MIDLANDS NATIONAL FLYING CLUB

MIKE LAKIN

TOURS 2012

Success for Colin & Adam Crick

  Before I start to both inform and pay tribute to the winning fanciers and their birds from the Club’s latest race from Tours. I feel that it is necessary to inform our members of the true facts about the liberation. This has been forced by the ‘rumour mill’ grinding up misleading information.

  These are the facts gleaned after a lengthy chat with the MNFC’s convoyer Ian French. First of all consultation was made with the convoyers of both the Belgian and Dutch organisations that were at Tours and like ourselves due to release their birds the following morning. It was agreed that the MNFC would go first, which proved to be correct with a 5.40 am liberation in a very light SW wind for the 3,974 birds in our race.

  The Dutch had under the advice of the Agent moved their fleet of vehicles carrying some 19,000 birds to an exhibition centre car park approximately 1 mile away on the eve of the race but these birds were still under the instruction of the Tours Site Agent. The Belgian birds were released at 6.00 am, 20 minutes after the MNFC pigeons.

  Ian said that he heard that the massive Dutch convoy were in fact liberated at 7.00am. This though was after the MNFC transporter left Tours but was later confirmed by the NPO (Netherlands Pigeon Organisation).

  I hope that this clears up any misunderstandings which have been ‘doing the rounds’. If there had been any clashing, as may have well happened, then it was certainly not in the vicinity of the Tours liberation sites. So it is clear as day that the Midlands National and its convoyer have nothing to reproach themselves about.

 Before ending my conversation with Ian he told me that he had been in talks with both the Belgian and Dutch authorities and they said that they would in future keep us informed as to the whereabouts of their pigeons on the dates that could adversely affect the Midlands National’s races. Ian said that he would then contact their convoyers and take steps to keep ‘line of flight’ clashing to an absolute minimum. How many other organisations are prepared to take such steps? None that I am aware of. So once again the MNFC, thanks to Ian French, are leading the way to improve matters with regards to clashing.

   Right now the record is straight let's get on with what we should be looking at, the race winners!

  As I reported in the original post race piece, the winning loft was that of Colin Crick & his Son  Adam. I have been informed by fellow member Bernie Wallman that Colin is a real worker for the sport, who along with fellow member and also previous Midlands National Tours race winner Dave Albon, sets and checks the clocks for all the national clubs as well as their own club Baldock. Bernie also tells me that the Crick loft are enjoying a terrific season. Proof of this is in the fact that they won the local club’s Poitiers race on the same day as they won the MNFC so a great day all round for Colin and Adam. Their 1st SE section and Open  winner is a chequer Janssen based bird which Colin has cultivated for years so he is surely entitled to call them his own family. Proof of the winning bird’s form was given the previous week when he was 1st club and federation from Honiton. He is a proven pigeon with some great wins on his record including 2nd UBI combine in 2011 from Le Mans. After a good natter and a look around the impressive set up it was a pleasure to visit such a nice family.

Colin & Adam Crick - 1st MNFC Tours

  2nd SE section and Open is the Montila brothers who clocked a Staf Van Reet based widower cock on 1472 some 13 yards behind the winner. Robert and Peter told me that the past couple of seasons had been rather turbulent and so the pigeons had not been prepared as well as they would have wished. The dam of their bird won the MNFC Old Hens race a few seasons ago and she was a Van Reet x R & B Smith ‘Dearns Cock’ breeding. While the sire is of Rod Baxter’s Bert Hession Staf Van Reets. The partners entered 28 birds and had 22 home when I visited on the day after the race. The birds that were missing all being yearlings. I think that this says it all really. Anyway it was good to spend a short while with two excellent fanciers and grand lads. By the way your  lettuce were lovely. I’ve never tasted better.

R & P Montila

It was Steve Surrey of Wisbech who claimed the 3rd section and Open place. Steve’s bird is a 2 year old Blue Soontjen cock bred by Bobby Brunswick of Grays in Essex. The bird has been a consistent performer winning both club and fed prizes. I am told that Steve has been flying ‘out of his skin’ over the past couple of seasons. So far this year he has topped the fed on 3 occasions and has clocked up 6 1st club prizes.The day of the Tours race the loft won the first five club places and the top three cards in the Fens Federation. Brilliant flying from a team of just 21 race birds. Steve clocked 5 of his 7 birds entered and in fact has a second timer a Lambrecht hen which is 17th Open.

Steve Surrey

  The 4th Open winners on 1455 are the partnership of Smith & Wilson. There is an amazing story here as ‘Badger’ Wilson looks after the birds because his partner Mr Smith is now too old to assist in the work but still gets great pleasure from watching the pigeons. Well a while back ‘Badger’ suffered a stroke and now struggles to either walk or talk properly since this event but he still gets on with looking after the birds and he must be doing a good job as proved with this great performance with a 2 year old ‘roundabout’ hen which has won several prizes including 1st placings. I hope that this result proves to be a tonic to both of you. Well done and thanks to your friend who gave us the information.

  I highlighted the 1st East section and 5th Open winner ‘Atlas’ belonging to Grimsby’s Drinkell Son & Parrott in the initial report but I think that the bird is well worth a second mention. The bird is a real ‘star’ and a multi prize winner which in fact was 2nd East section in 2011 from the same racepoint. He is a grandson of ‘Sailor’ which won 2nd Open MNFC from Brugge in 2001. A real champion bird is ‘Atlas’. Right behind ‘Atlas’ is a dark chequer cock belonging to Roly Rusling from nearby Cleethorpes who secords a velocity of 1450 just 2 yards behind the section winner. This cock fills 2nd East section and 6th Open place and must be a delight to Roly who is enjoying a great season as he was well up there from Fougeres the previous MNFC race. This time his winner was sent sitting 10 day old eggs and is a Leo Van Rijn based pigeon. I wouldn’t bet against hearing more of Roly’s birds as they are obviously ‘bang on’ this season.

The Drinkells

  The 7th Open winner is the 1st placed South Centre section pigeon belonging to Summers Brothers & Daughter. Their  2 year old Soontjen x Van Loon widowerhood cock on 1445 which has won several times including 1st Federation as a yearling. The bird is from Kevin Lawson stock and both of his parents have won themselves. So it’s  in the blood then!.

   Ipswich fanciers  G & N Arterton on 1442 fill the 8th Open placing  with a 4 year old chequer cock. This area is supporting the MNFC very strongly and results like Artertons will only help to persaude more members to enter the races.

   Doncaster’s Dave and John Hawkins had a fantastic day’s racing as when their first two birds dropped in to fill 1st and 2nd North section and 9th and 10th Open they not only lifted a healthy sum in pool and prizemoney but they also hit the Jackpot by winning the the RP sponsored Yearling classic Trophy. Additionally the lads won the Bolsover Travel sponsored Cruise holiday. All of our previous winners of this magnificent cruise nom  have said it was the best prize that they have ever won. Their first bird is a yearling hen M & D Evans based pigeon of ‘Queen of Diamonds’ and Koen Minderhoud lines. The second bird is a crossed Evans x J & D Staddon bred pigeon which in fact won 1st section and  Derbyshire and S Yorks Queens Region Diamond Jubilee winner in the previous race. Well done and enjoy your cruise!

  Right lets go around the sections. Continuing in the North section 3rd section is Roy and Mally Wright who have won two previous MNFC races and their latest bird is a yearling Blue cock of the ‘Barney’ lines. A line that have produced many excellent pigeons for both the Wright’s and many others. 4th section is Steve Fields and family. This is the loft’s third race in a row where they have been in the winner's enclosure. Their latest winner is mealy hen which was sitting 5 day old eggs when basketed. She is a very tame bird which instead of entering the loft on her return from races lands to her owners patio where they wait on race days. So much so she was called ‘Nuisance’ but not anymore she is now called ‘The Tame hen’. Her breeding is Camphius via Andy Galley x a De Klak hen bred by Steve Perry. The bird was a gift off Jim & Simon Toon of Pontefract. The next North section bird was to Rob Fenwick who has a good record in the MNFC. His bird a yearling blue cock is from a brother/sister mating of Laycock Soontjen x home bred Vandenabeele bloodlines. I am told that this young cock has been the loft’s first arrival in all three MNFC races this season so he looks like a good one.

  In the North West we see a grand bloke take 1st position and that is Don Salt of Alton. This cock won 10th section 43rd Open in 2011 and is called the ‘Show cock’ because he has won in many shows including Blackpool. He is a 3 year old Dark cock of Jan Theelen crossed to Don’s Dark Gem 4th open NFC winner lines. Don had a super day by also winning 1st section in the MCC. Just .2 of a yard behind is Halmerend’s Dave Everill. This is a fine performance by one of the area’s more westerly situated lofts but they say that good birds make for good positions. This cannot be denied in Dave’s case as he has spent a considerable ammount of money acquiring what he believes to be superior bloodlines. This is clearly highlighted with his 2nd Section winner a 4 year old widowerhood cock. He is from a son of Gerard Koopman’s Kleine Dirk when paired to a daughter of Jim Biss’ 3rd National Pau winner ‘Glazer’. Dave showed me a string of brothers to this cock all have won a host of prize cards. In fact another brother was 8th section in this race a great result from an entry of 3 birds. Don’t be surprised to see Dave’s name to the fore from the club’s Bordeaux race because he certainly has the necessary blood to succeed from this marathon race point. 3rd NW section was Macclesfield’s Rick Geary and son Simon. Their bird is called the ‘Tame Cock’ and is a proven quality pigeon with many victories to his name including 1st NW Classic Club from Falaise. The bird is a Soontjen of ‘62’ lines x a  Van Den Brande hen  purchased at Frank Howard’s clearance sale. Rick tells me that they had all four of their birds in 40 minutes. Further proof of the lofts form was confirmed in their 2nd place in the Cheshire 2bird club Messac with a cock that won 3rd position in the same club just two weeks earlier. Rick thinks that if more organisations ‘joined forces’ that there would be far less clashing. Definetly food for thought there Rick. 4th section was filled by one of the club’s all time greats in the form of Mr & Mrs Geoff Kirkland. This time it was a 2 year old blue  Monty Buxton bred Maddame Vink based pigeon which was of similar lines to the partners 2011 4th sectionTours winner.

   Finishing off the East section in 3rd place are the Kingston Family from Hull who have a good two year old  cock named ‘Tyson’ which has not only been the Kingstons first timer in all three previous MNFC races but also he has won 4 x 1st prizes in his short career. His breeding is of Kirkpatrick x Vandenabeele strains a real crossing of the old and the new. Kevin Kingston was quick to praise the Midlands National’s convoying team saying that his family’s birds always home in excellent shape. 4th E section sees a familar name in Ian Cameron of Broadholme just a yard behind the Kingston Family on 1416  he is a 5 year old  75% Van Loon Campius pigeon his dam was 1st section 2nd  open from Tours in 2006. While his sire is a Peter Fox Syndicate Lofts bred bird bred from Super33 x Lucky Charm that Ian got from his good friends  the Macaloney family. Additionally the loft timed a second arrival which will claim 6th section and is a previous Yearling National winner. As you see Ian Cameron has a fine pedigree with the MNFC.  

   The North East section is the next one to come under the spotlight and first up in both senses is the Terry Smith, Partner and Grandson Connor. This is their second 1st section win of the season and appears to becoming something of a habit. I spoke to Terry last year and he told me how young Connor’s enthusiasm had ‘rubbed off’ on him just as he was ready to call it a day but this cocktail of the ‘old hand’ and ‘new blood’ is working a treat. Their latest winner is a 6 year old hen and her breeding is of Dutch origins. The methods employed on her is roundabout or ‘something like that’ was Terry’s answer to my N E section roving reporter Jos Mee and Jos descibes her as a ‘proper bread and butter’ pigeon which has performed well at fed level right up to 500 miles. In 2nd section is the partnership of Farrah & Peters which is made up of the senior partner Anslow Farrar and the former MNFC sponsor Darren ‘Dazzler’ Peters.The bird that inflicted the damage on this occasion was a yearling chequer hen of Peter Van de Merwe blood being a direct daughter of Peter’s ‘Replay’. This bird winning the NE section Yearling classic. My thanks to Alan Houldsworth for sending me the info. The omnipresent G & S Daykin and son partnership claim 3rd section on this occasion. Considering the ammount of time and effort that Gary has put into assisting with the making of the MNFC film ‘The Queen’s Wings’ so it is a great testimony to him that he can still race so competitively. The details of his latest birds is that she is a roundabout 2 year old hen and his 50%-50% between his tried and tested Soontjen bloodlines which he has raced for years since the days when he was a partner in J.S. Lofts and his new family the Antwerp  loft of Eddy Janssens which is itself built around the stock from his great friend Dirk Van Dyck. These new Janssens birds are proving a fantastic cross with the long established Jos Soontjen family. The loft winning 4th section is that of Dinnington’s  Hall & Hibbert. The partners sent a 3year old Van Coppenolle X Mavaert blue hen which was sitting 7 days. Their  Van Coppenolles Mick & Roy got from Lezah Lofts and the Mavaerts via Terry and Dave  Sherratt of Shavington. Who you may remember both won the MNFC a few years ago flying individually. The lads say that this ‘cocktail’ is working well up in Dinnington with a steady stream of National diplomas coming their way.

    Tidying up the South Centre section now and in 2nd section here we see John Havens of Leicester and John’s bird is a 3 year old Pied cock which puts up a velocity of1412 which is 3 yards in front of the next bird in the section where a yearling roundabout hen claims 3rd section for Chris and Denise Sutton of Markfield. She will also win the sections’s Yearling race. She is a granddaughter of the partners De Witte pigeon ‘The 606’ and her mother is a Charles Van Lancker hen. Her sister won 4th open 2nd Yearlings from Vire last season. Chris tells me that Ian French the MNFC convoyer bought a youngster off the same father in a Charity sale not long ago. I should keep an eye on that one Ian. In 4th section is the Glascote loft of Yates and Son and on the day this was a good bird being well in the West of the leaders. Their bird is a 3 year old Vandenabeele x Wildemeersche which was in fact 2nd section from Caretan a few weeks previously and she is nest mate to Clive and Donna’s MNFC 2nd ace bird from 2011.

  Moving over to the South West section and on top of the pile we see John Fretwell who clocked a cracker because his was the 1st bird in not only his section but from the whole of the west side’s three sections. Well done John. I see that his bird is a Marcel Sangers bred pigeon and he has won a plethora of positions with both of the National organisations. In 2009 he scored in all three of the MNFc’s Yearling classic races. The pick of these results being 2nd sect Poitiers with the NFc when he was beaten by .8 of a yard. In 2011 he was 10th section from Bordeaux and was well positioned in the MNFC’s Ace Long Distance awards. This year he won 18th Open from Caretan before hitting top spot this time. His sister won 1st section 35th open as a Young bird from Caretan. So it’s clear that the Sangers are singing for John Fretwell. In 2nd section is the loft of Leadbeater and Sons of Rugeley. These lads need no big intros from me as they are known all over the country. Unfortunately I have no real details of the bird other than it is a 3 year old Mealy cock that was well pooled. I did call but Brian wasn’t at home. 3rd section is also filled by the Rugeley loft of J Madgin and his son Lee. Their bird just like the previous race when the loft was ‘well up’ was bred by their friends Richard Owen and Ken Hoggarth of Holyhead from their Peter Fox Syndicate Lofts stock. We could all do with friends like these couldn’t we all my friends want is to borrow some money and they know I’m skint it isn’t fair is it? Anyway well done to two lads who are good workers for the sport. Repeating his last performance of 4th section is Jonathan Hamphlett who clocked a blue hen bred from pigeons off the German Aces Kipp & Son.These birds Jonathan got from Frank Shreader. Obviously Jonathan had a good race with 25 birds out of his entry of 27 birds home on the day. Excellent flying by anyones standards.

  Our final port of call is to the West section which was the hardest one to fly into on this day as the strong westerly wind was always going to make homing tough to the Welsh borders and Merseyside areas. Anyway hats off to Fletcher and Gobin of Long Alley. The partners winner is a good consistent bird whose results in 2010 won him the 8th place in the West sections Ace pigeon Award. I am told that he is bred down from Gordon’s old Delbar family and how many great birds have come down stamped with this famous strains name on it? The mother of the loft's section winner is their number one Delbar/Les Kilshaw stock hen and no wonder as she has simply ‘turfed’ out the winners right up to Tarbes a distance of 706 miles and she has also bred 3 Beeston Castle 2 bird winners. What a pigeon! The photo shows Gordon holding their 1st section 2011 Chale winner and Denny with their latest section winner. In 2nd section is the partnership of Noon and Callan. Their bird is a 2 year old widowhood hen pigeon a 2009 latebred. Since she started racing as a yearling this Janssen based pigeon has won 3 x 1st prizes and scored well in the MNFC. She has several sisters that have flown impressively for the partners as their parents only seem to breed hens but that is no problem as these lads fly the total widowhood system. 3rd section are Peter and Nigel Moss whose 2 year old blue cock did the business. Flown on the roundabout system. I’m told that the loft is in good form with 8 1st prizes already in the clocker which includes 2 x 1st fed wins. The bird is a Pouw Brothers Janssen x Grondalaer pigeon and his father has won 7 times with 2 of these Fed wins. The birds are mainly from stock off Preston & son from Leigh. Another name that is no stranger is in 4th section and that is D Siner who sent a Wildemeersche of Yates & G Downing lines x Hybregchts from Dennis Gerrard. She was sent sitting 7 day old eggs when paired to another hen. Looking at the photo she certainly looks a classy pigeon.

  Well that just about it another report completed a testing race but if you notice the vast majority of the winners are proven pigeons that is the calibre needed to score highly in the MNFC. As a bird must rely on it’s own ability to get home. In club racing a pigeon can simply play ‘Dick follow the leader’ in the nationals you need a bird thats fitted with a ‘Tom Tom’.

  Many thanks to the folks who as always have helped get the info for the report. Believe me it’s a massive job for a one handed typist ha ha.

PLEASE NOTE: The Bordeaux £50 Nom club deduction is the normal rate and not 20% which was a misprint. Apologies for any misunderstanding.