2020 Young bird round-up

1^st open Maidstone Mr & Mrs J Beresford & Son sponsored by County Scaffolding

1^st open battle Davies & Coombes sponsored by Swansea Truck & Plant Management

1^st open Folkestone A Dunn sponsored by Dave Bradshaw

Following a shortened but exciting old bird season for the Welsh National flying club this year we move onto the first of three, young bird races with he first being from the Kent Town of Maidstone, with distances ranging from 150 to 200 miles for those competing and considering the amount of loses around the country, we were still able to muster up a fair amount of entries for this event.

With the lorry travelling overnight and arriving in the early hours outside the liberation site the pigeons were able to rest until the key holder for the site arrived at 7am to allow access.   

With so many liberations now taking place south of the M4 corridor and south coast the race advisory had already, the day before, made the decision to hold off any liberation until a clear line of flight could be established.

A testing route for our welsh pigeons flying from East to West across many federations.

With contacting a large number of federations on our route indicating they had liberated; we were happy to release the pigeons at 11am int a brisk North Westerly wind, clear skies and the hope of a good race.

Taking top honours with 1^st and 2^nd open we go to the Newport husband and wife partnership of Mr & Mrs J Beresford & Son flying 156 miles in 3 hours 36 min with velocities of 1256 and 1254 both these arrivals are young hens originate from Gary Douglas from the North East and go back through pigeons from Micky Collins, whilst information is limited on recent performances the partnership would like to thank everyone for their calls congratulating them on the announcement of the result, Jack would also like to express his thanks to his wife Mel for her contribution with the birds whilst balancing his workload. 

Mr & Mrs J Beresford & Son (Ewan) 1^st & 2^nd WNFC Maidstone

Taking 3^rd & 4^th open we head to the partnership of Davies and Coombes with two of their entries in the clock recording velocities of 1246. The first being a Cheq white flight hen bred down through the Frans Zwols pigeons which itself is a previous Welsh National winner from Maidstone in 2017, the dam is a lines an family which has ben introduced and is of Leo van Riyn from the Benjain lines, the partnerships second pigeon just a second behind is again a young hen again from the Leo van Riyn pigeons on the sires side whilst crossed into the partnerships 2017.  2^nd National winner when beaten by a decimal and contains 100% Leen Boar bloodlines.

Dai Davies & Kim Coombes 3^rd & 4^th open Maidstone & 1,2,3,4,&5^th open Battle and young bird average winners.

Paul and Stewart Hares from Aber Bargoed take the next few positions from 4^th to 8^th with four pigeons within the clock on velocities of 1446 to 1444 we have been in touch with The partnership  trying  to collect information we required  we hear Paul has more stressing problems to overcome at this time with the diagnosis of covid 19, so without saying on behalf of the WNFC committee and members we pass on our best wishes for an speedy recovery.

Considering the Westerly head winds which was always going to produce a challenging contest coming from the East into the West of the country, thankfully with the leaders coming through on time, we seemed to experience a steady flow of arrivals throughout the day thereafter with the majority of pigeons seemed to turn in by nightfall and with more returning the following morning, it proved once again to be a challenging but enjoyable event.

As a footnote on this race, with so many young bird losses around the country this year and fanciers guessing the cause, we were surprisingly visited by the RPRA site agent whilst on site, who asked our driver if it was ok to oversee the lorry, this without hesitation was granted and were pleased to see no problems or issues being raised, indicates that if the fanciers had the pigeons right for the race and the conveyer carrying out his duties the obstacle must clearly be on route for some unknown reason maybe bop or unavoidable clashing.

DAVIES & COOMBES 1 2 3 4 & 5^th

WELSH NATIONAL BATTLE

Sponsored by Swansea Truck and Plant Asset Management   

Just a week later we return to the Eastern counties of England as we go just a few miles up the road from the previous race to our next liberation site in Battle near the historic town of Hastings sponsored by Swansea Truck & Plant Asset Management with an additional £1,000 which would go towards not only providing a £500 pay-out to the winner whilst enhancing other prizes, with the weather changing and birds now coming into bad feathering with the moult and losses like every federation has experienced this year.  We were sadly convoying a smaller number of pigeons than usual years with just over 300 pigeons on board we needed to be more cautious with our liberation, those around us and of course the many federations once again liberating coming across our line of flight.

With a blue sky and light South Westerly wind from first light, we made regular checks once again gathering information to see what the liberations had released and were set to come up from the coast heading North and with the news by 7:30am most had cleared their sites South of us and others planning to go ahead of our arrival into the areas they were situated, with clear visibility we  were able to liberate at 08:30am.

Taking the top spots with an outstanding team performance two go back to the previous weeks runner up partnership of Davies and Coombes from Pengam near Blackwood who with a gallant team performance takes the top five positions with velocities of 1293, 1292.8, 1292.0, 1291.1 & 1290.3

The winning pigeon is a dark Cheq cock which the partnership informs me the sire of today’s winner with a velocity of 1293.6 comes down through the Leo van Rijn pigeons x Hardy Kruger bred specially for stock whilst crossed on the dams side with a Janssen x Vandebelle which is responsible for breeding the lofts previous 1^st National winner along now with 1^st National Battle 2020 and the £500 1st open prize pot.

The partnerships second arrival a blue hen taking 2^nd open is yet another Leo van Rijn base crossed into the Leen Boers again with many national performances in today’s.  2^nd open and previous 1^st National Hythe.

The third pigeon crossing the pad is again bred from the partnerships original Leen Boers x Van Dyke  pigeons such as Webfoot etc, the dam of this arrival is a 2019 late bred blue hen being half sister to the partnerships previous 3^rd National Maidstone winner, we remain with the partnership for 4^th open a blue cock this is yet again bred through the 100% Leon Boers and again being flooded with previous national positions in the bloodlines with the dam being responsible for breeding a 2^nd 4^th and 9^th open winners.

Rounding off a tremendous team performance in 5^th the partnership introduced the Jos Thone’s pigeons from the Babe Kajo & Anika lines which are responsible for 10 x 1st prize winner’s and a 1^st National and Ace pigeon award in 2017 and are now making a statement for them in Wales with another young blue cock recording a vel of 1290.

Once again the race proved to be an awkward affair as the arrivals were well spread and slowly coming through after the initial first pigeons had made home, but the winning partnership there was no complaints from the winners they were well happy with their loft performance as the went to the clock station with 21 from 24 home and two more the following morning giving them 23 from their 24 entries .

For the remainder of the fanciers competing they too had a steady flow of arrivals during the late afternoon and early evening and following morning indicating that although it seemed to be a  struggle as first thought most lofts experienced a high number of their entries home.

    A DUNN 1^ST OPEN FOLKESTONE YOUNG BIRDS

Sponsored by d Bradshaw £100 corn voucher

With two of the three young bird events overcome we were once more on the road East for the final race of 2020 from Folkestone an average distance of 180 miles, and like all federations around the country we were no different over the past weeks as young bird losses dominated the social media and general conversations this without doubt was indicated by the fact that the number of members sending hadn’t drop much but birdage had, but it was a race and a winner would be declared. 

With most federations now finished for the year we found ourselves as being the only federation in the area on the Sunday morning and whilst we had done our research as to who may still be liberating in different parts along the South coast it was decided with clear skies and a brisk North Easterly tail wind to hold off the liberation until 9am, just as a precaution.

With the birds in the air and quickly taking advantage of the helping wind the conveyer reported that they had cleared the site in no time in the direction for home which was pleasing to hear as we awaited the outcome at the home end.

Alan Dunn 1^st open Folkestone YB 2020.

Taking top honours of 1^st Welsh National Folkestone yb`s 20 we go to Newport loft and our 2019 Folkestone old bird national 2019 winner, Alan Dunn timing in on 3 hours 13 min to record a velocity of 1595.35, the winning pigeon is a young Cheq hen coming down from Stefan Lambrecht family and  stock of James Parker of Newbury in Berkshire, flown every race up until todays performance and to finish Alan would like to thank everyone who contacted him passing on there congratulations on his performance.

We stay in Newport as A Buttigieg & Sons take 2^nd and 3^rd open with two arrivals on velocities of 1594.8 & 1594.1 both these pigeons come via Derek Nichols at Premier Stud as part of a long standing agreement of Anthony flying the premiers pigeons, the first on the clock a blue cock comes down from the Van de Bulk family lines at stud at Premier from a prolific racer Odets winner of 9 x 1sts when paired to granddaughter of Kittle, the second arrival taking 3^rd another blue cock a 100% Herman Ceuster bred down from the infamous lines of Supersonic Mike Olympiade winner and now responsible for numerous winners across the country. 

With the Northerly wind clearing favouring the most Southern lofts once again it was another   Newport partnership in the form of Mr & Mrs J Beresford & Son who came in for 4^th and 5^th open timing in on 1591.7 & 1591.6 the first over the pad was a young Cheq white flight cock which originates from David Barret from Newcastle of Herman Ceuster bloodlines narrowly heading off the partnerships previous Welsh National winner from Maidstone just two weeks earlier into 5^th this being a young Blue hen Van de Bulk which comes down from Gary Douglas via pigeons from Paul Stobbs and Mick Collins.

With todays race there was once again the opportunity of yet another free single bird nomination for £100 worth of corn this was kindly donated by Dave Bradshaw and was duly picked up by a Buttigieg & Sons with their first arrival in 2^nd place, this is a scheme that has grown over the past two years and it shows there’s more to the WNFC than making money it’s a way of giving something for nothing to the membership so to everyone who came forward with prizes we thank you once again. 

A Buttigieg & Sons 2^nd & 3^rd open Folkestone YB 2020.

Young bird averages and following three races we can confirm that the partnership of Davies and Coombes are the winners of this award with an average of 1362.6 runner up was Mr & Mrs J Beresford & Son 1346, and in 3^rd the Pontypool trio of Scamell, Peploe & Bromley on 1339.

Also running in the Folkestone young bird national was the £25.00 ring scheme members were able to nominate two ring numbers at the start of the domestic young bird season for £25 and with a prize fund of £425 on offer it was the Newport loft of Andy Kidd that took the 1^st and 2^nd pull and with these being the only two prizes claimed he duly takes the 3^rd prize.

Andy Kidd winner of the 2020 Folkestone young birds ring scheme.

Calvin Warner duly deserving a mention in the young bird round up racing a small team of young birds… only sending one or two each week this game hen was entered in every race and being his solo entry in the final race from Folkestone came through for him to complete his season.

With all the 2020 races now completed its also time to reflect on the past few months and weeks, by early April there seem end no indication of racing however due to the hard work of a number of individuals, there was some light at the end of the tunnel as domestic racing was again given the go ahead in the first few weeks of June, this then prompted us to revise a programme based on inland races in conjunction with the WNRF who we thank for once again providing the transport for us, also due a mention are the boys on the lorry each week who not only transport the pigeons but care for our entries, and the race advisory committee who on times take some stick headed by Will Holpin etc.

We would also like to pass on our thanks and gratitude to the marking station officials and club members for their support during the past months and finally our sponsors John Murray at Murray & Mills, Dave Bradshaw with Swansea Truck & Plant Asset, John and Les and J & L Timber Supplies in Newcastle and not forgetting County Scaffolding Newport for taking an interest and involvement in our organisation during 2020 and of course the British Homing World Editorial team for highlighting our 2020 winner in their weekly magazine.

With such restrictions imposed on us all there’s the small factor of this year’s presentation evening which is a night we all look forward too, we did originally plan for November 28^th this has obviously been put on hold for the time due to covid restrictions on gatherings resulting in us looking to stage the evening late January to early February we will of course keep you up to date on this as time goes on.

Tom Harris.