Essex Central Federation - Grantham YB (2) - 12-08-23

Grantham YB (2) 12/8/2023

Afternoon all,  this week the fed has returned to Grantham, Lincolnshire for our fourth race of the young bird program and our second juvenile event from the familiar racepoint. With a cloudy start and congested liberation site there would be a slight delay letting the birds go but with clearing skies fast approaching the 758 entries were released at 09:30 into a fresh South West wind.

Our first port of call at the business end is Tiptree’s very own Marathon Man Anthony (Rodney) Royce. The lifelong Jam Maker for many a year responsible for putting the famous preserve on your plate has recently returned to Maldon Club racing North in the central after a successful stint flying  the other way with Colchester Invitation. With a disastrous start to the campaign Rodney was only able to send three pigeons to the race but incredibly comes out on top today in club and fed with his first arrival a Hereman ceusters mealy hen, destroying the field by landing on the Elton walk traps one minute past 2 hours later at 09:31. The premier lofts daughter of Supersonic Mike and Dark Secret completing her 99 miles averaging a club and an impressive federation winning 1449 ypm. The well-bred mealy youngster going back to the Van Den Bulck young Gold and the world famous superstar Bolt. I caught up with the Marathon man (Rodney could run forever back in the day) for some interesting conversation.

Rodney is yet another lifelong fancier and songbird enthusiast to take the top honours this year and I do feel guilty sometimes asking these veterans to recall memories from so long ago but as you all know I love a bit of nostalgia and I felt I had to put some questions to our federation victor. I started keeping pigeons aged five when I reluctantly had a tooth pulled and received my subsequent reward. With this money I was straight off to Colchester Arcade Pet shop where I bought two pigeons for my new adventure. Anyway, it would be three weeks later when Dad, God bless him said “Todays the day, you can let them out Son “Away they went up and up and to my dismay I never saw them again. Dad noting my disappointment soon replaced them with two fantails to keep me happy. It was 62 years ago in 1961 when I first began racing and that would have been at Witham marking at the Black boy, now the Red Lion. I was racing to lofts in New Road Tiptree for many years and kept and bred canaries alongside the pigeons and in 1979 Tiptree were to relocate the clubhouse to the neighbouring Tiptree United football club on Chapel Road. I became secretary in 1984 a position I held until the clubs unfortunate demise in 1999, where those who remained relocated to my place of work at the world famous Wilkins jam factory and re-formed the Inworth racing pigeon Club of which again I put myself forward as club secretary. When the decline in the sport reared its ugly head again I found myself racing with Myland Club alongside other ex Inworth members and in 2014 teamed up with the local sprint kings and close friends the Wallis Brothers to compete at Maldon, after this very successful partnership I had a go on the South road flying as a member of Colchester Invitation and in my first season won the section and finished 4^th open in my first ever Channel race flying with the BICC from Falaise. I now find myself back flying North Road alongside my former partners and many other contemporises at Maldon Club. My most memorable moment throughout the years was finishing fourth open combine and winning a strong club in a race from Perth in 1980. There was not many birds timed in on the day in a race that had a large entry, however, my best result must be from a Stambridge open race for youngsters where I teamed up with Lerwick Legend and at the time, the unstoppable Peter Easter of Goldhanger. We entered 3 pigeons at a cost of twenty five pounds and didn’t see a bird for ten hours. Disappointed, I reluctantly timed in the bird a full ten minutes later just to have one in the clock but on phoning the organiser the late Dave Hales I was informed by the great man himself that no other pigeons were known and to bring my clock over to Stambridge. Anyhow the Smokey blue Westcott hen sitting 14 day eggs won us a thousand pound that day. My favourite pigeon during my time would also be a Westcott, a chequer cock winning all the Scottish races throughout his career and never finishing outside the top seventy Combine positions including landing on the boards after dusk at half past nine at night when only 30 birds were recorded on the day. I didn’t even win the club that day but the pigeon I named Darkie done me proud. When it comes to thanks and appreciation, I have to say Lord Goldhanger, Peter Easter was my combine buddy in the early days and of course the Wallis Brothers with Steve and Ian who still remain very close friends. I, after racing alongside you for many years personally thank you for your long service to local pigeon racing and I wish you well Rod, great pigeon, great fancier.

Runners up at Maldon today were the Sprint kings themselves, Steve, Ian and Sam Wallis who timed in the B R Watton Irish purchase from the Laindon breeder buyer sale, 2^nd fed last time out for the Londonderry import, 2^nd club, 10^th fed today 1373 and with the Darlington race fast approaching  keeping the anticipation flowing at Wood Road. The current club champions tie things up at Maldon taking third with a second blue cock 11^th fed on 1371.

Neighbours Burnham fill the sheet for the remaining top ten positions and a great day for the Wickham Bishops countryman Dave Freeman. Always a name to look out for, knowledgeable Dave takes the top honours at the Coastal traditionalists with the first of the three podium filling van Reets all related to Mr and Mrs turner’s legend Red Danial. The red card and silver medal in the fed goes to a blue pied hen, completing her 99 miles at a club winning 1408, closely followed up by a male loftmate of the same origins and colour, in the fed result for the second week running, 16^th fed last Sunday from Retford, bronze medallist from Grantham today with 1406, the identical time and velocity of Daves third  to drop in, a blue cock collecting that position in the club and 4^th in the fed and only 19 seconds later the maestro times a second blue cock rounding of a fantastic race for the fancier picking up 5^th fed, four yards behind on 1402. We head east of the clubs radius to the Dengie and a husband and wife partnership up there with the best. Mr and Mrs John Moss, seldom out of the frame the consistent performers take the next four spots available on the sheet. They would receive a blue pied cock leading the way from their 47 entries, touching down for 1400 and 6^th fed. Collecting 7^th to go with the 7^th fed he earned from the prior Retford, this promising blue cock raced todays 110 mile journey averaging 1395. The third arrival of the Burnham Masters, a second blue cock, maybe a nestmate being consecutive ring numbers? takes 8^th fed with 1377 with the second rubber belonging to a blue hen which of course will be the same time and velocity, 9^th on the board to complete a fine days racing for the club and the two fanciers in question.

Further down the Essex coast but racing with Stambridge club is king of the young birds John Wickenden. Twice a winner from only four races, the Shoebury wizard is up there again taking the first six in the strong club, with the whole half dozen making the result. First up for the blues fan is a Frans Zwol x Heremans ceusters chequer cock flying 116 miles to john at 1357. Right on his tail, a second chequer cock landing on the pad simultaneously for an equal time, the son of a fed winning Busschaert with well established Janseen blood from the dam had to settle for silver club today with the pair 12^th and 13^th in the county. John has got the trapping down to an art with his third arrival completing the Stambridge podium. A mere one second behind her loftmates the pure bred Lambrechts hen collects bronze, and 14^th fed on the same yard. Three more in quick succession for our Huntingdon and Retford champ to go through now, two coming together to register a matching 1357 a grizzle hen and a blue pied cock, as with the sixth and final John Wickenden prospect, a mealy hen 17^th fed on the same yard as the five pigeons preceding her with all six pigeons trapping in 3 seconds I might add. Excellent flying John.  

Alan (Mr and Mrs) Hills fly the flag for the capital once more, cracking race for the big man considering the wind. Here’s John Payne to fill you in on the rest of the happy clubs news. Race entries are still depleted but thankfully things are improving and today, young bird returns have been pretty good. The sleeping giant took the first three in the youngsters section with all homebreds originating from the stalwart stock man that is Fred Harnett. Winning the club and 18^th fed the leading syndicate lofts chequer cock took the red card racing 98 miles to the capital at 1347. Over to the old bird section now writes John and we have Tony from T & K Brewster fame. The pair managing their condition of the old birds extremely well at this point of the season and clean up in the discipline once again with their fine team of Van Reets. Cheers John.

Hadleigh club next and after missing two races with a hard hitting bout of the sickness John and Gaynor Ashenden didn’t know what to expect in todays race. Reassuring it must have been then to see their first arrival, a blue hen bred out of two fed winners dropping in at six minutes to twelve the Zwol being a direct young Brion pigeon takes the accolades on 1329 just ahead of another fed winning Zwol progeny, a couple of seconds runner up on the same yard. Mr and Mrs Ashenden finish up with a clean sweep at Hadleigh, their third bird, yet another Frans Zwol collecting bronze.

Mick Smith strikes again at Laindon, winning the club with a gold ring Hereman Cuester hen crossed in with the blood of the Hockley Master that is Malcolm Scouler. The well bred hen collects the red card ending her 109 mile journey averaging 1304. The former successful East London and Essex football manager takes all three spots at our south Essex representatives with his second bird , a blue cock bred the same way as the winner picking up silver with 1301 and a chequer pied Scottish hen completes the result with 1288 for bronze. Well done Mick and thanks Steve.

A little further afield next time with a trip to Wetherby forthcoming. Till then, don’t forget your Squills and as always, all the very best.

C L Elmes