SHELLING PEAS AT 748 MILES
Cameron Stansfield takes a closer look at Brian Denney’s 2007 NFC Tarbes performance
Brian Denney put up a wonderful performance in the 2007 National Flying Club Tarbes Grand National. Flying 748 miles, he recorded 1st, 4th, 6th, 9th, 20th, 22nd, 24th, 25th & 32nd Section K and 5th, 17th, 27th, 31st, 109th, 116th, 130th, 134th & 205th Open, 3,477 birds. As a matter of fact, he then stopped clocking, yet he had another 5 birds on the day. And all this from an entry of twenty.
Brian’s 9 in the clock
Open Sect Fancier Miles Ring No Sex Clock Time Velocity
5 1K B Denney 748 GB05N25412 C 11:38:30 1233
17 4K B Denney 748 GB05N25468 C 12:19:12 1187
27 6K B Denney 748 GB05N24411 C 12:31:13 1175
31 9K B Denney 748 GB04N20865 C 12:35:14 1170
109 20K B Denney 748 GB03N73090 H 13:24:22 1121
116 22K B Denney 748 GB97N15859 C 13:26:01 1120
130 24K B Denney 748 GB05N25443 C 13:33:22 1113
134 25K B Denney 748 GB05Z76055 H 13:34:30 1112
205 32K B Denney 748 GB00D92587 C 14:03:29 1085
I thought it would be interesting to take a closer look at each of the 9 birds timed, analysing their breeding and the work each had had prior to the big event, but before that, here is a simple overview of Brian’s system.
Versele Laga Gerry Plus is used as a base mix throughout the racing season. When the Channel races start, Superstar Plus is fed for the last 8 days before basketing. Hormoform is given daily, just enough so that they clean it up. Hemp seed and peanuts are added when the long races start, again only enough so they that they clean it up. Peanuts are given last thing at night and all birds are hopper fed. He puts Blitzform in the water from time to time. This year between Cholet on June 2nd and Tarbes basketing on June 26th they had it for two days each week. Brian treats for canker every 3-4 weeks for 2 days but doesn’t treat for anything else throughout the year. Of the nine birds timed, eight flew NFC Cholet as their last race prior to Tarbes, and the other one (which was the second bird timed from Tarbes) flew NFC Alencon on June 16th. No training was given in between their final prep race and Tarbes. All birds are exercised around the loft morning and night using a flag. They have one hour flagged and half an hour free flying time in the morning, and the same again at night. All birds are flown on widowhood and the cocks exercise from 5.30-7.00am and the hens at 7.00am to 8.30am. This is repeated again in the evening. All inland races are flown as trainers.
Remarkably, the first three birds clocked are full brothers, the fourth is a half-brother to them, and the 5th is a full sister to the sire of the first four. The 7th also contains similar lines. All of the first seven home are bred down through Brian’s Bry-Den Family, which has evolved over the last 40 years, and six of them carry the blood of two significant introductions that are grandparents to the cock, which bred the first four home. One of those introductions was Tuff Nutt, who won 5th Open NFC Pau for Brian in a very hard race. He was bred by Dave Harrison of St Helens out of a son of Brian’s Dark Peron when paired to a Van Bruaene hen of Dave’s. The other significant introduction which appears in 6 of the first 7 birds. Brian timed is a pigeon called Kate who was bred by Neil Bush of Amcotts.
KEY REFERENCE PIGEONS
Tuff Nutt, 5th Open NFC Pau and in the breeding of several of the birds Brian timed from Tarbes.
Maxi. Cock of the Number 7 Stock Pair. He is sire of Brian’s first four birds from Tarbes!
Dark Jan. Hen of the Number 7 Stock Pair. She is the dam of Brian’s first 3 birds from Tarbes.
The dam of Brian’s 4th bird from Tarbes.
THE RACE TEAM
1st pigeon timed winning 1st Section K 5th Open, vel 1233: GB05N25412. Dark Pied cock, Dark Charm.
Work done: Flown 6 YB races to 220 miles; as a yearling 11 inland races and Messac 430 miles; as a two-year-old 4 inland races, Fougeres 393 miles & Cholet 480 miles.
Breeding: Son of Stock Pair 7. Sire is Maxi who is stock only being a son of Classic Lad x Lynetta. Classic Lad won 1st Open Northern Classic Saintes 573 miles, 14 hours on the day. He is a son of The Saintes Cock, 6th Section K 85th Open NFC Saintes x Blue Pau, 3rd Section 41st Open NFC Pau and 4th Section 201st Open NFC Pau 738 miles. Lynetta is a stock hen being a daughter of Tuff Nutt, 1st Section 5th Open NFC Pau & 6th Open Northern Classic Saintes x GB98N95244 Kate, 16th Section Nantes & flown Pau twice. Bred by Neil Bush of Amcotts. The dam of Dark Charm is Dark Jan who is a daughter of Tuff Nutt x Brian’s Prize, 4th Open Northern Classic Saintes over 14 hours on the day. Tuff Nutt was bred by Dave Harrison of St Helens. The sire of Tuff Nutt is a pigeon called Dark who Brian sold to Dave, Dark being a son of Dark Peron. The dam of Tuff Nutt is a Van Bruaene hen via Alan Corbett of St Helens which traces back to the late Bobby Mayo of Tattenhall. Brian’s Prize is a daughter of The Bordeaux Cock, 8th Section NFC Bordeaux 636 miles, 7th Section 109th Open NFC Pau, 8th Section 133rd Open NFC Saintes, 3rd Section 85th Open NFC Nantes. The dam of Brian’s Prize was The Cattrysse Hen, who came from Louella and was closely related to Roy Oldfield’s Pau National winner Clanfield Expected.
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2nd pigeon timed winning 4th Section K 17th Open, vel 1187. GB05N25468. Chequer cock. John.
Work done: Flown 6 YB races to 220 miles; as a yearling 11 inland races, NFC St Nazaire 470 miles and NFC Bordeaux 631 miles; as a two-year-old 5 inland races to 180 miles, Picauville & Alencon.
Breeding: Son of Stock Pair 7 therefore a full brother to the 1st bird timed.
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3rd pigeon timed winning 6th Section K 27th Open, vel 1175. GB05N25411. Dark Pied cock. Dark Dancer.
Work done: Flown 6 YB races to 220 miles; as a yearling 11 inland races & Messac 430 miles; as a two-year-old 3 inland races, Fougeres 393 miles & Cholet 480 miles.
Breeding: Son of Stock Pair 7 therefore a full brother to the 1st & 2nd birds timed.
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4th pigeon timed winning 9th Section K 31st Open, vel 1170. GB04N20865. Cheq cock.
Work done: Flown 3 YB races to 145 miles; as a yearling 6 inland races, Falaise & Messac 430 miles; as a two-year-old 8 inland races, St Nazaire & NFC Bordeaux winning 2nd Section 174th Open; as a three-year-old 4 inland races, Fougeres 393 miles & Cholet 480 miles.
Breeding: Sire is Maxi, therefore the 4th bird timed is a half-brother to the 1st, 2nd & 3rd birds timed. Dam is Blue Belle, stock only being a half-sister to Blue Pau, 4th Section 201st Open Pau & 3rd Section 41st Open Pau 738 miles. The sire of Blue Belle is The Bordeaux Cock (see details of first bird timed for more details) who is a De Baere from birds from Louella Stud. The dam of Blue Belle is Cheq Lady, flown Nantes 469 miles four times, Saintes 573 miles 7 times, Pau 738 miles 4 times. Cheq Lady was retired to stock as an eight-year-old when two of her daughters beat her home in the Pau National! Cheq Lady’s sire was a De Baere from Louella Stud and her dam was a Stichelbaut/Van Hee.
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5th pigeon timed winning 20th Section 109th Open, vel 1121. GB03N73090. Cheq hen.
Work done: Flown 3 YB races to 206 miles; as a yearling 7 inland races to 220 miles; as a two-year-old 3 inland races & Saintes 573 miles; as a three-year-old 9 inland races, St Malo & Saintes; as a four-year-old 5 inland races & Cholet.
Breeding: Sire is Classic Lad. Dam is Lynetta. Therefore this hen is the same way bred as Maxi, who is the sire of the first four birds timed!
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6th pigeon timed winning 22nd Section 116th Open, vel 1120. GB97N15859. Dark cock. (Note that this is a ten year old.)
Work done: 1997 - 5 YB races to 200miles; 1998 - La Ferte Bernard 412 miles & Niort 533 miles; 1999 - La Ferte Bernard, 53rd Open Northern Classic Rennes & 15th Open Northern Classic Saintes; 2000 – 55th Open MNFC La Ferte Bernard & 20th Section NFC Saintes; 2001 – 18th Section 364th Open NFC San Sebastian 742 miles; 2002 – Flown Pau; 2003 – 17th Section 296th Open NFC Nantes & flew Saintes; 2004 – 2nd Section 88th Open NFC Pau and flew Saintes; 2005 – St Nazaire & 10th Section 281st Open NFC Tarbes; 2006 – St Nazaire & 6th Section 238th Open NFC Bordeaux; 2007 – 3 inland races to 180 miles & Cholet. 5 times over 700 miles in all.
Breeding: Sire is Dark Peron, Noel Pieron/Stichelbaut/Louella Stud lines. A big club & fed winner and his best NFC position was 33rd Open NFC Saintes 573 miles on the day. A key pigeon in Brian’s family and the sire of Whitetail, 51st & 234th Open NFC Pau. Dam is GB96N27646, a daughter of the Bordeaux Cock (see details of first bird timed) x GB94N54673 who is a daughter of Cheq Lady, 7 times Nantes, 4 times Saintes, 4 times Pau x GB85S35520, 4th Rennes, 3rd Nantes, 3rd Nantes, 4th Rennes, 3rd Nantes, 3rd Sartilly, 19th Section 709th Open Nantes 12,207 birds, 8th Section 170th Open Pau 5,423 birds and 19th Section 337th Open NFC Saintes 5,273 birds. These last three performances were as an eight-year-old. The sire of GB85S35520 was GB84S43002 who won 1st fed Sartilly, 1st Nantes, 1st Rennes 2nd fed, 12th Section 345th Open NFC Nantes, 6th Section 137th Open NFC Saintes plus 5 times 1st inland. The sire of GB84S43002 was Dangerman, a Van Hee who won 8 x 1st in three seasons before losing an eye. The dam of GB84S43002 was also a Van Hee being a granddaughter of Napoleon, Madam Motta, Jean Pierre and Spleidine. The dam of GB85S35520 was GB84S43068, a sister to the dam of Whitetail, winner of 51st & 234th Open NFC Pau. GB84S43068 was a daughter of Darkman, 1st fed Montlucon 555 miles and clocked from Pau twice. He was a Van Hee being a grandson of Constable, Benedictine and The Super Van Hee. The dam of GB84S43068 was the Pau Hen, 1st Section 118th Open NFC Pau whose sire was a grandson of the Super Van Hee and also a grandson of Continental Queen and whose dam was a full sister to Continental Queen who was Burger x Derek Smith of Great Ayton blood through Lolita, 1st Up North Combine Bourges 536 miles being the only bird on the day. Continental Queen won 1st Yorkshire Continental Club Nantes and 3rd Yorkshire Continental Club Angouleme 581 miles in a smash when only five birds were recorded within 3 days.
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Seventh pigeon timed winning 24th Section 130th Open, vel 1113. GB05N25443. Blue cock.
Work done: Flown 6 YB races to 220 miles; as a yearling 11 inland races, St Nazaire then 5th Section 231st Open NFC Bordeaux 631 miles; as a two-year-old 4 inland races, Fougeres 393 miles & Cholet 480 miles.
Breeding: Sire is GB04N20801, flown St Nazaire, Bordeaux, Cholet & Tarbes on the winning day. He is from a son of Classic Lad x Brian’s Prize (see details of first bird timed) when paired to a daughter of The Hermes Cock, a son A. H. Bennett’s 1st Open NFC Pau x Keith Mott’s Pathfinder, a daughter of Blue Pau, 4th Section 201st Open Pau & 3rd Section 41st Open Pau. Dam of the seventh pigeon timed is a double granddaughter of Tuff Nutt when Tuff Nutt was paired on the one side to Betty M, a granddaughter of Blue Pau and on the other side to Kate, bred by Neil Bush.
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8th pigeon timed winning 25th Section K 134th Open, vel 1112. GB05Z76055. Blue pied hen.
Work done: 6 races as a YB to 220 miles; as a yearling 10 inland races, St Malo & Saintes 573 miles on the day; as a two-year-old 4 inland races to 180 miles, Fougeres 393 miles & Cholet 480 miles.
Breeding: Van Bruaene. Bred by Louella Stud. No further details.
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9th pigeon timed winning 32nd Section K 205th Open, vel 1085. GB00D92587. Cheq cock.
Work done: 2000 – 3 races to 150 miles; 2001 – 65th Open MNFC Southsea 220 miles; 2002 – Saintes; 2003 – 17th Section K NFC Saintes & 20th Open Northern Classic Saintes; 2004 – 6th Section K 136th Open NFC Pau; 2005 – 8th Section K 247th Open NFC Tarbes; 2006 – St Nazaire & Bordeaux; 2007 – 4 inland races to 180 miles & Cholet 480 miles.
Breeding: Jan Aarden. Bred by Louella Stud. Sire is a double g.son of Invincible Spirit. Dam is a double granddaughter of De Smaragd Barcelona.
9/1/08
