Midlands National Flying Club Y.B. Coutances

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The Rocket Homes in Like a Guided Missile for Tony

When the members of the MNFC went to their Marking Stations they were well aware that the weather forecast was for a tough race with a North Westerly wind and rain over the next few days and so the chances of a holdover were highly likely. Today most fanciers go on to the various websites and so 90% knew the score as to what was awaiting their young birds.

This proved to be correct as it was Monday morning before the weather advisors gave the thumbs up but warned that the wind though a little lighter was still blowing from a North, North Westerly over the route home and there was a chance of a shower enroute. With this news the strings were cut and the 3,651 birds were on their way in sunny conditions. The part that the weathermen failed to correctly call though was the fact that in the afternoon rain came in and made the race even more difficult for the longer fliers especially on the western side of the radius. These conditions led to plenty of empty perches on the first night.

One of the birds that made light of the conditions was a Blue W/F cock belonging to West Bromwich’s Tony Whitehouse which gave him the perfect trap to record a very creditable 1199. The bird was extremely well fancied and wins £1635 for his boss. The striking thing about his superb National win was that it was a lesson in patience and highlights just why Tony is a top fancier. In Tony’s own words I will let him explain. ’’After possibly one of my worst young bird season’s to come back with a victory of this magnitude is overwhelming. I started OK with the birds in good condition but after four short tosses they went down with the dreaded young bird sickness. I kept them in for ten days to get them right. By this time though the first two races had gone and I was well behind with my training, so I gave them three good tosses of 45miles and a further two from 60 miles. I then sent them in midweek and Saturday races but due I feel to the strong S W winds they came back out of the North week in and week out with me nearer the bottom of the result than the top. However three weeks before Coutances I got them exercising really well with them flying up to 1 ½ hours in the morning and evenings. In the last week before the race road training was the last thing on my mind as I knew exactly what kind of race I wanted and I got it. The moral of the story is good fit birds will shine through when the going gets tough, don’t give up when they are behind in the ‘paper bag’ races because your day will come’’. I feel that this sums up very well the truth of the matter but you must have good birds in your lofts. Tony’s winner certainly fits this bill as he is bred from a cock that is very closely bred to his 2014 MNFC Vire National winner which contains the blood of Van Loon, Verbree, Joop Koch  and on the dam’s side she is full of Syndicate lofts champs such as ‘Drum’, ‘Galileo’ and ‘Agent Starling’. As they say ‘Quality will out’.

Tony Whitehouse is all smiles with his Coutances Young Bird National winner

In 2nd and 3rd Open and SW section we see a loft that has also shone brightly in the MNFC’s One Loft race series and this loft belongs to Mr & Mrs McLaughlin & Son. Their first timer on 1165 was a well fancied Blue hen that clocked just 12 seconds in front of their 3rd Open winner a Cheuer hen on 1164 and between them they will drag in over £800. So it is clear that this partnership has excellent stock within their Cannock based lofts.

4th Open is taken by a well respected partnership in the form of  C Leadbeater & Sons of Rugeley with a Chequer hen on 1162.  The parents of this hen were bred Brian Leadbeater informs me by the very well known Mark Gilbert and the hen of the couple is a granddaughter of ‘Drum’ and ‘Gerrie’ and on the sire’s side he is a Grandson of Mark’s famous ‘Southfield Supreme’. I’m  told that she returned in excellent condition and in fact lost a little time trapping but congratulations to winning fanciers. The partner wish to thank Mark for sending them a fine breeding couple.

5th Open is filled by an excellent performance by an equal good fancier in the form of Derrick Jones of Wrexham who clocked a velocity of 1154. I’m told that the bird had 5 short races up to 87 miles before going to the NFC race from Coutances  where she was the last day bird to home on the day but the flight took nothing out of her as she has plenty of long distance lines in her pedigree as her father who has won 1st section from Ancenis and 5th and 8th section from Bordeaux and is a grandson of the ‘Niort Cock’ which was one of Derrick’s finest birds. The dam is winner of 1st Combine from Berwick for Dennis Nunn which derrick acquired at Dennis clearance sale. The following week she was sent to Bath then back to Coutances with the Midlands National. Obviously though she took her time on the first flight from Coutances she obviously took note of the route home! In 6th Open we see Bill Marbrow who won the Chale race two weeks earlier. The section winner on this occasion is yet another hen and was purchased by Bill at the Coalville Breeder Buyer sale and was bred by  Stafford’s Steve McDermott and wins once again the 1st South Centre section which I believe is Bill’s 6th section win. Bill kindly wished the officials of the club his thanks for their hard work to make the MNFC so successful. I would like to return Bill’s thanks for his support over the past years.  7th Open is taken by Kevin Head of Wednesfield who clocked the first cock bird in the race on 1140. This bird was well fancied and will pick up a nice cheque for his owner. Next up in 8th slot is the loft belonging to M J Parry who saw home a Blue hen on 1132 which will win the NE section. 2nd 3rd 4th NE section and 9th 10th and 13 th Open is filled by a young man in the form of Luke Gash who looks with the aid of his dad as if he is possibly going to go on and achieve great things in the future. Luke tells me that his first arrival was on her third cross channel flight and won 30th Open with the NFC a couple of weeks before. The next one just 1 second behind was also bred from stock off  Bailey & Ricketts and R & N Dennett. The third arrival was bred by a crossing of Bailey & Ricketts x Brian Gorton. This one Luke tells me has already topped the fed earlier in the season. So three birds clocked in just 1 ½ minutes by someone so young not bad eh on a difficult race day well done lad. Close behind in the section is taken by Mr & Mrs Dave Stone who clocked a Chequer cock with other performances to his name. He is a crossing of bloodlines from Shearsby & Watson and Alwyn Paddey x Ian Vernon from his ‘Stoney Pair’. Dave wishes to thank Jonathan Mee and Tony Mather who waited and clocked the bird as he and his good lady had booked a holiday in Cyprus and where away basking in the sun. It’s alright for some isn’t it?

Luke Gash with his dad holding his first three timers that took 2nd 3rd and 4th NE section

Dave Stone and his wife enjoying the sun on holiday after his pals timed in for him

The winner of the ‘Gold Ring race’ this year is Terry Higgs of Rossington who also takes 1st North section and 11th Open. The total Prize Pot this year for those who purchased the Gold rings is £9,108. People can huff and puff about who pays out the most prize money but the truth is the Midlands National offers more prize money in our gold ring race than some of our other ’national’  pay out in total prize money! We all know that 2017 hasn’t been the best of seasons but the Midlands National will still pay out over £125,000 when all of the prizemoney has been distributed.

Terry Higgs with his Gold Ring race winner which also won 1st in the North section.

I’m sorry but I have strayed of topic somewhat but back on track because I am delighted for Terry because every year he purchases 10 Gold rings. Smetimes he wins and sometimes he loses but this year he has hit the ‘Jackpot’ with close to £1600 in the kitty plus another £150 for his section win. The winner which recorded 1128 is a Leo Van Rijn Blue hen being bred off two birds purchased directly from Leo and this was the first one bred from them so definitely a golden start!

2nd spot in the North section is claimed by another top fancier in the form of Simon Parkinson who timed a Pencil cock on 1104 that had worked so hard that Simon was able to pick him up on the landing board and put him over the ETS pads. To prove the quality of the breeding of this Luc Christieans pigeon because a full brother won 2nd section and 2nd Open from the same racepoint in 2016. Simon reported that he got 8 on the winning day and another 8 on the second with another on the Wednesday. So if my arithmetic is right that’s 17 out of his 18 bird entry because though the result said that he sent 30 birds he kept 12 at home when checking the forecast a wise man is Simon. Alwyn Paddey followed up his fine result from chale with 3rd 5th and 8th section with his first timer on 1094 snapping up over £300 in prize and pool money. Well done Alwyn the Don is back on track if these results are anything to go by. Another Rossington loft in the form of Mr & Mrs Ray Blower snatch 4th section with a young Chequer hen which like the first and second North section winners was a gold ring. Yes these Donny lads can certainly pick em.

Simon Parkinson 2nd North section

Rounding up the West section now and following the Derrick Jones ‘torpedo’ we find R & B Smith in 2nd spot and 21st Open on 1108. This team have flown absolutely wonderfully well this year with their name at or near the top in virtually every National and classic race. Their first timer is a grandson of their MNFc National winner’51’ in the Old Bird Coutances race. His dam is a daughter of one of the lads base breeders ‘Hughie’. I nearly forgot to mention that the bird also took 309th Open in the NFC two weeks before the Midlands race. The greedy beggars also claimed 4th section and 30th Open with another superbly bred youngster. Her grandsire being ‘Odds On’ which won 1st Combine twice and a grandson of the affore mentioned ‘Hughie’ . With the ‘Dearns’ and ‘Tweats’ cocks both prominent on her mum’s side. Sandwiched in between the Smiths two birds are Whitchurch flyers J & B Oakley. The partners tell me she is ¾ Van den Bosche and ¼ vandenabeele and bred off stock obtained from Alan Horton of Telford. The bird was their second timer in the Chale race and was flown on the sliding door system though she wasn’t interested in the cocks and appears to just race back for the love of home. They timed a second arrival which will take 6th section this one is off long distance lines from Stuart Goldstraw and Wayne Jones. This hen I’m told was their star youngster which scored in every race that she was sent to and won 24th section J in the NFC prior to going back to Coutances.

Derrick Jones after another superb result of 1st west section and 5th Open

R & B Smith smiling after a dream season.

J & B Oakley's 3rd west section winner

In the North West section we see John Vousden of Stoke in pole position on 1111. John clocked a young Blue cock to lift the section’s main prize. In 2nd spot is the Fowler Family on 1076 with a Blue hen. In 3rd section we have ‘Gold finger’ himself in the shape of Roger Sutton. Roger is something of a gold ring specialist and rarely fails to win a good prize in these events. If my memory is correct he won the 1st Gold ring prize a couple of years ago in the MNFC. 4th NW section is won by the Stone fancier Paul Millward who timed a chequer hen on 1054.

Dropping into the South East section where we see an excellent fancier in the form of Bruce McAllister leading the charge. The bird a Chequer cock is something of a rarity as he is a ‘natural’ baby racing to the perch so as can be imagined he was pretty advanced in the moult but despite this fact he recorded 1093. The bird is 50% Hardy Kruger and the other half is a hen bred by Mark Gilbert being a daughter of top bird ‘Southfield Treble’. As Bruce said it was a hard race and after the rain started it became a difficult one indeed. In 2nd section we see S & L Bowles who clocked a Blue Pied cock on 1032 underlining the problems caused in the rain affected areas. In 3rd section is Adrian Webb of Raunds who has followed up a solid season with his maiden top four placing in the MNFC so lets hope that it is the first of many!. Though his YBs had raced well with two federation wins this was the first ‘showing’ by this particular hen which is of Louella Busschaert x Church View Janssen which have served Adrian well up to 450 miles. I believe that though this is her first performance it simply highlights the fact that National birds are often different to ‘club pigeons’. This is simply because the National timers need to have the confidence to split from the batches. We see a previous race winner taking 4th position on 1021 in the form of Mr & Mrs Geoff Jakings who are enjoying a grand year. Their bird is a De Weerdt x Mark Gilbert hen which was reared on the darkness system but simply flying back to her perch.

Bruce McAllister claimed another 1st in the SE section

Adrian Webb the 3rd SE section winner 

Geoff Jakings another member with plenty to smile about.

The East section was conquered by Jonathan Walker who readers may remember won the Bordeaux National a few years ago. Well this hen has proved to be a superb breeder with children from her winning well culminating in this fine win for this Dark hen and Jon must be delighted to see that though his National winner performed on a fast day her offspring are showing that they can win on the hard days equally well as her velocity of 1049 amply reveals. 2nd slot is filled by another duo who are flying very well in the Mid Nat with no less than 5 top 5 results this year. So it was no big surprise to see Coleman & Lawson perform once again. The bird is one of the loft’s Middle distance stock and she arrived in super condition and bang on line. To clock a creditable 1035 on what was a real tough racing day. 3rd section is filled by Ruskington’s Gostlow & Son who timed yet another hen on 1031. P Beadle and his son Mark continue to shine and their timer that takes 4th place this time is a Albert Derwa x Gaston van de Wouwer hen which once again returned in good shape after she was the partners first arrival from the Chale race also.

Jon Walker outside his new and very posh loft with his 1st East section winner

Coleman & Lawson take 2nd East section from Coutances

Mark Beadle 4th east section in the last race

Further North in the East North East section saw one of the furthest flyers shine in the shape of Bridlington’s Dave Fussey who sent 10 birds and has 6 of them on the result including 1st and 4th section with his first two arrivals no mean feat from a distance of 354 miles well done sir. Paul & Helen Johnson who are racing very well finish in 2nd 5th and 6th section. Their 2nd placed bird is a Peter Ward Peter van der Merwe x Jan Hoogland hen that came out of the South like a rocket. She is now named ‘369 The Monkey drank wine’ because Steve Cook who basketed her was singing this song at Grimsby Marking Station. As the race closure the partners had 11 birds home from their 19 bird entry and were all in good condition I have been told. Another Bridlington bird was timed by Mr & Mrs Chadwick in this hotbed of pigeon racing to claim 3rd section with a velocity of 806.

Paul Johnson with their 2nd East North Eastern winner

Mr & Mrs Chadwick 3rd in the ENE section

Halifax is the location of the first two birds in the North Centre section both returning to Fairbank Brothers who clocked the only two day birds in their section a great performance as they only sent 4 birds to the race. Their first bird is a Loulla based Jan Aarden x a hen bred by the well known and respected Wright Brothers of Doncaster. The second arrival is a Busschaert cock bred by Oldham based Ryan & Edwards. So a real performance to be proud of by your birds chaps. Tinshill’s John McCall takes 3rd section with a Chequer cock and John also filled 9th 13th and 14th placings from his 10 bird entry. In 4th place is another loft that has enjoyed a good year in the MNFC is the one belonging to Juan Costello & Family as they also won in the previous race from Chale.

John McCall who flew impressively in the NC section

Mick Godfrey exacted something of a revenge mission in the East South East section after he got pipped by a decimal from Chale as this time he took 1st 3rd 4th and 6th 8th 9th and 10th section. The first bird home was a Leen Boers x Janssen cock which lifted the £150 1st prize.  Alan Maile fills in the 2nd place with a Blue hen ‘flying the flag’ for Alan on this occasion. Dave Downing clocked a Premier based Hardy Kruger hen which was in fact his first timer from the previous race and pooled. Dave has asked me to thank his pals Dave Beech and Roly Rix who waited and verified the bird in the rain as her owner had jetted off to Spain on holiday. I get it you get the sunshine and they probably caught the flu!

Due to the rainy conditions the winning bird in the North North West section got home early on the second morning to Blackpool’s Kenny Cardwell. This game hen is a crossing of the home based Staf van Reets and a Houben from top Fleetwood fancier Phil Holloway. Kenny got his Van Reets from Robertson Bros who hail from the North East of England in the 1980’s and they have helped to keep him at the top domestically in the Fylde coast area since their introduction. Ken tells me that it was a great thrill to once again top the section in the MNFC  the latest one was flown on a semi-widowhood system and is closely related to the Ancenis section winning bird. That said it is clear that these birds have no fear of hard race days. Darwen’s K Nuttall fills 2nd and 4th section his first bird being a Dark hen followed by a young Blue cock. Preston is the location of the 3rd placed bird to Tom Jackson. Tom’s bird is yet another hen. So it is clear that today the fairer sex is often the tougher and more motivated one also.

Mick Godfrey who not only topped the ESE section but also peppered the many of the leading placings

Alan Maile the 2nd ESE section winner

Kenny Cardwell 1st NNW section

Keith Nuttall 2nd and 4th NNW section

Back now to the south Centre section where is see the partnership of Henton & Wheatley have an absolute field day when they take 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 7th and 8th section places and in total they clocked no less than 10 of their 14 bird entry. Yes folks a master class in pigeon racing which makes a mockery of the conditions on the day.

Henton & Wheatley wow what a great result!

That completes the race reports for the year on what has been a very testing season to say the least. Readers should remember that the Club can only deal with the weather conditions that prevail. This has been done and though two forecasts in particular were not as accurate as they could have been criticism of the Club’s race controllers is very unreasonable. It’s fine for people to say that birds should only be released when there is a clear run home but think about it how often do we get the perfect race day over a 300-600 mile journey? When conditions are like this last race weekend with fresh North North Westerly winds blowing and outbreaks of heavy rain in places over the entire weekend and beyond there is very little we can do but work with the conditions in the best way that we can. If we liberate we get complaints but if we bring them back to England we get even more criticism. It really is a no win situation. My advice is for the many of members who study the weather websites before basketing day it is quite simple in that if you don’t like the forecast and fear a poor race you have the option of leaving some or even all of your birds at home. To quote a household name after he took this action a while ago he said ‘’ You can have my entry fee but I will to keep my birds at home’’. So perhaps to act like our counterpart racehorse fraternity where we see good trainers have no hesitation but too pull their horse out if they don’t like the conditions. At the end of the day surely if your bird isn’t worth more than the entry fee is it really worth keeping?

Finally please find the MNFC’s Ace Pigeon result many congratulations to all of these birds especially to the 1st Ace Bird belonging to the Lever Syndicate who will receive a trophy and prize of £1000 which will be presented along with the prizes and trophies won by the first four birds in the final race flown from Caretan. This will be at the Club’s Presentation at the Doncaster Racecourse on the 25th November which is held in conjunction with the ‘RP’s Old Comrades’ Show and so offers the opportunity to enjoy a superb pigeon weekend. So if you fancy coming to the dinner or have won a trophy in any of the 2017 races get your ticket and accommodation orders in ASAP. A booking form is on page 99 of this year’s Handbook

Mike Lakin