A DAY OUT AT
WILF REED'S
by Cameron Stansfield
On a glorious summer’s day in late July, I took a trip down to see a fancier who I regard as being in the top handful I’ve had the pleasure of visiting over the years – Wilf Reed of Monmouth on the border of England and Wales. My first trip was back in the year 2000 after his three terrific hens won the NFC Pau 3-Bird Average including 1st Section G. Then a year later, whilst Editor of the BHW, I was putting the finishing touches to a two-part article on Wilf’s birds and methods when he promptly went and won the Anglo-Welsh open race from San Sebastian, which lies on the north coast of Spain, just a little way around the corner from where south-west France ends. Cue a bit of a rush to polish the article off and get it in that week’s edition for something of a coup.
Wilf
The ensuing decade has seen Wilf go on to win 1st Open BBC Palamos with Endurance Pride of Wales (who was the 3rd of those aforementioned hens that won the Pau 3-Bird Average) and develop an appetite for the International race programme right out to Barcelona 754 long, lonely miles from his raptor infested home environment. He had four from four home from Barcelona in 2012, a tough, tough race for the UK contingent, his first bird, a small chequer hen with a beautiful expression winning 36th open, to follow up Wilf’s 8th and 17th Open in 2011. The icing on the cake in 2012, however, was the performance of his dark cheq cock Darkie who gave Wilf another 1st Section G winner from the NFC Grand National. Here are a few shots of Wilf’s birds and lofts. I’ll leave his thoughts on various aspects of the sport to another day.
Darkie - 1st Section G 15th Open NFC Tarbes Grand National 605 miles in 2012
A view from the lofts away to the south-east
The young bird loft which is surrounded on three sides by wire mesh. The old bird loft sits above it.
Wilf's YBs relaxing after mid-day exercise
Darkie. 1st Section G 15th Open NFC Tarbes 605 miles 2012. Sire is a son of Endurance x Forty Niner (Forty Niner is a son of the 1st Section NFC Pau hen of the year 2000 when paired to the sire of Spanish Queen – 1st Open Anglo-Welsh San Sebastian Open. Dam of Darkie is from a son of Saroman who is from De Hollander the sire of 1st International Barcelona 24,000 birds x Purple Rose – 1st National Barcelona Hens 3rd National Barcelona and 3rd International Perpignan. On the dam’s side the dam of Darkie is out of a dtr of Red Barcelona.
Cheq hen. Wilf’s 1st bird from Barcelona in 2012. She is the same bloodlines as the first bird into Wales from Barcelona last year (who was lost around home when being prepped for Bacelona 2012). Sire: inbred to a cock from Jan Artsen of Belgium. Dam: closely related to the first 2 birds for Wilf from Barcelona last year being a mixture of the old blood.
Cheq hen. Wilf’s 2nd bird from Barclona 2012. Sire is a son of Wilf’s Saintes Cock (Clerebaut lines). Dam is from the Wilf’s 1st Section NFC Pau hen of the year 2000.
Cheq cock. Wilf’s 3rd bird home from Barcelona in 2012. His sire is from a son of Endurance – 1st Open BBC Palamos x the three times Barcelona hen. Dam is Wilf's old lines.
Blue cock. Wilf’s 4th bird home from Barcelona, returning with a severe leg injury. He is a mixture of Wilf’s own strain x Desbuquois Brothers.
Blue hen. Three times Barcelona and g.dam of Wilf’s 3rd pigeon from Barcelona this season. She is bred from 2 Desbuqois Brothers' late-breds.
Cheq hen. 1st Wales, 2nd Section 13th Open BICC Barcelona in 2008 in atrocious conditions. She is bred from a sister to Endurance when paired to the Nantes Cock (predominantly Clerebaut lines).
Blue pied cock. This cock was pulled out of the stock loft after two seasons and put on the road for the first time in 2012. Wilf sent him to Tours and then St Vincent International in July at around 600 miles and he was the 2nd bird home into Wales. He was bred by Les Woodside of Northern Ireland and is of Smyth Bros Kenyon lines.
The racing hens
Close up of the racing hens. The hen furthest left is en route to the Perpignan International as this article is being published. Scheduled liberation is for Friday August 3rd.
Inside one of the old bird sections. The blue cock was Wilf's 4th home from Barcelona 2012.
Success built on firm foundations
The ultimate deterrent. This scraggy thing (old lines) sits on the end of the hens' aviary as a deterrent to the amorous cocks.
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