ESSEX & KENT AMALGAMATION
E. J. SAINS
Newark (Ripon) - July 2014
1863 birds, flown on Sunday the 26 06 2014. After a one-day holdover the birds were brought back from Ripon to Newark and liberated at 11am into a North West wind with close intermittent showers en route.
Mr & Mrs Steve Oddy 1st & 2nd open Essex & Kent Amalgamation 1st & 2nd Essex Central Federation Newark velocities 1811 & 1812 ypm
The partnership of Mr & Mrs Steve Oddy is undoubtedly one of the top flying partnerships in the Rayleigh club. A club that can account for many amalgamation, combine and federation winners among their large membership, in the last couple of seasons. Mr & Mrs Oddy can make claim to two of these top performances with a first open Essex & Kent Combine Berwick and now first open Essex & Kent Amalgamation Newark.
The partnership fly three main lines of birds, the Van Dykes Kannibals crossed with Janssen Van Loon and now in more recent times the Karel Boecke crossed with the Janssen Van Loons. Steve and Chris’ first bird was one of the Karel Boecke cross Janssen Van Loons, with the second bird being of the Van Dykes cross Janssen Van Loons. Fifteen widowhood cocks are normally flown, with a few of these now being paired for the Essex & Kent Combine race from Thurso.
Steve Oddy
Mr & Mrs John Buckfield 3rd & 9th open Essex & Kent Amalgamation 3rd & 9th Essex Central Federation Newark velocities 1807 & 1764 ypm
John Buckfield needs no introduction, most certainly not in Essex; he is known to work his birds very hard, with excellent results. You would almost always expect to see his name among the top pigeons in the races of high interest, when the race is open to many flyers. John like many of us is now retired but age has not dulled his enthusiasm or resolve. He is as keen to win now as he was 30 or 40 years ago, when he used to specialise in short open races, usually taking several of the first six prizes and cleaning out the pool money.
John’s first bird was a Gert Haylan yearling red widowhood cock. John had been racing his pigeons with his son right up to retiring, when he decided to go it alone again. He only raced young birds last year and a few yearlings this year. So at the moment he is sorting them out seeing who is the best.
John Buckfield - this is the one!
Mr Jim Beavis 4th open Essex & Kent Amalgamation 4th Essex Central Federation Newark velocity 1801 ypm
Jim Beavis who is 72 enjoys racing with help from his good friend Roger Gates. Roger helped Jim rebuild his lofts after Jim returned to the sport after being out of racing pigeons for a few years, this being his third year back. Things are starting to happen with three wins so far this year in the Hadleigh club. The method being used is a form of roundabout racing both cocks and hens. Jim said he had not quite got it right yet as his first pigeon a blue Wildemeersch yearling cock arrived well before his hen, so hence not getting his well deserved reward on arrival.
Mr Barry Hall 5th open Essex & Kent Amalgamation 5th Essex Central Federation Newark velocity 1798 ypm
Once again Barrie’s birds are among the top pigeons in another of the Essex & Kent events. Those fanciers who read these articles will have read a great deal about the performances that Mr Barry Hall has put his name to over many many years.
Because Barry is also one of us senior fanciers who has enjoyed pigeon racing and all that is associated with it over many years, I can reminisce about many adventures that Barry, myself (E. J. Sains), John Buckfield, Dave Hales and many others have had both here and in Belgium when as young fanciers we were out looking for the best pigeons, with a few bob in our pockets (see picture).
Back to the race, Barrie’s first bird was once again one of his Louis Cooremans. Barry has sought out the best of this strain and now they are certainly giving dividends. I asked Barry what he thought were the best lines and he told me that almost all the lines he had brought in have shown ability; it just depends on whose fit on the day.
Barry Hall & John Buckfield looking for stock birds at Leir market 2004
J & A Ashenden 6th open Essex & Kent Amalgamation 6th Essex Central Federation Newark velocity 1795 ypm
Jim senior is another one of our retired fanciers who again can lay claim to many wins,among these being twice a winner of the Essex & Kent Amalgamations.
Jim races an interesting family of pigeons that he has cultivated over the years, based on three colours of birds, blues, dark cheques, which now and then when paired together produce light cheques. The dark cheques sprint well up to 200 miles whereas the blues fly well over 200 miles and the light cheques fly very well at the longer distance races.
The first bird out of Newark amal was a two year old blue chequer widowhood cock; this bird was bred from a Soontjen cross the old family. Jim races complete widowhood both cocks and hens and usually the cocks race short and the hens race long, but this year Jim is trying them the other way round to see how well the hens can sprint.
Mr Ray Hawkins & Son 1st East London Federation 12th open Essex & Kent Amalgamation Newark velocity 1729 ypm
Ray keeps a small team of 12 sprint widowhood cocks. These birds originate from the colony of Gavaert Van Schoorisse and fly extremely well up to 300 miles. They have scored in the first twenty of all the Essex & Kent Amalgamations flown in 2014 and have not been out of the first six at club level all year.
Ray’s first bird was a blue chequer yearling G.V.S. widowhood cock.
Mr Alan Moore 1st Stour Valley Federation Newark velocity 1703 ypm
Alan races 14 cocks and 14 hens. For this race the cocks and hens had been re-paired, to ready the cocks to fly the Essex & Kent Combine from Thurso, on a big youngster. When entering this race the hens had been sitting 10 days on their eggs since being re-paired. The first bird was a yearling blue hen sitting 10 days.
Alan Moore
Newark 29.6.14.
Lib 11.00. North West wind.
Approx 148/1863
1 M/M S ODDY EC 1811
2 M/M S ODDY 1810
3 M/M J BUCKFIELD EC 1807
4 J BEAVIS EC 1801
5 B HALL EC 1798
6 J & A ASHENDEN EC 1795
7 MISS R BACON EC 1784
8 G WATTS EC 1766
9 M/M J BUCKFIELD 1764
10 R TATE EC 1733
11 K PERRIMENT EC 1731
12 R HAWKINS & SON EL 1729
13 M/M PITTMAN EC 1726
14 M/M G RICHMOND EC 1725
15 P LAGDEN EC 1723.6
16 J FROST & SON EL 1723.1
17 N DAWKINS EC 1717.9
18 A STOCKWELL & SON EL 1717.5
19 N HOLLIDAY & SON EC 1717.0
20 T BUCKFIELD EC 1714
OTHER FED WINNERS
STOUR VALLEY - A MOORE 1703
COUNTY - D BURNS 1681
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