ESSEX & KENT AMALGAMATION
E. J. SAINS
Arbroath - Saturday 23rd June 2012
The weather once again was not very kind to the Essex & Kent’s second Scottish contingent of birds, which were to be liberated in Arbroath on Saturday 23rd June. A record amount of rain was recorded all along the west coast, with cloud and some light rain falling in places along the east coast, both in Scotland and northern England. The disruption of cloud and light rain was reported to be in sporadic intervals, giving the birds that were liberated at 7 A.M. in a light west wind a chance to dodge the intermittent bad weather. From the Midlands down the wind slowly changed to west south west.
Mr Ronald Reason. First Stour Valley Federation. Third Essex & Kent Combine, velocity 1247 Y.P.M.
Ron races his birds in the very strong Mistly club where the competition is extremely hard with other Mistly members having topped combines and amalgamations on numerous occasions. So you see it is no mean feat when you say that Ron has so far this season had four firsts in the club.
Ron is another fancier that has turned around from south road racing, finding that his south road winners, although being of exactly the same bloodlines as his north road winners, were off the pace when trying to race them on the north road. Because of this reason, Ron has put all his older south road winners to stock, but raced pigeons that had only raced as young birds on the south road. The pigeon that Ron timed to win was one of these birds raced on the south road as a young bird. He feels that the south road birds may take more time adjusting themselves to the line of flight at the race point before heading home. But because this race was a very hard race this south road hen was afforded the time to adjust her line of flight at the race point.
Pigeon (origin)
The two year old blue chequer widowhood hen timed to win third Essex & Kent Combine Arbroath was a half sister to his 2011 first section N.R.C.C. Dunbar young bird race winner; this young bird was timed to win the section after nine & a half hrs on the wing. The Arbroath winner was bred from Ron’s number one stock pair, a silver Vandenabeele cock of the lines of Shadow one side and Jester & Carrie on the other side. This cock has produced three winners. These Vanenabeeles are down from 4 birds purchased from S. Gill from up north, their origin being from M & D Evans stock. The dam of the Arbroath winner is a 2000 Braspenning hen originating from L. Massarella. This hen has bred many winners including two Essex & Suffolk federation winners.
Ron asked me to mention a well done to Paul Reynolds, also a Mistly club member, not only for his two amalgamation winners but also for his 4th combine in this race. Also a big thanks to Lee Fribbins for all the help he has given over a long period of time.
Mr & Mrs R. Reason (picture taken by little Maddy, who is only three & a half years old).
Mr Paul Reynolds. Second Stour Valley Federation. Fourth Essex & Kent Combine, velocity 1149 Y.P.M.
What can we say about Paul? Just last week it was being written how well he has flown after winning the Essex & Kent Amalgamation for the second time. Once again Paul has timed in to take a top position in one of the Essex & Kent events.
Pigeon (origin)
The first bird timed in by Paul to take 4th open in this combine event was a yearling blue widowhood hen. Her breeding is a Staf Van Reet paired Vandenabeele. Her dam the Vandenabeele is a full sister to last week’s first open Essex & Kent amalgamation winner from Wetherby. The sire of this blue yearling combine hen has himself won 5 x first before going to stock. His breeding is from the line of Red Daniel and the line of Bert Hession’s Toy Boy.
Paul Reynolds.
Mr Ian Barham 3rd open Stour Valley Federation 5th Essex & Kent Combine, velocity 1138.
Ian Barham is a member of the Myland Pigeon Club and he usually likes to fly his birds up to around 300 miles where he feels his team of Busschaerts give their best performance. But on this occasion after competing in a relatively easy Berwick, he thought he might go a little further and send to Arbroath.
Pigeon (origin)
Ian’s first pigeon is a two year old Jos Thone grizzle cock that was bred by Chris Simons and had been purchased in a futurity sale. This cock looked in excellent condition when being put in the basket for the race. He had previously been a widowhood cock, but had been paired up just two weeks before the race and was sitting 6 days with two flights out when sent. The race turned out to be very hard, which was probably the reason that the Jos Thone grizzle left his Busschaerts standing.
Mr Norman Holliday & Son 3rd open Essex Central Federation 6th Essex & Kent Combine, velocity 1126 Y.P.M.
Norman and his son Keith are ardent distance pigeon fanciers, with probably their main interest lying in the N.R.C.C. Lerwick event. So from the start of the season their lofts and birds are geared towards the great Lerwick race. Don’t get me wrong, they are interested in winning all of the races and certainly give a good account of themselves all through the season whether it is old or young bird racing.
While visiting Norman I was privileged to handle the two cocks which are being prepared on widowhood for the N.R.C.C. Lerwick race, which when I called was around a week away. I must say I was very impressed by their quality and condition. They were housed on their own and being let out to fly together twice a day. Norman said it was not unusual for them to do a straight one hour fly gliding round and enjoying themselves in the sky.
Pigeon (origin)
Norman’s first bird from Arbroath is a yearling blue widowhood cock. His breeding on one side is the Vandenabeeles of Paul Reynolds and on the other side a Staf Van Reet line from Lee Fribbins. Good luck Norman for the oncoming Lerwick race.
Norman Holliday.
Essex & Kent Combine Arbroath - Provisional First 20
1 M/M J MOSS EC 1286.6
2 M/M J MOSS EC 1286.4
3 M/M REASON SV 1247
4 P REYNOLDS SV 1149
5 I BARHAM SV 1138
6 N HOLLIDAY & SON EC 1126
7 M/M J PAYNE EC 1121
8 K SHOVE EC 1120
9 M/M SEES EC 1118
10 P WOOD EC 1112
11 R & P SMITH EC 1111
12 R & J MOSS ST 1108.7
13 M/M K DEVILLE & SAM SV 1108.5
14 S WARD & DTR EC 1104
15 R & J MOSS ST 1102
16 LING BROS COE 1098
17 J ASHENDEN EC 1090
18 R & P SMITH EC 1088.8
19 B HALL EC 1088.1
20 R & J MOSS ST 1075
