L J Parkinson
Many fanciers are experiencing young bird losses, and at this time of the year they cannot be replaced if you want to race them this year, that is without the odd comeback race at the end of the season. I also hear there are fanciers about who will not be competing in the young bird races because of the losses. On the Sunday before the first race, I decided to take them to Stafford about 26mls, a bit of, should I, or should I not. Anyway, I decided to take them and as soon as they were out of the crates they disappeared so back in the van and away I went. I was expecting to be back with time to spare, after all we are only a mile or so off the M6. As I went into the garden the first thing was to get the corn from the bin only to hear them arriving above my head. I shouted them and they were all down and, in the loft, wanting their morning feed. I took them again on the Sunday and at first, I was happy with the weather but as I was a couple of miles down the M6 the mist had dropped and there was heavy drizzle. The rest of the journey home was not improving much so thoughts of, are we going to have any young birds to race this year. I had been back about 10mins and two dropped together which was not giving me much hope but then the batch came and were down and in the loft in no time. I must admit I have had some weird training tosses with no two being the same.
Yearlings.
At the start of the season, I was a bit concerned that I only had yearlings to race and with many of them I was not altogether sure how they would go on. We have lost about 50% for one reason or another. From the way they have returned from some training tosses and races the excessive number of BOP’s that we now have in the UK is taking their toll on our pigeons. There are a few with less flights in their wings than they should have so I am taking it they were dodging the BOP’s better than others. The benefit is racing old birds is coming to an end so what we have left will not be subject to the BOP population as they would have been had they been in the baskets. Now stop there we have another greedy bird who has found out that the racing pigeon is tastier than other food they have been helping themselves too. You watch your ice cream and burgers while at the seaside, our pigeons are also being devoured by the Seagull population, see the photo I had sent to me. After my notes about the BOP’s taking our pigeons, I received a text with photos and a message. “Apparently not so, young birds, I was told the Black Backed gulls knock tired pigeons down into the water when they are coming across the channel and devour them” (see photos). It might be a case of the BOP population are partly being blamed when it is not their fault. Having said that I suspect in most cases that is what is happening. Would I be worried about yearlings in the future, no, especially when I look at the National FC race from Sigogne when up to 10.40am on the second day there were only 98 birds on the provisional result, I suspect there will be more home, but some are finding it tough. In those 98 there were 38 yearlings and some doing over 500mls which is very good. Here are some of those yearlings flying well, Will Curtiss section K 563mls, Tony Ward Blackburn 562mls. There are others close, these are the two farthest that I have come across while putting these notes together.
Seagull with pigeon
North West Classic
They continued to race from Guernsey with the birds being liberated at 12.50 into a light south west wind. Information is getting short; it looks like most fanciers do not want a mention in the fancy press. 1st 4th 7th 8th Open 1st 3rd 6th 7th Section are won by Stephen Turnock who races a good pigeon in the club. The bird that won the NWCC is a Chequer w/f cock. His breeding is Lambrecht Base that comes through Steve Foster’s Mighty White and comes off Stephens good friend Bill Leese from the Midlands. Two weeks before he was sent to North Staff Fed Guernsey, he won the club and came 6th North Staffs Federation out of 1,008 birds, plus he has had 3 seconds in club and on all three occasions he was beaten by loft mates and still only a yearling. The next bird was 4th Chequer w/f Cock who was 4th at the last NWCC Guernsey he is a very reliable cock for the loft. Stephen’s next two bird’s 7th & 8th have had good wins and are both hens. My next bird came 11th won last year Guernsey in NWCC and he is now going into Stephen’s small stock loft for a good rest and the winnings of £664.85 will keep him going for many years to come.
S Turnock
2nd & 9th Open 1st 2nd section B with £290 goes to one of the in-form lofts in the area Eric Taylor who would firstly like to congratulate all the winners. Eric’s had a real good run and won section L in the hard Sigogne National race, he was also 3rd 4th 5th Mid Cheshire Fed Wincanton, only beaten by one of the best racers in the UK, Ray Lunt. His first in the clock is off a Gerald Delaney pigeon and is a gold ring winner and a winner on land. The week before he won first club second Wrekin fed. Feeding is basic widowhood with fats. His present-day family is based on his old family of Campuis x Verheye, Gerald Delaney and Kevin Lawson stock. Eric has just got a new loft this year and it seems to be working OK. He adds very little to the water, just multi-vits once a week. Eric went on to say he still thinks the North West Classic is a tough one to win with plenty of top flyers competing. With an excellent secretary, Diane Bonney and Mark, Pete and Billy at the sharp end in Middlewich.
Eric Taylor
3rd open 2nd section A and a cash helping hand of £326 is won by G Holker & Sons who are quite often the ones to beat, they have a good team and certainly know how to look after and condition them for the specialist races. No doubt Tony has his work cut out keeping these pigeons in the right condition for such races as this one.
Tony Holker
5th open 4th section A sees J Wood & Son collect £92. We usually get an email from these lads, but nothing arrived to date.
J Wood & Son
6th Open 5th Section A with £27 is won by Roger Sutton a fancier who has been winning for as long as I can remember and the family are always a helping hand, with sons Greg & Andrew and their better halves all getting involved one way or another. Roger is the boss (maybe, will ask Pat) who keeps everyone on their toes.
Roger Sutton and NWCC sec Diane Bonney
10th Open 3rd Section B goes to Mark Smith who is having a good season and has some good company with mike O’Hare who was probably the 2nd best fancier to the late Denis Gleave that we have had in Middlewich and over the years there has been some good ones. Anyway, the pigeon in question is a blue hen which was part of a race team last year from J&B Oakley. She has raced consistently through the year without breaking any records, however consistency is what we want in the pigeons. She was paired to another blue cock from the same race team who decided to take a few days holiday on his way home. Without the cock being there this hen then started to look at another hen laid eggs and had allowed them to sit. 3 days before the race Mark put a 5-day-old YB under her and let them feed the youngster. The hens are housed in their own loft on v perches, and they don't often pair up but Mark thought this was something different to try. The hens are fed on a normal widowhood mix building up with fats towards the end of the week. They fly well around home and if Mark feels the need, they will have a training toss mid-week. The water additives are the normal probiotic on Monday, Vitamins on Tuesday/Wednesday that are usually added to the food rather than the water. Mark said he would like to win the classic again and on the same day win cheshire or Middlewich 2bird which in their time were 2 fantastic clubs sadly now gone but you never know, don't ask for much. Mark sends his best wishes to all for the coming YB season and thanks to Mike Ohare / Peter Latham for the continued support and bonkers ideas that Mark sometimes has.
Mark Smith
1st & 2nd section C are Mr & Mrs Dave Cox, I need to get together with Dave to see what information he has to offer because against the odds he has had some good results in the club.
Mr & Mrs Cox
Results.
The Mid Cheshire Fed’s latest race was from Wincanton when the birds were liberated at 10am with no wind. This was a good steady race with winning vels in the in the low 1400’s. 1st 2nd 6th & 18th open along with 1st 2nd 3rd section go to Ray Lunt who has had a good season, vels in this race are 1423/1422/1407/1397ypm put up be a yearling, 2 x 2yo and a 3yo. He has been 1st 2nd 3rd 4th on five occasions and has topped the fed 7 times and one mishap when the correct strike was not done on his M3 Benzing. He has been in the top 7 of the fed 42 times, that is good going when you look at the competition in the club. Ray took the first 4 in the Lymm club. As mentioned in the Classic report Eric Taylor who on this occasion racing in the Acton Bridge club took 1st 2nd 3rd club and section to go with 3rd 4th 5th fed recording vels of 1415/1414/1413ypm with 3 yearlings. Members of Earlestown FC took 10 of the net 11 places with the first 4 in the club plus 7th 8th 9th 10th fed go to Ryads Lofts with vels of 1404 (4) ypm. 11th 14th 15th fed positions go to W & P Brown on 1403/1402 (2) ypm with a 2yo and two yearlings. Also, with the same club we have Arnold & Johnson collecting 12th 13th 17 places on 1403 (2) 1401ypm after seeing home 3 2yo’s. 1st Middlewich FC 16th fed are P & D Latham who have not done bad at all in the National this year, with the results they have had it shows their pigeons are right for the task in front of them. In this race they are 1st club 16th fed after clocking a yearling on 1401ypm. Another in-form loft is Mark Smith’s who is 2nd & 3rd club on 1363/1362ypm with a 3yo and yearling. D & P Whitefield cover the top three in the Halmerend FC clocking up 1394/1345/1344ypm while Dave Beeston & Son complete the top twenty ending up 1st & 4th club 20th fed with a 3yo on 1389/1370ypm. Coming home 2nd with a 3yo on 1372ypm is Darren Everill all from the Wrinehill HS. In the Leigh & Atherton HS Jim Chadwick secures the top three places recording vels of 1339 (2)/ 1338ypm. Steve Cooke does likewise securing the top three places is Sankey Bridges HS on 1361/1329/1312ypm. That leaves the Rudheath WMHS where Dave Lowe picks up another red card with a vel of 1313ypm followed by J Thornley 2nd & 3rd on 1303/1284ypm.
Les Parkinson.
11 Rushton Drive, Middlewich, Cheshire, CW10 0NJ.
Tel: +44 (0)1606 836036.
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Web site: http://www.elimarpigeons.com