Wetherby  1^st July 2023

Morning all, doesn’t time fly, welcome to July and our first race of the month. For the 13^th event of the old bird programme, we find ourselves back at Wetherby, North Yorkshire on our third visit of the season. Our conveyer Lee Fuller and wife Nicola representing the Federation as ever, report that conditions are not ideal for an early liberation and with dark cloud and rain enroute the decision was made to ensure the birds had a clear line of flight. With all things considered it would be half past ten when bright blue skies appeared, and Lee released the 729 entries into a strong west wind. Another successful outing for our appreciated conveyors for which we are most grateful.

Top of the pile for the first time this season and since their inauguration into the Essex central it gives me great pleasure this week to announce our winning club as fun loving Laindon, and their winning fancier Mr Mick Smith fresh from the famous Friday night BBQ at the hospitable club. Winning the fed and victorious in the club for the third time this season Mick timed a yearling blue pied hen, racing her 182 miles to Hockley averaging an impressive 1669 and trapping at 13:42:03. The lovely hen, a granddaughter from a Steve Smith blue cock gifted when Steve had to pack up is from a son of Dave Atkin’s pairing of spellbound and maestro. Mick who started his pigeon life way back in 1958  keeping fantails and a few racing birds in Forest gate collects the runner up spot at friendly Laindon and 8^th fed with his second arrival landing two and a quarter minutes later on 1649. The yearling blue Heremans ceusters cock carrying the blood of Gary Cox lines. 3^rd club at the progressive outfit is  Chris Whiteside with his 5y blue pied cock home bred and raced on his own system. I caught up with our fed winner Mick for a bit of background and what a story he has to tell. At the beginning my friends Tony Hampshire, John Campbell and Brian Woodhouse who were a couple of years older than me were my influence in the sport and I joined the Leytonstone premier based at the Odessa Arms. I always remember having a light ale with them as you do at the club and one evening the landlord asking of my age. When I replied thirteen the governor nearly fell over and told me if a copper were to enter, I was to dispose of the drink sharpish. John Campbell introduced all us boys to the famous Walthamstow fancier W. (Bill) Locke who in turn introduced us all to his loft manager Bill Doe. He gave us eggs after we cleaned up the garden for him, a task formerly carried out by none other than fed aristocracy Sir Trevor Tunstall. It was then we became hooked. I won my first race in 1963 at the age of 16 against 275 club birds from Chatteris. The four of us would meet at Stratford Station, half past five in the morning to send birds to Cheshunt and be home by 7:25 then id cycle to near Mount Pleasant and Smithfield for an 8am start at work. I worked at Zetters then, printing the football coupons and one day came home to find my dad had filled my loft with chickens. I was gutted and gave all my birds to Tony Humphries. Life took over for a while then and it was the early 70’s when Brian asked me to assist him again. Our first race we were 2^nd fed with the winner later disqualified. I was also running boys football teams notably SENRAB football club, 3 times London cup winners and 4 times holders of the Essex equivalent. A few of the players I managed in that fantastic team were  former Nottingham Forest, Derby and Aston Villa right back Gary Charles, Jason Rowland who was to go on to be a great boxer and a young Tottenham and Arsenal captain, England international Sol Cambell. I was lured back into the pigeons and was racing in partnership with great Walthamstow Character Tommy Moody. He had birds from Bill (Locke) and Bill Bailey. The birds were out at half past six in the morning until half past seven at night and boy they could fly, the high flying Calder brothers could not believe we raced natural, and we took some beating. I have been in Hockley since 2011 and unfortunately, I have only been able to put a little into the pigeons the past couple of years as things have been difficult for all of us. However, in this period I did meet my new partner Kay, daughter of Maurice Rushbrook the Shoeburyness fancier renowned for racing a good pigeon. What has made it harder in racing in recent years is losses. The heaviest and worst being this year where so far, I have lost 18 young birds all with telephone rings, but as yet none have been reported. This is extreme for me as the typical losses for a season is 5 to 7. Steve Smith gave me the sire of the fed winner who has now bred me 2 generations of winners and the hen is the premier stud blue chequer hen first post, hailing from Leo Heremans and Karel Ceusters. Congratulations Mick and what a fantastic conversation.

Someone who hasn’t won the fed so far this term but undoubtedly deserves so is Stambridge club secretary Malcolm Scouler. We all expect a multi drop every now and again in a young bird contest but Malcolm as he enviably does, had the pleasure of watching four of the older generation come together and land on the boards fighting to get in front. First through the trap, winning the club with a flying time of 3 hours 13 minutes and 54 seconds would be a yearling chequer cock bred by good friends Dave and Michael Allen. The Stambridge red card holder takes Runner up in the fed with 1653. 2^nd club and third fed only 3 seconds and half a yard behind would be Malcolm’s second pigeon, the reliable 2y Roland Janssens mealy cock making his third appearance on the fed result this season couldn’t be split from his mealy brother of the same age and strain. The two pigeons are only separated by the final corresponding number on their life ring’s, and you have to look further than 3 decimals to split them today. The silver and bronze winning cocks, 3^rd and 4^th fed registering 1652.6. Three seconds behind them would be the last of the fanciers leading quartet one of the most  consistent pigeon of the fed so far, Malcolms 2 year old blue cock, 5 times in the fed, 3 from Retford and now a second card from Wetherby this term, the reliable Leo Hermans picks up 5^th fed and close again with 1652.2 Mr Scouler as always will have a few in there and taking 8^th fed was a second Leo Hermans, this yearling blue hen touched down for 1631 and his final entry a 3y grizzle hen making her fed debut 13^th fed just pipped by clubmate and our previous Wetherby fed winner Mick Waterhouse’s yearling blue cock 12^th fed, both pigeons on 1620 .

North to Maldon now and Steve, Ian and Sam Wallis retain their good form with another Scraley Road victory. Last week’s Grantham fed runners up take top honours in the club and 8^th fed with a 2y blue pied cock covering the 174 miles to the Wood Road masters averaging 1633. The team would take second spot at Maldon and the final place on the fed sheet with a 2y pied cock. The second of the collectives 12 strong team, 20^th with 1603. Neighbours Burnham come next with race controller Steve Ward victorious at the coastal club. Steve enters no less than 6 pigeons in the result eclipsing last week’s majestic performance with 5 on the scoresheet. Leading the way at Burnham and 9^th in the table is another contender for most consistent pigeon of the year. Steve must have had that feeling when he put the coveted treble zero ring on the yearling hens leg. Flying 179 miles to Steve and daughter averaging 1622, the Peter Veenstra based widowhood hen making her fourth appearance in the fed this campaign, completes the journey in a shade under 3 and a quarter hours  with another top ten position to her name. A mere 11 seconds later and making her second appearance in the papers is Steves yearling blue hen ’39, 8^th fed at Grantham last Saturday, 11^th fed today on the same yard as four other competitors on 1620. Steve has had another good year with the birds and not for the first time collects the Burnham clean sweep with his third arrival, yet another model of consistency and another hen making a double appearance. The 2y blue 9^th fed in our last encounter from Wetherby in June, 14^th fed on 1613. Clocked on the identical time and velocity Steves 4^th pigeon a 4y blue cock keeping up with the youngsters, went in the clock with thousandths the difference for 15^th. A second four year old and Steves fifth bird collect 16^th with 1611 and for the second time today the Burnham maestro puts two in the clock on the same yard with his final entry a yearling blue hen 17^th fed dislodged by milliseconds. Mr and Mrs Moss will never be far away, and the Grantham and Retford fed holders register a yearling red pied cock, 18^th fed with 1604.

Flying the flag at the capital for the second week in succession is Chelmsford City’s superb clubman, the sleeping giant Alan Hills. Flying in partnership as Mr and Mrs Hills, the pair collect the county town accolades with their 2y blue cock covering his 171 mile journey in 3 hours 6 minutes. The club winning pigeon bred from original syndicate lofts lines from the ace Stockman that is Fred Harnett posted a velocity of 1622 for 10^th fed and another well deserved victory for the hard working pigeon man. Once again just about staying in contention in 2^nd and 3^rd place, we have Mr and Mrs John and Tina Payne with their ever present 5y blue Vandenabeele cock bred by old mate Colin Mann of Hockley followed by his 3y old son also a blue, this time a home bred of the city lofts, collects bronze. It is the reliable John who supplies the information and gives an honest account of the clubs race in general, good or bad. Today the happy club thank Lee, and everyone involved for another very good race and states the birds arrived in very good condition throughout the afternoon. Well done Alan and thanks as always John.

Steve Duffell puts a sole Hadleigh club entry on the sheet with a yearling blue pied cock 19^th fed with 1604. Russel Jaques wins Hutton clubs red card at 1594 with Mr and Mrs Sees runners up with 1577. club victor Mr Jaques takes bronze with his second arrival on 1566. We have another double header lined up for next week, Wednesday marking for a Friday Thurso courtesy of the London North Road Combine and a shorter 100 mile Saturday competition from Grantham. Thanks all.

C L Elmes.