Kidd & Cooke - 1st south section 1st open Fougeres

by Tom Harris

Thursday 23rd May and the above organisation were marking for their first overseas challenge of the 2013 season, Fougeres in central France, an average distance of 235 miles. With a more direct southerly route being adopted this year, once we got to the English Channel it was only to be expected that the numbers would be down. We believe that this is in light of most fanciers either sending fewer numbers as a precaution or just sitting back to see the outcome of the switch from the east to the south route.

The journey to the race point was uneventful and the birds arrived safely at their destination on Friday afternoon. Saturday morning and with the weather on this side of the English Channel recording some high temperatures, clear skies and a light north easterly wind, we were hopeful for an early morning liberation to give the birds every opportunity of getting through by early afternoon. With quite a few British organisations advertised as liberating in various locations, both fifty miles further in Messac and Carentan seventy miles shorter, our convoying team and race controller John Watkins sat it out for most of the morning to allow others the opportunity of going ahead of us. Finally with most organisations liberated by mid morning, it indicated that the line of flight was clear to get our entries into the French skies in the most favourable conditions at 10.45 into a light north by north easterly wind.

Andy Kidd of Kidd & Cooke

Leading the field for the second time this year, with 1st south section 1st open winning the West Country Products sponsored trophy is the Newport loft and partnership of Kidd and Cooke timing in at 11.28 18 with a velocity of 1220.8. The winning pigeon, a yearling cheq w/f roundabout hen, originates from the Jack Cornes’ Galaxy Lofts pigeons crossed Frank Sheader Soontjen lines, the dam a past national winner herself from Liege, "National Velvet", was previously sold to Europa Lofts a few years back where she went on to produce a 1st Europa One Loft race final winner, before being purchased back by the partnership at a Blackpool auction, not knowing at the time that she would now be one of the partnership’s foundation pairings that have gone on to breed winners for these fanciers at club, federation and national level here in Wales.

1st south section 1st open winner

Kidd & Cooke’s old bird loft

Kidd Cooke’s young bird loft

For 1st and 2nd centre section 2nd and 3rd open we head to the Pengam lofts of Davies and Coombes who timed in two arrivals at 16.40.00 and 16.40.10 recording velocities of 1219. The leading pigeon out of the two on the clock is a yearling blue widowhood hen of the partnership’s original Leon Boers family which have been well documented over past years at all levels crossed with their latest introduction of Frans Zowls pigeons. The sire is bred down from Frans’ stock through the "Prince" lines whilst the dam is Leon Boers sprinter lines which is responsible for at least 4 x 1st club, 4th and 7th national winning pigeons over previous years for this partnership. The partnership’s 2nd arrival, also a yearling blue hen, is 100% Leon Boers. The grandmother of this hen has previously bred other major winning pigeons including 1st club, 1st federation, 1st national and 1st combine against 9.000 plus pigeons, and as for the dam herself she too has also some major awards to her pedigree, including breeding pigeons to win 2nd, 3rd, 11th and 12th national over the past couple of seasons. The yearling hen herself was raced throughout the young bird programme in 2012 and accumulated a few minor club and federation winning performances.

For 3rd centre section 4th open we head over the valley to Treharris to the loft and partnership of Mathew and Joseph Hughes who timed in a yearling cheq white flighted roundabout hen at 16.46 to record a vel of 1207. The partnership informed me that the bloodlines of this pigeon originate from Marc and Lilly Verheyde and whilst she hasn’t really scored in previous races she has however been a consistent arrival on the clock. The sire has also been timed in on numerous occasions with various club and federation positions to his credit whilst the dam unfortunately was hawked in training and has therefore been retained for stock and breeding purposes to maintain the winning lines that are developing.

For 4th centre section 5th open it’s the Bargoed loft of Iddy Davies who rounds off this week’s winning top four lofts timing in on a velocity of 1203. Iddy timed in a yearling widowhood Koopman cock which originates from Jack Cornes at Galaxy Lofts. This pigeon whilst is hasn’t shown any noticeable performances this year up until this race, had taken a few club and federation positions as young bird and is a half brother to Iddy’s 2011 Lillers young bird national winner.

So there we have it, the first outing over the channel. Obviously it wasn’t the outcome we would have wished for on our first outing overseas as the returns and velocities show and we admit we were slightly disappointed with the outcome at nightfall, resulting in many lofts indicating quite a few of their entries still a drift on clock checking. However this was no reflection on the convoying team or the liberation as we are reassured that the pigeons were released and looked after in the best possible conditions. It’s just one of those unexplained moments in pigeon racing that we have to overcome and move forward. It was pleasing however to hear at the time of going to press a few gallant pigeons got up and home throughout the following day (Sunday) with some arriving just after 6am and in the days that followed, indicating a few weren’t far away at nightfall.

So we now head off further south to Tours for our next outing, an average distance of 350 miles to most Welsh lofts. Yes we once again believe that fanciers will be more cautious in the number of entries they submit to this race, however there is still a race to be won for one lucky fancier and the prestige that goes with it be it what ever numbers that are sent, so good luck to everyone that gives it a go.

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