MIDLANDS NATIONAL FLYING CLUB

MIKE LAKIN

OLD BIRD CARENTAN - MAY 2012

It’s the Corkett and the Hyatt Show

The MNFC got off to a fine start with their 2012 race programme. There was a little concern about how the poor racing and heavy losses would impact on the entry. Well the members came good and though the total was down on last year the total finished up at over 5,500 which the officials were more than satisfied with.

At 8.20am the convoy were liberated into a light South Westerly wind and sunny conditions. The liberation had been delayed to allow it to warm a little as it was rather cold at the racepoint first thing. The forecast was for the pleasant conditions to prevail right up into the Midlands before increasing cloud and the winds to turn to a Northerly direction with the risk of rain increasing. This didn’t prove to be the case as the cloudy and overcast conditions extended right down to the Bristol area with rain being reported in many Southern locations and the Northerly winds also taking effect earlier in the race than was expected. With all of this in mind it was a credit to the pigeons that fine performances and reasonable returns were reported in most of the Club’s sections. I will highlight many of these in this report.

It turned out that the conditions suited the shorter flyers and taking full advantage were the Corkett family who clocked a two year old widowerhood cock for a probable velocity of 1467.7. It must be remembered that this result is worked out  entirely on verification times so changes are a possibility due to members' errors. This though shouldn’t affect the leading birds as they were timed on the ETS clocking method.

The partnership of Mr & Mrs Eric Corkett & Sons are a highly successful team with several victories in both the MNFC and NFC. They have a team of birds ‘for all seasons’ with various families for the sprint, middle and long distance events. This making the team from Leighton Buzzard a constant threat in all the races that they participate in. On this occasion it was a Blue Flor Engels bred bird that did the trick and he is a proven performer as he won an excellent prize in the 2011 Messac race with the NFC. He had proved his fitness by being well to the fore over the previous two weeks, in fact he was raced from Carentan the week before his National win. So he had obviously plotted his course to good affect! I must say that I had predicted that the Corketts were likely winners to a colleague when I said that they are often the early pacesetters on the Club’s popular Leaderboard and I said if this would be the case today then they could well stay there!

The Corkett family - 1st National

A partnership which did their level best to remove them though were another partnership in the form of Paul, Brian and Wendy Hyatt from Ripple which is on the Western side of the Club near to Tewkesbury. The loft in fact timed not one but two birds very closely together and are likely to be 2nd and 3rd Open as well as taking the top two places in their SW section. Proof of just how close they came to winning the top placing was the fact that they finished just .5 of a yard behind the likely winner. It was a very upbeat father and son when I visited who were delighted with both their birds and their result. Brian, the father of the partnership, explained that in 1999 when they won the MNFC they won by a decimal. So finishing getting ‘pipped’ this time was no great disappointment and the partners wished genuine and sincere congratulations to the Corkett family. That is sportmanship at it’s very best and a pointer to the quality of the Hyatt family. It was a pleasant couple of hours that I spent with them looking at the two birds, which are both 2 year old blue roundabout hens. They are of Vandenabeele bloodlines obtained from M & D Evans of Myrtle lofts and the partners are very pleased with their Vandenabeele acquisitions from South Yorkshire. The lads told me that they had raced these birds for 12 years now and they had enjoyed great successs with them. 2012 is no different and is highlighted  by the fact that the loft has already won all but one of the early races in their local club.

The Hyatts with the two hens that finished 2nd & 3rd National

Likely to finish in 2nd SE section and 4th Open is the loft of  Chris Gadsden of Dunstable who also clocked a 2 year old bird to record a velocity of 1445. The bird is a Louella bred Busschaert which he bought along with his nest mate and last year his brother won 1st section with the MNFC from Tours. So the sponsors of this first race have one of their own birds very prominent in the race. Chris is enjoying a great season having won his Combine the previous week. Well done sir.

The 3rd SE section winner and 5th Open winner looks like Mr & Mrs George Butts  of Hitchen. His bird is guess what... another 2year old, a Janssen Van den Bosch blue cock which comes off  stock from  Mr Whitehouse from Hampshire. He was trained only as a baby but had a good education as a yearling and after a further two races this season he was put on the Widowhood system last week and it looks like he enjoys it!. There is no doubt that the system is a lethal weapon when used on good birds.

It is another good fancier or should that be fanciers? As John Tranter’s wife Barbara is a great help to him who is next on the list and looks likely to claim 6th Open place with a  pigeon which I am informed is the same pigeon that won 2nd Open MNFC from Vire in 2011. She is a widowhood hen and is a Soontjen x Van de Rhee which was bred by John’s friend Ernie Rigby from Telford. This hen won 1st Gloucester Federation three weeks previously giving warning that she was raring to go. So as well as a good loft builder John Tranter knows how to fly pigeons, in fact I consider that he is one of the best hen flyers in the country.

7th Open and 4th SW section is currently filled by Booth & Roper who timed a 4year old hen of Biss x Albert Babbington lines. I am told that she is a ‘good un’ too with a string of good results in the MNFC  to her name  she was in fact 6th Ace bird in 2011  Long Distance in the SW section. She is once again intended to go to Bordeaux with the MNFC in 2012.

Likely to claim 8th Open is Jones & Coleman of Northampton who recorded a velocity of 1433 at the present I am awaiting information from the partners.

9th Open and 5th SW section is looking good for G & Jones & Adams of Web Heath who clocked a 2 year old Staf v Reet x Soontjen chequer cock. Graham tells me that he comes down from birds that have performed brilliantly from the cross channel races; his grand sire ‘Bullet’ previously topped his section from Saintes.

P. McGonigle is the man at the top in the south centre section on 1404 and he will just round up the top ten in the Open. The bird is a hen sent sitting 10 day eggs and is of Van Hee x Staf van Reet breeding which have flown well over channel for their owner.

Frank Bristow has flown magnificently over the last few years and he is right up there once again with the 1st East section winner, a yearling hen flown on the widowhood system. She is 100% Cuelemans breeding. His second arrival is also a Cuelemans bred and she was 1st section in 2011 from Fougeres. A third bird was clocked and this one, a two year old Casaert, won 1st section in 2011 from Vire. A superb result for the loft which is fast becoming the norm. His first bird is looking good for top twenty placing for the Horbling based loft. Frank tells me that his hens are true widow hens as their mates are retired racers who are enjoying life as ‘lover boys’. Frank said that they entered twenty and got 17 of them on the day and two more next morning. A brilliant result.

1st East section - George & Frank Bristow

Other fanciers with good birds in the South Centre section include Clive and Dawn Yates of Glascote who clocked two birds in 2 seconds. Both are from his old established Wildemeersch family that have served Clive and his late father so well for over three decades. The two hens are both chock a bloc with national performances in their pedigree including a brother to the first timer which won 2nd SC section Ace pigeon Mid distance in 2011.

The next placed bird in the SC is Litherland & Bailey just one yard behind the Yates birds on 1366. There are no details of the breeding of this Roundabout hen as the senior partner Tom Litherland passed away and his Son in Law took over and Tom kept no pedigree books! Mr Bailey would like to pass on his thanks to Bill and Cath Gray who take his birds to the marking station as he has chronic hip problem. It’s nice to see such a fine example of friendship.

Another loft in excellent form over the last few years is that  of Alex Stewart who along with the assstance of his dad and brother have put up some fine results in the National and classic races. With this in mind it was no real surprise to find them on top of the North west section with a velocity of 1372. The winning bird is a 2 year old roundabout hen which is of Verheye x Neulaerts x Ronnie Williamson breeding. She was 4th section in 2011 from Fougeres  when the loft won 1st,4th and 8th section. Her sire a Williamson cock has now breed 2 section winners.

1st NW section - Alex, Jock & John Stewart

Less than 50 yards away we see the 2nd bird in the NW to the loft of ‘Quickdraw' McGraw and his partners Clegg and Preece who sound like a firm of ‘Dodgy solicitors’. They clocked a Yearling hen bred by Northern Ireland fancier Derek Parr who sent the boys six of his babies. This one being a Andre Clement based bird. She has won prizes as a young bird and is now 1st section in the Yearling race.

3rd section is Dave Whitfield from Scot Hay who timed a proven pigeon in the form of a 5 year old Verheye cock which has quite a number of prizes in the MNFC and MCC to his credit. The week previously he won 4th in his club, telling his owner that he was starting to show some form.

In 4th NW section it’s back to Longton and Sandford Hill where the 1st and 2nd section winners are. This time it is to Adams Brothers who clocked a yearling widowhood hen which is from a daughter of their 1st section Alencon winner from a couple of years ago when paired to a Van Dyck cock which originates from Gary Spavin of Lancaster’s birds.

Way out West now to a familar name Derick Jones, the ‘Woodfield Wizard’, who this time clocked a Wildemeersch x Vandenabeele widowerhood cock which has already won 4 x 1st prizes on his CV. His sire is Derick’s ‘Niort Cock’ which is a great racer/breeder which has already bred 2 section winners for his owner. His dam won 3 xist prizes as a baby then put to stock and she has bred 3 Fed toppers all on the channel. The ‘Wizard’ also has another bird which is likely to be high up on the section result. 

Derick Jones - 1st West section

Lloyd Brothers timed a roundabout hen from his Busschaert family which has previously flown Niort finishing 2nd club as a yearling in 2011 and also in a prominent fed placing.

The next place goes to friends of mine in the form of Geoff Yates and Heather Rogers who saw home an Antoine Jacops bred blue hen flown on the Roundabout system. She has won prizes in both the Shotton Gold ring race and was 8th Federation from Fougeres in the West Cheshire Fed last season as a yearling. Perhaps there is more to come from this little hen?

Let's try and tidy up in the East section where the birds really had to work to get home. The next two lofts behind Frank Bristow are Jonathan Walker of Scunthorpe on 1216. Jon clocked yet another 2 year old but this time a cock bird of Busschaert breeding and in 2011 he was 15th section from the same racepoint. This bird obviously knows the way from Caretan.

H Gostlow and Son of Ruskington timed a 3 year old widowhood cock of Docx  x  Thas breeding. This bird has a good record in the MNFC which includes 9th section from Vire in 2011 and was 9th Ace Pigeon Mid Distance in the East section last year. He has also won the Lincolnshire South Road Federation. R. Rustling of Cleethorpes on 1170 timed a Janssen based pigeon which has won prizes previously. While Grimsby’s J. Walden got a Janssen x Robert Venus bred pigeon which like the last bird is a previous winner and does a velocity of 1159.

On now to two other of the least favoured sections in this race as they had to compete against a North East wind and worsening weather conditions. These are still pigeons worthy of good coverage because as the saying goes 'when the going is tough the tough get going’. The North East section winners look to be Terry Smith and Grandson Connor 1364. These lads are flying very well. The bird responsible for the latest success is surprise, surprise a 2 year old blue Vandenabeele bred from stock from their friend Bill Hague of Doncaster. She flew consistently as a young bird and was 4th Fed from Saintes as a yearling. So she looks like a real good ‘un.

1st Aussie & NE section - Terry Smith & Grandson with Conor's dad

In 2nd provisional is a regular in the form of Gary Daykin who flys in partnership with his dad Stan and has found a new partner in grandson Alex. Gary is keen I know to get young blood into the sport and it looks as if he has found another young enthusiast. The Daykin’s had two birds drop together so it could be 2nd and 3rd placings. The first timer is a Soontjen x Eddy Janssen dark yearling hen. The other is a 2 year old blue cock and a grandson of a double national winner when paired to another of his National winners.

Next on the N E  list is Bill and Carol Foulstone. The bird is a 3 year old Camphius Janssen x Vandenabeele. The bird has been in the prizes on two occasions in the build up races and they have been flying wel in the Fereation. I am told that the partners' birds always handle well and often draw complimentary comments from the marking team.

Worksop’s Bob Staples is less than a yard behind on 1321. This was with a yearling chequer pied hen which was purchased at the Manton Breeder/Buyer sale and was bred by Pete Lee a previous National winning fancier. As a young bird she won 3rd Fed and has been raced on the roundabout system this year to 130 miles and then into the Caretan race.

On to the North section. 1st section is Steve Field. Steve is a hard working man who runs his own Demolition company and Pigeon corn shop and has limited time with his birds. He flys in the Yorkshire Progressive H S which is transported by the Derbyshire Fed. This he believes is such a large fed the birds have to think to find their way home and Steve is one of the longest flyers. He has only sent in three MNFC races and it's third time lucky. Steve had his lofts burnt down in January 2011 when he lost 140 old birds plus all his youngsters in the nest. He was inundated with offers of cash and youngsters; one of the offers came from Pete Hagland of Doncaster who needs no introduction as he is a past National winner himself. Pete sent him 10 babies and he has 8 of them still in his loft today. This blue hen being one of them, in fact his first 4 birds where all bred by Pete. These are from his Herman Beverdam Janssens x Tourniers. At 1500 hours Steve said to his family, who were all sitting on the patio, 'we need one to be in with a shout' and no sooner said when the blue hen appeared right on line and was clocked. She wouldnt wait for her cock to arrive home and took to the cock in the next box. Two weeks ago Steve went on holiday with wife Hazel and the grand children leaving his sons Ashley and Danny in charge and they finished bottom of the sheet. On their return Hazel stepped in and packed the boys off to work. On the Tuesday before basketing she paired the birds up and Bingo, 1st section, Take a bow Hazel. Steve was top prize winner in Cutsyke H S in 2010 just before the fire and built new lofts at the back of his house as he used to fly to his works yard. Steve would like to thank all the people who donated pigeons and money and will always be indebted to them. Normanton Fed, Girnal Lane F C and Pontefract Flying club all made a cash donation, which he is eternally grateful for. Steve told his 2 sons on the Friday they should have pooled her so she is now named 'Should Have Pooled'.

Steve Field

2nd section in the North are Brennan Brothers. Their bird is a Le Fabre Dhaenen from stock off Terry Higgs and Derek Hartshorne a 2010 blue chequer hen and like so many other birds is a proven winner with 56th and 31st Open in the MNFC from Chale and Carentan respectively and she won 1st Notts SR Fed as a yearling.

In 3rd section is Roger Hollinrake who clocked a Vandenabeele x Herman. The parents are both from M & D Evans, the sire being from Golden Boy x Super Girl 310. While the dam is a pure Herman containing the lines of ‘Money spinner’, ‘Turbo Flash’ and ‘2222’ from Alwyn Paddey. These lines are responsible for club, Fed and National prize winners.

Dave  & John Hawkins lay claim to 4th section with a 5 year old Vandenabeele hen which has previously won 1st section 2nd  Open in the Northern Classic. Her breeding is down from  the Myrtle Lofts ‘Shadow’ lines which is without a doubt one of their best breeding cocks.

Right that is just about it, next up is the long awaited and anticipated ‘Queens Diamond Jubilee’ race from Fougeres and remember all MNFC members can duplicate 5 birds into their region’s Q D J race at no additional cost once they have paid the  MNFC entry fee.

John Burtoft has asked me to inform members that  Skellow  clock station 179  is  open for ETS members and Not to ring Mrs Mead for Skellow Marking station but to now contact John on 01302 727670. Additionally please note that Liverpool Marking Station has moved to: National Wildflower Centre, Court Hey Park, Roby Road, Knowsley, L16 3NA.