Gwent Greater Distance Club Annual Presentation 2008

GWENT GREATER DISTANCE CLUB

Reports by Gareth Watkins

ANNUAL PRIZE PRESENTATION

The above club held its second annual prize presentation in conjunction with the Welsh South Road National Flying Club on Saturday 15th November. The turn out this year exceeded all expectations with more than 90 members and guests enjoying an excellent evening at the Greenacres Country Club in Cwmbran. The venue was superb and the meal was of an exceptionally high standard and all for £18 a head – can’t be bad!

Once again, chairman Ray Strawbridge, ably assisted by wife Marie had done an excellent job in producing a superb club booklet highlighting the GGDC members wins, not only in the GGDC but also in the BICC. Everything you could possibly wish to know about the club and its members’ successes was there for all to see. This was sponsored by Ray and Marie and not forgetting “The Hairy Prune” aka Queen’s Cup Winner Glyn Cousins, a big thank you from all of the members for all your hard work and generosity.

This year we had the honour and indeed pleasure, of welcoming Albi and Jan Deacon, chairman and secretary respectively of the BICC, as our chief guests. Albi and Jan were accompanied by their good friends Mick and Sheila Bunney and I understand they all enjoyed themselves immensely on their visit to Wales. Speeches were kept short and sweet and all winners were duly honoured with a magnificent array of trophies presented to mark their achievements.

The first race for club members was the BICC Falaise 2 event when 412 members entered 4,298 birds to compete in this 230+ mile race. This proved to be an excellent day’s racing for GGDC members as new member Spencer Jones of Pontypool not only won the GGDC but also took pole position in the BICC race with 1st section 1st Open. Not far behind was the excellent Six Bells partnership of Kevin and Tyrone Arnold who clocked two crackers close up to finish 2nd & 3rd GGDC and 2nd & 3rd section and Open. North Wales members Davenport & Roberts finished at 4th Open GGDC and 1st North Section 4th Open BICC flying 305 miles! Spencer clocked his second entry to take 5th GGDC 5th section and 6th Open BICC and a third timer to take 27th Open, to round off an excellent race. Other GGDC members to appear on the BICC Open result were in order:- Gordon & June Mears at 6th Open; Colin Pearce & son 7th 22nd & 56th Open; Mr& Mrs Jones 9th Open; Adrian Ware 11th & 13th Open; Preece Bros & Sons 18th Open; Wilf & Janet Reed 20th & 33rd Open; Padfield Family 23rd & 57th Open; Mr & Mrs Gardner 29th Open; Scammell & Peploe 56th Open.

Next race in the programme was again in conjunction with the BICC from Alencon. Once again Spencer Jones clocked one right up there at the front to finish 1st GGDC and 1st section 13th Open BICC from 4,550 entrants sent by 456 members. Preece Brothers & sons were thereabouts with a bird to take 2nd GGDC and 3rd section 37th Open BICC with the ever present Arnold Brothers finishing at 3rd GGDC 38th Open. Andrew Vincent has enjoyed a good season in 2008 and here he clocked a bird to take 6th section 56th Open. The Alencon race proved to be yet another success for GGDC members as they finished at 1st, 3rd, 4th, 6th, 9th, 13th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th, 20th, 21st, 22nd, 24th, 26th, 27th, 28th, 29th & 31st in the west section.

The Saran race flown two weeks later was to prove to be another resounding success for our members. Preece Brothers & Sons finished at 1st & 3rd GGDC 1st & 3rd section 113th & 123rd Open BICC closely followed by John Smale in 2nd spot and 2nd section 120th Open. Arnold brothers were there once again at 4th GGDC 4th section 127th Open with Wilf Reed at 5th GGDC 5th section 140th Open. In this race club members won twenty of the first twenty-one positions in the west section of the BICC with 3,940 birds entered by 417 members.

Next we moved onto the Pau International race held in conjunction with the BICC and the Entente Belge. This race witnessed a remarkable performance by Mr & Mrs Jim Hooper of Cardiff who clocked two good birds to win1st & 3rd GGDC 1st & 6th section 10th & 73rd Open BICC. Dai and Vince Padfield clocked two of their entries to take 2nd &5th GGDC and 3rd &7th section 31st &77th Open BICC. One of the most outstanding performances in the result was achieved by Davenport & Roberts of Chirk in North Wales who clocked one of their entries to record 4th club 2nd North section and 74th Open BICC at 675 miles. This in horrendous conditions of torrential rain and gale force winds, only to be beaten in the section by a bird flying 50 miles less and on the eastern side of the country. Mr & Mrs Gardner completed the result with a gallant bird at 8th section 83rd Open.

Members had the opportunity on the same weekend to compete from Tarbes in conjunction with the WSRNFC. One of Wales’ and the UK’s finest fanciers, Dennis Ford, enjoyed another good race here winning 1st GGDC 2nd section 3rd Open National. Preece Brothers & Sons maintained their run of success with a timer at 2nd club 3rd section 4th Open National. Jude & Prosser, yet another National winning loft, came in next at 3rd club 5th & 9th section 6th & 13th Open National with John Smale, a former Queen’s Cup and double National winner, finishing at 4th club 6th section 7th Open National. Fresh from his section winning performance from Pau International, Jim Hooper timed another good one to take 5th club 1st section 8th National.

The Tours race was again flown in conjunction with the BICC and this one saw long distance maestro Wilf Reed of Monmouth come up trumps winning 1st GGDC 1st 6th &,8th,section BICC. The Preece combo from Cwmtillery continued their early season form to take 2nd club and 3rd 21st,22nd & 25th section BICC with chairman, and cornerstone of the club, Ray Strawbridge, coming in for 3rd club and 4th & 20th section. Club members finished with twenty birds in the first thirty of the section with the BICC - yet another excellent “team” performance.

The Barcelona race has an aura that is almost unique in pigeon racing circles and it is the reason that the GGDC was formed in the first instance. In 2007 the Padfield Family recorded an outstanding performance when they clocked their good blue cock to win 1st GGDC and 14th Open BICC in a race that witnessed four days of strong westerly winds. The 2008 race proved to be a very similar affair with strong westerly winds accompanied by torrential rain for most of the race weekend. However, one gallant bird defied the conditions to be clocked early on the third morning of the race, this “storm breaker” to none other than Wilf Reed of Monmouth. This brave four year old hen, finished at 1st GGDC [only bird in race time] and 2nd section 13th Open BICC. The Padfield family recorded a bird but just out of race time to be verified at 113th section.

The Tarbes International race flown on the 13th July was to prove a red letter day for Blaenavon fancier Dennis Ford. This race saw Dennis’s two year old red hen put up one of the greatest performances ever into Wales as she was clocked early on the second morning flying 608 miles to win 1st GGDC [only bird in race time] and 1st section, 1st Open BICC, beating the 2nd Open winner by 75 yards per minute and winning the section by over 5 hours. Albi Deacon was of the opinion that if the hen had been racing to the south coast she would have been clocked on the day and in all probability would have won the International race! Praise indeed for a terrific pigeon raced and conditioned by one of Wales’ greatest ever fanciers.

Perpignan flown on the 2nd August was the final race of the old bird programme for club members and once again long distance specialist Wilf Reed recorded the only bird in race time to win 1st GGDC and 5th section 60th Open BICC to round off an excellent old bird campaign.

The club’s young bird programme consisted of two races, one from Guernsey with the BICC and the second from Picauville with the WSRNFC. Both races were won by none other than Dennis Ford of Blaenavon. In the Guernsey race Dennis’s timer finished at 5th section 176th open BICC. John Williams of Phillipstown was runner up here and his bird claimed a creditable 10th section 224th Open. Mr & Mrs Gardner rounded off the result with two timers for 20th & 21st section 400th & 401st Open BICC in a race which saw 2,316 birds entered by 228, mostly English fanciers, and flown in a strong north west wind.

The Picauville race saw Dennis Ford in1st & 3rd positions plus 1st & 9th section 1st & 13th Open National. This was Dennis’s NINTH NATIONAL win and the third of the 2008 season. Gordon and June Mears the hard working and likeable Caerleon partnership timed one for 2nd club 6th section 10th Open National. New member Colin Neale of Cardiff was in at 4th club and 5th section 14th Open National with Mr & Mrs Gardner 5th club 10th section 15th National.

The photographs that accompany this report show the winners of the various races – all except Jim Hooper who won the Pau International race and was not present on the night. My thanks to Clive Hughes of Clive Hughes Photography ,Tonypandy for these photos and also for the transport on the night. The club would also like to thank our sponsors for their continued support. Thanks therefore go to R.G.Davies of Animal Feed Supplies ;Sean Rafferty of Beechwood Hire;Brian Corten of Able Coatings;Ray and Marie Strawbridge;Gareth Evans;Glyn Cousins;Clive Hughes; Terry Ash and Adrian Ware.