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Carentan - May 2014 a Lightning Quick Win For Nigel Laycock

 

MIDLANDS NATIONAL FLYING CLUB

MIKE LAKIN

Carentan - May 2014

    A Lightning Quick Win for Nigel Laycock

The Midlands National flying club opened its 2014 season with a majestic entry of 9,645 pigeons, this latest entry fully endorsing the Committee’s decision to purchase their latest Geraldy built trailer.  I think it is fair to say that without it the club would have really struggled to accommodate the 900 plus competing members’ entries. As it was the birds were basketed in comfort with a maximum of 22 birds per crate. This is something the club feels strongly about with absolutely no overcrowding allowed.

Saturday dawned and from the off it was obvious that there would be no liberation but with the prospects of a southerly breeze and better conditions on Sunday the mood was very upbeat. This proved to be the case and after the nod from our three expert weather advisers, the huge convoy were liberated with no problems at 7.30am into a light southerly wind and in a few seconds I was told the birds headed up the Cherbourg Peninsula with the expectations of a very fast and successful race.

Well a fast race we expected and a fast race we got. The Club’s Leaderboard struggled to cope at times with the massive interest that the MNFC now generates, with over 4000 viewers at the peak of the day. We saw the lead change like ‘a hot potato which was too warm to handle’ as the further they flew the faster the leading pigeons went.

Finally the lead stopped at an incredible 1985 yards per minute. This works out at a mind boggling speed of 67.7 miles an hour. The fancier who looks likely to win the race is Nigel Laycock of Womersley and after several ‘close shaves’ last season including 2nd Open from Tours few would say he doesn’t deserve the win. When speaking to an understandably delighted Nigel he told me that incredibly the winner, a yearling cock, is half brother to the hen that was 2nd Open last year. Their sire being a ‘Slimmen’ cock whose own father won 1st Northern Classic from Messac and 1st section from Tours in 2011. This once again proves beyond a doubt that ‘the sweetest fruit falls closest to the tree’. Aspiring fanciers would be well advised to always bear this in mind when looking for new stock. On the mother’s side her breeding is of the lines of the famous Eric Limburg ‘Black Opium’. After this latest victory I’m sure that Nigel and his son Ryan will be high as kites on black opium because their super pigeon ‘Northern Bound’, which was twice 2nd section with the MNFC in 2013, was from the ‘Black Opium’ bloodline. The winning bird will also win the Yearling Classic trophy and the RP/De Weerd sponsored Crystal Decanter which goes with it. So all in all a great day’s work with not one but two MNFC race wins ‘under their belts’.

Ryan & Nigel Laycock

Though the other birds and their owners will be highlighted in the full report which I will cover in a week or two’s time I would like to point out that in the top ten provisional placings no less than 4 sections are represented and I’m sure that the excellent prize money will see them well rewarded. There will also be a full separate report on the Club’s new ‘2 bird Nominated race’. I can’t wait to see who will be winning that race.

Before I leave you to look over the Provisional sectional leading placings, I should like to point out a couple of items. First of all will all markers please make sure that ring numbers are read out and checked when marking the birds whether ETS or rubbers as there where several errors reported to me after the last marking which, if it hadn’t been for the diligence of the people marking, would have gone unnoticed. Obviously the clubs they compete in on a weekly basis aren’t doing their jobs properly or they would have been rectified earlier. It is a RPRA rule that the full ring number be read at marking so please don’t cost a bird a good placing because any errors after the race is flown will lead to disqualification of the pigeon.

Secondly will members please verify their birds correctly. All we need is: the member’s name and MNFC number, the bird’s ring number and the clocking time of arrival. Many fanciers are reading out the actual flying time and we are finding out that in many cases mathematics isn’t their strongest subject. So please for our race Secretary’s sake, clocking times only.

One other thing. There was a lot of confusion for many ‘first time’ online entrants. Please for your own good enter early enough to allow us time to solve any of your problems on your first time by entering a couple of days before the race closure time of 2.00pm Sunday. This will be better for your nerves and prevent Ann and myself going crazy.

Remember before you try and enter ‘online’ you need the following: Your own email address, your Login and Password codes, a Bank ‘Debit’ card. Armed with these things you should have no major problems.

Back off my ‘soap box’ now and congratulations to all members who are making the Midlands National Flying Club what it is today, the premier club in England. With your continued support who knows the heights that we can achieve in the future. Let’s make Fougeres our next race another record breaker. With the excellent returns reported I’m sure that we shall have another superb entry.

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