MIDLANDS NATIONAL FLYING CLUB

MIKE LAKIN

R & B Smith Prove that West is Best from Coutances

If ever anyone needed proof of just how influential the direction of the wind is especially in National racing then this race has once again undoubtedly highlighted this fact because even though the excellent convoy of 8,903 birds which were released at 7.45am were liberated into a Light Southerly wind once the birds reached the channel there was a fresh breeze blowing from a predominantly Easterly direction and I have been convinced for years that the influence of the wind over the 70 or so miles of open sea normally dictates the race’s result. This is quite simply because it effects where the birds end up on the South coast. Normally it is between Portland and the Isle of Wight on this occasion I would suggest that the vast majority ended up on the Devonshire shoreline. In fact one member mailed me to report that one of his birds has been reported in Ireland near to Dublin!

These comments are in no way intended to belittle the superb result put up by Bob and Brian Smith who are excellent fanciers with a grand team of racing pigeons proven by the fact that they also took 6th open to go with their Gold Medal winning bird and they further highlighted the quality within their loft with no less than 5 of their pigeons featuring in the top 50 open placings. Let’s make no ‘bones’ about it here, there are an awful lot of excellent fanciers in the Western sided sections and they patiently wait for race days like we experienced from Coutances this year. I would suggest that no one should begrudge them when the normal wind directions are invariably from a Westerly direction. That said if readers stick with this report they will see some stoic performances which I will do my best to highlight in this report by pigeons from all around the Club’s considerable radius. This is the reason why the Committee decided to distribute the majority of the prize money that is paid out to the individual sections. In this way there is a good pay day even when your section may be unfavoured by the conditions. The total paid out for this first race was in excess of £14,000 with a further £15,000plus in pool money.

Lets now take a closer look at Bob and Brian’s 1st West section plus 1st open MNFC winner which was clocked with a neck breaking velocity of 1808.She is a yearling chequer hen which then also makes her the winner of the yearling classic race. Her breeding is from a first cross bred from a son of the ‘house family’, namely the “Dearns cock” x a half sister of a winner of 1st Eccles two bird from Saintes. Her Dam is a hen bred by Curtis, Wall and Lunt, which herself has won several good prizes for the partners. She is of Leo Heremans bloodlines. Her sire is a bird called ‘Indiana’ and her Mother is ‘Tessa’. She had shown her potential three weeks previously by winning 1st club 5th federation from Yeovil after sitting out for several minutes. Their second arrival which wins 6th open and is a two year old blue hen which records a velocity of 1785. So congratulations on a superb day’s racing boys.

Brian & Bob Smith the MNFC  Coutances  national winners        -        The race winner

D Spring & Son's 2nd Open winner          -         Dillon & Davies winners of 3rd Open          -        Brian Crowe with the Crowe & Worrall 4th Open winner

Les Morris high up on the result yet again            -           Derek Hurst 10th Open

In 2nd west Section and open are R. Spring and son of Kirby. Who also timed a yearling hen which is just two yards per minute behind the Smiths bird.  I am told that this hen was only trained up to forty miles as a young bird, and not put on the darkness system. This season she has been raced every week leading up to the MNFC Coutances race.  She is bred from a cock of Walsalls Mark Darby, which is of Gust Janssens lines.  The bird’s mother was a gift pigeon from the Springs lifelong friend John Gerard, and she is a full sister to John’s Ace pigeon “Cavendish”.  Dickie and his son Greg who you may remember  won 1st and 2nd Open in 2006 with the MNF.  The 3rd Open is Knowsley  partnership of Dillon and Davies. The bird is a 2015 grizzle hen from a crossing of the famous gay boy Van Loon lines, when coupled to a Willy Thas hen which was acquired from Tony and Terry Kirman, who are great friends of the partners.  Her sister has won a Midland National Section winner and also a Liverpool Amal winner.  The lads say that they would be lost without the generosity of the Kermans, so its high praise indeed. 4th Section and Open on 1792 is yet another yearling hen which further high lights the fact that now we are under the effect of ‘girl power’  the bird which is owned by Crowe and Warrell was a gift from John Gladwin of Formula 1 Lofts, and the partners send their sincere thanks to John. I feel that it should be underlined that the West Section which has so often been the ‘whipping boys’ in the past, in total the West section filled the top ten open positions. With 5th Open being filled by S Gildea & Son the 2 Bird Nom winner and I will talk more on this performance in a separate piece. 7th  & 8th  Open is claimed by Ormskirk’s Les Morris who as a past winner of the MNFC is something of a specialist from this first race. Ged Unsworth claims 9th Open with a well fancied two year old Blue hen. Then taken the 10th slot is Mr & Mrs D Hurst of Birkenhead.

Winning the 1st section prize in the North West section and 11th Open are Crehan & O’Connor. I was saddened to hear that the result was tempered for John Crehan as his father died suddenly whilst on holiday. Our thoughts are with you John at this sad time. The partner’s timer which recorded 1778 is a yearling hen that was bred for the partners by their friend Jan Hooymans. Few people will need reminding that Hooyman’s bred and raced the World famed ‘Harry’. I am told that their entire race team were in fact bred by Jan with the section winner being a granddaughter of the afore mentioned ‘Harry’. This was her fourth race of the year after she had her toe amputated after it was run over in the loft’s sliding door. It’s a good job that pigeons use their wings and not their feet! John was quick to shower praise on the Smith’s who he rates as one of the best lofts in the country. A fine example of excellent sportsmanship. In 2nd NW section we find the Pitses based fancier S Whitworth who saw home a 2015 bred Blue Cock on 1772. In 3rd place we see yet another former winner of the MNFC in Vaughan Barker. Vaughan timed a 4year old Van Dyck x Vandenabeele  hen. She is proven pigeon with wins right up to 400 miles and a 1st and 2nd Federation placings for her owner. I was informed that she was in fact 80th Open last year from this racepoint. 4th section is taken by Fishpool’s Colshaw & Goluch with a 2 year old Blue hen on 1767.

J S Kenyon of Longbridge who timed in a 2015 bred cock on 1776 wins the expanding north North West section. Spare a thought though for 2nd placed Swarbrick & Greenhalgh who have been ‘pipped’ by just .2 of a yard after being the Provisional winners on the Leaderboard. Unfortunately I’m told that Mr Kenyon accidently verified his second arrival which has led to the confusion. Swarbrick & Greenhalgh’s bird is a two year old hen with comes down from Dennis Sapin blood which they got from Andy Gregson. Banks is the location for the 3rd NNW section winner on 1773 belonging to Brian Harrison & Son. Their bird is a natural yearling hen that was sent sitting 12 day old eggs. She was purchased from the Carnforth Young Bird Sale that had been donated by J S Hampson and she is of Vandenabeele breeding. In 4th section we see surprise, surprise a certain Mr Hampson who saw home a 2016 Blue cock on 1768.

In the South West section we see another reason why I wait for the final result before rushing to send in a report. The champs on this occasion are R Smith & Grandsons with a 4 year old Van Loon hen that is a previous 1st prize winner. This hen was injured last season and left to rest and this result has made all of their patience has been well rewarded with a velocity of 1767. 2nd section is taken by the Stoulton fancier D Cartmell who clocked his yearling chequer hen on 1763. Cleobury Mortimer is the location of the 3rd section winner to C & L Williams who once again clock a yearling. He scored in both of the MNFc Young Bird races in 2016 I’m told and he is a grandson of the ‘Shaun Pair’ which are responsible for birds to win both the MCC and the Welsh National. They are of Staf van Reet and Vandenabeele lines while the birds dam is an M & D Evans pigeon. The Kidderminster ‘Kiddos’ the Cooper Brothers take 4th section with a well fancied Blue hen on 1756 which will pay for a few bags of corn for these ‘poor gents’ ha ha.

Heading a little East where we see one of the sections ‘shrinking violets’ in the form of D J Aston of Sutton Coldfield. Obviously Mr Aston prefers to let his pigeons do the talking for him which they have done very well once again with 1st 4th and 5th section placings. 2nd place goes to a well known name in the form of Dean Pallatt who timed a 2 year old hen record 1716. She has been a very consistent with 3rd from 771 birds, 8th against 1134 birds and 10th from 1193 entrants. When you take a quick squint at her pedigree you see just why she should be a good racer as her sire is ‘Blue Miracle a 1st Ace KBDB sprint winner. While the dam is a daughter of ‘Attila’ the 1st Ace Middle distance champion of the KBDB. So she is a real ‘blue blood’. John Havens of Shearsby grabs 3rd section with a Soontjen x Janssen. The Soontjen influence comes from stock off Frank Shreader. The bird’s dam won 1st Club and 4th fed for John as a young bird while her sire is a full brother to 1st section 7th Opem MNFc from Falaise x a sister of 1st section from Chale. Johnwas full of praise for the conditions of the birds on their return from the race.

Swarbrick & Greenhalgh 2nd NNW section          -         Vaughan Barker 3rd NW section          -         Brian Harrison & Son with the 3rd NNW section winner

The SW section winner belonging to R Smith & grandsons          -         Dean Pallatt 2nd SC section           -       The Fenwicks with their 4th N section winner         -        John Havens's 3rd SC section winner

D & J Hawkins & Evans the North section winners          -         Tic Jobes 2nd N section          -         Keith Williamson's 3rd N section winner

Mrs Fisher with her daughter Debra with their latest NC section winner          -        Gerald Radley with his 2nd NC section winner          -         Adrian Leach and his gang 3rd NC section winners

Don Footitt basking in the sunshine with his NE section winner          -         Tony Findon's hen that won 4th NE section         -        Paul & Helen Johnson the ENE section winners

Norman Robinson with his granddaughter Enya and their 2nd ENE section winner          -         T & P Douthwaite 3rd ENE section          -          Ian Cameron the winner of 2nd East section           -         Jack Ramm with his good hen

J & T Gateley the 1st SE section champs          -         Gordon Raku 2nd in the SE section          -         4th SE section for Mark Lawrence          -          John & Richard Wortley looking happy with their 2nd & 3rd ESE section performance

4th section winner Mr & Mrs Ogden

Lets now take a tour around the rest of the sections. Winning the North section we see a familiar name in D & J Hawkins & Evans and though the bird may be low in the open result in my opinion this is an outstanding performance. The bird in question is a 4 year old Blue hen which has several top placings to her credit. Both of her parents were bred by Koen Minderhout and are known as the ‘Koen 7 pair’ . This cock of this couple is bred from ‘Blauw 522’ and ‘Engels Duifke 552’ who are responsible for 4 generations of winning pigeons. While the dam is a daughter of Koen’s ‘Gebroken Vleugel’ a superb breeder and this cock is father of the world famous ‘Geeloger’ a winner and breeder of multi race winners with birdages up to in excess of 10,000 birds. So it it is easy to understand how this bird was capable of putting up a velocity of 1731 to be a clear winner of her section. In 2nd section we see a beautiful Blue pied yearling hen. Once again her velocity of 1699 for her owner Tic Jobes is a very creditable one on a day that wasn’t at all favourable to the Eastern lofts. 3rd slot is filled by another pied bird for Keith Williamson. The bird known as ‘Peter Pied’ was bred from a cock bred by Robin & Kerry Walker and his dam contains the breeding a hession Van Reet x a Porter & Richardson bird. 4th section goes to rob Fenwick on 1680 with a yearling Blue hen which was bred for Rob by his friend Wayne Ellis of Barnsley.

The familiar name of Mr & Mr Brian Fisher and son secured yet another section victory in the North centre section on 1721 with a cock that obviously enjoys the trip up from the Cherbourg Peninsula as he has previous performances of 1st club and 7th fed then as a yearling registered 1st club 2nd fed. No doubt we will hear more of the Fishers birds as the season progresses. In 2nd spot we see one of ‘our youngsters’ in the guise of Gerald Radley who is 78 years young. He sportingly wished to congratulate all of the section and race winners. Gerald’s bird which clocked 1719 is a 2 year old widower cock with 5th, 7th and 10th Pennine valley Fed already under his belt. The bird is from a grandson of Leo Hereman’s ‘De Caprio’ while his mum is a Koopman bred by Jan & Kathy Lotterman. I’m informed that this was Gerald’s first race with the MNFC and how much he enjoyed the experience and in his own words ‘What a Buzz’. 3rd section on 1706 is filled by Leach Brothers who also took 7th and 8th section. Adrian tells me that his first arrival is a 4 year old hen off  his well known ‘Box 2 Pair’ She had already took joint 1st place when the Leach’s took the top four positions in the section and was 3rd section and 202 Open from Portsmouth. Her grandparents are ‘Syndicate cock x Caprice’ and ‘The Magician x blue Magic’ who are between then responsible for so many winners. 4th section is taken Walsh & Betts of Greetland their bird is a 2 year old chequer cock that recorded a velocity of 1704.

Don Footitt of Retford saw home his yearling hen which records 1689 to clinch the North East section win. The bird is bred from a full brother of ‘Dark Destroyer’ via Premier Stud and is off Hereman Ceuster lines x ‘Olympic Girl’ which has bred countless winners and 8 separate Fed winners. Impressive breeding to be sure. 2nd place is taken by a 2 year old Grizzle cock for G & J Kissane of Langwith with a velocity less than 3 yards behind the section winner. Worksop’s M J Drabble fills 3rd place with a yearling Chequer cock on 1647. 4th section is claimed by Tony Findon with a De Rauw Sablon x Derrick Jones of Wrexham bred hen. Tony tells me that this was his yearling’s first channel cross so a very promising start for this young lady. Ashbourne fancier Mark Williamson fills the next slot with a 2 year old Dark hen bred down from long distance lines as highlighted by the fact that her father is Mr Agen who won 27th International and her gran being ‘Black Shadow’ a past winner of 1st National 2nd International from Barcelona. So perhaps Bordeaux awaits for this lady?

Up to the East North East section and we see a loft that is no stranger to the winner’s enclosure. The partners that I am referring to are Paul Helen Johnson and the bird that did the damage on this occasion was a two year old Chequer cock that is a crossing of M & D Evans Vandenabeele x Premier stud’s Koopman x Peter Van der Merwe. The partners tell be that the bird which is now called ‘Henry’ after the couple’s first newly born first grandson who was born just one week earlier ‘dropped like a stone’ to put up a velocity of 1586. Bridlington is the location for the 2nd section winning pigeon belonging to Norman Robinson who clocked a yearling Pied cock on 1560. The bird is bred from a German de Klak cock from P Ankersmit x with a granddaughter of Norman’s good Pied Cock that won the Tony Cornwell trophy for best all round RPRA performances for 2001. T & P Douthwaite took 3rd section prize with a pooled 3 year old hen on 1531. Mr & Mrs Gray of Owswick saw home a 2015 Blue hen on 1516.4 to just pip Watton’s Hagston & son by .2 of a yard.

Another fancier with ’previous’ takes 1st & 4th spots in the East section in the form of Scunthorpe’s Jon Walker whose chequer hen clocked up 1640 to just head off another excellent fancier namely Ian Cameron by a single yard. The 4th section winner for Jon on 1632 is another hen but this time a yearling. Ian’s 2nd placed bird is a granddaughter of his good Blue hen that won 1st,2nd,3rd and 7th section in a very distinguished racing career with the MNFC and also topped the Lincs fed beating 4,800 birds. She is also the nestmate of Pat Frisby’s  MNFC  Vire winner. The breeding goes back to the original bird that Ian got from G W & P Macaloney which have flown so well for Ian. In 3rd section is the Gunness based team of Mr & Mrs Wood who clocked their 2013 bred Blue cock on 1634. Jack Ramm of Folkingham contacted me to tell me that his bird as well as performing credibly in the MNFC also topped the Peterborough central fed. Incredibly this Willy Jacobs x Janssen which was bred by Chesterfield fancier Chris Smith topped the section and federation from the same racepoint in 2016. Obviously she knows a short cut Jack!

Down South now to the South East section where a Van de Driese bred Chequer cock is the champ for J & T  Gateley. The bird is a 2014 bred widower cock that is home bred from stock supplied by their friend Jerry Wright . In 2nd place in the SE we see one of the clubs veterans in the form of Gordon Raku who flies in the Harrowden club. Gordon had a long and distinguished career in the armed services in the Royal Signals and he also served in the world famous Gurkha regiment in Malaya and Borneo. Gordon’s bird is a 2015 Jan Arden Chequer W/F Cock which was sent on the Roundabout system. I will look out for him as the long races come along. 3rd section is filled by yet another good fancier in the guise of Lee Smith who clocked a yearling cock on 1699 a mere .3 of a yard behing the 2nd placed bird. 4th section is taken by the Rippingale loft of Mark Lawrence . Their timer is yearling Blue Pied hen that is a crossbred Van den Bosch that was having her second cross channel race of the season. I’m told that the bird was the loft’s third timer from the MNFC’s Coutances young bird race.

The East South East section winners are Manning Brothers & Son of North Lynn who timed a 2015 Blue Cock on 1462. Unfortunately I have no further details on this bird or his owners. Happily this isn’t the case with the 2nd & 3rd placed birds which belong to John & Richard Wortley of Wisbech. The partnership is only in its second season and the first arrival a little chequer hen dropped in after a 5 hours and 14 minute flight with their second bird another yearling hen this time a Blue arriving 4 minutes later. I am told that Richard is in fact a stunt rider who starred in the famous Spielberg film ‘Warhorse’. So we have a celebrity in our ranks. Their stock is from Rotherham’s Kevin Hibbert with the origins from some star lofts including Syndicate Lofts, Wall Lunt & Green, Madam Vink and Koopman.  The partners sent 8 and got 7 home and they tell me that they homed in super condition. So it is a big thank you to the convoyers. 4th section is gobbled up by Mr & Mrs Ogden and sons who clocked a Starview Busschaert of Leo lines when paired to a van der Rhee hen ‘Gloria Jean’ of ‘Champion trooper’ and ‘Wonder Girl’  blood obtained from Rod Sparkes.

Clock Stations

It would be wise if clock station officials gave clock checking guidance times to avoid members either arriving too late or too early. Will members in turn give a little curtesy to the officials who are often entered the race themselves and waiting for birds themselves with that in mind to turn up unannounced simply isn’t acceptable.

New Verification  Time change

It would appear that a few members are still unaware that the verification time has been reduced to 30 minute. This change which was made at the last AGM was brought in to further tighten up race security.

M N F C One Loft Update

Just a brief update on the loft where things are quiet at the moment. That said the birds are in great health and exercising well. There should be a full list of the birds that are still in the loft on the MNFC website and on facebook by the time that you read this short piece. The birds will commence training in a couple of weeks and the management team have already been scouting for suitable training sites on the line of flight leading up to the first ‘Hotspot’ from Tewkesbury.

Mike Lakin