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Esher2014

 

KEITH MOTT

Esher & District RPC

I attended an Esher club meeting at the Westend Sports and Social club in late October, to discuss the 2015 Three Borders Federation race programme and transport arrangements. While at the meeting I managed to get my hands on and have a look at the ‘Federation Points’ Trophy, which is displayed in the trophy cabinet in the Social Club’s bar, with their many Football and Cricket trophies. One of discs on the shield was engraved Esher, but had no date and it appears the Esher club has won the championship seven times in the last ten years, including: 2005/6/8/9/13/14. What a fantastic performance! The competition in the Three Borders Federation has been strong and hard in the 2014 season, and once again the mighty Esher & Dist. RPC have come out on top, winning the ‘Federation Points’ Trophy’, with 186 points and this time the runners up were South Downs, on 146 point. It is common knowledge that the Esher is a very strong club, sending up to 350 birds a week and in most races, short or long, members have to more or less win the Federation to win the club. Needless to say the Esher members’ presence is very strong in the Federation results and they have won just under 200 racing positions, including ten 1st Federation winners in the 2014 season.

 

The Esher club has had a good season competing in the Combine, with two club member winning 1st open in the form of: Slight & Taylor 1st SMT Combine Nort sur Erdre (699 birds) and Malik & Khan 1st SMT Combine Yelverton (1,516 birds). The club’s 2014 Federation winners were: Vic Emberson 1st Federation Yeovil (1,702 birds), Paul Arnold 1st Federation Honiton (1,589 birds), Allison & Ibrahim 1st Federation, 4th SMT Combine Falaise (1,081 birds), Allison & Ibrahim 1st Federation, 2nd SMT Combine Messac (1,160 birds), Slight & Taylor 1st Federation, 1st SMT Combine Nort sur Erdre (699 birds), Rookledge & Mearns 1st Federation Yeovil (764 birds), Rookledge & Mearns 1st Federation (1,693 birds), Malik & Khan 1st Federation Taunton (1,471 birds), Slight & Taylor 1st Federation Kingsdown (1,315 birds), Malik & Khan 1st Federation, 1st SMT Combine Yelverton (1,516 birds). A fantastic club performance! The Esher club must rate as one of the premier clubs in the south of England and is dripping with top quality fanciers who are hell bent on winning the Three Borders Federation every weekend. Congratulations to the Esher lads!

 Spelthorne SR Flying Club

Following my recent write up on the Three Borders Federation young bird season, my old mate Terry Smart has come out of the woodwork to send me details of the Spelthorne South Road Flying Club Young Bird Open Race, which incorporates the Breeder/Buyer Race. This is the third year that the Spelthorne Club has organised this event and it has now become one of the highlights of the racing calendar in the London and Home Counties Area. You may remember my notes back in April where I outlined the Breeder / Buyer Sale. Some 75 lots were put under the Terry Smart’s auctioneer hammer, with birds being donated by most of the top fanciers in the area, plus many birds from all over the United Kingdom and Southern Ireland. This one off sale staged by Terry and the Spelthorne members generated £2,330 prize money after expenses. Once again this year’s race was from Yeovil, a race point of just over 100 miles to the home lofts in the Spelthorne area of Middlesex and the basketing took place on Tuesday, 12th August, with 38 competitors entered 562 birds, this included 32 Breeder /Buyer birds which receive free entry to the race. Terry tells me, this race is a true open race, with the only stipulation is that the birds must be marked and checked at Spelthorne between 7am and 9pm. If you can comply with that rule you are welcome to race. Competitors attended this great event are from as far away as Havant in Sussex, Chadwell St. Mary in Essex and the county of Hampshire.

 

The race day, Wednesday 13th August dawned to brilliant sunshine, with the forecast for the day being fine, with a slim chance of an occasional shower in the late afternoon. The convoying team were at the race point well before mid-day, where the birds were watered and rested with the crates bathed in sunshine. With line of flight checked, it was agreed on 13.30hrs liberation and on release the birds were in a westerly wind and they did a half a turn, and they were gone. A mile a minute race was anticipated and whilst the birds made good time , the north Surrey fanciers were hit with a fifteen minute flash storm, just about time when the birds should have been dropping in. It rained stair rods! The birds skirted either side of the storm, with Berkshire, Middlesex and Hertfordshire remained dry as a bone. A pure freak of nature! Out there in Hayes and enjoying the sunshine, the lofts of the late great Kenny Hine clocked four birds in five seconds, with three birds doing 1699ypm and the forth on 1698ypm. With prize money of £450 for the first three positions the Hayes cleared the board. The partners recoded another arrival three minutes later to take 9th open. The late Kenny Hine’s Lofts are now managed by his grandson, Mark Currivan, his son in law and another friend who helps out with the management of the birds. These guys have had a fantastic couple of seasons since forming their partnership and I believe all done with fresh pigeons, and not the old Mr & Mrs Hine long distance family. The next positions of 5th, 6th and 8th open was won by the South Surrey loft of Mike Armitage of Ash. Mike’s hostelry the ‘Lion Brewery’ PH is the well-known marking station for The National Flying Club and the British International Championship Club. Jeff and Sherry Poole of Kings Langley sent only one bird and won 7th open, taking all pools. A really great performance! P. & L. Worley of Bedfont won 10th open.

 

Now for the Breeder / Buyer result, and Terry tells me these birds were well split up, with the first bird winning £500 in 32nd open, velocity 1614ypm, and was owned by the Spelthorne ‘ace’ flyer, Derek Reid. The breeders of this pigeon also won £500 and this was Mr & Mrs Leonard of Swansea. This loft won two Welsh National races in 2013; such is the quality of birds and fanciers who donate to Spelthorne Breeder / Buyer. The winner of 2nd Breeder / Buyer doing 1605ypm was Peter Williams of Richmond and he timed a bird donated by the top Three Borders Federation loft of Slight & Taylor of Kingston and both lofts receive £250.

The 3rd  place loft timing their own pigeon, so collecting a cool £400 and that prize went to the Redbourne partnership of Baron & Fowler and 4th position, plus £100 was won by the ‘ace’ Mitcham partnership of Frank and Sue Carson. The Carson loft won this bird and it’s nest mate in the Spelthorne raffle on the auction evening and cost them just £1.The nest pair was donated to the raffle by the top Hersham partnership of Crook & Keywood. The £100 breeder’s prize goes into Spelthorne Cubs coffers. As a matter of interest the nest mate was timed to take 7th Breeder / Buyer not a bad outlay for just a quid. Other winners were: 5th Peter Williams - £130: 6th Baron & Fowler / Derek Reid - £100.

 

Well that’s the report of the Spelthorne Breeder / Buyer and Young Bird Open 2014 as relayed by Terry Smart. In the three seasons that these two event s have been organised the Breeder/Buyer has paid out over £6500, prize money, and the Open race has paid out over £1200 prize money, that is not bad for a little club that just wants to support their Football club Headquarters. Terry tells me, it is hoped to do it again next year around March or April and as usual pens are limited to 80, and birds must be in the pen, not just a paper pedigree will not be accepted. Well done to Terry and the lads at the Spelthorne club for another great success! Should you wish to book a pen for 2015 give Terry Smart a ring: 0208 783 9246.

 

British Barcelona Club 

I recently had a chat with my good friend, Mike Shepherd, and he is just starting his second term as chairman of the British Barcelona Club. Mike tells me the BBC 50th anniversary celebrations this year have been an outstanding success and this great club are looking forward to the next 50 years. The committee recent held a meeting at Hungerford and the 2015 race programme was announced and reads: OB: 2nd May - Carentan: 16th May Messac: 19th June Palamos: 4th July Fougeres: 31st July Bordeaux: YB: 29th August Vire. The BBC prize presentation dinner will be held at the Days Hotel, Bournemouth on 15th November. I think it is common knowledge that the British Barcelona Club has the best secretary in the sport and Clare Norman can be contacted for membership of this wonderful club on telephone number: 02380 573919.

 

Stories of the Champions 

That’s my lot for this week! Next time we are starting my new series of articles called ‘Stories of the Champions’, which I have been writing over the last month. Cameron from Elimar asked me for my top ten pigeons that I have come across in my 45 years writing in the fancy press. A very hard request to fulfil! I went through thousands of pigeon photographs in my archive files and came up with nearly 80 ‘once in a life time’ champion pigeons. There is probably more in there, but as always, Keith has done his best! The result after a month of hard work is a series of 12 articles featuring the champions of the champions in my time as a pigeon scribe and they are made up with five or six the pictures of the pigeons and short stories about their lives and success’. Next week we kick off ‘Stories of the Champions’ with long distance and I hope my readers enjoy the series!

 

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