Essex Central Federation - August Bank Holiday Weekend 2023

Retford (YB2) & Darlington open race

August Bank Holiday weekend 2023

Morning, hope you all are well? Two races to cover this weekend with the fed race from Retford Saturday and the highly anticipated Bank holiday open/breeder buyer/gold ring race courtesy of our colleagues south of the county, Laindon RPC with Steve Smith and his band of merry men laying on the best Essex North Road money race in recent memory. We begin on the domestic front with 593 federation youngsters having their second outing to Retford in the county of Nottinghamshire. Our conveyer reports early morning fog at the liberation site and our race controller informs us of the UNC liberating in sections below us in Huntingdon. It wouldn’t be too much later though and the fed contingent were released at ten o’clock with no wind of note at the race point. It was back in April when we last visited the Widowhood king, Generous Alan Moore after the Lexden legend cleaned up in our second old bird race from Grantham and it is the Clairmont road genius that takes not just the top spot today but the 1, 2 and a further nine in the top twenty. Lifelong fancier and Hammers supporter Alan like many of us has had a disastrous season with regards to losses and so a phenomenal loft performance today was just the tonic for our multiple fed winning Colchester fancier. First through the traps, covering 124 miles in two and a quarter hours is a van den bulck blue cock collecting the red card in both club and fed averaging 1607 landing together but pipping his loftmate and brother by a mere three seconds with the second blue cock collecting silver in both disciplines, a yard behind on 1606. One day it all comes together for an individual fancier and on this occasion, it is Mr Moore who takes the first eleven positions at Maldon Club, and I will quickly recap the positions and performances of his next 9 arrivals. Third club and 10^th fed, dropping in two and half minutes behind the leaders is a blue hen on 1585 with the following eight pigeons, 5 blue and 1 blue pied cock piling in with a mealy and a grizzle hen all in a thirty second period with the first three of this contingent registering an identical 1578.550 for 11^th, 12^th and 13^th fed respectively. 14^th fed belongs to a blue cock 2 seconds later on the same yard and only 1 point ahead of 15^th, a blue cock recording 1577. Half a yard behind that is the mealy hen 16^th, three yards or 18 seconds later a blue cock 17^th fed with 1574 dead and the final entry of the Widowhood king’s combatants the fifth blue cock 18^th fed averaging 1572. An outstanding performance considering the reliable Alan only sent 16 to the race, first class flying Mr Moore. Heybridge and team Wallis put two on the sheet for good measure. First of the Sprint kings pigeons is a chequer cock landing on the Wood Road boards at 24 minutes past 12 to calculate 1563 and 19^th fed and the final entry on the all-important result belongs to their second arrival, a blue cock, a single yard inferior recording 1562 for 20^th.

Neighbours Burnham and one of the most successful partnerships in our county next with husband and Wife team of Mr and Mrs John Moss collecting the accolades at our coastal collective once again. Winning the club red card and in the fed for the first time we have a blue hen, one of seven to populate the top ten for the Dengie masters. The fed bronze medallist completed 136 miles in two and a half hours for 1592. Runner up at club level and 4^th fed another blue hen six seconds later and a yard behind on 1591. Ten seconds later, cleaning up the minor honours at the club and 5^th fed, the third blue hen for Mr and Mrs Moss, 1590. The fourth arrival, just 7 seconds beyond that 6^th fed with 1589. Number 5, 1586 and 7^th fed. The sixth of these amazing team of blue hens landing 12 seconds later for 8^th fed with 1586 and the final entry from Mr and Mrs Moss’s substantial 47 strong contingent, 9^th fed on 1585 with all seven pigeons clocked in within one minute.

Hadleigh club follows on and after a fantastic weekend last time out, our double winning partnership of John and Gaynor Ashenden strike again at Retford. The pair continue their winning ways with a blue Frans Zwol hen landing on the Wetherby champions board after 2 hours 33 minutes and 38 seconds on the wing. The son of Combine winning Gaynor’s glory boy who has also sired an Amal winner and Grandson of loft matriarch Gaynor’s Gift raced his 135 miles home averaging 1547. The second arrival for the in-form husband and wife team is a previous club winning blue hen courtesy of Frans Zwol fed winning parents. 19^th fed back in April; she has to settle for club silver today on 1543. Collecting bronze at Hadleigh, yet another of these formidable Zwols doing their utmost to get the partnership involved in that coveted unofficial championship I conceived. The blue hen another Grandson of the gift that keeps giving, registers 1533. John has since sent me a photo of his club winning pigeon, unfortunately attacked by a hawk only 2 days after this victory. Wishing your winner, a speedy recovery John. Well done.

Onto Stambridge and the man at the helm finally bags a young bird race, extremely difficult considering the ultra-strong club competition. Malcolm collects the club red card with a chequer cock bred from his double fed winning Leo Heremans flying 135 miles to the Hockley master at 1533. The Stambridge club secretary informs me that he has had a disappointing latter season with the youngsters finally emerging from a bout of sickness. King of the youngbirds Mr Wickenden fills the podium with his first two arrivals, a grizzle hen 2^nd club with 1519 and a mealy hen, 17^th fed from Grantham a fortnight ago, receives bronze club a yard behind with 1518.

Our Capital calls next with regular contributor John Payne here to tell you how the City’s lads and lasses performed. Once again race entries were fairly low however the members experienced very good returns initially over on the west side with things later becoming gappy and drawn out throughout the Raceday afternoon with some arrivals returning the next morning. Moving onto the result and it is Mr and Mrs Payne who have a second successive clean sweep at the happy club, 1^st place with 1523 is a promising Frans Zwol blue cock gifted by well-respected John Matthews of Hutton fame. Runner up is a nice homebred hen, also a Zwol originating from original stock supplied by good friend John for which I thank him once again. 3^rd place as he was last Sunday is a consistent homebred Staf van Reet Mealy cock with the famous Mr and Mrs Keith Turner ‘Red Danial‘ blood gifted by the Wickham Bishops maestro that is Dave Freeman. Cheers John

With Saturday taken care of we head for Laindon club and their highly anticipated Bank Holiday extravaganza from Darlington. Consisting of a Breeder buyer futurity race, gold ring race, a considerable £5 single nom and lucrative open all wrapped into one, 311 pigeons made it to race day. Conveyed by Secretary Steve Smith who arrived at the County Durham racepoint at 2:45 am, the birds were watered after a few hours rest at 6 am and liberated in a light North west tailwind an hour later at 7 o’clock sharp. With a touch under ten thousand of the kings pounds up for grabs it would be a glorious day for Copdock long distance enthusiast Kris Mulley. Not only did our Suffolk hero clean up with the first six in the open, winning the valuable single bird nom but takes the gold and silver in the incorporated Gold ring race. I got in touch with the 2023 NRCC Thurso section winner for a bit of insight into this Raceday masterplan and the winning fancier himself. My home club is Ipswich North Road flying club where I have been racing for 3 years. I’ve had a keen interest in pigeon racing for a number of years but when I first met Kelson St Rose as a new work colleague and keen pigeon fancier, I decided to give it a go. I started with a six by four shed and have since never looked back. As a relatively new fancier this has been my best season so far, picking up approximately 20 cards including 6 club wins and topping the section in the NRCC from Thurso as well as this excellent result from Darlington. The pigeons I raced this year were bred by the late Jonny Heath from Wolverhampton, a mutual friend of mine and colleague Mr St Rose who kindly arranged for me to take on the young bird racing team created by Mr Heath following his sudden passing, and I must say they have done me proud to say the least. In the Laindon open race my gold ring birds that came 4^th and 6^th open winning 1^st and 2^nd in the gold ring race were bred by Tom Burkill from Norwich. These pigeons have been very consistent for me all season always finishing amongst the early arrivals. I have a great network of friends who have all been a great support to me in my racing journey, sharing their knowledge and a few tips. I am looking forward to the upcoming 2024 season and will be racing a team of birds bred by North west fancier Stevie Farragher from Liverpool. What a great performance Kris, and what a great season, I’m sure Mr Heath would be more than proud on what you have achieved. God Bless.

First the open race, with the Late Jonny Heath pigeons taking the first 3 and 5^th place for the all-conquering Mr Mulley. The winning pigeon, a blue pied cock completing his 208 mile to our Copdock champion in 3 hours 41 minutes and six seconds averaging 1658.7, a fraction ahead of the runner up,  a female blue loftmate a second behind on 1658.6 followed by a blue cock, all three birds bred by the late Mr Heath, right on that ones tail at 1658.5, the identical time as the Gold ring winning Blue hen bred by Mr Burkill who in turn was only half a second ahead of Kris’s 5^th arrival and runner up in the Gold ring, a blue cock bred the same way. All five pigeons landing and trapping within three seconds to give the Stour Valley Dangerman a monster payday. Russ O’cuneff collects bronze medal and a tidy sum with his chequer cock, 7^th open and third gold ring on 1627. King of the young birds John Wickenden picks up 4^th Gold ring and 11^th open with his blue hen 1587 for the Shoebury sensation and the final piece of the gold ring prize pot goes to Saturdays fed winner from Retford, Lexden legend Alan Moore. The equally lucrative breeder buyer race with the remainder of 162 lots won at  3 productive and enjoyable sales put on by Laindon at Barleylands social club was won by D Wilton and son collecting both rewards on offer for a tasty two and half thousand, multiple fed winner John Wickenden strikes again to pick up silver and one and a half. Mr and Mrs Ashenden are third and a grand richer whilst distance enthusiast Norman Holliday of Colchester finishes a profitable 4^th. With good prize money on offer right down to tenth it was a great days racing courtesy of Laindon club and the participants including myself thank secretary, organiser and conveyer Steve Smith and all assisting members for the excellent service provided. Well done all .  

C L Elmes