MIDLANDS NATIONAL FLYING CLUB

MIKE LAKIN

Double Header 2 Bird Nominated Races

The Midlands National Flying Club completed their first season of ‘2 Bird Nominated’ with the double event from Bordeaux and Vire. Obviously the entry has shrunk along with number of birds entered but when you consider the amount of prize money that the events have generated which has totted up to in excess of £8,000  then surely the races have been a success. My only surprise is that more people don’t take part in these races which after all are a nomination race of their two most fancied pigeons. The over all highlights being the chance to win a nice cheque a Midlands National race and to win a handsome trophy to mark the bird’s achievement. To my mind if you have a few £s to have a ‘flutter’ with then the ‘2 Bird Nominated’ is surely the best investment because just like the full race most of the prize money generated is paid out on a sectional basis.

Let’s now discuss the results of our final Old bird races starting with Vire which saw probably the best pigeon over the past couple of years put the ‘cherry’ on  his owner’s very rich cake. The bird that I’m referring to is Nigel Laycock’s super racer ‘Northern Bound’ over the last two years I have pretty much run out of superlatives to describe this fine racing pigeon. Is this really any wonder when you consider the bird’s racing career.

It all started in 2013 when this novice yearling won 2nd section and 92nd Open from Carentan against 8,406 entries. This was followed three weeks later from Fougeres when from an entry of 6,861 birds ‘Northern Bound’ once again ‘brought home the bacon’ by winning 2nd section and 24th Open. After a short break the next race was from Ancenis and the pigeon had a relative ‘off day’ when he only finished in 32nd section and 110th Open against 5,510 pigeons. When you look a little closer though you must realise that this fine ‘Black Opium’ based cock still left 5,400 birds in his wake! So he didn’t do too badly did he? At the end of the season ‘Northern Bound’ won 1st MNFC Ace Pigeon in the Middle Distance category.

2014 ‘dawned’ quite quietly for ‘Northern Bound’ but a loftmate, once again a yearling won 1st Section and Open to achieve Nigel’s ambition to win a National race. This is best described in the name that Nigel gave to his bird ‘Living the Dream’. Surely this was the case because Nigel’s Limbourg ‘Slimmen’ based pigeon also won the Yearling Classic RP/DeWeerd sponsored trophy.

From Fougeres normal service resumed when from an impressive send of 8,443 birds ‘Northern Bound’ took 2nd section position once again and 165th Open. The next race was from Ancenis and from 4,670 entries Nigel’s Champ was ‘at it’ again winning 4th Section and 23rd Open.

In this last event from Vire finally ‘Northern Bound’ achieved what he had been so close to on so many occasions over the last two years by winning 1st North section and 11th Open plus taking the ‘2 Bird Nominated Race’ Trophy. That rounds off a fabulous short but devastating career for this cock which I’m as sure as you can be that he will continue to reward his owner by producing more winning offspring.

The Vire 2 Bird Nominated race winner Nigel Laycock's 'Champion Northern Bound'

In 2nd Open and 1st NW section was Alan Walklate of Longton Stoke On Trent who timed his 2 year Blue cock to record a velocity 1198. Alan tells me that the bird’s sire is a Staf van Reet that he got from fellow Potteries fancier Roy Aldridge. While the dam is a hen he got from A & S Rushton who are making a big name for themselves in the North Staffs area. The bird Alan tells me originates from the well known lofts of Mr & Mrs Geoff Kirkland who need no introductions from me. She is a mixture of Geoff’s good birds but contains the blood of an excellent pigeon for Geoff known as ‘The Balloon’. This hen is turning out to be a good breeder for Alan as she is also the mother of a good brother to his 2nd Open winner which has scored 2x1st and 3 x 2nd club prizes on the channel and his North Staffs Federation positions are 4th & 12th from Fougeres 19th from Carentan and 17th & 20th places from Messac. So the future looks bright for Alan if his good hen keeps on laying the golden eggs for him.

Alan Walklate's 2nd Open winner

3rd Open is to a loft with a big reputation and this is the Rugeley fanciers of C Leadbeater & Sons who finish right behind the second open bird being just .7 of a yard lower. Their bird is a 3 year old Blue cock  which  like the previous bird was well fancied and will ‘drag in’ a tidy pay day from the full race.

Rounding up the other sections the respective winners are: West Mr & Mrs Burnett & Son 1196,  South Centre  Mich Lennon 1165, North North East Liddle & Field 1164,  North East G Inger & Son 1151,  East H Gostlow & Son 1128,  South East Mr & Mrs Corkett & Sons 1097 and in the East South East Terry Roughton 1032. 

If you could have beaten any of these birds in your section then you know what to do next time get your X’s on your two favourites, swell the coffers and win a nice prize.

Moving on now to the big one the ‘Blue Riband’ Bordeaux race now and is it any real surprise to see that the leading pigeons in the ‘2 Bird Race’ are the same birds that scored heavily in the full race? In fact the first six places are taken by pigeons that all featured in the top 23 positions of the full result with three of these 2 Bird section winners also winning their respective sections in the full race.

What does all of this tell us? Well to me it says that at distances in excess of 500 miles that it is proven birds which succeed especially if the race is a tough one like this year’s Bordeaux truly was.

Winners of the race were Steve & Mick Cook of Baron-on-Humber who are fitting winners as their bird which won 4th Open in the full race was the first 600 mile plus bird on the result. The bird was bred from Jan Theelen stock loaned to the brothers by Mr & Mrs Noel Houghton. This 5 year old Red chequer cock is a proven long distance pigeon with wins from both Nevers and Bourges to his name. A bird to be proud of you have there lads which covered the 607 mile journey at a speed of just over 30 miles an hour to record 888. Truly a hard grind and a real reality check about long distance racing.

Steve Cook with the Bordeaux 2 Bird race winner

2nd Open is won by the South East loft of Baron & Crick who nominated their two year old Blue Hen which recorded a velocity of 884 and I see that she was pooled to the hilt to lift a superb amount of cash. There is no doubt that this young lady was definitely expected. Unfortunately all my efforts to contact the partners for more info failed.

My good mate Glyn Machin and his wife Chris take the 3rd slot with a Francois Struyf x Noel Peiren  2012 Pied cock which is a widowerhood cock as this is the only way the partners fly their birds and by golly has this method served them so well over the years first in the sprints and now the longer races. The breeding of this cock is 100 % long distance and as previously reported in the full report his cousin won 4th National from Bordeaux three years ago for my friends Alan Windsor and his silent partner Snooker with another Pied cock bred by me from a brother to the mother of the Machins 3rd Open winner. Glyn asked me to mention his friend Graham Walker who has been a great help this season and truly ‘a friend in need’. This is why Glyn got Graham to pose for the camera in gratitude of his invaluable assistance.

Graham Walker who has been the 3rd Open winners Glyn & Chris Machin's right hand man this season

When looking around at the section winners please note how much fairer the longer distance races are. It’s a case of at ‘the distance’ that good birds make for good locations! This is mirrored by the fact that five section winners fill the leading six places. West section John Richard & Sons 806,  Mally Robinson 769, F Hinchcliffe & Sons 660, South centre Bemowski Harding & Brown 555 and East South East Mr & Mrs Ron Auker 551.

Finally I would like to wish on behalf of the MNFC Committee belated Happy Birthday wishes to Eric Millner who a few days ago hit the Big 8 0. Eric was elected as a Life Vice President a few years ago in recognision of his service to the Club. We all wish you ‘Many Happy Returns Eric’.

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