Whitley Bay - May 2013 - Elimar Pigeon Services Limited

Details: Published: 01 January 2020; Hits: 1047

ESSEX & KENT AMALGAMATION

E. J. SAINS

Whitley Bay - May 2013

Brought back to Ripon after a one day holdover. Liberated 13.30 hrs on 19th May 19th into a light north west wind. 1595 birds.

There was no doubt in most fanciers’ minds that a holdover was going to be inevitable. Saturday the 18th of May saw rain just above Newark slowly pushing northwards towards Yorkshire, and during late Saturday and Saturday night the rain moved off leaving in its wake bad visibility and fog, an occurrence that often takes place when a front moves off and a high is trying to come in from the Atlantic. In order to get a liberation the convoyer moved the birds from Whitley Bay to Ripon. The skies gradually brightened and with the wind behind the birds a chance for liberation came at 13.30 hrs. Although the birds were reportedly liberated in a light North West wind much of the way the wind varied between North North West and North North East. The convoyers and race advisors should be congratulated in this case as they made an almost impossible weekend work with especially good returns, some fanciers reporting 100% returns within a half hour.

Ling Bros 1st open Essex & Kent Combine 1st County of Essex Federation velocity 1728.45 ypm

The Ling Bros Henry David and Billy, have been ultra successful with their Vandabeeles over the past few years. Billy said that he and his two brothers like to enter the prestigious races like the Essex & Kent events as much as possible because the birds get much more recognition for their achievements.

Pigeon (origin)

Their first bird is a three year old Gaby x Janssen from Colin Thomas of Barking. This widowhood cock is a past winner of three races, among these being 1st club 1st federation Newark, 1st club 2nd federation Newark and has scored twice before in the Essex & Kent Amalgamation.

The Ling Bros - 1st open Essex & Kent Combine

Steve Fenech & Son 2nd & 12th open Essex & Kent Combine 2nd & 4th County of Essex Federation velocities 1728.44 & 1684 ypm

A very tight finish between two outstanding lofts that of Henry, David & Billy Ling and Steve & Joe Fenech, finishing on the same decimal with birds flying at almost a mile a minute.

Pigeon (origin)

Steve & Joe’s first bird, a dark chequer cock, is a full brother to Champion Messi the cock that topped the County of Essex Federation last week. For the Cooreman enthusiasts the grandfather of this cock as well as Steve’s champion Messi and Bolt is Louis Cooreman’s Tap. Tap is a phenomenal breeder who finally came to Bob Fenech’s loft where he bred the father of Steve & Joe’s birds. A less well known fact is that when paired to a hen called Treble 4, Tap bred a hen called Kia Lee owned by Lee Bousfield This hen went on to breed three different pigeons that in turn all bred N.R.C.C. National winners.

Steve & Joe’s second bird at 12th open Essex & Kent Combine, a blue chequer widowhood cock is the nest brother to Steve’s good cock Longey, who was second L.N.R.C. Berwick. He is also a brother to Allan Long of Blyth’s Essex Girl twice first federation as a young bird.

Steve & Joe Fenech with their second open Essex & Kent Combine

G Smith 3rd open Essex & Kent Combine 3rd County of Essex Federation velocity 1720 ypm

George’s first bird was a two year old blue widowhood cock; his bloodline is from Van de Poel’s De Kuper pigeons. This particular cock has flown consistently, but it was his brother that had flown well in the past, with a 3rd open Essex & Kent Combine in the 2011 Berwick race. George said that his widowhood cocks had been performing quite well picking up the pools at Wetherby plus the same cock winning the earlier Ripon race and picking up the pools again. But the truth is that George prefers racing hens on his roundabout system. But when George had to visit the hospital, a fox managed to force his way into the hens’ department through the bob wires. He only took one pigeon, but he killed all the other hens. George was lucky enough to get some hens from club mates and they are what his widowhood cocks now fly home to.

T & T McCarthy 1st 2nd 3rd & 4th South of the Thames Federation 4th 5th 6th & 7th open Essex & Kent Combine velocities 1705 1705 1694 1694 ypm

Terry & Tina had a multi drop taking four of the first seven positions in the open result of the combine. Terry tells me that they fly their birds on celibate for the first three or four races and then start showing the cocks & hens. The hens are kept on V perches in one section the cocks in boxes in another connecting section. After flying out and racing celibate for three races the Wednesday before the fourth race, the sexes are placed together for the night, straight after the last fly of the day, then split in the morning. Friday they ran together around 3pm. Those that are the keenest on a partner are sent to the race. As the races progress, for a little extra keenness show pens are placed in the sections with one of the two coupled birds inside the show pen and a nest bowl on top where the partners usually call.

Pigeon (origin)

The first bird timed was a two year old Staf Van Reet cock bred from Terry & Tina’s 38 lines, a top breeding hen that has been responsible for some 18 federation winners. The second bird a yearling blue hen was the same way bred. The third bird is a yearling Vandenabeele blue cock a grandson of Queen of Diamonds. The fourth bird another blue yearling cock was the same way bred.

Terry & Tina McCarthy with two of their winning four pigeons

Paul Reynolds 1st 2nd & 3rd Stour Valley Federation velocities 1637 1636 1636 ypm

Paul needs no introduction as he was one of our top flyers in the Essex & Kent events for 2012. His family of Mellonby and Wheelhouse Vandenabeele have consistently placed themselves on the podium particularly in races around 200 miles.

Paul’s first bird for instance, a two year old blue widowhood cock, topped the Essex & Kent amalgamation from Wetherby in 2012 with 3381 birds competing. He is one of several outstanding pigeons bred from Paul’s number one pair both bought from Mellonby & Wheelhouse as babies. Paul’s second bird a two year old blue widowhood cock is a grandson of his Mellonby & Wheelhouse’s number one pair, with the third bird a three year old widowhood cock being the same way bred as the first bird. This pigeon has been proving himself to be a rather good racing pigeon as well as a breeder with already having won a 10th open Essex & Kent Amalgamation Wetherby 3381 birds and having bred birds to win 2nd open Essex & Kent Ripon 2842 birds and 17th open Essex & Kent Amalgamation Wetherby 3381 birds.