GWENT GREATER DISTANCE CLUB
Reports by Gareth Watkins
POITIERS
On Saturday 13th June, the members of this trailblazing club entered 92 birds to compete with the BICC from the French race point of Poitiers, some 400 miles for most competing lofts. The convoy of more than 2,500 English and Welsh pigeons were liberated at 7.35 am into a light easterly breeze and blue skies. These conditions prevailed for most of the route up to the French coast where the winds changed to light south westerly. Conditions in the English Channel were said to be changeable with some mist patches in places along the south coast of England. Nevertheless the Welsh birds made light of the task as most fanciers that I contacted recorded, yet again, close to 100% returns with the birds returning in superb condition. You know the old saying “If you don’t put them in right you won’t get them out right”.
Andrew Vincent and Henry Preece outside Andrew's loft.
Leading the field with the small Welsh contingent was that man again, Andrew Vincent of Llanhilleth near Abertillery who clocked a three year old hen flown natural at 15.54 to win the Gwent Greater Distance club and also 1st west Section 31st Open BICC . This hen had previously won 13th National Saintes in 2008 and is bred from an Arnold Brothers’ hen when mated to a Hansenne cock bred by former Thurso National winner, Gordon Hackling of Crumlin. The section winner was sent feeding a 7 day old youngster and had previously flown Fougeres a week or so before being entered for the Poitiers event. All birds at Andrews loft are raced on the natural system with forced home exercise of one hour’s duration twice per day. However over the past couple of weeks Andrew had decided to reduce this home exercise to just one hour’s voluntary free flying once daily. The race team amounts to just 9 pairs of old birds and a team of 36 youngsters are reared annually from the best of these and the 7 pairs of stock birds. Not a big team but the results over the past couple of season’s have been excellent and in 2009 I think I am correct in stating that Andrew has featured on each of the results of the BICC. Well done Andrew on yet another excellent result, your fellow club mates at the GGDC are proud of you.
Andrew's 1st GGDC 1st section BICC winning blue w/f hen.
In second spot on the GGDC result and also taking the runner up position in the West section of the BICC is a two year old dark chequer w/f cock raced on the round about system to the phenomenally successful Cwmtillery loft of Preece Brothers & Sons. In 2008 as a yearling this Ponderosa Jan Aarden x Morgan & Cook x Burgham Bros, was placed 3rd sect Tours with the BICC and this term he had scored 23rd Open BICC Saran just a couple of weeks prior to the Poitiers race. Earlier in the season the partners wracked up their TENTH NATIONAL win, this from Lillers with the newly formed Welsh National F.C. However, the 13th of June was a particularly successful day for the partners as they also won 2nd National Tours with the Welsh SRNFC and 4th Open Metz with the aforementioned Welsh NFC. There seems to be no stopping these men of Gwent. Well done to you all, Colin, Henry, John and Leigh.
Preece Bros & Sons' Dk w/f cock, winner of 2nd GGDC 2nd section BICC.
Next, in third place with the GGDC and taking 4th West section BICC, is the legend in his own lunch time, none other than double National winner and Queen’s Cup winner, John Smale of Abergavenny. I’m sure John won’t take offence when I refer to him as a “pigeon nut” as he lives, sleeps, eats and breathes pigeons twenty four hours a day three hundred and sixty five days a year. Over the years he has acquired many of the current top winning bloodlines and in many cases the actual winning pigeons themselves, to strengthen the gene pool in his lofts in the lovely rural setting of Llanvihangel Crucorney, just outside Abergavenny. In the Poitiers race John clocked a 2 year old chequer hen, raced yet again on the natural system, and sent sitting 13 day old eggs. This one is bred in the purple as her dam was purchased from Scottish long distance legend John Bosworth of Elphinstone. The sire of the Poitiers timer is a chequer cock bred from the “305” Hen who in turn was bred from a daughter of the two 1st WGNFC Thurso National winners of 1990 & 1991 when mated to the winner of 1st National Pau 1999 for Ron Meyrick and son of Abertillery when there were more than a thousand birds competing and all flying close on 600 miles !!!! Once again we see the race team being kept on the go with two one hour home exercise sessions per day. Very little training is undertaken as John is plagued by peregrines- very often the birds’ first encounter with the basket is the first race of the season. Farm corn supplied by Court Farm Feeds helps keep the birds near the mark and this is supplemented with Buckton’s conditioning seed.
It seems that no GGDC result would be complete without the name of Spencer Jones at or near the top of the list. In this race Spencer clocked one of his team of “celibate” hens to win 4th GGDC and 5th section BICC.
Another household name completes the top five positions in the GGDC, that of Dennis Ford of Blaenavon. Dennis clocked a two year old chequer cock which was gifted to him by fellow GGDC member John Williams of Phillipstown and this one was good enough for 6th section BICC. He was also 6th National Messac in 2008 and like all the racers in the Ford establishment is raced on round about system. He had been put “through the mill” this season having had every channel race to date. Incidentally, on the same day as the Poitiers race, Dennis won his TENTH NATIONAL, this time from Tours with the Welsh SRNFC. Congratulations Dennis.
That then is another successful weekend’s racing for the members of the GGDC with 1st, 2nd, 4th ,5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 10th, 12th, 14th & 16th west section with the BICC. Keep it up lads!!
