BURTON & SOUTH DERBYSHIRE FEDERATION.
Mark Nesbitt makes a blistering start to the 2025 season.
The 2025 season opened up with a race from Cheltenham, the race marking was put back 24 hours due to an iffy forecast for the Saturday, with Sundays forecast a lot better.
Well the weather forecast was correct; Sunday April 20th was a glorious day, with near perfect conditions for the birds, blue skies, sunshine and a light easterly wind. With the East wind, everyone expected Hill Ridware to dominate the fed sheet, and they didn’t disappoint.
For those who do not know our area and fed, Hill Ridware consists of lofts in the Rugeley area, which lies WSW of Burton, so any east in the wind does put them in a prime position. But, one must not forget that it’s not all about loft location and wind, you still need quality birds and quality fanciers to make the most of these conditions.
In pigeon racing, the birds start the race from the same point, but the finishing line can be spread far and wide, not only in national races, but its also the case in federations and even in club racing, that’s just how it is. I’ve sent a map of the local area so those outside our Fed can see how the land lies.
Federation Map
Give Mark Nesbitt an inch, and he’ll take a yard, his performance in this opening race was utterly brilliant. Apparently, he had 16 arrive together, one or two messed about, one or two missed the ETS pads, but in the end he took the top eleven in the federation. Mark puts a lot of work into his birds, he’s an early riser, and he works. In a nutshell, he’s a top fancier with quality birds, and he will make the most of any favourable conditions. Mark also races in the Worcester fed when Lea Hall send, and when the wind isn’t up their tails, he can and does get beat, by the top fanciers flying short and wide of him, so yes, location and wind does count.
Mark Nesbitt
Back to the race, and 55 fanciers from 8 clubs sent 1247 birds, they were liberated by Alys at 10-20 in an East wind. Doug & Mark Nesbitt & Sons took the first 11, on 1506; 1505.8; 1505.5; 1504; 1503.6; 1503.2(3); 1502.5; 1502.1; 1501; with their blend of Leo Hereman and Lambrecht. The fed topper was a yearling grizzle Hereman x Adam Wealthall cock out of “Young Opal” x with a daughter of “Opal 13”.
1st fed Cheltenham for Mark Nesbitt
The runner up was a yearling cheq cock bred by good friend Adam Wealthall. 3rd fed was a yearling dark Hereman hen out of the “Tommy” cock when paired to a grand daughter of champion “Isla”.4th fed was a yearling Pied hen out of a son of “Isla” when paired to a daughter of “Snowball”. 5th fed was a 2yo blue Lambrecht x Hereman hen; she is one of the 3 sisters that topped our fed in 2024. These Hereman x Adam Wealthall Lambrecht crosses have produced some great little hens. 6th fed was a yearling blue cock, off a grandson of “Isla” when paired to the Bill North hen, the Tividale Gold Ring race winner in 2021. 7th fed was a yearling Lambrecht x Hereman hen, same way bred as 5th fed. 8th fed was a 2yo Hereman, a grandson of “Isla”. 9th fed a yearling Blue hen; off “Grizzly Bear” x Daughter of “Isla”. 10th fed was a yearling Grizzle Vandebrande x Lambrecht hen; and 11th fed was a 2yo Hereman hen. These eleven crossed the pads in 13 seconds, Mark had another 5 in the fed top 20, timing in 16 in 56 seconds, well done Mark a great performance.
Around the clubs,
At Stretton, 6 sent 119 and Daniel Kurylo started out as he ended his 2024 Old Bird season, Daniel’s last race of the 2024 Old Bird season was out of Frome (2) when he took the top four in the club. Well he only went and repeated that performance; he took the top four on 1394; 1393; 1373; 1371; the winner a 2yo blue Leo Hereman cock off his friend Rafal Andrzejczaik, this cock was 4th in the 2024 Frome race. Runner up was a yearling Blue Pied cock out of stock from club mate Phil Bourke. 3rd club was a 2yo cheq cock, his sire off Phil Bourke, his dam off Darren Drinkell of Grimsby; this cock was runner up in the 2024 Frome race. 4th club was a 2yo Staf Van Reet cock off stock from Pete Norton of Walsall. Well done Daniel.
Daniel Kurylo
Up at Holbrook, 7 sent 173 and Kev Matthews took the top two on 1375; 1373; the winner a yearling blue Jos Cools cock, he’s out of Kev’s number 1 stock pair. The sire is a grandson of “Super Lady”; the Dam a direct daughter of “Super Cools”. Runner up was another yearling cock; he’s out of a pair from Andrew Wilton via Excelsoir. The sire is a Grandson of Jos Cools “Primus”; the dam an inbred grand daughter of “Speedy”.
Kev Matthews Holbrook winner out of Cheltenham
3rd & 4th club on 1352; 1344; were Ken & Hilda Salt, the first a Lambrecht hen off Tony Webster of Wisbech, she was followed by a blue cock off their Kev Lawson stock.
At Swadlincote Town, 14 sent 347 and Alan Stretton made a good start taking 1st & 3rd club on 1415; 1414.2; the winner a 3yo Blue WF Stefaan Lambrecht x Hereman hen. Her sire off “Sultan” and “Rosse Gwert”; her Dam is a daughter out of a nephew of “Olympic Bolt” when paired to Stefaan Lambrecht’s “Paris”. Alan’s second arrival was a 2yo blue cock; his sire out of Jos Cools “Speedy”; his dam out of Alan’s good Louis Thijs fed topper.
Alan Stretton
Mr & Mrs Lee Clamp & Sons were 2nd & 4th on 1414.4 and 1410; the first a 2yo cheq cock from Ann Smith stock; followed by a 2yo blue Vandenabeele hen off their M & D Evans stock.
At Osmaston Park, 9 sent 129 and congratulations to fellow scribe T3, Alan & Liz Houldsworth were winners on 1324 with a home bred 3yo blue hen.
Alan Houldsworth
Runners up were Hall & Torry on 1299 with a yearling mealy hen bred off birds from club secretary Steve Stone.
Mick Stone was 3rd & 4th on 1282; 1269; both yearlings, the first a cheq Cuester cock; followed by a cheq WF Eric Ceuleman hen.
Over at Hill Ridware, 6 sent 173 and details of their top birds appear in the fed report above.
At Winshill, 5 sent 125 and Debbie Fearn took top spot on 1335 with a yearling Mealy hen off “Tiger” when paired to a Joe Rayburn hen Debbie purchased at Blackpool.
Debbie Fearn
Liam Clamp took the next 3 positions on 1307; 1257; 1256; all yearlings, the first a Vandenabeele x Van Reeth blue cock, the second a Vandenabeele x Van Den Bulck blue cock, both these bred by his Mr & Mrs Lee Clamp & Sons, Lee is Liam’s brother.
At Etwall, 5 sent 106 and Secretary Alan Peach took the top four on 1327; 1325; 1324; 1322. The winner a Roland Jansenne; followed by two Jansennes split by one bred by club mate Sam Phillips.
Alan Peach
Finally, at Castle Gresley, 3 sent 75 and Mr & Mrs Graham Evans took 1st & 3rd spots on 1320; 1316; the winner a Wildemeersch from the Dixon & Son of Wearside stock, the sire topped our fed as a young bird in 2021. Grahams second arrival was bred by friend D.Wilson of Egremont up in Cumbria, this one won 4 x 1st in 2024.
Graham Evans
Keith Burton was 2nd & 4th on 1317; 1314; the first off the old Jansenne Van Den Bosche Keith had off Cliff & Trevor Sarson of Winshill. Keith’s second bird was a Wildemeersch x Buscheart given to him by Graham & Eleanor Evans and broken out.
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