By Brian Dearn
Last year the Management Committee of the Circle held a meeting to try and improve several aspects of the race marking for both the pigeons and members. As a result of this meeting several ideas were discussed covering a wide range of things with the priority being the welfare of the pigeons. Following this very successful meeting these ideas were put to all the membership for them to vote on and a result this season saw these suggestions being implemented. There had been a suggestion of a change of marking station, and Roger Sutton had very kindly offered his facilities at Congleton to race mark the birds, but it was felt too far for our Cumbria members to travel. An alternative suggestion was Bamford's Corn Mill at Leyland but this again did not have the approval of all members, so the present location was retained with some improvements. The first of which was the purchase of a very large gazebo which could be very quickly erected should the weather be against us. The gazebo itself enables all members and their birds to be dry along with the ETS equipment and race panniers. Another change is the pigeons are now being transported by Dianne Bonney and the birds will travel to the race point with less birds in each basket. With the welfare of the birds in mind once race marked the birds will be taken to the depot at Leyland where water will be placed on the baskets and the birds will be left undisturbed until going on the transporter to start their journey over the channel.
The first race of the 2016 season had members at the marking station where the new gazebo was quickly erected in just a matter of minutes, with no sides being used on this occasion, was useful to keep the mid-day sunshine off the birds and members proving very successful. The decision to put fewer birds in each basket proved a very wise decision as the weather all over this country and the near Continent stopped all racing throughout the England. Race controlling at these times is a thankless job and whatever decision is made there is always someone who is not happy, luckily within the Circle problems of this nature seldom occur. As result of the bad weather the birds were held over until the Monday when it was decided there was no chance of a lib for the foreseeable future and the birds would be brought back to Cheltenham where it was hoped a liberation could be made on the Tuesday. Should this not be possible then the birds would be brought back up country with the hope of a lib at some point, and at the very worst then they would be brought home. Luck or good management I am not sure what, when arriving at Cheltenham windows of opportunities made it possible for several liberations from the transporter and our birds were up and away clearing well into broken cloud with blue sky into a South West wind at 9 45am. A quick phone call to all members giving them the facts had everyone ready, but with the birds in the baskets for 6 days taken over to France and back again, fanciers were just glad to have their birds home.
Reports of early timings came in quick and fast and it would seem as the birds were liberated with the Liverpool Amal our small contingent of 74 birds favoured members on the west side of the radius and this proved to be the case with the eventual winner being Malcolm Parry-Jones flying 120 miles to North Wales with a two year old blue chequer roundabout hen on 1422 winning him the Briggs trophy and a Parsonage award and the Hitchen award. She is no stranger to winning having 2nd West Bay when the loft won 1st & 2nd a couple of weeks ago, she has competed in every race bar two and has been in the first four to the loft in every race and was 16th Chester Two Bird Club the other season so one could say she almost picked herself for this race. Malcolm second pigeon a yearling blue roundabout hen timed 18 minutes later wins him the best two bird average and the Webster Bros trophy on 1342. This put the icing on the cake so to speak as he was also 1st and 2nd in his own club on the same day. Malcolm only has a small setup starting the season with 21 cocks and 24 hens. This year he has bred more youngsters than he has ever had as he is trying to build up a team of distance birds, and the young bird section has around 60 youngsters. For many years he flew his birds on the South East rout and at one point had lost a little interest in the pigeons, around 3 years ago he decided to race his birds south and join the Wrexham fed and it was around this time he was invited to join the LSC which has given him a lot more enjoyment from the sport. Malcolm would like to mention that he owes a lot to follow member of the Circle Geoff Kirkland, who over many years along with Geoff's wife Barbara have been a great inspiration to him.
Peter Robinson left and Malcolm Parry-Jones
In second place on 1394 was David Newson form Banks with a two year old pied cock flown on total widowhood, who last season had little or no racing as he was hawked and missed out on a seasons racing as he had no tail or wing feathers in one wing. This pigeon goes back to his Derek Pedley pigeons which David's dad Brian brought in over 30 years ago and were the old Busschaerts and Wildermeersch which flew so well for Derek at that time. David was telling that he has installed the ETS system this season along with several other members of his club, and with this new trapping arrangement this pied cock had for the last few days started to claim the opening after the birds daily exercise. Which was telling David he was right and he along with several other fanciers wished that the race had been from Fougeres.
Brian Barnes took third spot with a yearling blue Casaert cock 1391 who this year was flown on a roundabout system. Brian did for many years fly his birds on total widowhood flying only the cocks, but like so many fanciers has realised that if one wants to race in the Nationals and Specialist Club races you needs more birds, and the roundabout gives you this without extending the loft etc. This magnificent young cock is impeccably bred from "Madman" winner of 1st Sec 7th Open Nat x a hen very closely related to him. Brian has been building up this winning team of racer for close on 20 years but with failing health has decided to cut down at the back end of the season. He is having a reduction sale on the 29th October at St Annes Cricket Club, a sale not to be missed.
Circle President Bob Smith was fourth with a 3 year old chequer pied hen 1295 who has been an outstanding pigeon being a winner both inland and from across the channel. She was sent with full confidence carrying his Nomination for the Dickinson Trophy one of the hardest trophies to win in the Lancashire Social Circle.
Brian Walsh had a good one taking fifth place 1292 with a two year old widowhood blue cock flying 106 miles over to Liverpool. He is bred down from the best of R & B Smith of Burtonwood blood-lines and is a winner of 1st Messac last year as a yearling in Brian's own club.
Peter Robinson up in Kendal had a terrific race timing both his birds in just half an hour flying 169 miles the first of these was sixth winning the final diploma was two year old chequer hen on 1280. This pigeon flown on roundabout has flown out of his skin this season being his first bird to the loft on several occasions and picking up a number of prize cards. bred by fellow club-mate Stan Wilson from Burnside Kendal, the two of them exchange birds to each other's benefits. Peter’s second timer again a two year old but this time a chequer cock wins him the runner-up two bird averages with a velocity of 1200 which is great flying when you consider he is flying 84 miles further than the first dropper. The sire of this cock was a gift bird from LSC member Tony Merrick and was 4th club Carentan two weeks before. This performance follows his success in the NFC when he won first section which just goes to show the loft is in great form.
Brian Dearn Tel. 01254 772515.
