Gwent Greater Distance Club 2010 Prize Presentation

Details: Published: 20 January 2001; Hits: 612

GWENT GREATER DISTANCE CLUB

Reports by Gareth Watkins

2010 Prize Presentation

Saturday October 30th saw the fourth annual presentation of the Gwent Greater Distance Club. When most clubs are struggling to attract members to attend these functions it was heartening to hear that the 2010 GGDC Dinner was a sell out with a maximum capacity total of 72 members and guests and many fanciers left disappointed at not being able to attend. Probably one of the major contributing factors to the “sell out” was the fact that yet again, the club had managed to attract some of the top fanciers in the UK to present the prizes. It was good to see Mark Gilbert the Dax International and multi National winning fancier in attendance once again, along with long distance aces, John Wills of Frimley, himself a six times winner of the BICC in races over 550 miles, as well as Jan and Albie Deacon, who are also multiple winners in long distance races against top class competition. Both Albie as chairman of the BICC along with Jan, who was until her retirement BICC secretary, were instrumental in welcoming and assisting the GGDC when the club first joined Britain’s premier long distance International minded organisation – a fact that has not gone unnoticed by GGDC members. We were also pleased to have the company of Tony Hayward, one of the top sprint / middle distance fanciers in England with his Planet Brothers Van Loons. The above mentioned fanciers are amongst the best in the British Isles and yet their many successes have not altered their down to earth approachability. It was an honour to have you as guests of the GGDC and a pleasure to be in your company. Our hope is that you enjoyed your visit as much as we enjoyed having you all with us.

The venue for the presentation was once again the well appointed and welcoming Green Meadow Golf and Country Club in Cwmbran. The festivities got underway a little later than arranged due to a mix up with the transportation but this certainly didn’t dampen the spirits as after a lovely four course meal the presentation of prizes was soon under way, with Mark Gilbert and John Wills doing the honours.

Race and trophy winners were as follows.

Falaise:-

1st Spencer Jones with Davenport & Roberts 2nd and Dennis Ford 3rd & 4th.

Alencon:-

1st & 2nd Dennis Ford with John Smale 3rd and Andrew Vincent 4th.

Saran:-

1st Preece Bros & Sons; 2nd & 4th Dennis Ford; 3rd Rawlings & Whitcombe.

Poitiers:-

1st Preece Bros & Sons; 2nd Mr & Mrs Mears;3rd & 4th John Smale.

Pau International:-

1st & 4th Padfield Family; 2nd Ieuan Williams; 3rd Keith Donnelly.

Barcelona International:-

1st club and only bird in race time also winning1st west section 25th Open BICC Ray Strawbridge.

Saintes:-

1st Dennis Ford;2nd Spencer Jones;3rd Andrew Vincent; 4th John Ludlam; 5th Watkins, Son & Cockcroft; 6th John Smale with all six birds featuring in the top 17 of the National result.

Tarbes International:-

1st Mr & Mrs Hooper; 2nd Mr & Mrs Gardner with the only two birds in race time.

Bergerac:-

1st and only bird clocked on the day into Wales also winning 1st WSRNFC Andrew Vincent. This performance received a massive round of applause by all present. Coming in at 2nd was one to Dennis Ford with 3rd Keith Donnelly; 4th G. Lewis & Son and 5th Mr & Mrs Gardner. All five birds featured in the top ten of the National result.

Narbonne International:-

1st club and 1st west section,8th Open BICC Mr & Mrs Gardner; 2nd club and 1st North section 15th Open BICC Wilf Reed; 3rd club and 2nd west section 21st open BICC the ever popular Wynn Llewellyn.

Perpignan International:-

1st club 1st west section 20th Open BICC Ray Strawbridge, this with the same hen “Marie” that won the corresponding race in 2009; 2nd club 1st North section 44th Open BICC Wilf Reed. These two battlers were the only two birds recorded in race time.

Carentan Young Birds:-

1st, 4th ,5th& 6th Preece Bros & sons also winning 1st 15th 16th & 17th National. Mark Sparey comes in for 2nd & 3rd club plus 9th & 14th National.

The International Race Average which boasted a prize fund of £600 along with a silver plated trophy was won by none other than club chairman Ray Strawbridge following his two outstanding pigeons’ performances from Perpignan and Barcelona. Well done Ray.

Credit should also be given here for the dynamic duo aka Terry and Carol Gardner who entered into the BICC young bird National from Falaise to win 1st west section 41st Open - an excellent performance under the conditions. Also worthy of special mention is a true battler of a pigeon raced by Llandaff fancier Ieuan Williams . This three year old cock, raced on the natural system, won 3rd west section BICC in the very difficult Saran race and then went on to win 2nd west section BICC in the equally hard Pau International race.

One remarkable statistic emerges from the 2010 old bird season and that is the fact that in a nine race BICC programme, GGDC members topped the west section of the BICC on seven occasions and were placed second section in the two races they did not win. Add to these west section wins a further two 1st section wins in the North section competing against fanciers in Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex plus many more west section positions in nearly every race and you have an exceptional series of results from 220 to 750 miles, against some of the best fanciers in the U.K.. Oh, and I should also mention that GGDC members won a further 3 x 1sts in National races when competing with the Welsh SRNFC during the 2010 season!

Following on from the GGDC prize presentation the Welsh Region RPRA awards were presented. I would have liked to have included the award winners with this report but despite efforts to obtain a list of the RPRA award winners presented on the night, I have been unsuccessful. Nevertheless, I am sure Region secretary Ann Follows will highlight these in a forthcoming article. If Ann would like to get in touch with me I can let her have the photos that Clive Hughes kindly took and forwarded to me.

Presentations complete it was then on to the entertainment which carried the revellers through to 12.30 when sadly the revelry had to be brought to a close.

Before closing this article, I should like to thank Clive Hughes of Tonypandy Photographics not only for providing all the photographs that accompany this report, but also for his continued sponsorship of the GGDC. Whilst mentioning Clive’s generous sponsorship I would also like to take the opportunity to thank the club’s other generous sponsors for all their support. Many thanks from all the GGDC members go to:-R.G. Davies Feed supplies Crumlin; Michelle Meredith and Howdens Joinery, Caerphilly; Ray & Marie Strawbridge; LCR Capacitors; Ray Strawbridge Jnr; The Padfield Family; Paget Pet Supplies; Terry Ash and last but not least Osmonds.

Here’s wishing all members good racing in 2011.