GWENT GREATER DISTANCE CLUB
Reports by Gareth Watkins
Perpignan Race Report
At 6 a.m. on Saturday 1st August, 19 Welsh pigeons were liberated, along with 18,390 pigeons from lofts throughout Europe, at the French town of Perpignan situated in the south east of the country close to the border with Spain.
This is a 650+ mile marathon for the Welsh pigeons and not surprisingly, no birds were recorded on the day into Wales. However, pigeons were clocked on the first day into northern France, Belgium and the Netherlands, due no doubt to the south westerly wind helping them along. It was not until 5.23 pm on the second afternoon that the first Welsh pigeon was clocked at the Newport loft of GGDC chairman, Ray Strawbridge. This race proved to be a veritable “cake walk” for Ray who sent five and at the time of writing has got all five in the clock winning 1st, 2nd & 4th GGDC plus 2nd & 5th section 23rd & 40th Open BICC.
Ray Strawbridge and his winning pigeon.
All Ray’s birds were mated in the second week of March, allowed to rear a young bird and then separated and raced on the round about system for the early part of the season. The Perpignan winner is a 2 year old chequer hen containing all the very best of Ray’s Wim Muller Jan Aardens and Padfield family bloodlines. This season she has raced from Alencon, Fougeres, Poitiers and Bergerac prior to going to Perpignan. In fact, in the Bergerac race at just on 500 miles she finished 9th section 16th Open with the Welsh SRNFC. On her return from Bergerac she was left to go to nest and was sent to Perpignan feeding a seven day old young bird.
The second timer for Ray, taking 5th section 40th Open BICC, is a 3 year old chequer cock bred from the loft’s top Wim Muller x R.O. Jones Jan Aarden stock cock. The dam is also the same dam as the winner and contains Padfield family, Bowen Brothers’ “Cambrian King” and Morgan & Cook “Iron Man” bloodlines. So you could say that she is steeped in proven 600 mile winning bloodlines.
Ray’s third bird in the clock, winning 4th GGDC is another 3 year old chequer cock and is in fact the nestmate of the winning pigeon! Like the the first two birds he was raced extensively in cross channel races this season with the exception of the Bergerac race – he was substituted into the Saintes race instead. All three prizewinners have the same grand dam – “My Little Gem” Ray’s champion stock hen, which was bred by Mr & Mrs Woodyard from their direct Muller Jan Aardens. “Gem” is grand dam to 1st National Dax and 1st National San Sebastian along with a whole load of other top performers.
In third place in the GGDC, stopping Ray from taking a hattrick, is Adrian Ware & Daughter. Adrian is no stranger to success, having won three Welsh Nationals plus all the major trophies up for competition in Wales. In 2007 he also won 1st Open BICC and has been top prizewinner at all levels of competition. In this race he clocked a three year old chequer cock gifted to him by Brian Sheppard of Trowbridge and containing the very best of the Sheppard International winning Jos Thone bloodlines. In 2008 the cock returned from the disastrous Giessen race after some weeks and this year was out for two weeks in the Poitiers race. Nevertheless he recovered quickly and was sent to Perpignan driving his hen to nest, the hen having been reintroduced to him on the Sunday evening prior to Tuesday basketting.
Two Queen's Cup Winners - Adrian Ware and the late Glyn Cousins of Newport, pictured at Adrian's loft.
This season’s Marseille winners with the GGDC, none other than former club President and secretary, Terry and Carol Gardner, come in for 5th prize. The “Dynamic Duo” clocked on the fourth day at 10.17 a.m. Their timer was a four year old chequer cock and is a full brother to the Gardners’ winner of 1st GGDC 1st section Marseille this year, being bred from a Louella Invincible Spirit hen when mated to a cock gifted to Terry and Carol by the late Tommy Ingram. He was mated in late February and allowed to sit his eggs out before being separated and raced for the greater part of the season on widowhood. His last race before going to Perpignan was a little pipe opener from Bergerac where he took 25th section 153rd Open CSCFC. He was then remated and sent to Perpignan feeding a 12 day old youngster and taking an interest in his hen again as well as trying to take possession of every box in the loft!
One more race to go for the GGDC - the young bird event in early September. Don’t forget the annual presentation evening on 31st October – book your tickets now as it’s sure to be a cracking night.
