CARENTAN - MAY 2014

Scammell & Peploe - 1st & 2nd open

by Tom Harris

The above organisation recently held its first overseas race of 2014 from the French coastal liberation racepoint of Carentan. With basketing taking place a few hours earlier than normally advertised, the Welsh contingent were soon en route across the River Severn to liaise with the West of England Combine in Gloucester, who were taking over the convoying and liberationg our pigeons to Carentan. With an uneventful crossing, the convoy arrived safely on site mid afternoon on Friday and it was hoped that it would be possible to get a the approx 5,000 Welsh and Eglish pigeons away around 7am Saturday morning. Saturday morning and whilst all was well here at the home end with blue skies and light winds and a forecast of temperatures expected to reach the low 20s as the day went on, on site the liberation was delayed slightly to due to early morning coastal mist and to provide a liberation slot with other organisations who were also on site. Shortly after 8am news drifted through to indicate that with a clear line of flight and the convoyer happy at his end, the convoy were away at 8 am into a slight north westerly winds crossing over the English Channel, which was changing en route to a helping slight south west, which would help the birds along in the later stages of the race.

Leading the field in the WNFC with 1st and 2nd open we go to the multi-national and well known partnership of Scammell & Peploe of Pontypool who timed in their two arrivals shortly after mid day (12.01) to record velocities of 1338 & 1346. The winning pigeon is a direct M & D Evans  Vandenabeele blue white flight cock flown on the roundabout system which before this race has flown consistently winning achieving many minor club and federation cards. Their 2nd pigeon on the clock taking 2nd open is also of M & D Evans Vandenabeele lines crossed with the partnership’s well known 'Nearly Cock’, known famously for recording many 2nd national winning positions but failed to record a first. Mabe a son will now take on that legacy from its sire in future years - only time will tell!. This cock  is also on roundabout and to date has recorded 2 x 1st club 2 x 2nd clubs plus now 2nd open.

Scammell & Peploe

For 3rd open we go slighly further north to the Abergavenny loft of Ray Lambert timing in at his blue w/f cock at 12.13 with a vel of 1324, the bloodlines of which come down through his old tried and tested grizzle lines crossed in with newly acquired lines from Ireland. This cock was also Ray’s timed pigeon just a week earlier from Lyndhurst on the south route taking 1st club 10th fed from 2,500 birds.

For 4th and 5th open we head down to Newport where Andy Kidd is once again present in the leading rank and file timing two of his entries at 11.54 with velocities of 13.03. Andy’s first arrival is a yearling cheq hen bred from stock acquired from Jack Cornes at Galaxy Lofts crossed with his Soontjens from Frank Sheader. The second pigeon on the clock is another cheq hen, a two year old, a 100% Rietvink from Galaxy Lofts. Since breaking the racing team  in preparation, both these hens along with the entire race team have recently been re-paired due to them visiting the old loft location, and were both sent sitting fourteen day old eggs prior to basketing.

So there we have it, the first of five overseas races and a clear and worthy winner. Yes as always when racing from across the channel there were pigeons away at night fall, with some lofts only recording 50% returns on clock checking, but hopefully with the good weather set to continue for the next few days at least, the majority of these missing would either turn in later that evening or during the days that followed. So we move on now to Fougeres when once again the WOEC will be convoying our entries, along with Messac which takes place two weeks later.

Convoyer’s Report:

This huge convoy together with over 1200 birds from other organisations was carried in the two main transporters to France and I would like to thank all those responsible for trans-shipping crates from one vehicle to another. This was a big job and resulted in a lot of hard work by members of the Combine, particularly those at Midsomer Norton. There was then more hard work when all three transporters met up at Cartgate to get all birds into two transporters in order to save the ferry charges for a third vehicle. We had uneventful journey to France having first watered the birds at Poole harbour where we arrived at 3.15am on Friday 16th May. We arrived at the race-point at about 3.15pm that day and immediately fed and watered all of the birds. This operation took over three hours to complete. Water remained before the birds and this was topped up the next morning at 5.30am. After consulting the race advisor it had been agreed that as there was no problem with weather the actual time of liberation would be decided by me after first establishing liberation times of other organisations to avoid clashing. The birds were liberated at 8am on 17th May into clear and sunny weather with a very light NE wind blowing. Visibility was excellent and it was warm. The liberation was admired by other convoyers present and the birds had cleared out of sight within a matter of seconds.

Leading times (WNFC)

scammel & peploe 12.01.40. m/m beresfords & s 2.05.27, saunders 12.07.27, s arthur & s 12.08.52, mayo 12.17.59, proctor 12.21.23, newbury 12.19.6, burridge & s 12.20.17, thomas 12.15.40, davies & shaz 12.25, m/m bromley 12.11.06, lewis 12.25.46, lambert 12.13.06, davies coombes 12.19.09, picton b & s 12.19, m/m lamsdale & s 12.13.47, seargent 12.17.49, hawkins fam 12.00.41, m& j hughes 12.23.08, holpin 12.37.59, davies 12.27.40, watkins & s 12.43.35, vaughan 12.32.16, hall & macullam, 12.17.44 williams bros & burgham 12.43.28, m/m russel 12.20.29, bancroft 13.25.00.

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