BURTON & SOUTH DERBYSHIRE FEDERATION.
Weather behaves for opening race of 2026, as Charlie Murfin of Swadlincote Town takes 1st Fed out of Cheltenham.
Saturday April 18th saw the opening race of the 2026 season from Cheltenham. Weather wise it was a near perfect day; blue skies; fluffy clouds; sunshine; a gentle westerly wind; and perfect visibility. Alys liberated the 1232 birds entered by 56 members from 7 clubs at 11-25 in a West North West wind.
The leading birds made the expected speeds, but there were also a lot of birds that made a harder job of it than should have been, and the fact that lot of the later arrivals were coming from the south and reports of nervous birds, probably means somewhere en route they were disturbed by Peregrines, this seems to be a regular occurrence nowadays sadly.
Back to the race and congratulations to Charlie Murfin of Swadlincote Town on taking 1st Fed on 1670 with a 2yo blue wf hen, she’s a consistent racer out of Hereman Cuester x Camphius Jansenne x Staf Van Reet blood lines, well done Charlie.
Charlie Murfin 1st Fed Cheltenham
Runner up on 1663 was Neil Harvey, also of Swadlincote Town, with a yearling blue Vandenabeele x Jan Hooyman cock out of stock from Mark Evans and Mark Williamson of Ashbourne. Neil never trained his young birds last year, so this was this cock’s first race!!
Neil Harvey of Swadlincote Town
Debbie Fearns winner at Winshill took 3rd fed on 1661, a yearling Blue cock; his sire off “Hideaway” x Honeysuckle Jansenne; his dam off “Sweetie” x A & L Painter “Van Persie” line. Debbie was also 4th fed on 1652 with her first Swadlincote bird, a 2yo red cock “Horace”; he’s a multiple prize winner and he won each round of the Knockout Cup at Swadlincote in 2025. His sire is from Central lofts; his dam a daughter of “Tiger” x “Hideaway” / Honeysuckle Jansenne
Debbie Fearn Winshill winner
Paul and Lynda Todd of Chaddesden Jubilee Homing Society (formerly Osmaston Park) had a good race; they took 5th; 6th; 7th; 8th and 9th fed on 1646; 1645.6 (3); 1643; their first over the pad was a yearling red Louella Jansenne hen; followed by a 5yo cheq Pied Louella Jansenne hen; a yearling Lambrecht hen off Steve Foster stock; a yearling blue hen and a yearling Mealy cock, good flying Paul.
Neil Harvey was back again in 10th spot on 1640 with a yearling blue hen, she’s out of a direct son of James Parker’s National winner “National Beauty); when paired to a Lambrecht x inbred Cuester off Chris Vasey and Gary Cox birds which have won a 1st and 2nd fed. Neil also filled the next four positions on 1640; 1633(3).
AROUND THE CLUBS,
Starting at Stretton, where 8 sent 194 and a hearty congratulation to young Jack Bourke, Jack the 13 year old son of Phil, was flying in his first race in his own name, and did it in style breaking his novice status at the first attempt taking 1-2-3 in the club. Jack has been helping his dad Phil over the past few years, and loves racing the hens. So Phil decided it was time for him to go solo, and now Jack races the hens, against Phil’s team of cocks, that’s his first target beating his dad; anything else is a bonus. Four birds arrived to the garden together, but Jacks hens had the edge on the trap; taking the top three in the club on 1542; 1539; 1538; the winner was a 4yo blue Vandenabeele hen of their Mr & Mrs K Lycett stock. She was followed by the yearling dark cheq hen Phil won in the Fed YB raffle; she was bred by Anne Smith of Ashbourne from her “Man O’Chester” and “Oribella” stock. “Oribella” is a grand daughter of “Olympiade 003” and is responsible for over 4o x 1st prize winners; including “Euro Lady” the 2018 RPRA sprint champion, she won 13 x 1st. 3rd club was a yearling blue pied Wildie x Kris Wijnant hen. Well done Jack. 4th club on 1537 was the ever green Alan Brassington; Alan timed in a 2yo Grizzle cock, in Alan’s words a “Liquorice Allsorts” he’s a mix of Leo Van Rijn; Roland Jansenne; Soontjen and Franz Zwols.
YOUNG JACK WITH HIS FIRST RACE WINNER & JACK BOURKE WINNER OF 1-2-3 IN FIRST RACE ON HIS OWN
Into Derby now, at Chaddesden Jubilee, 15 sent 229 and Mr & Mrs Paul Todd took the first seven, but are only allowed 3 prizes max at club level. Their first three all appear in the fed result above.
Paul Todd Chaddesden Jubilee Winner
Alan & Liz Houldsworth were 4th on 1599 with a yearling blue hen out of a Kev Southall x home bred pairing.
Up at Holbrook, 8 sent 206 and Michael Stone (Glyn and Glenda) were 1st; 2nd and 4th on 1632; 1631; 1592; the winner a yearling blue Van den Bulck hen off a pair from P&D stud. Runner up was a yearling Mealy pied hen bred by Dathan Stone out of his top cock “The Ghost”. 4th club was a 2yo blue hen, she’s off a Simon Parkinson cock when paired to Trevor Jennings best racing hen of 2023, probably a Bob Fenech Louis Cooreman? A full sister to this 2yo blue hen topped the fed for Russ Bailey last year. Well done Glyn and Glenda, doing Michael proud.
Glyn Stone with his Mum Glenda, Holbrook winners out of Cheltenham
Pete Schofield was 3rd on 1626 with a yearling Hereman Cuester bred by Anne Smith of Ashbourne; I believe it’s the nest mate to jack Bourke’s runner up at Stretton?
Pete Schofield with his 3rd club Cheltenham
At Winshill, 5 sent 78 and Debbie Fearn had it all her own way, taking the first four on 1661; 1586; 1584; 1583; the winner a yearling blue cock featured in the fed report above.Runner up was a 4yo blue wf cock; he’s a multiple prize winner, his sire a son of Tony & Lee Painter’s “Van Persie”; his dam a Gordon Bros Kris Wijnant. 3rd club was a 2yo blue pied cock; his sire is the 4yo cock who was runner up in this race; his dam off a full brother of the sire x “Hideaway” x Debbie’s good Stefaan Lambrecht hen.4th was a 3yo mealy cock; his sire a son of “Tiger”; his dam the good Stefaan Lambrecht hen.
At Swadlincote Town, 10 sent 312 and Charlie Murfin’s fed topper on 1670 did the business, details above in the fed report.
Neil Harvey was 2nd & 4th on 1663; 1640; again; details above in the fed report. Debbie Fearn was 3rd club on 1652, details above in the fed report.
At Etwall, 7 sent 150 and Steve Billings defied the west wind to take 1st club on 1440. Secretary Alan Peach took the next three positions on 1435.1 with a fed futurity bird bred by Dixon & Sons of Wearside up in the North East ; 1435.1 with another fed futurity bird, this one bred by Alan Brassington, and 1434 with a Jansenne.
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