Tom Harris

Mr & Mrs Shane and Kelly Lewis, 1st Welsh National Battle YBs

The welsh national flying club staged its penultimate young bird race from battle near hastings in the county of  east sussex  recently an average distance of 160plus miles to most lofts within the principality ,and after yet another rearranged race plan for sat basketing for a sunday liberation, the birds had a trouble free journey to the site after which ,on arrival they were left to settle in preparation for an early liberation.
Sunday morning and after a slight holdup for both the weather to improve and to allow federations ahead of us to clear the strings were cut and the the birds were homeward bound at 0900 with clear blue skies and a light south westerly wind.
Following on from Maidstone a week earlier just a few miles shorter the pigeons were expected to be recorded on welsh soil on or around the three hour forty ,however this was a different day with different conditions and after taking advantage of the slightly helping wind the pigeons made light work of the distance with arrivals recorded just over three hours.
Taking 1st open welsh national was this years fourgeres winning partnership of mr & mrs shane lewis of abergavenny timing in a blue cock at 12.09.50 to record a winning vel of 1513 ,this gallant pigeon comes down through the lines of a  pigeon purchased  from the original Poortvliet Sale on the sires side . which  is reasponsible for many winners club & Fed inland and over channel.He is inbred to Aladin the sire of Tips very best of the old Koopmans lines,when paired to an alan maul  hen another great breeder inbred to Branco again the very best of the old Koopman line she bred winners from the off inc 13th UNC over 16.000 birds .

Shane Lewis

For 2nd open we head north to one of our furthest flyers ,being the williams bros son and j burgham partnership from tredegar ,who timed in a young blue hen sent sitting 7days on eggs.  This hen had had 2 x Newbury wnrf 1x bedhampton wsrf in build up to battle. Her sire is from a son of Di Caprio x daughter of Olympiade 003. Dam is from a brother of De Jan x a daughter of 426. Both parents bred by their  good friend john weatcroft Nottingham who they thank him for the cuester pair. Also we would like to congratulate shane and kelly on they national win.
for 3rd  and 4th with velocities of  1441 and 1439 ,is  the winning loft of shane and kelly lewis who rounded off an outstanding performance with another young blue cock    bred from a continuous line of winners . He is from a son of Van dyke 49 & a 1st Fed winning G dtr of Kannibaal whilst paired to a hen  another top breeder of winners inland & Channel She is a Janssen and a direct dtr of 2 x 1st Ace Pigeons for Gerrard & Birgit Leuking through the famous Pilot line 1st Ace Pigeon closely followed over the line by a cheq hen again from the welsh lofts of Alun Maul this time a koopmans x van loon
Rounding off the top  pigeons in 5th  we go to the bargoed loft of hall & macullam on a vel 1435 of with a young dark cheq  hen bred by graham cooper of bargoed from pigeons obtained from retired fancier mel mayo, john indicated that he didnt put his young birds on darkness this year and has struggled to hold the moult however the same pigeon also rewarded him with  1st in the phillipstown breeder buyer race a second arrival at this loft on  1439 also takes  6th this being  a premier stud cheq pied hen of bosua lines
so we have one more race to face from ramsgate an approx. distance of 190 miles ,which will bring the curtain down on an awkward yet rewarding season ,due to the  good old british weather not playing ball by dominating  when and where we will be going and liberating ..so lets hope for a good turnout and successful race to close on
as always this weeks top ten positions.

Tom Harris