NORTH LIVERPOOL FED
NEWS FROM DARREN SMITH
Niort - 12/07/2014
Hello folks,
North Liverpool Federation’s fourteenth race of 2014 took place from Niort in conjunction with the North West Combine channel programme. The convoy were liberated at 6.30am on Saturday 12 July in a light north west wind and it turned out to be arguably the toughest race of the 2014 channel campaign with only 2 very gutsy pigeons making home by nightfall and a further 14 warriors that were recorded over the 3 days the race remained open.
Jimmy Melia clocks a third day arrival to takes 1st position at the Edgehill, no further details to hand. Congratulations Jim.
Roy Reid takes 1st and 2nd positions at the Spellow. The winner is 191 a sister to Roy‘s 2nd NW Combine Portland in 2012. Sire was bred by Pat Smith of Stockport’s Amal Cock, a winner of 14x1st club, 3x1st Amal while the dam is the Van Camp hen, a full sister of Rice & Gardener’s Turbo a winner of 26x1st. Second timer is a Lou Wouters bred by good friend Tony Owens repeating it’s 2013 performance in the same race. Tony & Roy used to be near neighbours and this pigeon was transferred to Roy as it couldn’t be broke out to Tony’s new address. Thanks Darren.
John & Fran McDowell close what has been a spectacular channel season by taking 1st and 3rd positions at the Vauxhall and 1st North Liverpool Federation. The winner is a yearling cock whose sire was 2nd NL fed when beaten by a loft mate and he is out of a son of Myrtle Lofts’ Jester 320 and a direct Vandenabeele hen via John Blundell. The dam is a granddaughter of Shadow and Roman. Second timer is from a son of McClaren when paired to a sister of the dam of the winner. Ste Williamson & John Murphy take 2nd position with a Bogaert cock that has taken 2nd and 3rd club and fed positions in 2014. Sire is homebred while the dam is on loan from Danny Regan (Thanks Dan - Ste & Muff) Thanks Tom.
Terry Hodson takes 1st and 2nd positions at the Central. The winner is known as Braveheart and he was bred by Stu Davenport of Chirk. His previous positions this season include 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th club, all from France. Second timer is a yearling Jan Aarden x Denis Sapin cock that won the first and last young bird races in 2013 and 6th club Fougeres recently and he is a son of the Combine hen. George Farley takes 3rd position with a gift pigeon bred by Les Morris of Scarisbrick. Terry would like to thank Mr R Williams of Western Rhyn, Oswestry for the breeding of his recent North West Combine winner. Thanks Terry and congratulations mate.
Jimmy Mannion clocks the only bird in race time at the Pirrie, timing a cheq hen sent sitting eggs. Her sire is a Myrtle Lofts Vandenabeele which has bred winners and her dam comes from Jimmy’s good friends Ruben & Daial Hermans of Belgium. Thanks Jimmy.
Graham & Shel’ Porter take 1st position at the Taylors Arms (11/45) clocking one of the 2 day birds in the federation. The winner is a yearling hen whose parents were bred by Kenny & Marie Vaughan and she took 3rd club Fougeres a few weeks back (Congratulations Graham, Shel & Paul). Porter Brothers take 2nd position with a 2 year old hen of Mike Ganus origins and her previous turns include 7th Liverpool Classic Club. John Nixon takes 3rd position with a yearling hen bred by Alan Halsall sent racing to chipping eggs. She has taken prizes as a young bird and has been on the fed sheet in 2014 (Get well soon John). Eddie Naylor & Son take 4th position with a 4 year old homebred, one of Eddie’s trusted channel team. Thanks Jim.
John Devine & Son take 1st position at the Princes Park with a brave 2 year old blue cock that returned home injured. He has been a good performer in 2014 having already taken 1st club Carentan, 3rd club Fougeres and he is bred from JD’s Combine hen a winner of 2nd NW Combine Poole in 2012 when paired back to her sire. Sid Powell takes 2nd position with a yearling blue pied Van Reet hen. Her sire has been a pre-potent breeder for Sid and is still producing the goods at 17 years old. Thomas Dobbs takes 3rd position with a versatile grizzle cock that has carded in a quarter of his races in 2014 including 2nd club in the season opener. His dam is Dobbsy’s good grizzle hen, a prize-winner from Niort and Bergerac with the MNFC in 2013. Thanks Tom.
The federation top ten is as follows:
1st John & Fran McDowell - 1127, 2nd Graham & Shel Porter - 1093, 3rd Porter Brothers - 782, 4th John Nixon - 744, 5th Roy Reid - 685, 6th Ste Williamson & John Murphy - 671, 7th Eddie Naylor & Son - 654, 8th John Devine & Son - 573, 9th Terry Hodson - 556, 10th Sid Powell - 402.
Congratulations to all of our prize-winners this week, especially our federation toppers John & Fran McDowell who cap a remarkable old bird season off with another hard fought victory in very difficult conditions.
Again I finish by hoping those of you who entered in the final channel event have seen better returns in the days following the close of the race. We’re coming down the hill now folks, next stop Ludlow. See you then.
Thanks for reading,
Darren
---