"The Original"
Around The Up North Combine
By Good Corn
The Up North Combine Bourges race has being a much talked about topic over the past few years, with the most talked about being the few and no timed in day birds, and the very few returns from the 540 to 600 miles plus race from the three day race. Here is the past 5 years UNC Bourges statistics, in 2013 an entry of 1,640 were liberated at 7.45am in no wind with 150 birds being clocked in race time and the winner recording a vel of 1251.24. 2014 saw the muster of 1,611 birds being up and away at 5.30am flying into a light north wind with the winner achieving a vel of 1198.85 and 140 birds making it back in race time. Onto 2015 when the convoy of 1,736 birds hit the skies at 5.30am in a north-west wind with 73 birds being recorded in race time and the winner doing 838.26. There was 65 birds clocked in race time in 2016 when an entry of 1,306 birds were up and away at 5.15am flying into a west-south-west wind, with the winner knocking up a vel of 866.73. The 2017 convoy of 1,795 birds were liberated at 5.40am in a light west wind with the winner doing 818.95 and 37 making the long journey home in race time.
I did ask in my 2017 Bourges report that your views and concerns on the Bourges races are most welcome, I received one email about the subject. The UNC fancier who sent the email had tried to find out why Bourges has become a disaster after the 2016 race, the fancier wrote to an English fancier flying in France. The question was we fly in the UNC and trying to analyse why for the past 3 years we have had very poor results from Bourges our furthest race flying over 540 miles to the shortest fliers. The last Bourges we had none on the day with only 60 plus birds back in three days. Birds were liberated at 5.15am British time which would be 6.15am French time. The reply was, the time you quoted would never happen in France all our liberations are from 6.30am onwards. In 10 years flying all over France there have never being a liberation between 6.30am till 7 o'clock. You do get lots of mist early morning and of course temperatures are very low. We also have a ruling in France that no liberations will happen until temperature is 10/11 degrees, you are aware that Pigeons have a problem in low temperatures. The UNC fancier also copied out a article taken from the Squills Diary of 1937 (80 years ago) an article was written by a convoyer who warned against liberating in France at 5.30am, stating that you cannot judge the morning, you may see the sun rising, half an hour later all is closed again, also stating that 1 in 20 birds have not even been to the drinker. Also remember in those days they were not in closed up wagons as our birds are today, so ours cannot even see sun rise. The further south you go the later the sun rises, the sun rises at Bourges at 4.50am which is 5.50am in England on the day we are liberated. We are liberating birds when the sun isn't even above the height of the roof tops. This year (2017) in England at 5.50am the fancier was not alone when he watched the sun rise on Teesside and it was all there to see. The sun was not above the rooftop height, if you look at any of the videos of Bourges liberations you will see sun not even above the tree top height. Pigeons need the sun to navigate, recent letter in the press says no sun = no fun, i.e. you end up with a smash.
This year from Burbure (1) when the birds were liberated at 5.30am we almost had a disaster when fanciers were timing birds an hour after their first arrivals, we only got away with it because the birds were still fresh enough to rectify their mistakes and returns ended up being ok. When Pigeons make a mistake at Bourges and set off in the wrong direction we think towards the sun, even a hundred miles off course giving them 600 plus miles to get back on track. This year the West Durham Amal liberated from Tours at 7.30am, the same day we liberated from Bourges and they had two birds timed on the day out of 500 birds which out of our 1,900 birds would have given us at least 8 birds and more arrivals pro-rata the following day, not the 37 we got over 3 days. Over the years the fancier and his partner have won/scored more times than most flying from the longest race point, having had 6 Pigeons fly Montelucon 592 miles on the day. Very few Pigeons can fly 10 hours even less that can fly 12 or more hours, so you are looking at best twelve hour windows to get the birds home i.e. 7am till 7pm 8am till 8pm. In 2013 birds were liberated at 7.45am in no wind and we had 150 birds in the result. When we had liberations after 1pm we had far better returns and with faster velocities, why because the sun was higher in the sky, warmer and birds were able to navigate better. “Yes” you can quote other years when birds have done well with an early liberation, but what we do not know is what were the temperatures when liberated, as the French say this affects the ability to home something our convoyer was totally unaware of. If you accept that 75% of convoy have no chance to home on the day anyway, you are left with at best 25% having a chance which is high anyway. The fancier knows we all would like to say our birds can do it on the day but when you really analyse the facts, very few actually do, check within your Club/Fed.
Other possible reasons, 1) Darkness system without doubt this is the biggest problem we have today, many top fanciers sell off their darkies at the end of the season each year as they believe it has an effect on future racing. 2) Pigeons were fed differently, far more protein based than the chicken feed fed today. 3) Bourges was the main race and fanciers prepared for it, not like today, it being just another race. 4) Breeding off stock birds that have never raced for years, in the old days we bred off the survivors. 5) Bourges is off line compared to Reims, Troyes may be a better option, not sure of distance. 6) Our transporters are not fit for 2 day races, we should at least get a couple of generally fit for purpose transporters, as the NFC and MNFC have. That's what I have on the Bourges topic, thanks for your thoughts and concerns.
My two Grandsons Hayden & Tyler, Clubmates Ian & Liz Purver and myself attended the Up North Combine 2017 annual dinner dance and presentation evening on Saturday 21st October in the “Montgomery Suite” Stadium of Light, the home of Sunderland AFC. We were seated on the same table of Mr & Mrs Dave Harding of Thornaby of the Tees Valley Federation that is part of Section 5, John Wheatcroft and his friend, with our table being next to the Teesside Federations Ali McLeod, Brian Atkinson, Keith Perkins & Colin Atkinson of Billingham TU, Paul Longstaff of Haverton Hill who had being granted a night out pass and their band of merry men. Ali McLeod was the winner of 2nd UNC Burbure (1) from a convoy of 13,268 birds winning a Combine Silver Medal and £187.71 prize money for 1st Section 5 and 3 bags of corn out of the 10 bags kindly donated by Mr & Mrs Arthur Andrews of Peterborough. Ali was also the winner of the “L.N.R.C. Friendship Trophy” & £25.00 prize money for the best two bird performance from Burbure (2) where Ali won 7th and 18th UNC from a convoy of 10,689 birds. Ian & Liz flying as Mr & Mrs I & E Purver of Skinningrove were the winners of 1st UNC Reims from a convoy of 4,193 birds, winning the “Alderman Waller Cup”, the “Jack Tinkler Memorial Trophy”, the “Vetrepharm Trophy” a Combine Gold Medal and £112.39 prize money for 1st Section 7. Also winning the “Melun Cup” & Replica and £327.64 in pools & prizes for 1st North Of England Championship Club. B & K Simpson were the winners of 2nd UNC Burbure (2) from a convoy of 10,689 birds, with Brian & Keith winning a Combine Silver Medal and £137.29 prize money for 1st Section 7 which was received by Hayden & Tyler. There was five French Diplomas winners in 2017 which is sponsored by Peter Bennett, 40 years photographing Up North Combine winners. This award of merit is won by any Pigeon achieving a minimum of three positions in the first 250 of the Combine, at a distance of 440 miles or more, including at least one in 2017. With each winning owner receiving a diploma showing a photograph of their winning bird. Dave Harding and his good Lady were one of the French Diplomas winners in 2017 with “J For John”, the winner of 1st Club, 2nd Fed and 10th UNC Bourges in 2015 from a convoy of 1,736 birds. This was followed up by winning 1st Club, 1st Fed and 11th UNC Bourges in 2016 out of an entry of 1,306 birds; “J For John” continued the impeccable record by winning 1st Club, 3rd Fed and 19th UNC Bourges in 2017 when there were 1,795 birds competing. “J For John” was also the winner of the “J Goodwin & W Sheldon Memorial Trophy” for the best performance of this year's French Diplomas winners.
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Ian & Liz Purver the winners of 1st Up North Combine Reims 2017, with Rod Adams.
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The Billingham Boys, including Ali McLeod the winner of 2nd UNC Burbure (1) and the “L.N.R.C. Friendship Trophy” from Burbure (2).
- Hayden & Tyler with B & K Simpson's 2nd UNC Burbure (2) Silver Medal.
The Sportsman & Comrades H/S organised a European Gold Ring Breeder/Buyer in 2017, with John Potts and his helpers doing a fantastic job running the event. The prize money was raced for from the Up North Combine Young Bird Maidstone National with the sale rings being offered to anyone in Europe but only UNC members being able to race for the top prize money. The result is as follows; 1st breeder & buyer was won by the Seaham, North East Counties Federation partnership of Willis & Self with a winning vel of 1138, with the lads who are part of Section 4 banking a total of £3,500. The Plains Farm partnership of Armstrong, Shergold, Johnson & Moon who compete in the Sunderland Premier Federation which is part of Section 4 were the winners of 2nd buyer with a vel of 1137 pocketing the £1,000 prize money, while B & K Simpson of Skinningrove, East Cleveland Federation win 2nd breeder and £1,000. 3rd buyer went to the Plains Farm loft of Dawson & Peacock and the breeder was C & E Lee on 1131 with both lofts receiving £500 each. Jimmy Nicholson of South Shields, Section 4 once again played his ace card and won 4th breeder & buyer with a vel of 1110 to net £500 in prize money. I'm sure this event will be much more supported in 2018, with John Potts forecasting a £15k payout next year.
With that I will sign off for another week. Any news to Good Corn 6 Boulby Drive Loftus Saltburn Cleveland TS13 4JN. Tel; 01287 643624 or Email;
