ACROSS THE MIDDLE
by Gordon Braban & John Wilkie
BOURGES 2012
Well as I said at the start of my last article, the UP NORTH COMBINE held 2 races on the same day, 1 from Melton Mowbray and the other from Bourges. Well here is the Bourges article as I have it. I would say this has been one of the best Bourges that we have had for quite some time, with the weather conditions perfect for the pigeons to do a good velocity and for us to have a good few birds return on the day. Well that is just what happened with 102 birds being reported home on the day of liberation, but as the saying goes there will always be pigeons away no matter what happens. Normally when we get a good day's race like this with good returns, you would think that there would be a lot of birds clocked in the following morning. Well that did not happen this time. Over the 3-day race there were only 247 recorded on the combine sheet - and guess who was 247th? Yes I was with the old mealy cock. This was his 8th trip over to Bourges and finally he gets a French Diploma. I had sent 9 birds, of which 4 had been there before and the other 5 had been to the 480 mile race either last year or the year before.
As my article goes on you will see where all the best birds were with some good loft performances being put up with good returns on the day. Like I said before, you will always get birds through on the day. Some clubs and feds were lucky to have had birds timed in and some clubs and feds got nothing back within the 3 days, but that's pgeon racing and you have to put up with it. This Bourges article will not take long too do.
Section 2 132 birds Gateshead fed.
1st Highfeild h s. J Johnson with a 7 year old bird that was timed in on the second day at 18 mins past 6 in the morning. That's 18hrs 48mins 1sec to take top honours in club, fed, section and get 110th combine.
The 3Gs, Gordon, Gray & Gray were the winners at the Dunston club with a 3 year old this bird took 19hrs 24mins 59secs to cover 574 miles doing 867-85 for 2nd fed, section and 117th combine.
Tommy Gray and son Dean won the Wrekenton club at 21hrs, 13mins 36secs, that's nearly 8-45 in the morning. This 4 year old bird was 134th combine doing 789-93.
There were only the 3 birds back in Gateshead fed on the 2nd day, so for the 2nd time running we were all up early in the morning again to wait for nothing that wasn't coming but we love it, honest. J. Johnson was 2nd club, 4th fed and 7th section and 228th combine on the 3rd day. Alan Hirst timed the good old 8 year old cock in to get 2nd club {Wrekenton}, 5th fed, 7th section and 230th combine doing 382-08.
Chester le Street fed.
B Caley had a great race when he timed 3 birds in total from this race, 2 on the 2nd day and 1 on the 3rd day to take 1st, 2nd & 3rd club at the Marquis of Granby. The first 1 was doing 629-39 taking 26hrs 15mins 15secs to be 1st club, fed, section and take 179th combine. The next pigeon took 27hrs and 48secs and was 184th combine. His 3rd pigeon was 4th fed and 9th section doing 334-055 and took 245th combine.
Eltringham& Hall won the Kibblesworth club and were 3rd fed, 6th section and 207th combine doing 539-88 after taking 31hrs 4 mins 25secs.
Well that was all that was timed in out of Bourges - a total of 9 birds in the section.
Section 3 Houghton fed.
Over the past few years the Bourges race within Houghton fed has been between Hughie & Colin Jackson and Barry Mason and this year was no different. There was only 1 bird back on the day, and it belonged to Barry. It is a 3 year old check hen that took 15hrs 5mins 11secs to cover the 569 miles to claim 1st club fed sec 3 and 68th comine doing 1106-05. Well that was it for the day birds in our fed, then it was time to stoke the fire up, get some supper and try and get some sleep before another long day looking at the sky, waiting for nowt to come home {at least at my loft anyway}. Up sharp on the Sunday morning, I put some more logs on the fire and took the dog for a walk around the block and then settled down and waited. The phone calls had started to come in pretty sharp that morning telling me who had the best day birds and how many they had timed in, which is great news, but when your name is not mentioned it is a bit sick, but that's pigeon racing for you. Barker & Cook had the next 1 in my club, a 3 year old blue cock that was timed in on 19hrs 25mins 51secs. This cock was 3rd fed and 121st combine doing 858-66. 3rd club 5th fed and 157th combine was Craggs, son & g/son who timed a 2 year old check pied cock that took 23hrs 28mins 42secs and was doing 710-63. Thompson & Laidler took 4th club 10th fed and 241st combine on the 3rd day about tea time, but it made it home in race time and faster than mine, doing 350-12.
Mr & Mrs J. Savage had the first 2 birds in Penshaw h s. Their first bird was a 3 year old check wh cock that took 18hrs 56mins 24secs to get 2nd fed 114th combine and was doing 875-61. The next pigeon was a 3 year old check cock which took 25hrs 49mins 50secs and ended up 173rd combine. Stevie Wilson, son & dtr were 3rd club 9th fed and 217th combine with a 5 year old hen that has a good few fed and section prizes now.
Hughie & Colin Jackson took the top 3 positions in the Dubmire club. Their first pigeon was a 2 year old cock that ended up 4th fed 122nd combine. It took 19hrs 21mins 28secs and was doing 856-26. The next pigeon was their good mealy hen. This hen has been 8 times and has either topped the fed or been 2nd or 3rd everytime she has been {a great pigeon in my eyes}. She is 8 years old and took 26hrs 44mins 21secs, doing a vel of 619-89 there. Next pigeon was 42 mins later and was a 4 year old which ended up 185th combine.
The Gardeners club was won by Braban & son who timed in OLD BRAB which is an 8 year old mealy cock. I was getting a bit sick of sitting around the garden waiting and waiting for what I thought was a lost cause and thinking to myself that I was never going to got anything, so I decided to go and have a few pints with the lads up at the club. I was thinking to myself that if I did get out there would not be a rush to time it in, so when Edmund and Davy dropped me off at 7-45 they told me to go and see if there was out sitting, which I did and came out with the old bird in my hands without timing him in {what's the rush?, I said to them}. It took him 50hrs 23mins and was doing 331ypm. Well at least he made it home in race time. There are a lot of birds that still have not made it home up to this date. A great first day but the weather had not been that good after that to get the birds back. Well, that's the story of Houghton fed. The better pigeons were timed in within section 4, which is 1 of the strongest sections within the UP NORTH COMBINE and has some of the best channel flyers within the combine in it {that's my own opinion.}.
Section 4.
This is probably 1 of the strongest sections in the combine when it comes to channel racing. There are some good household names that are there or thereabouts every year when it comes to the longer distances and this year in no exception. I will begin with the leading fed and then follow on with the rest as they hit the combine result in fed order.
South Sheilds fed.
1st Mr & Mrs Davison {need I say anymore?}. This partenership has flown mainly channel races over the past few years, either in the Up North Combine or the North East Greater Distance Club from a distance up to 640 miles, I have had the privilege of knowing Mr Davison for some 40+ years through my father in the late 60s when he flew with Rod Adams. Geordie timed a 3 year old blue cock in that took 13hrs 11mins 1secs to travel the 571 miles and was doing a vel of 1272-04. This blue cock is 1 of Geordie's old breed that he has built up over the many years, with a blend from some of the top distance men in the combine. the blue cock wins the Raglan & Westpark hs, South Sheilds fed and section 4 plus 3rd UP NORTH COMBINE. 2nd fed Jewitt, Makie & Yanetta wins 1st Whiteleas with a 2 year old {their only entry so they were locked up sharp} that was doing 1137-06 and finish up 52nd combine. Jimmy Nicholson was 2nd club Raglan & WP 3rd fed 193rd combine on the 3rd day with a 2 year old doing 575-85, Moore & Gleghorn were 3rd club 4th fed and 229th combine with a 3 year old doing 389-89.
Sunderland & Dist fed.
R&A Evans, Dixon & Gibbon take the top 4 positions in the High Southwick h s with 3 birds on the day and the 4th earlyish on the 2nd day. Their first bird was a 3 year old that took 13hrs 48mins 10secs and was doing 1210-17 to get 21st combine. The next pigeon was a 6 year old that took 14hrs 41mins and was 3rd fed 53rd combine, then 6 mins later they timed in a 2 year old TV pigeon from Mark Pearce to be 4th fed 57th combine doing 1129-09. The next pigeon was 5th fed 123rd combine and it was a 2 year old doing 853-90. J Powell & son were the winners at the Cornhill club. These lads topped the combine from this race last year. Their first bird was 2nd fed 43rd combine doing 1163-12 and was a 4 year old bird and they also timed another pigeon on the 3rd day to take 8th fed 216th combine. Mr & Mrs Nelson were 1st & 2nd at the Town End Farm club. First was a 2 year old Scotch pigeon that took 25hrs 38mins and was 6th fed 169th combine then a 2 year old that was 198th combine. L Cobb took the red card at the Farrington club. He was 7th fed 176th combine with a 6 year old pigeon.
Sunderland Prem fed 92 birds.
Sportsmans & Comrades h s. McSween & Sexton timed 3 birds in on the day and 1 the following morning to take 1st, 2nd, 4th & 5th club, 1st, 2nd, 9th & 11th fed. The first pigeon was a 2year old that wins the fed noms and the fed £1 noms plus 28th combine. The next bird was 34th combine doing 1180-67 and it wins 2nd fed noms and the Ford 2bird club. The next 2 birds were doing 1030-9 & 832-04. Fred McCluskey timed the old faithfull check wh cock in breb by Braban & son from Washington taking 15hrs 2mins 28secs to claim 3rd club 7th fed and 69th combine doing 1105-75. J Lynn was 6th club 13th fed 154th combine doing 721-97.
Oddfellows h s 11 birds. John {Joster} Foster was 1st, 2nd &3rd club 3rd, 4th & 8th fed. The first bird was a 4 year old pigeon that took 14hrs 6mins 12secs and it wins 3rd in the fed noms and takes 36th combine. The next pigeon was 40mins later and it was 2nd in the Ford 2bird club and 58th combine. Their 3rd pigeon was a 4year old and was 83rd combine. Brown,bros & McKinnie took 4th club 15th fed and 178th combine it was 6 year old doing 631-26 and it was their only entry.
Plains Farm h s, 20birds, was won by Robinson, son Johnson & Moon with a 3 year old bird that ended up 61st combine doing 1122-51. Brown & Stubbs took 2nd club 6th fed and 64th combine 5 mins later doing 1116-33.
Castletown h s, 7 birds, was won by Billy Rush & ptns {Matty, Jeff & Ronnie} who timed in a 2 year old bird bred down from pigeons they got of Mr & M rs Pearson from over the Durham area. It was doing 898-61 and ended up 107th combine. Mr & Mrs John Bell were the winners at the Deptford club and took 12th fed and 128th combine and I Savage was the winner down at the Westside 6 bird club flying against 9 birds and ended 162nd combine.
North East Counties fed.
L. Whitehead was 1st & 2nd club at the Dawdon h s and 1st & 2nd fed. First was a 3 year old that was 27th combine doing 1194-60 then 49th combine with a 5 year old bird. Thompson & Mardicai were the club winners at the Wearside h s and their 7 year old bird was 62nd combine doing 1120 ypm. G Godfrey was 2nd club 4th fed and 124th combine with a yearling. Armstrong bros took 3rd club 5th fed and 190th combine with a 4 year old GB bird and Dixon and sons took 4th club 6th fed and 226th combine doing 396-85.
Well that's just about it for the Across the Middle write up from Bourges. I think that I covered the sections that I do. For all there were just over the 100 birds timed in on the day and like I said earlier, not that many had made it home overall in the 3 days, and that is what's happening in all the channel races we have had up to now. Is it the sign of the times that we are going to get heavy losses whenever we go to the channel? If it is I think that we should take a long hard luck at the position of the race points in France and try and move well out of the way of the big masses so we don't clash with them. I sent 9 birds to this race and I am 5 missing up to now.
The next race will be from Fontenay, which is around 469 to the Middle, so let's hope that we get a good day and we get most of the birds back. For some reason I can't see that happening but you never know. Until next tme, which will be Fontenay and Eastbourne Yearling Derby, that's it from me. Keep the results coming in. THAT'S ALL FOLKS.