L.J. Parkinson
For me training this year has been kid gloves stuff because I have never had so many short tosses for the young birds. I can also add that I have never seen the young bird team take so long to arrive home from these short tosses. On some of them they have been split up and coming all day when I could have walked it faster.
Anyway, Steve has now started increasing the distance training Ebony’s pigeons but still only shortish tosses and in the next few days so we are hoping they will all be able to go to the same training point. They were going to have separate liberations based on them getting mixed up and going into the wrong loft when they arrive home, but I have now decided against that because they will be mixed from the races.
The young birds will follow the shaking of the corn tin and anyone who knows Ebony will tell you she is far from the loudest of people especially when she is shouting the pigeons in, I think she is secretly working on the soft touch to beat me. Having said that they will have to get used to going into their own section when they are racing so we will have to look at the situation in the next week or so. Thinking about it, they might be better learning to arrive mixed before the races start. We have also been discussing how many to send to the first two races. The problem in the Mid Cheshire fed is, by far the majority are in the north section so the young birds do go over and return from the north.
We had one training toss with Ebony’s from 4mls it took them 95mins not a feather out of place. This tells us that they were not going far enough but I have been putting off increasing the distance because I don’t want to lose her youngsters, they are the foundation of the loft. I started by talking about increasing the distances, well we have got there, both teams are going up together. We shall increase the distance even more over the next few days because they are coming back out of the north, so they need to be brought onto a better line. Until they stop going over, we are not going to be happy, but we feel that if we give them too big a jump at this time the later ones amongst them may find it harder. We all know what young birds are like, they take some settling into a routine but once they are, things go much better.
The other issue with training young birds is, if they get stressed, they can quite easily pick up health issues, especially young bird sickness. Anyway, we will press on and hopefully by the time my next notes come out we will have them at the 20ml plus stage just passed Stafford.
North West Classic
The birds from the latest Guernsey race were liberated at 10.30am into a light southeast wind turning southwest in the UK. It’s a pity the club can’t get on one of the channel transporters, I think the problem is the paperwork involved and the vets at the marking stations. All these restrictions are ruining pigeon racing, I have said all along I would like to know who has fed all the information to DEFRA in the first place for them to be like they are. Anyway, this was a fast one for the birds reaching vels into the 1600ypm mark. The members were flying for £1,958 with 21 payments of one sort or another.
1st & 4th section A & Open are won by Stephen Turnock from Stoke recording vels of 1635/1614ypm winning £679.16. A fancier who has had some good results in this club, so he now adds more to his roll of honour. The sire to the dark Lambrecht cock comes from an Alan Senior sale crossed with Stephen’s own family of Lambrecht’s. This is a proven pigeon who has been twice this year with the Midlands Continental Classic FC winning 2 x 3rd section and last year he was also 3rd section making it 3 in total. The hen is a Lambrecht out of his stock loft, she was 4th in this race. Prior to the season they are loft trained having 2 training tosses of 10 miles then no more, they are just exercised around the loft. Like so many more fanciers who have been doing it for as long as I can remember they have a relaxing bath on a Sunday. Stephen gets his corn from S & S Seeds, and they are fed depurative in the morning and a super widowhood in the evening. The race team is made up of 16 pairs with the cocks being exercised for one hour both morning and evening with the hens only getting a one-hour spell in the evening. There are 6 pairs of stock birds and there is a team of 35 young birds that are flown on darkness system.
Stephen Turnock
2nd & 3rd section A & Open are won by Kevin Tagell of Congleton who doesn’t very often miss sending to this club and this week his entries clocked up 1622/1617ypm winning £415. First in the clock is a blue hen finishing 2nd section 2nd open. She is a Hereman-Ceuster and bred by P Holloway of Stoke. She is flown to the widow system and previously she has won 3rd club and fed Cheltenham, 3rd Weymouth, 4th Newton Abbot, 2nd Cheltenham. She is a genuine all-rounder having also won in the show pen. Kevin’s next winning 3rd section and open is again a blue hen which flew consistently as a young bird last season that helped Kevin to win the young bird averages in club and fed. Her sire is a Vandenabeele blue cock who has won 2nd club Cheltenham, 3rd club Mangotsfield, 2nd club 3rd fed Weymouth, 1st club and fed Newton Abbot, 3rd club Frome, 4th club Mangotsfield, 6th open NWCC Guernsey and 17th open Nwcc Guernsey last season. The dam of the second bird is a Lambrecht which won 3rd section L and 44th open Coutances last season. Kevin started the season with 24 cocks and 16 hens I’m down to 17 cocks and 13 hens having lost his best 2 cocks at the first race of the season. This is what we are all looking for, consistency in our pigeons and not just in one generation.
Kevin Tagell
5th 6th 9th 11th in both section A & open go to J & R Newall from Ashton-under-Lyne recording vels of 1612 (2) 1593/1590ypm winning £45. The hen was raced on the widowhood, she is a multiple federation and Amal positions she was bred by Steven and Bob Fenech. They are having a good season having won over 20 x 1sts this year.
J & R Newall
7th section A & open are won by Macclesfield’s Rick Geary & Son who win a total from this race of £163.70. This one is a chequer hen sent sitting a 4-day old youngest and is bred through their old Soontjen family crossed with a Vandbella. The sire is out of a cock that they used call the “Tame Cock” which himself won the North West Classic. Th photo is of Rick and his good lady with Simon’s son Arthur, what is it about grandparents with their offspring, they seem to light a lot up.
R Geary Family
8th 10th A section & open are won by P & L Brennen from Oldham whose two pigeons recorded vels of 1598/1590ypm.
1st & 2nd section B 23rd 24th open go to Wrinehill’s Joe Glover clocking up 1545/1544ypm winning £180. The first thing Joe said was that this is probably his best weekends racing achieving good results all-round. 1st 2nd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th in the club from Weymouth the winner being a cross between the Curtis-Wall-Lunt and Peter Jones of Whitchurch stock. 1st & 2nd section 23rd & 24th open in this race sending 9 and clocked 7 in 25mins. Market Drayton 2B provisionally 1st & 2nd yearling race with a full brother to the one that won the section in the classic. 1st in the Market Drayton old bird race. The Peter Jones Van Den Bulks have figured strongly in these results. Joe was telling me that they have a new member from last year, his name is Jimmy Smith (70yrs) who won the Hotspot in the OLR on the same weekend. Anyway, Joe has won in the region of 9 x 1sts already this year and the way they are going he is going to double that number before the season is out.
Joe Glover and Les J Parkinson
3rd section B is won by Frank Speed at Betley with a vel of 1521ypm collecting £41. Frank races just down the road from Joe Glover and he cannot believe how energetic he is for an 89-year-old. He was also saying that racing pigeons into their area is a pleasure, the atmosphere is so good, and visitors have also commented about it. It was nice to hear Fank say that “You don’t mind being beat in this club because everyone is happy to compete and enjoy racing pigeons whether you win or lose”. Think we better give a few details on this 3rd section pigeon which is a 2yo chequer hen raced on the roundabout. Frank said that she went missing a couple of weeks earlier which set them back because she is a good consistent pigeon that you cannot afford to lose. When she returned it wasn’t long before she was back on form and Frank could not walk past her when he was looking for candidates for this race. Frank would like to thank Dave Askey who helps him with the pigeons and without him he would struggle to race, so well-done Dave.
Frank Speed
1st 2nd 3rd sec C, are won by Mr & Mrs D W Cox who are from Warrington and record vels of 1503/1474/1461ypm winning £76.97. The partnership are regular senders with the club and in this race their first in the clock is a blue yearling cock from Martin McGee & Lee Owen stock. They then clocked the same 2yo blue cock that was 1st section 2nd open in the previous race with the NWCC. Next is a 4yo chequer cock and again one of his parents are from Martin McGee, this time crossed with a Tipton Barker. Darran works difficult hours for pigeon racing but with help from the lady of the house they are doing very well indeed.
Race results.
Bringing the prizewinners up to date with information from SWC Fed secretary Mel Bratt. Guernsey 1, Mick Stockton £78. S & T Soper £58.50. T Morrish £58.50. Guernsey 2, Tommy Hulme & Son £69.20. Peter & Dawn Latham £86.50. Mick Stockton £17.30. Guernsey 24/6th. Roy Parker £68.80. Martin Williams £86. M&H. Smith£17.20.
The South West Cheshire Fed race from Guernsey on the 24th June 34 members entered 172 birds that were liberated at 11-15am in a southeast wind. Crewe West End winner Roy Parker secures top spot plus 4th in the club and 1st fed recording vels of 1547/1452ypm. 2nd & 3rd club 6th fed go to Bob Humphries on 1513/1466ypm. Martin Williams had a good race in club and fed taking the first four positions in the Greenbank club along with 2nd 3rd 8th fed on 1541/1536/1507/1469ypm. The Middlewich 5B saw M&H Smith finish 1st & 3rd club 4th & 7th fed clocking up 1536/1509ypm. 2nd & 5th club 5th & 10th fed with vels of 1521/1490ypm go to Jones Bros & Karen Jones while super trainer Carol & Robert Carson are 4th club 9th fed on 1498ypm. In the Duddon PFC the red card goes to N Ball on 1445ypm ahead of K & K Rowland1442ypm, KW Walker & Sons 1413ypm and JL Evans & B Wright 1402ypm. That leaves the Winsford HS where Mike & Keith Hitchin collect another red card after recording a vel of 1436ypm followed by G&A&C Jones whose 2nd placed bird was on 1433ypm. We then have Mel Bratt taking the next two positions o 1393/1386ypm.
In the Mid Cheshire Fed race from Weymouth on the 17th of June 72 members entered 1,011 birds that were liberated at 10am in a southeast wind. Paul Dolan from the Earlestown FC had a good race taking the first three in the club to go with 1st 6th 7th fed recording vels of 1581/1550/1547ypm with fellow club member K Owen 4th club 10th fed on 1542ypm. Tony Parkinson from the Ashton in Makerfield club is 1st club 2nd fed on 1559ypm ahead of S Isherwood 2nd club 9th fed clocking up 1543ypm with K Darbyshire who clocked up 1508ypm.
The top two positions in the Wrinehill club go to Mr & Mrs Nigel Shaw who are 1st & 2nd club 1st south section 3rd fed on 1558/1451ypm ahead of Darren Everill 3rd with a vel of 1395ypm. The Cheshire FC saw the top two places go to J Stewart with vels of 1556/1519ypm the first being 4th Fed while 3rd place goes to Frank Howard on 1499ypm. Nice to see Frank back in action and I am told that he is joining forces with George Davies next year to do a bit more serious racing. The Rudheath WMC had a good race especially in the south section taking 15 of the 20 positions on the Result. Their winner is Dave Pritchard finishing 1st club 2nd section 5th open on 1555ypm with Peter & Mike Child 2nd club 3rd section 8th open on 1546ypm ahead of Kenny Burke recording a vel of 1520ypm. In the Acton Bridge club, it was all about Jones Bros & Karen Jones on 1471/1441/1433ypm. In the Frodsham HS 1st & 3rd go to Sidney Rogers & Son who clocked two with vels of 1371/1329ypm being split by Geoffrey Warburton who recorded a vel of 1334ypm. Meanwhile over in the Kingsway club Mr & Mrs Carl Hickman take top honours with a vel of 1494ypm being in front of Delooze Bros 2nd on 1485ypm with Mr & Mrs J Jones 3rd on 1468ypm. Moving on to the Leigh & Atherton HS where the first two positions go t G Grundy who recorded vels f 1557/1496ypm with J Chadwick being 3rd on 1457ypm. Steve Carroll was this week’s top man with a vel of 1527ypm just ahead of A Cookson on 1519ym and 3rd goes to L Bullock on 1509ypm. We now move on to the Newton FC where H & S Jolley take top spot with a vel of 1512 ahead of D Thomas 2nd on 1504ypm with B & D Hooper 3rd on 1500ypm. In the Sankey Bridge HS M Magee fills the top two places 1527/1516ypm leaving 3rd to S Cooke with a vel of 1506ypm.
The Mid Cheshire fed then moved on to Weymouth (2) when 79 members sent 1,146 birds that were liberated at 10am in a southwest wind. This was a near clean sweep for Ray Lunt from the Lymm club who takes the first four in the club and ends up 1st 3rd 4th 5th fed recording vels of 1691 with all 4. Stopping the top four going to the same loft are Acton Bridge winners Curtis-Wall-Lunt with 1st 3rd 4th club 2nd 6th 7th north section 2nd 7th 9th fed clocking up 1691/1681/1676ypm with Eric Taylor 1st North section 2nd club 6th fed on 1682ypm. Wrinehill sees Joe Glover collect another win after finishing 1st club 2nd section 8th open on 1680ypm also ending up 2nd with Jimmy Smith 3rd club. Completing the top ten in the open is A Roberts another Lymm member recording a vel of 1674ypm and was also 11th fed. John Hankey did a clean sweep of the top 3 places in the Ashton in Makerfeld club with vels of 1635/1624/1623ypm. The Cheshire FC red card goes to D Risley & Shawon 1657ypm followed by J Stewart 1649ypm and J Cooke 1642ypm. Bob & Brian Smith jump into the number one spot in the Earlestown FC with a velocity of 1624ypm knocking W & P Brown off their perch, but they are 2nd & 3rd clocking up 1622/1621ypm. Over at Frodsham Geoffrey Warburton comes home with the top two positions on 1451/1409ypm just ahead of Sydney Rogers & Son 3rd on 1388ypm. Mr & Mrs Carl Hickmam secure the top 3 places in the Kingsway HS after clocking up 1657 (2) & 1656ypm. Brian Vout wins again in the Leigh & Atherton HS with a vel of 1643ypm followed by J Chadwick with vels of 1640/1636ypm. M & H Smith are continuing to do well in the two local feds this week ending up 1st & 3rd club on 1652/1647ypm with Peter & Dawn Latham being the middle of the sandwich on 1651ypm. Meanwhile in the Newton FC the top 3 positions go to B & D Hooper after recording vels of 1637/1630/1629ypm. The Rudheath members are flying a good pigeon and this week S Herbert & Son Keith take the top two positions with two on 1662ypm ahead of Kenny Burke 1652ypm. Over at Runcorn R Hayes & J Pickstock fill the top spot on 1570ypm with the next two places going to Adamson & O’Hanlon on 1561/1558ypm. Last one for this week is the Sankey Bridge HS where Steve Cooke took the top two places recording vels of 1655/1644ypm ahead of Martin McGee on 1633ypm.
Nice.
Every now and again we see something and think “How nice” which came to mind when I saw that E W Froggatt was 2nd section 11 open on the provisional result for the MCC Guernsey race this no doubt will have changed on the result. Nice to see the family continuing to send we wish them all the very best.
Les Parkinson. 11 Rushton Drive, Middlewich, Cheshire, CW10 0NJ.
Tel: +44 (0)1606 836036. Mob: +44 (0)7871 701585.
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Web site: http://www.elimarpigeons.com