LES J. PARKINSON'S
NEWS-REPORTS-ARTICLES
Jack Thornley, Ray Bullen and Dave Garnett - 2nd 3rd 4th NWCC Fougeres. See text.
Two sports I like to watch are the F1 series and cricket, I have been watching the test match from Headingly (while working on my laptop of course) and on several occasions they have been viewing a gay pied that decided to search the grass on the pitch for its dinner and it has had more coverage than some of the cricketers. Even though England did not win the two match series they were good strong contested matches with Sri Lanka winning on the penultimate ball.
Can you help?
I have had an email that someone out there may be able to help, remember all projects relating to the sport are “Dear Les, I'm a student at Imperial College London, studying a masters in Science Media Production. For my final project myself and Matilda (a fellow student on the course) are going to be making a half hour documentary all about pigeons! We'll be looking at their remarkable history, their unique homing mechanism, and the special relationship that we have with them because of that. I was wondering whether you were aware of any races coming up in the near future (ideally within London or the South) that it might be possible for us to come and film? We would also love to film a bird and owner getting ready for the race and follow them through to the hopefully triumphant return! If you could pass this message on to anyone you think might be interested I'd be most grateful. Any information you could give me would be greatly appreciated. Best wishes, Emily Bates email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.”
Correspondence
I was looking through the notes on my Facebook page and picked up the following message. “Hi Les. I set up with pigeons in 2012, my dad was working near Middlewhich at the time and came to your loft to see you, and he worked there for 3 years and watched the results in Homing World written by yourself. We wanted to get in touch with Mike O’Hare of the O’Hare & Woodward partnership. Anyway we kept an eye out to see of any sales they were having as we couldn't get a contact number for them. My dad came home one Friday and said he had one week left working in Crewe. I don’t know if it was luck but we got the Homing World that night and there was an advert in for a sale of their pigeons so he rang them and organised to go on a visit. On the Friday when my dad came back with the pigeons I was pleased as Mike had given me some cracking pigeons for stock and some young birds to try that year. I have bred off the stock birds and I am doing really well with them. I would like to thank Mike & Ron for the birds we got from them so is there any chance you could put a little write up in your column in BHW please Les thanking them from me and my dad Eric Harris as the birds have put us in amongst the points I haven’t had a win yet but had a 3rd in the Loftus club 365 birds and 25th east Cleveland fed 1392 birds in the massive UNC and other club and fed positions beating some top lofts and only my first year racing old birds. I couldn’t be happier with them. Anyway thanks for your time Les. Thank you Paul & Eric Harris” The O’Hare & Woodward partnership are having a real good season especially in the National races and I will be reporting on them in due course.
North West Classic
The latest race for the North West Classic Club saw 44 members send 335 birds to what was a hard channel race from Fougeres. As with most other organizations on the day not many pigeons made over 1100ypm and in this race there were just 5 and another 12 over 1000ypm. 1st open 1st section A sees hard working member of the club Brian Lee from Congleton collect the red card on 1146ypm. This is a Blue hen who is a winner of 2nd Cheshire 2B Carantan as a young bird and sent back to National FC Carantan winning 16th section L. “30” is bred from Roger Sutton Van de Weyer/Andrie Bertie Janssen stock. 30’s nest sister 29 was third Cheshire 2B Carantan when they dropped together, she was also sent back to Carantan and won 2nd in the Maddely 2B. These hens fly on the roundabout system and will race every week up to and including Messac. The race team are not broken down they are fed Gerry plus early in the week then onto Vanroabays Bordeaux mix. Brian does play about with this dependant on weather conditions with various seeds and conditioners.
Brian Lee with his granddaughter holding the latest NWCC winner.
2nd Open 2nd section A goes to Ray Bullen from Cheadle whose work in securing the new marking station for this year shows that there are still quite a few members on the east side of the club wanting to compete. The pigeon is a blue Vermassen cock who was 3rd section in the Classic from Bedhampton last year. All 5 of Ray’s Vermassen cocks just raced to the coast as yearlings and this year they have been to the two tough classic channel races. Ray was saying that he has only lost one so they have proved they can tackle it and are now bringing up their first youngster of the year with a view to resting them for a fresh programme next year. The blue cock was coming home to a youngster which Ray said gave him the incentive to battle on during a non widowhood type day. 3rd Open 3rd section A is a good race for Thornley & Ferguson who race their pigeons in Wythenshaw had another good race with the Classic clocking a yearling that had been on the result a few weeks earlier and will now be rested until next year. The partnership had a big clear out last year so are only racing a small team this year and most of them are yearlings so are pleased with the way things have gone to date. The sire is a grandchild of Invincible Spirit, Jack was saying they have quite a few of these and they are pleased with them so far and looking for more channel performances in the future. The problem with next year’s racing is that Jack is looking at another property so a move just might be on the cards so a fresh start in a new area so who knows what the future holds for the good yearling cock, will a move suit him, we shall have to wait and find out. Must not leave this one with a mention for one of the North West’s best long distance fancier’s, Dave Impit where the dam comes from so good breeding all round.
Jack Thornley with 3rd section & open NWCC Fougeres
4th Open 4th section A are Garnett & Moore of Gatley. The partnership had pigeons at the NWCC and the Midland National on the same day and the two in the photo did within a minute the same time from different races. The blue hen sitting on the nest was with the NWCC and the chequer cock with the MNFC, quite a coincidence. The chequer hen for this race is out of a direct Van Den Driese cock from the same lines as “The Kapone” “De Super” “The Marseille” and “T’ Vichyke” while the dam is from the Paul Haelterman lines. Many years ago Dave Garnett was known for his Dordins and I had a couple, one was the exceptional show hen that we had winning of 30 x 1sts in the show pen. She also did well racing but after she had prized at Rennes Elizabeth wouldn’t let me send her again.
Garnett & Moore's chequer 4th Open NWCC
5th Open 1st section B are H Bratt & Son from Winsford and I bet he has given his drinking buddy Mick some stick over this one. The pigeon is a 3yo Blue hen that has been a very consistent hen who is getting better with age. She is in the clock every time from the channel. Her Sire is a Mark Kidby Janssen, my number one stock cock. This has proven to be a good introduction because every pigeon from him has always been consistent. His Sire was “The Governor” raced by Mark Kidby while the dam was purchased from Harry Wright, from the North East. Mel went on to say that he would like to congratulate Mr Wright on winning the1st Up North Combine. The breeding of this pigeon is mostly Hagen Bros, but the sad thing is that all Mel’s stock birds got out the other week and she was one of them. This was the last race for this hen as Mel will be sending her as his sole entry to Tarbes with the National FC and will keep us all informed if she makes it. 6th Open 5th section A is Roger Sutton another Congelton member to get in amongst the winners. 2nd section B goes to Tommy Howarth who clocked a 2yo Kuyper Van Geel dark chequer cock raced on the widowhood. He scored as a young bird and also as a yearling winning 28th open in the NWCC Niort race. He has also had a couple of prizes this year so a consistent cock that has more to offer. What I will say about Tom is he works his pigeons hard and is never shy to keep them going. 3rd section B are Mark & Heather Smith from Middlewich who are having a purple patch. Their prize winner this week is a 4y/o blue hen out of the very good Kuyper cock that Mark purchased at the late Dennis Gleave sale. Mark was saying that this has been a great stock cock but died at 15yrs so there are no more available, he also went on to say that he did lose three good hens off him in the very hard channel races that we have had. There are some hens in a section and they are pairing and sitting egg’s which is what this hen is doing. 1st 2nd & 3rd section see go to Graeme Marskell of Leyland who has flown a good pigeon all season in the club. The first pigeon from Fougeres was a 4y/o blue cock that is a gift bird from Richard Barker a couple of years ago and has turned out to be a good racer especially in the hard channel races. He is Eric Ceuleman breeding via Frank Bristow being is raced on the roundabout system and was sent every week prior to this race. He has previously been 7th section 22nd open Fougeres and 7th section 33rd open Messac both in the NWCC. Next through the trap is a 2y/o blue cock bred from Graeme’s middle to long distance family. His sire is a Kipp distance bird with all the top Barcelona pigeons in his pedigree with the dam being a daughter of a brother to Garry Inkleys Enigma 1st Open Dax and a granddaughter of Graeme’s top racer '69233' 1st section 2nd open Niort. He has only been lightly raced so it was pleasing to see him return in what turned out to be quite a tough race. Coincidentally on the same day a half sister to this cock was 1st club also from Fougeres. Third bird was a silver yearling hen, again from the middle/long distance family. Her sire was bred by Ian Gill and is a grandson of Drumiller Hill Lad the Kings Cup winner and her dam is bred from the full brother to Enigma as with the 2nd bird when he was paired to Graeme’s best mealy hen winner of 5 x 1st including 1st section L in The National FC. She only had a few races as a young bird and then this year has been raced on the roundabout system going every week up until the Carentan race two weeks previous to this race and then had a couple of training tosses in between the 2 channel races.
Club/Fed News
Chris Herbert secretary over at Moulton is nearly always the first to send a result and this week is no different for their Mangotsfield race when 7 sent 75 birds. K & S Bell are this week’s red card winners after taking the rubber off a 3yo chequer pied cock recording a vel of 1297ypm. The next three positions all went to Peter & Mike Child with vels of 1281/1267/1264ypm. First in the clock is a 2yo chequer cock followed by a yearling blue cock and then a 2yo chequer cock. The Cheshire FC were at Fougeres for the second channel race of the season with 38 birds being liberated at 8.30am with the Combine in a North West Wind, Turning North East over the channel, and all the way home which once again ended up giving us another hard race with big losses. This race has Tommy Davies 2nd club channel win having won the hard Falaise, but this time Tommy is 1st 2nd & 3rd Club, his winner a Smokey Blue Hen on a vel of 1082.98 is bred from Tom's Busschaert stock his 2nd & 3rd were bred from his Oak Villa Lofts Stock they are on 1060 & 1035 Bill Mather is 4th Club with a chequer widowhood cock on a vel of 1001.96 There were only 4 birds home on the day so a well done to Tommy and Bill. The club then had a Mangotsfield when 6 members sent 53 birds that saw Bill Mather going 1st 2nd Club with two widowhood cocks bred from his Dirk Van Dyck stock. Bill has the club nom with his winner on a vel of 1252ypm 2nd then a pied cock on at 1247ypm. Don Risley is 3rd club with a blue cock racing on the widowhood to record a vel of 1247ypm. In the Kingsway HS 5 members sent 32 birds Fougeres with Tommy Davies being 1st 2nd 3rd club having gone 1st 2nd & 3rd club at the Cheshire FC at this race point. Tom had a total of 20 birds at the two clubs. He also had only had 3 birds missing on the first day. That is some racing from Tom who also won at Falaise in the Cheshire FC. Toms winner is a slate blue Janssen cock on a vel of 990ypm while 2nd club is a dark chequer Busschaert cock on 913ypm and 3rd club is another slate cock with the base lines being Janssen the same as the winner. Well done Tommy a grand day racing for the Latchford "Ace". The Middlewich 5B were at Yeovil a distance of 156mls to the local town where 18 members sent 110 birds. Mark & Heather Smith had a good race taking the top two positions, firstly with a 2yo Karel Bockx/Kuyper blue cock that won the week before. A yearling blue cock then went through the trap that has previously had a 1st & 2nd this year and was bred by O’Hare & Woodward, the two winning vels are 1318/1315ypm the second also winning the first share of the pools. Mark has got them on the boil and wherever he sends them they are not far off, that is if they don’t win themselves. The next two positions go to Mike O’Hare & Ron Woodward who are another partnership who have their pigeons on the boil as they are doing very well in the National races. They clocked two Vandenabeele blue cocks a 2yo and yearling, both having won prizes before, their vels being 1310/1286ypm with their second taking the last of the pools. The Middlewich FC were at Mangotsfield where Parkinson & Wilkinson’s P & J Boal bred blue cock went through the trap to collect the red card. In the last three weeks this cock has won 1st club 10th fed Mangotsfield 117mls, 4th and just pipped for 20th fed at Fougeres 339mls and this week 1st club 10th fed 120mls that’s twice he has done that same club and fed position’s in three weeks. This is from the Heremans/Ceuster lines that are winning well and this blue cock is a brother to winners and we also have a brother to him in the stock loft. The dam was bred by Leo Heremans out of a grandson of “De Jan” one of the top pigeons from these lines and was paired to a daughter of “Bokita”an exceptional stock hen who was paired to a son of “Kenzo” 1st National Ace Pigeon with winners all the way in the breeding. This week the blue cock recorded a vel of 1320ypm. 2nd & 3rd go to Dickens & Wilkinson with vels of 1313/1301ypm with their very good team of Curtis, Wall & Lunt stock. Their first in the clock is a yearling widowhood cock bred from an egg off Fell Bros whose pigeons are based on those of their very good friends Curtis, Wall & Lunt, this same pigeon was 5th at Falaise a few weeks earlier. They then saw home a Curtis, Wall & Lunt bred blue widowhood cock that won earlier in the year and was also 6th section B in the North West Classic Club. 4th sees Mark & Heather Smith continue their good run after clocking one of the O’Hare & Woodward pigeons that have done very well for them. This chequer cock records a vel of 1300ypm. The members from the Winsford club sent 164 birds to Yeovil. For this year the members had decided to split their birds between two feds but now with them only sending to the South West it has enabled them to compete with complete teams. Jones Bros came out firing on all cylinders taking the first five positions with all five clocked within 57 seconds into a T3, who needs ETS with clocking like that. Taking first place, velocity 1325ypm was a 3y/o chequer cock which won the South West Cheshire last year and prizing many times this year. In second spot vel 1322ypm is a very good yearling chequer cock which has already won 6 prizes this year and also won 3 prizes as a YB. In third position with a vel of 1322ypm is a 2y/o chequer w/f cock. This cock was the first to the loft but flew around. He has already won this year and has also won many prizes over the last 2 years. In fourth recording a vel of 1319ypm was a 4y/o blue hen that is a very consistent hen and is reliable winning at least 5 cards each year. All pigeons are flown on widowhood and bred from their excellent Andre Clemens lines. This is the standard of pigeon flying we have to fly against at Winsford. Well done Karen, Jack and Bob who have a racing loft of the highest calibre and a credit to Winsford. Mel Bratt PO. The Rudheath club race from Fougeres saw 6 members send 31 birds when Malcolm Hewitt finished 1st & 3rd with a 2y/o chequer Bruggerman Bros cock. This is a good cock have also won 3rd Portland, 1st Falaise and 1st Lancashire social Circle Fougeres. Malcolm then clocked a 2y/o chequer pied hen their vels being 1047/921ypm. 2nd goes to Ian Cooper doing 980ypm with a yearling chequer pied Busschaert hen, these pigeons keep going for Ian. Frank Lockwood & Ann Curbishley take 4th position with a 4y/o blue cock on 558ypm and is one of Frank’s specials. The club then went to Mangotsfield with 7 members sending 59 birds that were liberated in a North East wind so didn’t get all their own way. 1st & 2nd go to Derek Woodward with a 3y/o blue cock that was also 1st club 7th Wrekin Fed the week before. He is a grandson off Aviator winner of 1st Olypiade Ace Pigeon Long Distance crossed with Star Lite Wout Speirings 1st National Ace bred by Peter Fox and won many prizes last season. Derek’s second in the trap is a 2y/o chequer cock off his Golden Gaby family the two vel’s for Derek are 1318/1315.6ypm. 3rd place goes to Keith Herbert with a yearling blue pied hen off his good Staf Van Reet family and records a vel of 1315.3ypm. Ian Cooper is 4th after seeing home one of his trusty Busschaert’s, this 2y/o blue cock recorded a vel of 1299ypm.
Derek & Marjorie Woodward 1st & 2nd Rudheath
We now move on to the Mcclesfield FC reports starting with the Frome race when 9 members sent 101 birds. 1st & 2nd this week is Alan (The Man) Senior on 1972.7/1972.2ypm with two arriving together. The first is a 3yr old widowhood cock bred by Alan off his Herman x Lambrecht stock this bird has now won 5x1sts and 5x2nds plus topped the fed from Frome last season. Alan calls this one the Congleton cock because as a youngster it went in a fanciers loft twice and he told him if it returns again you can keep it, lucky for Alan he stayed home the third time. The second bird is a yearling widowhood cock bred by fellow club mate Martin Hough through his Cheekie Belgium lines paired on to a Staff Van Reet, Young Money Spinner. this yearling had no racing as a youngster. Roger Bowers is 3rd keeping up with the pace again on 1966ypm with a yearling widowhood cock bred by him out of the stock loft from birds off Frank Sheader direct. Club secretary Bernie Barrett is 4th on 1964ypm with a yearling widowhood cock bred by him and is a Lambrecht out of birds brought in last year direct from GJ Dutton of Birmingham. The race sponsors for this race are Spearings butchers of Macclesfield. Next race for the club was again from with 8 members sending 74 birds. Having a very good race is hard working secretary Bernie Barrett in 1st 3rd & 4th positions on 1366/1351/1350ypm. The winner is a yearling widowhood cock bred by him and is a Lambrecht off birds from GJ Dutton of Birmingham. This cock has already won this season topping the Staff’s Moorlands Fed from Frome. His second bird is also a yearling widowhood cock bred for him by fellow club mate Stuart Goldstraw over in Congleton while his third bird is another yearling widowhood cock bred by Bernie and again out of the Dutton Lambrecht’s, these birds are showing great promise already for Bernie. In 2nd position is Martin Hough on 1352ypm clocking his yearling widowhood cock that won for him early in the season winning the Staffs Moorlands yearling classic from Wincanton bred by him its off his number one stock hen through Roger Suttons National family the sires a Farah/Diba from Syndicate lofts off Baron & Blakey from the North East. The race was sponsored by fellow club member Kevin Moore. In the Sandbach FC race from Mangotsfield the top two positions go to Eric Taylor on 1361/1357ypm. The winner is a very good yearling cock from the Van de Rhee/Verheye lines has so far won 3x1sts 1x2nd plus 1st 2nd 4th & 7th fed. Eric then clocked a 2y/o chequer Van de Rhee cock both being raced on the widowhood. 3rd goes to John Allbutt who saw home a 2y/o Staf Van Reet widowhood cock collecting a third prize of the season and records a vel of 1284ypm. These Staf Van Reets have been good to John and his friends over the years winning many prizes. Mick Stockton is 4th after clocking a 3yo Van De Merwe blue cock on 1283ypm sent on the natural system. The West Coast Fed Fougeres race saw 34 members send 218 birds that were liberated at 7am in a light North East wind. This was one of the better Fougeres races into the North West with the vels ranging from 1314 down to 1193ypm for the top 20 when other organisations were far worse off, is has been the luck of the draw dropping on the right weekend for the channel races. The only pigeon to top the 1300ypm mark was the race winner to the Blackpool Col lofts of Kenny Cardwell who was also 5th 8th & 19th. Fleetwood & District winners Mr & Mrs Holloway & Family are 2nd & 14th with fellow club member George Anyon finishing 3rd & 9th. The ever present Paul fisher & Son took the red cards in both their local clubs the Staining HS and Queens Inv collecting 4th 12th & 15th fed along the way. The Fleetwood HS was won by F Hanley who came home with 6th fed with fellow club members Blane, Edge & Blane being 7th. Kirkham & Wesham winner J Salthouse is 10th fed ahead of JA Devalle who collects 11th & 16th positions. The Staining & Dist winner is A Raby with 13th fed while J Pawson finishes 17th with P.N Wyatt 19th after topping the list in the Pilling Inv which leaves 20th to P Hodgkinson. Just B Mitchell from the Thornton & Cleveleys missing the top twenty this week. The Mid Cheshire Fed race from Mangotsfield saw 61 members sending 646 birds that were liberated at 9am in a North West wind. The Curtis, Wall & Lunt team have hardly been out of the top few positions during the land programme, they certainly know how to get them right, In this race they take the top three positions from their entries with the Acton Bridge club. Eric Taylor wins the Sandback club and takes 4th & 5th fed while Crewe Premier winner Steve Parkinson is 6th ahead of fellow club members Mr & Mrs Geoff Matthews who finish 7th 8th & 9th. 10th goes to Middlewich winners Parkinson & Wilkinson with Rudheath winner Derek Woodward 11th & 13th. Dave & Baz Mellor are 12th ahead of 14th placed Keith Herbert. 15th & 16th go to Dickens & Wilkinson, 17th Mark & Heather Smith, 18th Ian Cooper, 19th Martin Williams and 20th Hickman & Shovelton who won the Kingsway club. Missing the top twenty this week are K&S Bell who top the list in the Moulton club. Bill Mather from the Cheshire FC and Graham Davies over at Wrinehill both took the red cards in the respective clubs. The South West Cheshire Fed saw 46 members send 495 birds to Yeovil to be liberated at 9.30am in a North East wind. Greenbank winners Dave & Baz Mellor had a good race collecting 1st 2nd 7 8th positions. The Crewe West End was won by J Clarke for 3rd fed ahead of fellow club members Mick & Wendy Mellor 4th & 5th and Bob Humphries is 6th. Jones Bros took the top five positions in the Winsford club and are 7th 9th & 10th fed. The other member club the Middlewich 5B saw Mark & Heather Smith collect the red card.
Mark Smith, in the prizes in most clubs at the moment.
Mark Smith's lofts and guard dogs. They do bite!
Ebony & Graysen Crowley with two unexpected arrivals.
Les J Parkinson. 11 Rushton Drive, Middlewich, Cheshire, CW10 0NJ, +44 (0)1606 836036. +44 (0)7871 701585.
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Web site: www.elimarpigeons.com
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