Lanarkshire News - Leicester race 5/06/26 - 11-06-26

Lanarkshire News - Leicester race 5/06/26

This is week seven of our thirteen week race programme. We arrive in Leicester, East Midlands in England around 245 miles back to this week’s winner in lower Central, Scotland. 

The race controller again had to work around some difficult weather patterns and word came through that we were going for the Friday race.

A convoy of 1318 birds had arrived in good time to receive their water and some rest before liberation into a light west wind at 08 30hrs.

The winning pigeon hit the boards after 5 hrs 58 minutes for Andy Graham (Graham Bros) of Carluke club which is in the Centre section of the federation.

1st Centre section 1st Open federation Leicester for Graham Bros of Carluke club

Andy said he had been joined by a couple of friends and they had thought around the 6 hrs 10 minutes only to get a nice surprise when his yearling Vandenabeele x Merlin lines Blue w/f hen arrived from an easterly direction.

Some time passed before his next arrival before they started falling in in great fashion with Andy having a brilliant race with thirteen pigeons in the top hundred.

This is quality flying showing the strength of his team that last season seen him winning the Old Bird Averages at federation level. 

I contacted Andy to get some information for the readers about his winning system.

The winning hen has raced every weekend of the season either with the Lanarkshire federation or the South Lanarkshire, she is loft exercised only being road trained before commencing racing.

Andy races on a type of celibate system in his spacious loft.

The cracking loft set up of (Andy Graham) Graham Bros

She is fed a set amount of feeding with fats being added one day earlier this week with the appropriate response.

Congratulations to Andy who continues to be one of Lanarkshire's premier all round performers. 

Another loft that is flying brilliantly is that of Billy Gordon of Blantyre club who is the winner of the federations first major trophy of the season .The first seven race average. Billy has always been a brilliant all-rounder past winner of many a prestigious trophies including the "Holy Grail "of trophies the Lanarkshire Social Circle Gold Cup. Well done to Billy on your success. 

North section winner is Martin Hilley of Airdrie club, Martin timed a yearling hen who had went to nest in the hen section and obviously gave her real motivation to be a winner!

Martin has always been an excellent fancier and got the best of his team with three in the top, especially at these middle distance events recording 3rd,9th,21st Open. Brilliant flying Martin.

John McPheat &Son winners of Clarkston club with a very special 3yr old Blue C winning the last two races. The story behind this pigeon unfolds, he was bred by fellow club member Andrew McKee who unfortunately due to ill health had a clearance sale but a number of them weren't sold. They were re homed to club secretary Charlie Muirs loft, but when released this pigeon continually would go into the McPheat's  loft in nearby village of Caldercruix so he was transferred and has found his love for racing with a good number of top 10 Open positions, especially at longer events. A story of a pigeon that found the fancier.

He is a brilliant wee racer, a small to medium built blue cock who has found his identity and a willingness to win. Can he make it three in a row!

Well done to Alec who always positive and is up for a laugh, a hard worker for the sport who deserves all his rewards.  

West section winner this week is the highly regarded Walter Boswell who timed a yearling blue cock from his Performance Pigeons UK stock, This pigeon was bred out of his highly successful John Short, Performance Pigeons UK .The Sire being a Vandenabeele and the Dam that has bred 3 x 1st section and a 1st Open federation winner.  Walter has started to show the form that his seen him over the years be one of the top lofts at any distance.

I'm sure there is more to come from Walter. 

Section winners

Centre section

1st Graham Bros

2nd B McCrindle & Son

3rd Mr & Mrs Duncan

West section

1st W Boswell

2nd & 3rd W Gordon

North section

1st M Hilley 

2nd J McPheat & Son

3rd I Rankin

Average Leader Board

1st W Gordon -Blantyre club

2nd T Corrie Son G/son

3rd I Rankin-Airdrie club

4th Graham Bros-Carluke club

5th W Boswell-Burnbank club

6th J Barr-Airdrie club

7th Young & Kelly-Chryston club

8th W Holland-Chryston club

9th M Hilley -Airdrie club

10th J Green & Son-Burnbank club

Debates will continue about what the future holds for this type of racing pigeons, week in week out moving say fifty miles down the road into frequent danger of falcon strikes. If you race every week you will have had a number of birds missing or injured. It's a fact that when we hit these middle distance events the racing is erratic and generally not enjoyable.

I'm not sure what the answer is for the future. First three races up to 100 miles, we had 100 % returns and the pigeons homing as if they enjoyed their flight, move into say 160 miles and disaster week in week out for Scottish federations. All waiting for each other to liberate and take the first hit from raptors.

Returns again weren't good! 

The introduction of GPS trackers are valuable information for everyone to see that the pigeons are being attacked at key intervals of their flight.

Is it time to have  a working group from the Scottish Homing Union and representatives from all federations to come up with a programme that can help save our sport.

This week we have a much needed comeback race from Alnwick around 100 miles to recharge the batteries.

Tom Corrie jnr

Lanarkshire Press Officer

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.