WEST OF ENGLAND SR COMBINE
by Alen Gibb
WEST OF ENGLAND SR COMBINE
by Alen Gibb
Can I open with apologies to everyone for the delay in writing this article? My stay in hospital back in August not only curtailed my own YB racing, it put me totally out of sync with my work as Combine secretary.
Our OB season came to a close on Friday 10th July with our longest race from Bordeaux. 150 members from 23 clubs entered 642 birds, a good increase from 2014. The members were rewarded with an excellent race thanks in no small measure to our policy of travelling for a Friday liberation. It would appear that other organisations due to liberate on Saturday were not so lucky. The journey to Bordeaux was not without incident our vehicle arrived as normal at Portsmouth docks for the day ferry to Caen on Wednesday only to find that, due to a mix-up, we had not been booked on that ferry. Because of the trouble at Dover and Calais there was a long waiting list to board and the vehicle in front of our vehicle was the last to board. Our drivers were then told that the night ferry was fully booked with a huge waiting list and the Thursday day sailing was also heavily over-subscribed. As luck would have it there was room on the Wednesday night sailing from Plymouth to Roscoff. The drama was not yet over whilst waiting to board at Plymouth, another lorry reversed into our transporter causing damage to the curtains - - fortunately, no damage to the birds or crates. After an uneventful ferry crossing and trip down through France, stopping en route to water the birds, we arrived safely in Bordeaux at 5.30pm on Thursday where the birds were fed and watered. The forecast was good throughout the route on Friday and our birds were away at 5.45am in a very light NE wind.
They must have had a helping hand at some point because verifications began coming through to me at 3pm and, all told, the combine had about 150 day birds at distances ranging from 440 488 miles. All 23 clubs had timers.
Chris’Zacky’ Sims of Farrington Gurney with his 1st & 2nd Combine Bordeaux (642b)
Top of the shot with some style taking 1st & 2nd Combine was Chris Sims of the Farrington Gurney club making 1454 and 1451ypm for the 460 mile trip. The winner was a two year old cheq cock and the second pigeon was a three year old cheq cock, both flying on widowhood. Both birds were similarly bred being Vandenabeele x Janssen-Herman. The Vandenabeele are from Derek Jones of Wrexham and both cocks are grand-sons of Derek’s ace breeder/racer, ‘The Niort Cock’. He has bred many winners at Club, Fed and National levels including one or two to win the Section in the Midlands National FC. The other side of the winners’ breeding is based on Chris Nelmes’ (Bristol) old Janssen-Herman family which came to Chris Sims from Steve Bryant some years ago. These two cocks are both solid racers the Combine winner was 2nd Club (78b), 22nd Combine (1292b) and 4th Combine Open (194b) from Niort two weeks before Bordeaux. The 2nd Combine winner has won lots of prizes both inland and over the channel.
Chris only keeps a small team of fifteen widowhood cocks and is over the moon about his success from Bordeaux. He is not enjoying the best of health and is considering giving the Sport up at the end of the season. He is clearly extremely grateful for the assistance he is given at his club on marking nights when he brings his birds. Let’s hope he can continue in the Sport we don’t want to lose fanciers of his calibre.
Finally may I give my thanks to our convoyers, Martin Pike and Lindsey Lakatos for the excellent way they coped with the ‘ferry’ difficulties and the considerable extra driving they had to contend with to move from Portsmouth to Plymouth. They also ensured that on our vehicle, the crates were loaded in alternate rows to give more air to the birds during the long journey. I’m sure it paid off. Many long-standing members of the Combine contacted me to say that it was the best longest race the Combine had had for many years.
After a week’s break the Combine began the YB programme from Lyndhurst in the New Forest when 163 members from 23 clubs entered 3835birds. Many fanciers prefer not to enter the first YB races but even so our birdage showed an increase of about 460 birds over the equivalent race in 2014, despite what appears to be a big increase in losses from training.
After a week’s break the young bird season got started with a race from Lyndhurst on 25th July when 163 members from 23 clubs entered 3835 birds, liberated a 7am in a WNW wind. Taking the first two positions in the Combine, making 1125 and 1122 ypm was Nigel Nutt of Glastonbury ably assisted by wife Shane she flies her own pigeons to a small loft in the garden but decided not to race YBs this season. The winning bird was bred by Andy Kelway & daughter Ainsley of the Sedgemoor Club and is of van Elsacker lines originating from Mike Parker of Maesteg, Glamorgan. I’ve since been told that this bird went on to win the Sedgemoor Breeder/buyer later in the year but I have no details. Nigel started with 36 young birds but after a couple of ‘tip-ups’ had 25 left for racing 6 on natural and 19 on darkness. Most birds are a mixture of Busschaert, Van den Bosche and recently introduced Pouw Brothers from Mike Winchcombe. Working night shift means the pigeons have to respond to Nigel’s system, the YB's being fed just after six in the morning and usually not let out until after lunchtime for their exercise. Feeding is YB mix plus maize also Gerry Plus once racing starts. Training is usually midweek from thirty-five miles weather permitting after work finishes at 6am. The Combine topper was purchased at the Sedgemoor breeder/buyer sale.
Nigel & Shane Nutt with 1st & 2nd Combine winners from both Lyndhurst (1) (3835b) & Lyndhurst (2) (4297b). The cheq pied 2nd Combine from Lyndhurst held by Shane went one better the following week and topped the Combine from Bedhampton (3983b)
The second YB race was again from Lyndhurst on 1st August when 4297 birds were entered by 205 members from 26 clubs liberated early at 6.30am into no wind. Incredibly Nigel Nutt again came out on top with two birds making 1418 & 1407ypm what a start to the YB season! The winning bird was another breeder/buyer from Andy & Ainsley Kelway this time purchased at the Glastonbury club sale. For the second-placed bird, a cheq pied hen, this was only the start as will be seen next.
On 8th August the Combine moved on to Bedhampton with 3983 birds entered by 205 members from 26 clubs. Liberated at 6.30am in a light north wind, who should come out on top again but Nigel Nutt of Glastonbury on 1387ypm! This time the 2nd Combine winner of the previous week did one better and won 1st Combine. Nigel obviously slipped up this week as his second timer could only manage 3rd Combine. This brought to a close a marvellous three weeks of racing for Nigel and his small team 3 x 1st, 2 x 2nd and 1 x 3rd Combine from between 3835 & 4297 birds.
15th August saw the Combine at Littlehampton with 167 members from 24 clubs sending 3018 birds liberated at 7.15am in a light WNW wind. Clubs from Crewkerne in the south to Gloucester in the north figured in the result but once again it was the strong Glastonbury club coming out on top with Mr & Mrs (Gary & Prilly) Hodges timing a dark cheq cock to make 1377ypm for the 84 mile journey, closely followed by Mr & Mrs Frost of Crewkerne on 1374ypm. These two birds were well in front of a very creditable third placed Chris Howse & Dave Parsons of Chippenham on 1335ypm. This was the first of three Combine wins for Gary & Prilly in the young bird season. The winner is a dark chequer cock raced paired for the first 3 races when he was 20th combine from Lyndhurst. All pigeons where then put on the chaos system this seemed to give him the incentive to be at the front. The winner’s nest-mate won 1st Combine the following week.
On 22nd August the Combine was back at Lyndhurst when 222 members from 26 clubs entered 3902 birds liberated at 9.30am in a light SE wind. As if the previous week was not enough, Mr & Mrs Hodges again came out on top this time with two birds making 1693 & 1684ypm. The winner was another dark cheq cock, nest-mate to the previous week’s winner and raced on the same system. The sire of the pair is a son of the Matrix pair from Mark Dorrington; the dam is a Daniel Aerens from Sheldon Leonard. The pigeon winning 2nd Combine, which came with the winner, was bred by Nigel Templar of Bristol, the sire being a son of ‘The Gerrit’ - this pigeon is responsible for Club, Combine and NFC section winners. The dam is from Syndicate Lofts being a daughter of ‘Golan’ x ‘Genie’.
29th August should have seen the Combine at Bedhampton but following advice from the Met Office, other professional weather websites and specialist ‘pigeon weather’ experts that weather on Saturday and Sunday was expected to be totally unsuitable for racing, a decision was made to postpone the race until Bank Holiday Monday. Such a decision is always difficult to make but, in view of the exceptional YB losses suffered by so many fanciers in both training and racing in most organisations this year it was decided to be better safe than sorry. As things turned out, the weekend weather was fine and Monday, previously forecast to be good, was a washout with the result that the race was cancelled. Hindsight is a wonderful thing but the Combine is sorry for the mistake. As I say, if you never make a mistake it probably means you don’t do anything.
The Combine was at Bedhampton on 5th September, instead of the scheduled Littlehampton race, with 3,142 birds, liberated at 12.30pm in a light NW wind. Mike Staddon of Crewkerne, our race advisor had a field day taking the first three positions on 1386, 1375 & 1361ypm. The winner is a blue pied cock, Mike calls “Droopy Tail” because his two outside tail feathers are dropped down (see photo). Mike and many fanciers believe these young pigeons are no good, but just go to prove how wrong they can be. He went missing for two weeks at the Combine’s first race from Lyndhurst, and Mike thoughts were confirmed that ‘he was no good’. However, since his return he flew really well. His breeding is Jan Arden x Daniel Aerens. 2nd Combine is a Dk. Cheq hen, who has flown well all season and her breeding is Jan Arden x Marcel Aelbrect - a truly beautiful hen with a big future. 3rd Combine is a blue w/f hen - another super hen with a big future. She is from No. 1 pair Marcel Aelbrect x Janssen Bros. Mike’s birds are flown on his own version of the darkness system, which he has perfected over the years - it is very simple, nothing complicated. All pigeons are fed on corn from A.E. James and Son Bristol. The only thing the young birds get in the water is a vitamin tonic on return from the race, made up of multi-vitamins, horse probiotics, salt and glucose. It is magic for their recovery.
Mike Staddon of Crewkerne ‘Droopy Tail’ 1st Combine Bedhampton (3142b)
Our penultimate race was from Littlehampton on 12th September when 2415 birds from 199 members were liberated at 9.30am into a strong SW wind. For the first time in the YB season fanciers in the north of the Combine were hoping for success and this proved the case with three birds flying into the Stroud area taking the top positions. 1st Combine went to Dave Fox of Nailsworth taking the honours with a red cheq cock on 1275ypm. Near neighbours Stan Dangerfield and Mr & Mrs Andy Florek, both of the Gloucester & District club took 2nd & 3rd on 1274 & 1271ypm. The first three pigeons were mostly Stan Dangerfield’s blood. Dave’s Combine winner was a red cheq cock bred from a pair of birds given to him at the start of the season by Stan, a very good friend of over 50 years. They were bred from a son of a red cock from Albert Sinclair paired to the last daughter of ‘Scot’s Boy’ 1st NFC Saintes for Stan. Dave’s young birds are darkness pigeons; they get plenty of training out as far as Salisbury plain, about 50 miles. They are fed on Countrywide super young bird mix twice a day and they don’t get any fancy tit-bits or condition seed; at the end of the season they are just left together to moult until Christmas when they get parted.
Dave Fox of Nailsworth holding 1st Combine Littlehampton (2415b)
Our final YB race was from Eastbourne on 19th September when 157 members from 24 clubs entered 1737 birds liberated at 11.45am in a NE wind. Completing their hat-trick of wins in some style were Mr & Mrs Hodges of Glastonbury taking the first four positions on 1421, 1417, 1413 & 1411ypm.
Gary & Prilly Hodges with grand-daughter Lily-May 1st Combine Littlehampton (3018b), 1st Combine Lyndhurst (3902b) & 1st Combine Eastbourne (1737b)
All four pigeons dropped together but being on T3 and pigeons in three different sections it took over a minute to clock - must get ETS! The first two clocked were flown on the same system as the two previous combine winners. Third and fourth pigeons were summer-bred and heavy in the moult three flights to go. Just goes to show they can compete with ‘darkness’ when the condition are right. (A T3 wasn’t much hindrance for the Hodges in this race!) The 1st & 2nd winners were bred from Mark Dorrington’s stock, the 3rd & 4th from a cross between Roger Lowe of Reading and Mark Gilbert stock.
The Combine each year awards trophies to the Clubs amassing most points in OB, YB and Combined racing. The fastest Club is awarded 27 points (number of Clubs in the Combine) and the slowest 1 point. Many congratulations to Gloucester & District FC wining the OB Points Trophy, Glastonbury FC winning the YB Points Trophy and Bristol West FC the Combined Points Trophy.
Well, that brings to a close the 2015 season. The Combine had a very good year but, like many organisations this year, was hit by bad losses of young birds particularly in training and seemingly more problems than usual with young bird sickness. However we managed to increase out total birdage from 65491 birds in 2014 to 69224 birds in 2015. Old Bird inland average went up from 3419 birds in 2014 to 4088 birds this year. The channel races saw a fall in average send from 2202 birds in 2014 to 2082 this year this was down to one race in particular for some reason we were about 700 birds down for the first channel race from Carentan. The Young Bird average send was down from 3350 birds in 2014 to 3291 birds in 2015 but bearing in mind the weather and tremendous losses suffered by many, before and during racing, this could have been a lot worse it was better than I expected.
Many thanks for the continued support by our members and for the cooperation of Club Secretaries. Thank you to our two convoyers Martin Pike & Lyndsay Lakatos for the excellent manner in which they have tended the birds, Steve Gibbs our Transport Manager for his tireless work in keeping our three vehicles up to scratch, Phil Wilkins, Steve Gardner and ‘Buzzer’ Bees for their crate cleaning efforts and Mike Staddon our Race Advisor for his conscientious approach to what is often a thankless task when the weather is dodgy.
Alen Gibb This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.