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L J Parkinson - 14-08-23

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L J Parkinson

Don’t know how much longer I can keep the young birds going and expect them to race home with ease. I have mentioned this before, I enjoy racing and want to be able to compete until the end, if that’s at all possible. The feathers are parting company with the body in a big way, probably the warmer drier weather is helping it along. According to the Met Office summer was starting on the 10th of August, if it has, we will know by now. This weekend sees us just about halfway through the young bird season, so after this week’s race I will be taking a closer look at what I need to put to one side for another season. I wouldn’t normally be stopping any but with this being our first season back we don’t have any old birds so a good team of yearlings would come in handy. I am still undecided about the later young bird team of 16, do I race them or put them on hold for another season. Either way they have had a good schooling so it’s a case of do I or don’t I give them a race or two. Pigeon fanciers have their own ways of doing things, two very good fanciers who I have spoken to have opposite views. One said they need to be raced while the other said if they are trained well, they would serve a better purpose for next year if they were put to one side. I didn’t used to be hesitant with the pigeons but if I am going to be competing next year, I must take stock before taking any action that may ruin the future of the loft. No doubt this is something that many fanciers do, even when they have a few old birds for the future. This year is like many others we are hearing of depleted old bird teams, and I don’t want that to happen to me. With that in mind many fanciers are relying on a good young bird team, which according to reports the young bird season is not going well for many fanciers around the country.

I was only saying to a local fancier we had a good team of young birds both in my sections (64) and Ebony’s (15) that were now stable, and we had those numbers for

about 5 weeks. Then in a training toss from Penkridge it all went wrong, after 90mins we had less than a third back for the 30ml flight. I was scratching my head as to why this was happening until one came back minus a few feathers. So, it was then a case of hope and prayer that we get more back and a reduced number with feather’s missing. All indications are that the BOP have been at it again, it was now a case of hope for the best. Things went better as the day progressed and by the end of the day, we were 7 missing so not as bad as first feared, the problem is are they going to be settled enough for the next race. Can’t complain too much as we were 2nd 5th 6th in the second race with the 5B, mind you the result would look better turned upside down in the MFC. An update on the bad toss we had we are 2 missing at time of going to press. I put the good returns down to all the training we gave them during which time they covered a large area. The problem is many of these tosses have seen them come on a bad line, they have been coming mostly out of the northeast which is no good to us. Last update on the Penkridge training toss, they are now all back where they belong in the loft.

Results.

The South West Cheshire Federation stayed at Cheltenham for the second young bird race of the season when 39 members entered 728 birds that were liberated at 9.15 am in a Light North West wind. Early indications were that we would have a good race day but then the rain moved across this part of the country. You could see the rain moving from west to east which would send many of the pigeons the long way round, which it looks like has happened. It was not the day for natural young birds, and this showed with returns dripping with water, those who were not showing signs of molting were not too bad, so darkness youngsters were better off. The first four plus 6th & 9th all went to Halmer End FC members with 1st 3rd 4th 6th going to Mainwaring & Simpkin with vels of 1264/1263/1260/1255ypm. Fellow club members N & S Harvey are 2nd on 1264ypm with P & E Mainwaring 9th on 1250ypm, a good day for the club. Mick Stockton had a good race in the Greenback club taking 1st 2nd 4th recording vels of 1255/ (2) 1215ypm also collecting 5th & 7th Fed. John Peever came into third position on decimals also clocking up 1215ypm. Duddon PFC winner G Adamson is records vels of 1254/1118 ypm for 1st & 3rd club plus 8th fed, the first being a good time on the day being so far over the other side of the fed to the rest. K & K Rowland are 2nd club with a vel of 1174ypm while N Ball is 4th on 1089ypm. 1st club 10th fed goes to Hankelow winner Frank speed on 1225ypm finishing ahead of Jimmy Smith 1208ypm and Mr & Mrs Nigel Shaw on 1197/1196ypm for 3rd & 4th places. In the Crewe West End young bird specialist Colin Lindop is 1st 7 4th with vels of 1218/1216ypm with Bob Humphries clocking two for 2nd & 3rd on 1218/1217ypm. Over at Middlewich Rudheath’s Jimmy smith secures the top spot on 1197ypm ahead of Parkinson & Wilkinson, Elimar Lofts in 2nd position on 1184ypm. Jones Bros & Karen Jones are 3rd clocking up 1165ypm ahead of W Wilson & Son whose first bird is on 1143ypm. That leaves us with Winsford HS where Chris Hitchin had a good race taking the first 5 in the club on 1213/1212 (2) 1211 (2) ypm. This family has been racing and winning with racing pigeons as long as I can remember. Some families continue to produce winning generations of pigeon fanciers, pity there are not more about, we need them.

We move on to the Mid Cheshire Fed race from Cheltenham (2) when 65 members entered 1368 birds to be liberated at 8am in a northwest wind. The top 4 positions in club, section, and open go to Eric Taylor racing with the Acton Bridge club recording vels of 1408 (2) 1407 (2) ypm. Also racing in the same club are Curtis-Wall-Lunt who take the next 4 places all on 1398ypm. The top ten were completed with Mr & Mrs Carl Hickman clocking three close together with the first two being on 1378ypm. Ashton-in-Makerfield saw the top three places go to John Hankey on 1349/1342/1341ypm. Taking the top 3 in the club was the order of the day for this race with 7 of the member clubs out of 13 who entered seeing one member having the edge over other members of their clubs. J Stewart took the top three in the Cheshire FC with vels of 1367/1353/1352ypm. That was also the case with W & P Brown who had another good result on 1336/1335 (2) ypm. In the Frodsham HS Geoffrey Warburton took top spot on 857ypm followed by Sydney Rogers & Son who clocked the next two on 788/765ypm. Meanwhile over in the Leigh & Atherton HS Simon Kennedy topped the list on 1295ypm followed by J Chadwick who takes the next two places with vels of 1278/1272ypm. T Hodson filled the top three positions in the Lymm FC clocking up 1297/1296 (2) ypm. Moving on to Middlewich where Dickens & Wilkinson finish with the top two on 1373/1371ypm just ahead of Peter & Dawn Lathe=am with a vel of 1369ypm. The Newton FC saw C Johnson & Son secure 1st & 2nd places on 1346/1345ypm with Fjodor Bros being 3rd on 1246ypm. In the Rudheath WMHS Mr & Mrs Pendlebury fill the top spot on 1238ypm ahead of Dave Pritchard recording a vel of 1212ypm and C Pendlebury on 1201ypm. Mark Kneale wins the Runcorn & DHS with a vel of 1242ypm, followed by B Jones on 1223ypm and R Hayes & J Pickstock 1201ypm. In the Sankey Bridges HS all three places go to Martin McGee on 1345/ 1331ypm with 2. Probably with the poor weather forecast 6 member clubs decided to opt out of sending in this race.

Photos.

We have a couple of photos that were taken after the result of this race was known to Middlewich FC members. One being of yours truly with a white flag after being beaten by Ebony who also won £5 from Dave Healey who said he would give her a fiver every time she beats me, better get my skates on don’t want to see Dave going bankrupt. Another is of a happy looking Ebony and dad Steve, our trainer. Ebony beat me in the Cheltenham 2 race.

white flag day      Ebony and dad Steve

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