complete pedigrees will be offered on the Elimar Website over the next few days.
Mike Lakin