BURTON & SOUTH DERBYSHIRE FEDERATION - 27-06-25

BURTON & SOUTH DERBYSHIRE FEDERATION.

Difficult day for the birds out of Weymouth (2) sees Mark Nesbitt take 1^st & 3^rd  Fed.

Saturday June 21^st was the longest day of the year, and that’s how it proved to be for some of our birds and a lot of fanciers up and down the country. It was one of them days, after a week of hot weather, Saturday was forecast to be the hottest day of the week, and most feds had warned their members about there being an early liberation on the Saturday, to give the birds the best chance to get home before the heat reached its peak; birdage per crate was reduced, again to help the birds.

51members from 8 clubs sent 878 birds, and they were liberated by Alys at 06-55 in a South East wind. The leading birds did the expected velocities, but it was soon obvious it wasn’t going to be a straight forward race, as long gaps emerged between arrivals. Also, we were hearing about poor racing from earlier liberations in the South West and on the south coast heading north into the Midlands and the North West. 

Weather here in Burton in the morning was fine, blue skies, white clouds, and not too hot; weather at Weymouth was fine too. So what went wrong? I don’t think anyone really knows, some say there were too many birds in the sky at once, but liberations started around 5am, and really the amount of libs in the space of time was probably no different to most race days, the only difference being they were earlier libs? Thunderstorms were forecast later on in the day in the north of the country, so whether there was static in the air or solar flare activity, I don’t know. All I know is, us fanciers knew the forecast and knew about the planned early libs, and I presume the vast majority of us couldn’t and didn’t foresee any problems?

Anyway, back to the race and congratulations to Mark Nesbitt of Hill Ridware on taking 1^st & 3^rd fed on 1749; 1728; both yearling blue cocks, the winner out of a grandson of Champion “Isla” when paired to a Bill North hen; followed by one out of a Leo Hereman cock when paired to a daughter of “Isla”; Mark wasn’t exempt from the poor racing either, with some good birds missing at nightfall.

Mark Nesbitt

Runners up were John & Steve Hicks of Osmaston Park in Derby on 1731 with a 2yo blue Jansenne cock.   

John & Steve Hicks

Club mate Dave Waddington was 4^th fed on 1718 with a 3yo red cock, out of his Alan Brassington x Lambrecht stock. 

Dave Waddington

Charlie Murfin of Swadlincote Town was 5^th fed on 1713 with a 2yo blue cock; his sire is a grandson of Sylvain Verhestraeten’s “Jaguar” and his dam is a daughter from a Lavender hen borrowed off Debbie Fearn.  

Charlie Murfin

Steve Billings of Etwall was a very creditable 6^th fed on 1692 with a 3yo pencil cock.

Kev Johnson of Hill Ridware was 7^th on 1664 with a yearling dark Hereman Cuester hen; she’s an inbred granddaughter of “Man O’Chester”; raced natural; sent sitting 10 days; being prepared for the MNFC Messac race the following weekend.

Kev Johnson

Phil & Jack Bourke of Stretton were 8^th & 9^th on 1650; 1649; their first a 2yo cheq pied hen bred by Excelsior stud, direct from “Excelsior Best Kittel”, who’s direct from 1^st Nat Ace KDBD “Best Kittel”. She was closely followed by “Jude” a 4yo cheq cock out of Mr & Mrs K Lycett stock; his sire is “Well’ard” a Leo Hereman; his dam is the Vandenabeele “Relentless” she’s a daughter of Champion “Eddy”.  

Phil & Jack Bourkes 1st club 8th Fed                                                      JUDE 9th Fed Weymouth for Phil & Jack Bourke

Pete & Shirley Harrison of Etwall were 10^th fed on 1643 with a 6yo cheq cock.

Pete & Shirley Harrison

Around the clubs,

At Stretton, 7 sent 136 and Phil & Jack Bourke were 1^st & 2^nd with details above. Just to add, the Cheq Pied hen who won the race has now had a 1^st; 2 x 2^nd and 1 x 3^rd this season. 

Pete Cox was 3^rd & 4^th on 1633; 1584; with a 2yo Pied “Best Kittel” cock off Ann Smith stock; followed by a 2yo blue “Best Kittel” x Cuester cock.

Up at Holbrook, 6 sent 106 and Kev Matthews was 1^st; 3^rd and 4^th on 1616; 1543; 1496; all yearling hens. The winner a Jos Cools out of a grandson of “Primus” x with a granddaughter of “Speedy”, both parents purchased from Andrew Wilton. She was followed by another Jos Cools out of Kev’s No1 pair, and then a Van Den Bulck, she’s out of a grandson of a half brother to “Kittel” and “Olympic Rosita” when paired to a granddaughter of “Goede Rode” x “Pithivierske” she’s a daughter of “Blauwe Leo”. 

Ken & Hilda Salt were runners up on 1608 with a 3yo Lambrecht from their Tony Webster stock.

Over at Hill Ridware, 6 sent 117 and Mark Nesbitt took 1^st & 2^nd club and Fed on 1749; 1728; details above.   

Kevin Johnson was 3^rd on1664 details above, and Mr & Mrs Jim Whitehouse & Sons were 4^th on 1624 with a 3yo grizzle Johan Den Hartog hen.

Into Derby now, at Osmaston Park, 8 sent 112 and John & Steve Hicks were 1^st & 4^th on 1731; 1568; both 2yo Jansenne cocks. 

Dave Waddington was 2^nd club on 1718 with a 3yo red cock and Stan Hall was 3^rd club on 1586 with a 4yo cheq wf hen off his Dave Stone stock.

At Etwall, 5 sent 64 and Steve Billings was 1^st & 3^rd on 1692; 1595; with a 3yo Pencil cock and a 4yo cheq cock. 

Steve Billings

Pete & Shirley Harrison were 2^nd & 4^th on 1643; 1546; with a 6yo cheq cock and a 3yo blue cock.

At Winshill, 4 sent 39 and Jim Parker took top spot on 1566 with his good 4yo Blue Wf Hereman cock. 

David Neculai was 2^nd & 4^th on 1467; 1453; the first a 4yo Louella Jansenne hen; followed by a 4yo Louella Vandenabeele cock.

Debbie Fearn was 3^rd on 1466 with a 2yo Mealy cock off a son of “Tiger” x Stefaan Lambrecht.

At Swadlincote Town, 12 sent 230 and Charlie Murfin made it back to back wins, well clear on 1731, details above in the fed report. 

Litherland; Bailey & Harrison were 2^nd & 4^th on 1604; 1595; with a 3yo cheq wf hen and a yearling blue hen. The cheq wf hen has been the most consistent bird in the loft this season; Walla lost both her parents at the first MNFC race of 2025. The yearling blue hen is a Vandenabeele from Dave Harrison stock. 

Mr & Mrs Lee Clamp & Sons were 3^rd on 1601 with a yearling red Van den Bulck cock.

Finally, at Castle Gresley; Mr & Mrs Graham Evans were 1^st & 2^nd; their winner on 1592 was the 3yo cheq pied Wildie x Buscheart hen that was 2^nd Truro the week previous, she was followed by her late bred half sister on 1590.     

Keith Burton was 3^rd on 1572 and Lees & Miller 4^th on 1528 probably one of their Rob Horton Lambrecht’s?

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