Graham Baker of Shifnal1st Section E B B C Bordeaux2008

 

GRAHAM BAKER OF SHIFNAL, SHROPSHIRE

1ST SECTION E BRITISH BARCELONA CLUB BORDEAUX 2008

Graham Baker of Shifnal in Shropshire, flying 538 miles, timed at 7.28 on the second morning to win 1st Section E. It was a super performance by his 2y widowhood cock to battle against the north-west wind on the first day and then get up next morning to have another go but when you look at his pedigree it comes as no surprise.

The home of 1st Section E

His sire was a blue cock bred by Graham’s friend Barry Ford out of a Reg Venner/Cyril Ball stock cock x a Venner/Ball hen which was 7th Section NFC Pau and 15th Section NFC Tarbes. The dam of the section winner was bred for stock being out of Graham’s champion racer/breeder Meritman. This wonderful pigeon won 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th & 10th Section NFC Pau Grand National flying 641 miles – his final position coming after a year in the stock loft. His open positions were 28th, 37th, 44th, 171st & 224th hence he won a National Flying Club Certificate of Merit for being three times in the first hundred. He also won an RPRA Meritorious Award and has since bred two more RPRA award winners amongst loads of winners including 1st Section 7th Open NFC Pau, 1st Section 2nd Open BBC Bordeaux (only beaten by a bird on the Channel Islands) and 8th & 11th Open MNFC Bergerac. In the first BBC race of 2008 from Messac two of his grandchildren won 2nd & 3rd Section 6th & 7th Open, and from Poitiers four of his grandchildren were clocked winning 48th & 54th Open etc.

Meritman

Meritman was bred out of a son Alfons Bauwens’ Golden Wing winner x a daughter of Albert Bennett’s Zeus & Fabiola (Zeus being the sire of Longmynd Hermes - 1st Open NFC Pau). To breed the dam of the section winner Meritman was paired to a hen who was a gift from Michael Spencer of Barnoldswick, she being a granddaughter of Border Prince (1st Open NFC Nantes) and inbred to Scottish Lady on both sides. Also in the pedigree of the Spencer hen is Terry Haley’s great north road hen Misty Lady.

The section winner is actually a broken pigeon, Graham having recently moved from Bridgnorth. He had one race as a youngster to Bridgnorth, then as a yearling was given Blandford and Portsmouth to his new loft. This term he has had the inland programme and BBC Messac and Poitiers prior to Bordeaux.

Graham operates a basic widowhood system and his birds exercise liberally twice a day but they are plagued by peregrines. Feed is a standard widowhood mix and a few peanuts for the longer races. Clean water is given at all times as he has never been one for tonics or treatments.

1st Section E

Graham has won every open position in the top ten of national races except for 1st Open and is starting to think he may never land the big one!

by Cameron Stansfield