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Essex Central Federation - 07-05-23

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Retford (2) Sunday 7th May 2023

Afternoon, hope all is well?  Already, we have arrived at our 4th event in the current old bird campaign and today the avian property of 54 members and Mr and Mrs fuller find themselves,  glamping back in Retford. Aided by race controller Steve Ward and weather watchers down the line of flight, Lee had to patiently wait whilst fifteen thousand UNC competitors headed North from Huntingdon, also with Coronation Day Saturday racing cancelled across the country, it would be a difficult task to get them away on the Sunday without inevitably clashing somewhere on the line. With this in mind the birds were held on to until 1 pm where they were released into a mild westerly wind and the One Thousand, One Hundred and fourteen entries cleared the liberation site very well. Thankyou Lee and all responsible.

Two and a quarter hours Later at Journeys end  the good people of Essex started to receive their progeny, with the first on the sheet dropping into one of our top, consistent performing lofts at the residence of Burnham on Crouch husband and wife partnership, Mr and Mrs John Moss. John who started racing with his dad in the early 80’s  is no stranger to success, His fondest memory taking the first three in the mighty Essex and Kent Combine from Arbroath . John has nurtured his own strain of pigeons over the years and races his original family with some the of birds crossed with the blood of the North Easts Willy Brennan. It would be one such pigeon that would top the federation this week with a yearling widowhood blue cock doing the business completing the 136 miles in 2 hours 35 minutes and 34 seconds equating to an average velocity of 1545.67. Great flying Mr and Mrs Moss. We remain with Burnham club, but head west of their radius over to Silver End  and the well-established partnership of Messers John Upson and David Phillips, themselves Runners up in the Essex and Kent Thurso combine. We have the Latter, Mr Phillips to thank for the information passed to me on behalf of Burnham club, so its pleasing to write about their Staf Van Reet federation runner up. This beautiful yearling red hen, already a feature in the club results this term dropped into the duos loft at eighteen minutes past three, flying 120 miles at 1537.37 to continue their great start to the season. I did state in a previous article that there would be no individual club dominance and it is refreshing to see yet another organisation filling the podium on this occasion, that said it would be Steve Ward and Daughter who take bronze to ensure a clean sweep for Burnham club. Race controller Steve had a fantastic race today and we start with the first of his 45 strong Hereman ceusters/Pieter Veenstra team to arrive. The yearling blue widowhood hen went through the trap at 32 minutes past three completing her 133 mile task and would just be pipped on the decimals registering 1537.33. A strong performing  Burnham would go on to record many more positions on the scoresheet with Mr and Mrs Moss also collecting 8th fed with a 2y chequer pied cock on 1530 whilst Mr ward and Daughter take 5th and 6th fed with two simultaneous arrivals at 33 minutes past, the pair of yearling blue hens, recording an identical velocity of 1532 and not forty seconds ahead of Steve’s 4th pigeon, the blue hen treble 9, the recipient of 11th fed on 1525. Well done Burnham, it is good to read the harmonious language with regards to your club camaraderie and the collective ongoing mourning of Mr Joe Verdego , whom  up, until his sad passing last February had given amazing support to the club and unselfishly passed on his decades of knowledge to any and all members .Fly high Joe and thanks again David. Appreciated.

Leading the way in the nearby Maldon contingent and another partnership who have hit the ground running thus far this campaign are Bocking’s very own bullets Derek Parsons and Son Derek. An absolute asset to the club, reliable Derek timed in the consistent and equally reliable 3 y cock ’22. this quality home bred chequer makes his 3rd appearance in the federation honours, with the most recent being 7th fed from Retford just last week and emulated today covering the 116 miles in under two and a quarter hours at 1532 for a well earned 4th fed to go with his club red card. Back East to Heybridge for the runners up, Sprint kings Steve, Ian and Sam Wallis who recorded last season’s  Darlington fed winner just shy of half past covering the 128 miles at 1507. The STS kings Lynn yearling blue cock advertising the fact once again that an East wind proves no disadvantage to him by adding another fed card to his resumé. The Wood Road outfit also pick up the bronze in the club result this week with another consistent performer who is a frequent patron of the fed result, their  2y chequer pied cock ’89 who registers 1501 .

Hadleigh next and the Fed Topping duo from our previous event, winning at leisure both North and South, Topp and Mann. The Partnerships first arrival today a 2y blue cock was 9th fed in our previous encounter and covered the same distance considerably faster on this occasion ending his 135 mile journey in 2 hours, 36 minutes and fourteen seconds to collect Hadleigh’s top honours and 7th fed on 1530. R & P Thomas another regular feature in my articles, fill the bridesmaid spot from Retford today with a stunning blue hen of Mastio lines. The yearling with blood originating from Dave Atkins, one of 29 of the fanciers entries, stopped the clock for Simon at 37 minutes past 3 equating to a yard behind the victor at 1529 and 9th fed. The same lofts and the same pigeon would take third spot in the club for the second week in succession. 3rd fed last time out for the Ross Olive bred Corremans Zwol cross who flew todays 136 mile event in 2 hours 37 minutes and 23 seconds to pick up yet another fed card on the same velocity as the runner up to collect 10th fed. Appreciation for the content supplied by Mr and Mrs Ashenden and a mention for the pair of yearlings they have on the scoresheet, a blue and a chequer hen 13th and 14th with 1520 and 1516 respectively.

Mean whilst, Mr and Mrs Payne are the headline act once again in the counties capital city, Chelmsford. The veteran partnership continue their rich vein of form to keep a stranglehold on that coveted red card we all seek. The pigeon responsible for keeping John and Tina on the top perch is an ultra-reliable blue chequer cock, successful on 3 occasions now this season. A model of consistency this Adrian Duggins X Fred Harnett Corremans is victorious again today with a club winning 1523. The 5y combatant showing the younger generation the way and receiving 12th fed for his continual gallant efforts. Great pigeon, flown by great fanciers. The cosy set up enjoyed another fantastic race today and took the first three in the result. In second we have another good cock of Corremans and Harry blood lines bred directly from John Matthews gifted birds. This experienced 4y blue cock ended the day just outside the top twenty on the decimals with 1507.5. Their 3rd arrival from the red hot team of 34 wasn’t far behind his loft mates, completing the 124 miles to Johns abode in two hours 26 minutes or as we know it 1505. The red cock, 5 years old, again I must add, is one of the last of the late great Stuart Elvin Busschaert’s kept for old times sake as John states and I happen to agree, you cannot beat a bit of Nostalgia. Superb flying Mr and Mrs Payne, keep the excellent contributions coming and may you continue to Rest in peace Mr Elvin.

Over to Stambridge now, and a new name at the top of their leader board, a name familiar to the fancy however, Mick Waterhouse. Yorkshireman Mick leads the way today in our current fed average champions club with a yearling John Wickenden blue hen, one of 26 sent landing on the boards at 3:38 and 50 seconds to give the 30 year fancier his first victory of this season on 1514. Well done Mick. Receiving the silver medal within the club would be the thrice winning lofts of Secretary Malcolm Scouler. Malcolm a name we have read every week so far timed in the first of his 41 strong 2y battalion on the same hour and minute as the winner, although being a mile shorter as the crow flies the blue cock, 17th fed from Grantham, 16th fed in today’s contest is pipped into second a yard behind with 1513. Mr Scouler would collect a second medal again today by adding bronze to his collection with a pigeon of similar calibre, another 2y blue cock, himself, 11th fed last week, and 17th fed today with 1512. A third 2 y of Malcolm’s powerful team also makes the cut, the blue hen rounds of another satisfying weekend for the Hockley fancier picking up 18th fed. Cheers Malcolm.

I begin with an apology to our next club and their membership, Laindon, who in error I have been reporting as New Laindon, the recently formed entity now members of the West Essex federation. The originals who remain to fly in the Essex central collective whom it must be noted send a considerable detachment on a weekly basis are this week headed by west wind enthusiast Mick Smith. The first and winning pigeon from the clubs 275 and the fanciers 11 entries, is a product of Micks Gary cox Hereman ceusters recently introduced into the stock loft. The yearling blue hen dropped on the pad at 22 minutes to four receiving the red card and club accolades on 1511.  2nd club belongs to Mr Smith as well, with his second arrival, a yearling chequer cock same way bred as the club winner landing on the boards a minute later completing the 135 miles at a speed of 1482. A clean sweep for Mick in this progressive outfit from Retford with a third Heremans ceusters, this example, a yearling blue cock, the progeny of Dave Sara Stock timed in for the meat raffle winner at 18 minutes to four or 1482. Mick did offer an invitation to all to assist in devouring the roast on offer but as this article is retrospective, unfortunately you have all missed out. Marking alongside their neighbours and rounding up the fed results we have team Hutton and Russell Jaques filling the podium within their establishment. Russell had 3 arrive together to take the top spot with a 3y chequer hen, a 3y blue cock and a younger 2y blue cock all completing the 125 mile journey in 2 hours 31 minutes registering 1463, 1462 and 1457 in that order. Once again, great content from Secretary Stephen Smith and I hope I am forgiven for the heinous error made in previous articles Until Wetherby everybody, stay safe and as always, all the best.

C L Elmes

Beautiful Staf Van Reet Upson and Phillips 2nd fed Retford 1114 b 23 10 23c            Mr and Mrs John and Tina Payne with their treble winning 5 yo 23 10 23c            Topp and Mann 1st club Hadleigh 23 10 23c

Beautiful Staf Van Reet                                                        Mr and Mrs John and Tina Payne                           Topp and Mann 1st club Hadleigh
Upson and Phillips 2nd fed Retford 1114 b                           with their treble winning 5 yo

Ross Olive Corremans Zwol Cross raced by Simon Thomas 23 10 23c            Nice midweek open trainer courtesy of Laindons Steve Smith 23 10 23c            2nd club Hadleigh 9th fed. RP Thomas 23 10 23c

Ross Olive Corremans Zwol Cross                                      Nice midweek open trainer courtesy of            2nd club Hadleigh 9th fed. R&P Thomas
raced by Simon Thomas                                                      Laindon’s Steve Smith

 Mick Waterhouse 1st club Stambridge 23 10 23c            Mick Smith 1st 2nd 3rd Club Laindon 23 10 23c                   First prize Laindon raffle What we all missed at Micks. 23 10 23c

Mick Waterhouse 1st club Stambridge                                   Mick Smith, 1st, 2nd & 3rd Club Laindon            First prize Laindon raffle What we all missed at Micks.