Essex Central Federation Retford YB 16-09-23

Retford  YB  16/9/2023

Hello all, 25 races later it is this Saturday we reach the conclusion to our young bird campaign with 323 remaining Federation pigeons, retreating to familiar Retford to enjoy their 10^th  and final race as youngsters in a third event from the Nottinghamshire racepoint. The original choice of liberation site was of course Wetherby, where the fed were to have their third and deciding race in what turned out to be a very tough trilogy. Disappointment from many I am sure but mother nature, as she always does, has the final say, meaning after a delayed afternoon liberation at 1 o’clock, all prizes on offer  include the outcome of this shorter Retford race.

Just as we did last Saturday, our first port of call is Heybridge and the sprint kings Steve, Ian and Sam Wallis. The Wood Road family outfit scored a fed winning double at the end of the old bird season and repeat that feat with the youngsters today. First through the traps is a blue hen same way bred as last Saturdays Grantham Victor, a well bred John Wheatcroft De Jan cross. This Leo Hermans based hen was a product of the third round in the now double fed winning nest, and conquers all flying her 128 miles home at to collect top honours at both Maldon Club and the Fed. The next of the 16 sent by the team to arrive was a second blue hen, runner up in the club and claiming 18^th fed with 1384. Completing the clean sweep at the Scraley road collective and putting the club champions on the scoresheet for a third time, yet another blue hen making her first appearance in the book finishing up with 1382 and 19^th fed.

On to Laindon club and a fancier that opened his account back in July, taking 11 of the first 15 places in spectacular fashion in our first young bird event from Huntingdon. The fancier in question, Eddie Butcher, racing as Butcher Brothers and ably assisted by wife Sara. Eddies second pigeon on the opening day was a chequer pied cock that took a close fourth fed and today at the opposite end of the season wins the club and adds a silver medal to the fed collection The Best Kittel, Van Den Bulck cross leads the way to the Dunton Dynamo completing his 132 miles flying 2 hours and thirty nine minutes averaging 1460.7. 13^th fed in that same Huntingdon race was another of these sprinting sensations carefully sourced by the expert Stockman, and on this occasion the second blue pied cock in the 11 strong arsenal picks up third fed to go with club silver, a mere two hundredths behind the winner on the same yard. The season ends as it began for the fancier from the home of Ford and completing a clean sweep at the Ramsden raiders, is a third pigeon to register the same yard, again, close up on the decimals and a second inferior to the runner up. The blue hen awarded 4^th fed for her efforts. Eddie timed all eleven pigeons from Huntingdon within a minute on that superb day and puts two more in the mix again to collect the next available spots. The fourth of these consistent performers to go through was 5^th fed in that Cambridgeshire demolition and the chequer pied hen doubles up on that position with 1458. The Best Kittel Van Den Bulck, nestmate to the fore mentioned winner landing together with her loftmates and all four pigeons recorded within a twenty second period. Eddies fifth entry, less than a minute later, returning in the exact same order they did from Huntingdon,  the blue cock 6^th then, ends a great season for Mr Butcher and settles for sixth again with 1449. A nice bit of consistency for the fancier to contemplate in the upcoming breeding season and with a sixth chequer hen 15^th on the board after two and three quarter hours the Dunton fancier must be looking forward to a fruitful 2024. Great flying Eddie.

Northeast to the Dengie and Burnham club where Steve Ward takes the first three in the club and the next three places in the fed. Steves first bird, a blue cock  flying 133 miles at 1447 going through the trap at 15:42 and twelve seconds for 7^th. Followed by 2 loftmates half a minute later, a chequer hen and a blue cock registering an identical 1442.402 for 7^th and 8^th respectively. Dave Freeman appears on the scoresheet once again. On Four separate occasions The Wickham Bishops dangerman has featured in the top ten and continues an excellent campaign with today’s representatives collecting 11^th and 12^th with the pair of blue pied hens recording an identical 1431.5. Mr and Mrs Moss are another Partnership we regularly read about, and the Burnham husband and wife put a sole entry on our final result. An amazing five times this youngbird season they have graced the upper echelons of the fed result and finish off a successful 2023 with their chequer cock 17^th with 1388.

Retford runner up Steve Oddy takes the red card at Rayleigh. The club president strikes today with his first arrival homing in 2 hours and 41 minutes. The blue pied cock flying 132 miles averaging 1436 and in receipt of tenth. Winner of the opening race of the season, the Battlesbridge ace takes the silver at the wealthy set and 20^th fed with a blue hen, 13^th fed a month ago from one of those tough Wetherby’s. 2 hours 49 today for 1372.

Mr and Mrs Ashenden come out on top at Rayleigh club with John and Gaynor’s first bird, 3^rd club earlier in the season taking top honours with 1421. The Frans Zwol granddaughter of Gaynors gift crossed with a daughter of Young Brion covering 135 miles at 1420 earning the blue hen 13^th. Eight seconds later and 14^th fed is a special pigeon. This double fed winner has conquered all in two of the three planned Wetherby races and who knows if we had the opportunity to go the distance today. This fantastic little hen, direct Frans Zwol Sired by Carter adds a silver in the club to those two golds. The brave chequer recording 1420. Double fed winning Topp and Man take third, the national champs enter a Belgian rung blue hen, already on the club podium twice, trapping at ten to four to take bronze and 16^th fed with 1403.

We wrap up the final fed result of the season at Stambridge, and club secretary Malcolm Scouler finishes the season where he started. Back at the top this week the Hockley Master times in one of the Leo Hermans so consistent for the fancier this season at a minute past four. The white flight cock racing a club winning 135 miles at 1317. Silver also goes to Malcolm with a second Leo Hermans. The chequer cock runner up on 1297. Completing the podium is King of the young birds John Wickenden, the Shoebury sensation times a blue cock flying 142 miles at four minutes past four or 1273 to round up a fine season for the two fanciers and their club as a whole.

Finally, the results section beginning with the combined nomination result of the three selected races, 2 from Wetherby and the Retford conclusion today. First and second winning prize money of £160 plus £116 Nomination is the Laindon Legend David Coward-Talbot and third place, and forty pounds goes to Rayleigh club president, double fed winning Steve Oddy. Well done, Gents. A quick recap of the youngbird season follows with the king of the youngbirds, Shoebury sensation, John Wickenden who opened the season with victory from our first destination, Huntingdon. Colchester Distance enthusiast Norman Holliday won the next race and our first outing to Grantham. That man Mr Wickenden of Stambridge club lives up to his reputation taking a second red card in three races by topping the first Retford result. Tiptree marathon man Rodney Royce sent three and timed the winning pigeon in the second of our Grantham events. John and Gaynor Ashenden collect top honours in the first of the Wetherby trilogy with a special little hen we will hear more about soon. Wickham Bishops maestro Dave Freeman won the following days fed race from Grantham. Lexden legend the generous Alan Moore, doubles up on the seasons fed wins with his blue Van Den Bulck cock edging out his brother to take the second Retford. Copdock fancier, the affable Kris Mulley cleaned up in the big Laindon club Darlington open race taking the first six including the gold ring winner. The special Frans Zwol hen belonging to Mr and Mrs Ashenden repeats her earlier success at Wetherby for an impressive second time from the challenging racepoint. Septembers Grantham, our third for the youngsters is claimed by the Heybridge Masters SIS Wallis who just like the old bird season finish off with a flourish and double up by leading the way in our final Retford race today which leads me onto some statistics and my unofficial North Road champion of central Essex series.  Utilising a simple method of a single point for 10^th place and ten points for first. It is the Wood Road Maldon club champions who again, come out on top. Appearing in the top ten in no less than six separate youngbird races, the formidable old bird champions rack up 102 points. Runner up was Burnham fanciers Mr and Mrs John Moss. The consistent partnership, bronze medallists in the old bird category register on five separate occasions and accumulate 85 points. Third place goes to the Wickham Bishops Danger man Dave Freeman, Dave was in the top ten four times with the youngsters and completes the podium with 74 points. With those results ingested and tallied up with the older generation it is the mighty SIS Wallis who come out on top overall, the lads train hard, spend hard and try hard and so it is no surprise to me that they set the benchmark with an overall score of 208 points. Mr and Mrs Moss are runners up with 154 and our London region representative  John Ashenden and outgoing fed secretary wife Gaynor finish a great season in third collecting 91 combined points. Thanks for the great service, Gaynor. Well done team Wallis and appreciation to all who contributed during a tough season. What I hope for now, is that the articles inspire you all to get breeding next year’s champions, but before they have their day in the sun, we all look forward to some exciting older birds come April. Let’s get the wagon full, till then, wishing you all the best for 2024.

C L Elmes.