Son Golden Barcelona bred by Mark Gilbert

I purchased this cock at the last clearance sale of Alwyn Hill at Blackpool. He was originally purchased from Mark Gilbert at great cost to Alwyn. 

He has been paired to many hens at my lofts as he was at Alwyns lofts. His blood lines run through my team for 2027 and will do well for me I am sure. 

It is with a heavy heart I offer this cock at auction but as I have said before I am over stocked so here he is. What ever the end bid is he is going to that lucky bidder. He has been fully fertile here and never missed an egg. 

I am Michael John Burden who has been interested in 680 miles the most but will try to compete at the shorter races too. I have only been interested in pigeons that can fly Barcelona uninterested in middle distance to short type racing birds.

I was diagnosed with cancer a few years ago and gave most of my main stock birds to a ‘good’ friend in Bakewell. I thought I was dying so I reduced my team because my wife does not understand or take any interest in the birds. David thought he knew best and killed most of my stock birds because he thought their eye sign was not very good despite their breeding being second to none all being sons or daughters or full brothers or sister to two certificate of merit winners for Steve Redfern of Derby, a great friend even to this day.

This set me back once my health improved and I realised I was not going to die. Odd really but the human mind can be complex at times.   So in order to regain my position in the distance races I have over compensated buying quite a number of birds from Alwyn Hill, (Wing Down fame) Eric Higginbottom a great flyer at Tarbes with All Alone Fame. also Andrew Holland Brian Denney bloodlines and a team of birds from Terry Lowndes of Ashbourne, a Tarbes specialist. I have purchased birds to the extreme to try to find the very good birds. The trouble is I have found having too many at stock impedes your ability to find the breeders etc. The following birds are now up for sale not because they are not good but because I can not realise their full potential. In 2026 I was 11th open NFC Saintes with a yearling cock of the Golden Barcelona lines, the 1st bird over 500 miles. These are great lines which should be in every distance fancier loft.

At Tarbes 2026 i had 3 in the section which was a very hard race.

These stock birds I am selling are responsible for my successful season this year.  

Don't be put off by the low starting bid I want a good sale but want the gone to reduce my work load and corn bill but mainly to re house the birds.