Bergerac ..and the final race in the 2017 old bird race programme for the welsh national flying club ,with 124 birds entered on the monday evening ,they were transported over the severn estuary to frome to liaise with the central southern classic who would be taking over the command and transport duties of our entries along with a further seven other  organisations which would make up a convoying number of just over 2,000 pigeons.  With nigel rigiani at the helm and after an uneventful journey considering the intense heat that we had encountered over the days leading up to the liberation, on the friday morning it was an early start as the strings were cut at 05.45 and the birds were on route heading north through france to the coast in hopes that they would take the advantage of the slight helping easterly winds and therefore predictions of arrivals on UK soil and hopefully into wales before nightfall.

As the day went on and temperatures reached the mid 20`s once again here in Wales we got news that on the south coast pigeons were starting to arrive shortly after 3pm which raised the expectations even further for day birds into the principality, as early evening approached news came through that pigeons were timed in and taking the top honours timing in two of their entries were no other than our 2016 Bergerac winners Ronnie Scammell and Paul Peploe from Pontypool, timing in their 3 yr old 2015 bergerac national winner a three year old cheq pied hen which is bred down the the partnerships  famous nearly cock lines at 19.37 18 with a velocity of 1062.62 this gallant and courageous winner was sent to the race   sitting a four day old youngster in the nest on  basketing day after previously being flown on the roundabout since her previous Bergerac win back in 2015 she has since gone onto claim many minor club and federation positions. 

SCAMMELL & PEPLOE PARTNERSHIP 1ST & 2ND OPEN BERGERAC 2017

Considering the distance of just over 500 miles to the winning loft the partnership also timed in a second of their entries just a few minutes the winner  at 19.44.43 doing 1053.23 this time it was a yearling blue hen which comes down from another national winning loft of davies and coombes from blackwood and was part of a yb swop last year she is bred through the leon boer pigeons crossed with the frans zwols  pigeons just two weeks earlier this hen also claimed 8th national saintes flying just over 400 miles 

for 3rd open we head to newport where the third and final day pigeon was verified at the lofts of t hawkins family which consisting of tommy ,ray and young jack within the partnership with another yearling in the clock at 1937.38 with a velocity of 1037.69 over 490 miles the partnerships arrival was another yearling blue hen,  as a young bird she was went to every race through to 200 miles and then in 2017 was raced up to Messac before resting and being repaired in preparation for this race and ideally  sent sitting 10 day eggs ,the bloodlines come down through the partnerships 1st & 2nd Folkestone yb national winning pines on the sires side crossed with pigeons gifted from the dave and jeff zerk from cardiff ,which originated  from the blackwood lofts of mark tantrum prior to him emigrating to australia ,the hawkins family were also fortunate to witness a further  two  of their six entries on the second day but sadly due to human error their clock was accidently struck off rather than the race in progress option ..this was unfortunate but they accept these thing happen on times and therefore where just pleased to have scored highly with their first pigeon, on the winning day. 

As dust turned to night and the race came to a close for the first day at 21.55 it remained that just the three gallant pigeons had made their perch,and as everyone else settled down for the night it was no doubt an early night in preparation for an early start the following morning when the race re-opened at 04.55 

RAY AND JACK HAWKINS 3RD OPEN BERGERAC 2017

with the relax on the hour verification rule implemented on second and third day pigeons etc until 6pm that evening ,this allowed  fanciers work commitments to time in their pigeons and have the privilege of verifying them later that evening  ,however just in case we still carried out the procedure of checking the verification of any early returns  and as such were able to confirm the first pigeon in  on the second day was  in the abertillery area at the the loft of p silverthorne shortly after 07.37 with a velocity of 781 .75.,

So there it is, the 2017 old bird has come to an exciting end as this year was the first time that we`ve been able to verify more than one arrival on the day of liberation so congratulations to those two lofts and fanciers on such an outstanding performance ,as the days went on and the race eventualy came to a close on the fourth day from the initaial entry of 124 pigeons 24 pigeons were registered on the result which is a credit to all that participated ..additionaly to this fanciers have also reported that more pigeons did in fact come through this ordeal and had succesfuly returned.

Throughout the old bird racing we've have  encountered the highs and lows of the sport with the first two inland races from maidstone and ramsgate being a difficult affair due to the good old british weather , however with going over seas with other organisations the overseas programme seemed to give much improved hopes for all concerned so a big thank you to the solent federation the woesrc and the cscfc for their care and attention shown to our pigeon whilst under their management in these events.

We can now take advantage of a short break as we head back into domestic young bird racing in the build up to the three planned young bird nationals in future weeks from Maidstone, Battle and Ramsgate. Once racing is finished the next date for your diary will be  the joint presentation of  the welsh national flying club and welsh north road federation at the seaman's mission club newport on sat 9th Dec.

Convoyers report on the liberation;

Friday 7th July: Liberation was at 05.45am. There was a very light east wind on liberation which remains for approx. 75 100 miles. The route is forecast to be mainly cloud free. The exception being a possibility of some light cloud at 75 - 100 miles as the wind changes to variable and very light (2-5mph) from the North West to North East for the remainder of France. Temperature in the morning is between 26 and 28 degrees rising to 28 to 32 in the afternoon. It cools nearer the channel coast to 22 degrees. The channel is forecast to be clear with a West to North West Wind. Light to moderate

1 86Scammell&Peploe v1062.620          
2 86Scammell&Peploe v11053.235          
3 41THawkinsFamily v1037.689          
4 145PSilverthorne v781.758          
5 32Frampton&Price v774.899          
6 4Bainton&Evans v756.088          
7 44WHolpin v742.706          
8 13G&mClayton&lovellBr v1731.969          
9 4Bainton&Evans v728.602          
10 95Mr&MrsUpham v639.172          
11 115KSmith v635.100          
12 32Frampton&Price v633.572          
13 95Mr&MrsUpham v579.612          
14 33JGardner v577.925         
15 13G&mClayton&lovellBr v576.787          
16 37Hadden&son 547.178          
17 95Mr&MrsUpham v542.797          
18 70NicholsSon&G.son v486.020          
19 59ALoveday v472.774     
20 17Mr&mrsADavies v421.579       
21 135Ireland&Hyman v416.109          
22 86Scammell&Peploe v391.590

23 90Theophilus&son v375.645          
24 12M&jBurridge&son v308.511 

Tom Harris