DEESIDE & NORTH WALES
with Paul Jacobs
Hereford old bird race 14.04.07
Well, what a beautiful week it was leading up to the Hereford race. Plenty of unbroken sunshine and high temperatures but plenty of east winds which meant there was some mist present. I think plenty of people had the opportunity to get some training in and it proved so as Colin Prance’s training wagon had plenty of support this week.
I thought that our birds could do with a training toss on the Thursday before the race just to liven them up so I put the hens on to Gobowen with Colin and the cocks a spin from Shrewsbury, the Gobowen birds (hens) were due about one o’ clock and the Shrewsbury birds (cocks) about three o’ clock. This gave me plenty of time to get the hens home and fed before the cocks arrived. Both teams made good time from both tosses but unfortunately the cocks must have been late from Shrewsbury as the “Coppi Cock” beat everybody with a screamer (apparently!) and topped the Combine from the training toss! I wonder if it might be an all pooler Saturday?
Saturday turned out a nice but slightly misty but the early mist burned away to leave a beautiful day. There was a light south easterly wind blowing and I thought with this wind that we should see plenty of birds over our area. News came through of 11.15am liberation and a quick race was on the cards, I thought a time around an hour and a half would be handy and we started waiting in anticipation. From 12.30pm onwards we saw plenty of action with lines of birds going over our loft although they were very high, it was very hard to distinguish whether or not they were our birds going over or some other different federations so we just waited for a bird to arrive and then we would find out! Our first bird arrived at 12.44 and he came from a direction which would suggest that there was west in the wind, it was our good pied cock from my Geordie mate, Derek Robson of Hazelrigg. When we seen him come, a collective groan went up from me and my dad as he is not the best of trappers and yet again he proceeded to clap around again with a big lump in his throat, as he went round for about the third time another loft mate arrived from the back and went straight through the door to be clocked at 12.45, to make matters worse, this second bird was a fed only bird! Soon after another loft mate arrived to be clocked on the same minute so at least we had a club bird. And would you believe it, as soon as these birds went through the door, so did the pied cock! Typical! As the day panned out, we wouldn’t have troubled the winners today, but all this excitement isn’t good for our hearts! After a phone call from Terry at CLM lofts we found out that the “Coppi Cock” had a tidy one at 12.42 which was bred by last year's Fed champion, Tommy Baker. Onto the results now.
Another good turnout from the Deeside Amalgamation of Federations saw 176 members send 3,598 birds. The West Cheshire fed equalised this week making it 1 – 1 after two races. 1st – F. Molloy & son, West Cheshire 1624.96, 2nd – R. & D. Holland, West Cheshire 1610.07, 3rd – Wilcock & Lewis, West Cheshire 1609.06 (Is this Brian Wilcock and Dave Lewis?) 4th – T. Monaghan, West Cheshire 1608.03, 5th – W.E. Halliwell (The Coppi Cock), Deeside 1607.62, 6th – A. Atkinson, Deeside 1607.58, 7th – Jones & Thomas, West Cheshire 1607.50 (a good race for Robbie and Carl who had four in the first 30), 8th – T.J. Rixon, West Cheshire 1607.23, 9th – T. Monaghan, West Cheshire 1604.77, 10th – Jones & Thomas, West Cheshire 1604.76. A good race for the West Cheshire fed who claimed 24 out of the 30 available positions.
Deeside and North Wales Federation saw 65 members send 1,121 birds. 1st – W.E.Halliwell, Shotton 1607.62, 2nd – A. Atkinson, Sandycroft 1607.58 (look how close this is, the two birds were separated by .04 of a yard!! That must be a beak’s length!!) 3rd – J. Evans and grandson, Joe, Shotton 1604.21, 4th – A. Atkinson, Sandycroft 1599.52, 5th – J.D. Fenwick, Shotton 1598.36, 6th – J. Jones & son, Sandycroft 1597.14, 7th – V. Cooper & son, Shotton 1594.43, 8th – J. Jones & son, Shotton 1593.04, 9th – Ray Powell, Saltney 1592.68 and 10th – Ray Newell & son, Saltney 1584.96.
Around the clubs and the fed topping club first which again is Shotton HS. 30 members sent 450 birds. 1st place on 1607 was the one and only “Coppi Cock”, Billy Halliwell, Billy won this race with a cheq cock on the roundabout and this was the one that topped the Combine from the Shrewsbury training toss!!! The cheq cock was bred by last year’s federation champions, Davies and Baker and was gifted to Billy in the winter. It had won minor prizes as a young bird, often being beaten by some of Tommy’s record breaking young bird team but was still very consistent. The sire was bred by ourselves, V. Jacobs and son and is a son of our very good racers/stock pair “Klacker” and “Millward’s hen”, this pair together are responsible for breeding 21 x 1st prize winners including 5 x 1st fed winners, the dam again was bred by us and is a beautiful cheq pied hen which is a granddaughter of our “Bomber” 1st Club 1st Fed 1st North Wales Championship Club Messac and “White Tailed Hen” 1st Club 1st Fed Picauville and 1st Club 1st Fed Nantes and RPRA Award. This pair bred Davies and Baker many prize winners in the first three of Club and Federation and were a valuable stock pair for the partnership, congratulations Billy, in 2nd place on 1604 were Joey Evans and grandson, Joe. Joey was second with one of his new Willy Thas family which originate from Jim Lavery. This family of birds have done Joey proud since their introduction and have won many prizes for him. Joey only races a small team of nine widowhood cocks and are in excellent order on marking night, Joey’s cock was a winner of five cards for him as a youngster, well done Joey and Joe (I bet young Joe was over the moon Joey!!) 3rd place on 1594 was Vic Cooper and son again with his super cheq pied cock which has won many prizes, he is from his “Welshman” x Jimmy Gibbon’s family and was feeding two large young birds which I believe is one of his favourite positions, finally in fourth place on 1593 was Jos Jones and son (Brian and Roy) with Walter Docx widowhood cock which has scored twice before.
Sandycroft HS saw 6 members send 170 birds and again “The Slayer” slayed them again by claiming the top two positions. His winner is a 2 year old Demeester with many prizes and has won Fougeres as a yearling, second for Alan was a 2 year old Gevaert x Demeester widowhood cock which has won as a yearling for Alan and has many good prizes, 3rd position went to Jos Jones and son with the same Walter Docx widowhood hen which was 2nd Club 13th Fed from the first race of the season and finally 4th went to Dick and Richie Piggott but I have no info regarding this pigeon, thanks Alan.
Saltney HS had 9 members sending 196 birds and making it two out of two is Ray Powell. Rays winner on 1592 is a super 3 year old dark cheq Gevaert hen whose previous wins include 1st Club 1st Fed 1st Amal Hereford, 1st Club 1st Fed 5th Amal Hereford, 2nd Club 13th Fed Chepstow and 3rd Club 4th Fed Wincanton and also this weeks win (a super hen Ray which must have given you plenty of pleasure), 2nd on 1584 was Ray Newell & son with a yearling Palmer Busschaert hen from Louella who has previously won 1st Club 2nd Fed Wincanton and 21st Fed Frome, she is raced on Ray’s “Celebus” system (Ray’s words not mine!) 3rd and 4th went to Eric Rose on 1564 and 1542 with a 3 year old FVW Hen on the roundabout which has won 4 x 1sts, 2 x 2nds, 2 x 4ths as well as 4th Fed 7th Amal, 21st Fed and 27th Fed, (another good hen Eric) and a yearling Delbar x Sion x Cattryse hen which originate from birds Eric has brought in from a South Wales fancier to race the channel. Thanks for the info Ray.
Hightown FC saw 11 members send 168 birds and this weeks winner was Roy Morgan. Roy’s winner is a Janssen originating from John “Bic” Baker of Warrington, 2nd place went to Steve Burgess with the winner of the first week’s race, it is a de Klak x Van Loon and was bred by Lol Stanbrook of Essex and is out of a cock with 6 x 1sts to his name, 3rd was the “Woodfields Wizard”, Derrick Jones with a FVW widowhood cock which has won before and he hopes will win again, 4th again went to Steve Burgess with a home bred yearling cock and winning it’s first prize, he is bred out of his main pair which have won over 20 x 1sts. Thanks Eileen.
No news from Holt HS but I know Jones & Pugh were 1st with the “Wizard” Derrick Jones 2nd and 3rd, come on lads it doesn’t take much to give us a bell, let me know what’s going on and you will see your club in lights!!
We recently attended the late Ronnie Bradshaw’s funeral at Hope church. There was a fantastic turnout which was not at all surprising as Ronnie had friends all over the country. It was a beautiful service and it brought back how much Ronnie was thought of by everybody. There were fanciers and friends from far and wide all ready to pay their last respects to a wonderful man who was so well thought of. R.I.P Ronnie.
News from the Shotton Gold Ring race now from Jeff Reynolds, rings have petered out to a dribble now, even so, Shotton’s 2007 Gold Ring race will see us having a record payout as 860 rings have been purchased beating the 2005 total of 823 at Picauville. If you include the free rings given out a total of 1,030 rings have gone out this year which is by far the most. In recent years it’s normally about 60% of total rings sold that make it to the race so we should be looking at a race with around 600 birds in come August.
The Wrexham Fed have purchased the most rings this season with 261 going to them , followed by Deeside with 207, North Wales Coast with 167, North Wirral with 165, West Cheshire with 132 and finally North East Wales & West Wirral with 130. As you will probably be aware by now every fed has won the race once so far so this year will see someone making it their feds second win.
Entry forms for the race will be sent out about 2 weeks prior to the race. Could I please ask all members that have not paid for their rings (of which there are numerous) to do so ASAP so I can get the books straight. Cheques should be made out to Shotton & DHS and sent to Jeff Reynolds at 149, Normanby Drive, Connahs Quay, Deeside, Flintshire, CH5 4LH.
Finally if anybody fancies putting some Gold rings on any youngsters popping out soon I still have around 70 rings left, as mentioned previously two of the previous winners of this race were won with youngsters bred in April/May. I can be contacted on 01244 813958 or my mobile is 07983964963. Good luck to everybody. Thanks Jeff.
Don’t forget you can contact me Paul Jacobs at 20, Lon Dderwen, Connah’s Quay, Deeside, Flintshire. CH5 4WG and phone (01244) 819934 or e mail at
26/4/07
