The South West of England Lerwick Club
The last 2024 SWELC old bird race to report on after SWELC classic events IFC Championship classic events and New North Road Amalgamation classic events flown in conjunction from Wetherby , Harrogate Darlington , Alnwick, Thornton Park, Thurso and Lerwick offering its members middle distance and long distance events the last race of the calendar was being flown from Ashbourne in Derbyshire on the 13/7/24 with the birds being liberated on their way at 07.00am into a light north west wind the top open twenty positions are as follows Taking the Podium stand at the top of 1st and 12th open plus 1st Sodbury Vale club flying 104 miles was Steve Bennett His winner a 1y chequer hen being a Gordon Brothers crossed Herman Cuesters and his second a 3y blue cock of a John Wheatcroft of Pinxton bird crossed a Herman Cuesters both were raced on the natural system sent sitting nest eggs with velocities of 1366 and 1304.
Steve Bennett 1st SWELC Ashbourne
2nd and 8th open plus 2nd Sodbury vale club was Chris and John Adams flying 105 miles with a 2y blue hen followed by a 3y blue cock Both being wall Lunt & Green based bred birds flown on the widowhood system with velocities of 1365 and 1322.
3rd open plus 1st Oldland club was Adrian Bishop flying 110 miles with a 1y chequer cock of Brian Olver of Bristol blood lines with a velocity of 1361.
4th open and 1st Longford club was Ray Bevan flying 79 miles with a 1y blue hen being a Raymond Moleveld crossed a Gabby Vandenbeale via Joe Booth of Stafford and she has topped the SWELC from Coventry as a young bird for Ray she was sent on the natural system sitting 10 day old nest eggs with a velocity of 1350.
5th, 16th and 17th open plus 3rd Sodbury Vale club was Mark Pitman flying 100 miles the first a 2y blue cock being a Soojen crossed Franz Zwols followed by a 3y chequer pied Hen being a Soojen and the final a 1y blue cock being a Soojen crossed Gabby Vandenbeale all flown on the widowhood system with velocities of 1347, 1291 and 1289.941.
6th open and 4th Sodbury vale club was Dave Smith flying 102 miles with a 1y dark cock of Shaun Pilgrim of Hucknall Lambrecht Flown on the roundabout system with a velocity of 1335.
7th open plus 2nd Longford club was the Walker Brothers flying 90 miles with a 1y chequer cock flown on the natural system being a combination breeding of their own family blended with Crammond & Langstaff, Veenstra and Jan Hoymans from their successful winning birds the velocity was 1323.
9th open plus 1st South Bristol club was Andy George flying 112 miles with a 2y blue cock that was purchased as a young bird at the New North Road Amalgamation Futurity sale and was bred by Wayne Knobbs of Blidworth Mansfield Flown on the widowhood system with a velocity of 1319.117.
10th, 13th, 14th and 18th open was Andrezj Stanowski flying 113 miles and taking 2nd and 4th South Bristol club also All were flown on the roundabout system the first a 3y blue white flight hen of R & D Faber birds from Merick Chwedoruk the next a 1y chequer cock of August Jansen crossed Leen Bores followed by a 1y chequer hen of a combination breeding of Karl Heinz, Joss Joosen and Leen Bores and the final a 1y chequer cock of Team Uk birds from Nottingham with velocities of 1319.027, 2 x 1302 and 1289.023.
11th and 19th open and 3rd South Bristol club flying 112 miles was Alan Meacham with a 5y blue multiple winning cock of Van Den Bulk followed by a 4y blue pied Van Den Bulk cock both being flown on the widowhood system with velocities of 1308 and 1288.
15th open was Colston Long flying 113 miles With a 1y blue white flight cock bred from the late Alan Digainis & Finn of Bristol birds flown on the roundabout system with a velocity of 1297.
20th open was Steve Moseley flying 113 miles with a 2y blue Van Dyke cock flown on the widowhood with a velocity of 1286.
The Rat Man .