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Essex Central Federation - Retford(3) - 27-05-23

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Retford (3) 27th May 2023

Race seven and we are back to Retford Notts for the third visit of our new Fed Transporter with Conveyer Lee Fuller, wife and drivers mate Nicola plus the valuable cargo entrusted by 62 of our membership. It must have been a welcome morning for our custodians, waking up to ideal liberation conditions with no scheduled obstacles, Lee let the thousand and thirty three strong flock go at 7 sharp into familiar skies with a light south wind to contend with.

A familiar racepoint, fanciers and ring numbers are the order of the day today with lots of consistency to talk about throughout the fed, beginning with this week’s victorious partnership of Hadleigh clubs Topp and Mann and their super pigeon ‘The Scouser’. Runner up in the first of our Retford events, coming together that day with and just pipped by his fed topping loftmate, today the fantastic 2y blue cock gets his redemption and takes the top honours in both club and federation. Bred by Friend Tom Miller of Liverpool from his outstanding sprint family the main blood derives from Alex docx, similar origins to last weeks fed winner for Steve Oddy. The partnership would like to say a big thankyou to Tom for breeding todays winner who raced his 135 miles home, leading the way in 2 hours, 43 minutes and 51 seconds equating a fed winning 1459, meaning a fourth club win for the double fed winning duo and their standout pigeon. Hadleigh have a strong presence on the scoresheet this week with the club runner up going to London region committee member John and fed Secretary Gaynor Ashenden. The couple had a super Saturday afternoon with their first arrival, a  granddaughter of Gaynor’s Gift, both parents previous fed winners making her 5th appearance in the federation result in her promising short career so far. The exciting Frans Zwol blue yearling completing her 135 miles to Rayleigh to take 3rd fed on 1453. The second of the Husband and wife teams 23 entries and another granddaughter of Johns inspirational Matriarch made her way through the trap only 16 seconds later. This older 3y loftmate, an impressive 11 times in the fed as well as twice winning club honours is a daughter of a tragic fed winner whose unfortunate demise came the following day colliding with a window on home turf, registers 1449. The reliable blue hen adds a 5th fed card to her collection. The ever present Partnership cap off a satisfying race with their third hen on the clock, another family member from their Frans Zwol dynasty. The yearling blue, a third granddaughter of the prolific present from Gaynor  trapped just 7 seconds later, a minute shy of 2 and three quarter hours, this daughter of Gaynor’s Glory Boy, himself 1st combine dropping with his nestmate who took 2nd, today registers 1448 and takes 6th fed. Gaynor’s gift, a Christmas present from his loving wife  would not only be the mother of the Ashenden palace but would bring the love of the sport back to John whom after losing his father and idol the great Jim last year, lost nearly all the thrill to be had. Congratulations Topp and Mann, John and Gaynor and fellow members Anthony O’Mahoney the opening Grantham club winner, today 8th fed with a yearling blue cock on 1443 and Steve Duffell who timed his consistent yearling blue cock 93, 12th fed Wetherby two races ago, 22nd fed from Darlington last week and 11th fed today on 1431. And with a second yearling landing less than a minute later Steve would round off a fantastic day for the club with the blue pied cock completing his 135 miles averaging 1423 to claim 12th fed.

Over to Laindon for our fed runner up Mr Chris Whiteside, his club victor racing the 136 miles half a minute shy of 2 and three quarter hours to take silver on 1455. The yearling chequer cock bred by the Northeast UNC winning Sayers Brothers, top of the pile in the clubs substantial 294 entries. This cock bird was having its very first race ever and with this being Chris’s first race of the season, the fancier and his pigeon put in a remarkable training performance. Well done Chris. 2nd club Laindon would be the first Retford champ Alan Scarborough, nearly back to his best with a yearling dark chequer cock clocking in for 1405.7 followed by 2 further cocks, an elder 2y chequer pied and a yearling blue trapping together and registering an identical 1405 and the decimals to snatch joint third.

Our open race and preceding Darlington Fed winner Mark Pittman steps onto the podium for the second week in succession over at Rayleigh club. Continuing both the fancier and the pigeons successful stint is the superb home bred Alex Docx yearling mealy cock, the winner of the afore mentioned Darlington contest. The consistent improver from Marks star breeding pair homed 132 miles to his Wickford loft at 1453, just missing out on third fed on the decimals. Another Fed winner at the strong outfit this year is club president Steve Oddy, the opening Grantham fed topper and three time club winner already this season settles for silver today with a yearling chequer cock dropping into Battlesbridge on 1422 and 13th fed. Club winner Mark Pittman retains the good vibes of his new chapter in life, wrapping up the minor honours with his second arrival also a yearling mealy cock registering 1410. Well done Mark, great flying again.

All change for the first time this season at Chelmsford City and the amazing Run of Mr and Mrs Payne with their consistent veterans finally comes to an end with a new fancier topping the capitals scoresheet. The sleeping giant Alan (Mr and Mrs) Hills finally awoken taking both 1st and 3rd club with a pair of 2y Correman’s courtesy of his good Friend and regular patron, the ace breeder from Stock, Fred Harnett. The first of the fanciers 27 arrivals a blue cock landing on the boards at 09:32:18, way ahead in the club and 7th fed with 1477. Splitting the two Correman’s to take 2nd spot in this close knit club is Tony Brewster of the T & K Brewster partnership, hailing from a well-established Chelmsford family with 4 generations of pigeon heritage behind him, Tony the youngest member however, already highly spoken of as an asset to the club timed in a 2y dark chequer cock at 25 to 9 finishing his 124 miles in 1404 timing in just before the second 2y cock of club winners Mr and Mrs Hills who himself snaps up 3rd place in another good race with good returns reported for the club who thank all those responsible. I personally thank reliable John for his consistent contribution and the excellent images supplied.

Stambridge next and he is at it again, Malcolm Scouler that is, Monopolising yet another fed result  club Secretary Malcolm takes another clean sweep in the fed average champions and peppers the scoresheet once again to retain his high end place in my unofficial yet highly anticipated championship of Essex. First to register at the lofts of the Hockley master, already a club runner up at Darlington and 9th fed from Retford late last month the 2y Leo Hermans chequer cock clocks in after 2 and 3 quarter hours on the wing completing his 135 mile journey at a red card winning 1441. In second trapping a quarter of a minute later we have a 2y chequer making her first appearance on the score sheet for Malcolm. The hen alike the winner, one of the fanciers formidable Leo Hermans takes 10th fed with 1439. A third pigeon of this super consistent 34 strong team completes the podium at Stambridge this week. The yearling hen, a third Leo Hermans picks up 3rd club, 14th fed on 1422. As on many occasions this season Mr Scouler would record a fourth pigeon in the result, a 2y blue cock collecting 17th fed with 1422 maintaining the fanciers position at the head of affairs. Retford club and Wetherby Fed winner Mick Waterhouse keeping up the pressure once again, his yearling blue cock another Stambridge card winner, 19th fed with 1413.

North to Maldon and current club champions Steve, Ian and Sam Wallis top the Heybridge organisation with the 2y chequer cock ’89. Runner up in the fed last term, third club and in the fed from the same racepoint at the beginning of the month, the son of multiple winning Sire Dragon, father to fed winners and grandfather to the two combine winners raced by the late Bob Blatch made the best of his way back to the Wood Road paradise at an average club winning velocity of 1421. The 2nd of the teams arrivals is the STS Kings Lynn 2y blue cock already a club winner this season and a fed topper in 2022, today he takes the silver medal 2 seconds shy of the winner on 1420. Both cocks appearing on Gaynor’s spreadsheet at 15th and 16th fed. Completing the result at the swifts and taking another Maldon clean Sweep team Wallis take bronze with a Correman’s originating from Ian’s legendary 4 time Fed winner.

Next door at Burnham on Crouch, race controller Steve Ward tops the club this week and continues his fine run of form by taking the red card and runner up with two blue Hereman Ceusters/Pieter Veenstra yearlings arriving together. The cock bird would trap just 2 seconds in front of his female loftmate, completing the 133 miles to Steve’s in 2 hours 46 minutes and 2 seconds for 1413 and 18th fed with the hen on the same yard a couple of hundredths adrift for 20th.

We round things up back south of the county and Hutton club where club winner Russell Jaques makes an entry in the fed result with his 3 y taking top honours on 1409. Originating from Agent Starling/Wild Wind lines crossed with a Lambrecht, the chequer hen homed at 10:37:02. Stepping up onto the podium in second is Mr and Mrs Richard Sees with third spot going to John Matthews. As we approach the halfway stage of the old bird programme the fed have another lucrative race for you all to look forward to next week with the fed President Mr Paul Stacey offering another round of spot prizes, an open race winning top prize and a second winner takes all federation nom from the iconic racepoint of Berwick. Exciting times! Be good, see you next week and as always. All the best.

C L Elmes.

Pic1.The late Jim Gibbs with Chris Whiteside from the days of Gibbs Chaplin and Whiteside 27 05 23                                                                           Pic2.The Scouser 1st Essex Central Federation for Topp and Mann Retford 27.05.2023 1033 b 27 05 23

The late Jim Gibbs with Chris Whiteside from the days of                    The Scouser 1st Essex Central Federation for Topp and Mann Retford 27.05.2023 1033 b 
Gibbs, Chaplin and Whiteside

Pic3.As always theres Plenty of Laindon pigeons to go. 27 05 23                Pic4.Grubs up courtesy of Jason Reeve 27 05 23                 Pic5.1st club Hutton for Russell Jaques 27 05 23

As always there’s Plenty of Laindon pigeons to go.                   Grubs up courtesy of Jason Reeve                                        1st club Hutton for Russell Jaques

Pic6.Tony Brewster concentrates on the result which Citys latest member Martin Frost eagerly awaits. 27 05 23                        Pic7.The Payne Family with their collection of thoroughbred Stepney Green terriers 27 05 23

Tony Brewster concentrates on the result which City’s               The Payne Family with their collection of thoroughbred Stepney Green terriers
latest member Martin Frost eagerly awaits.

Pic8.Chelmsford City hard Working Secretary Moira Bailey and long serving Clock Setter Tony Hitchings 27 05 23                                  Pic9.My advice Get yourself to the Laindon club on a marking night. 27 05 23

Chelmsford City hard Working Secretary Moira Bailey                           My advice, get yourself to the Laindon club on a marking night.
and long serving Clock Setter Tony Hitchings