MIDLANDS NATIONAL FLYING CLUB

MIKE LAKIN

 Steve Palin rounds off a great day from Fougeres with 1st MNFC 2 Bird Nominated win

Steve Palin

The Midlands National Flying Club had 385 birds entered in their second ‘2 Bird Nominated Race’ from Fougeres and those fanciers who were up to the challenge of selecting their two best birds were flying for just under £2000 in prize money. This money was shared out amongst approximately 100 birds. Though a few say that the money should be more for the winning birds fanciers do have the chance of getting ‘2 bites of the cherry’ under the present system and as they say ‘small fish can be sweet’.  In truth the money is secondary to the prestige of selecting the winning bird and the fine trophy that they will collect from the club’s Annual Presentation evening.

The winner of the race on this occasion is Steve Palin who had a wonderful day as he also won 3rd Open and the Yearling Classic race and the RP/DeWeerd sponsored Crystal Decanter. So Steve will have his arms full on the presentation night. Steve’s winning bird is a 2 year old Blue cock who recorded a velocity of 1112. The pigeon is a proven winner with 1st prize from Poole a 2nd placing from Kingsdown and a 4th prize from Seaton. As Steve explained to me the prime reason that he was one of his entries was because of the bird’s consistency. In truth the sort of bird that you can rely on to give you his best and he has proved this from Fougeres. The bird was bred in the racing loft off two of the loft’s best racers. The sire himself has won 3 x 1sts 2x 2nds and several other good placings including Federation diplomas. Interestingly this good cock won on both the North and South road during his career. He is bred in the purple from two direct Geerinckx pigeons. The ‘Nominated race’ winner’s dam is a hen that has several prizes at club level including a 1st place. She has also shown her channel potential with 3rd section MNFC Yearling Classic and other placings that include 58th Open Carentan from 5,603 birds. She is 75% the base Geerinckx family and 25% Vandenabeele via Paul, Brian & the late Wendy Hyatt who have had great success with their pigeons. Steve told me that the granddam of the winner is his best ever racing hen who has won some great prizes right through from Yelverton to Bergerac. A real all rounder!

2nd Open on 1106 is claimed by a partnership who are both great workers and supporters of the club in the form of Rugeley’s J. Madgin & Son their Pencil cock which is a Nouwen-Paesens widower cock and is in fact a great grandson of their Narbonne International winner. The bird won well as a yearling last year winning 1st section 504 birds and 7th Wolves Fed from Messac 953 birds. Later he was 75th Open from MNFC Vire 4,379 birds. This season he has carried on the good work with 8th section 88th MNFC Open from Caretan and 27th Open from Fougeres. With form like this the cock didn’t take a lot of selecting for the ‘2 bird’ race did he?

J. Madgin & Son's pencil cock

3rd Open and 1st west section are J & B Oakley of Whitchurch on 1105. Their bird is yet another 2 year old but this time a Red hen. The bird was 7th section and 30th Open in the full race. She was really fancied because in total she won nearly £1200. Not a bad day at the office for this young lady.

The partnership of Barnes & Walmsley 4th Open prove that you can succeed flying up near to Blackpool when you have a good bird like their yearling hen ‘Miss Silverdale’ as she did a double wammy with 1st NNW section in both races. Like the Oakley’s hen she was heavily fancied and she brought home the ‘bacon’ to the tune of £820.

Barnes & Walmsley

The other section winners are as follows 1st South Centre section D J Aston, 1070. 1st South East section Mr & Mrs George Butts 1063, 1st North West section Mr & Mrs Joe Booth 1051, 1st North East section Brian & Sue Stone 1050, 1st North section Peter Ratcliffe 1027, 1st East section Mr & Mrs Pete Chapman 960, 1st East South East section Steve Surrey 922.

Mr & Mrs George Butts

Joe Booth

If you when looking at this piece think that you can beat these birds you know what to do enter the ‘2 bird Nominated’ build up the Prize Pot and see if you can win a nice share of it!

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