GWENT GREATER DISTANCE CLUB
Reports by Gareth Watkins
The Incredible Season – a brief report
The old bird race winners along with the sponsor of all races - Robert Davies of R. G. Davies Animal Feeds, Crumlin. L-R: Colin Preece, Jim Hooper, Spencer Jones, Dennis Ford, Robert Davies, Janet Reed, Ray Strawbridge [Chairman] and Wilf Reed.
The 2008 season has been the second in the short history of the Gwent Greater Distance Club and what a phenomenally successful one it has turned out to be for our members. It all started in early May with the BICC race from Falaise. Although not an official race on the GGDC programme some of our members decided to have a go with the result that Terry and Carol Gardner finished at 3rd Section 3rd Open BICC; Gordon & June Mears 8th section 10th Open BICC and Davenport & Roberts 2nd North Section 14th Open BICC.
This excellent result set the standard for the rest of the members and in the Falaise 2 race flown two weeks later, new member Spencer Jones topped the lot, winning 1st GGDC 1st Section 1st Open BICC. Kevin and Tyrone Arnold clocked two birds right up there with Spencer and had the “misfortune” to finish at 2nd & 3rd GGDC and 2nd & 3rd Section and Open with the BICC in a very close finish on a good racing day. Once again our North Wales members Chris Davenport and Darren Roberts clocked another cracker to finish at 1st North section 4th Open BICC, their timer flying nearly 100 miles further than the winners This Falaise race proved to be a great success for GGDC members as they took 11 of the first twenty positions in the BICC open result.
Next race on the calendar was the BICC race from Alencon and that man Spencer Jones timed another cracker to win 1st GGDC 1st Section [for the second successive race] and 12th Open BICC. Preece Brothers and Sons were there or thereabouts with 2nd GGDC 3rd section 32nd Open BICC and Arnold Brothers came in once again with a timer to finish in 3rd spot with the GGDC and 4th section 33rd Open BICC.
The Tours race was flown in a strong westerly wind and as a result most of the leading birds in the BICC Open result were clocked on the eastern side of the country, in Essex and Suffolk. Nevertheless, despite the unfavourable conditions, GGDC members once again excelled at section level winning 14 of the top twenty positions in the west section. Perhaps I should point out here the fact that the west section covers, Dorset, Devon, Somerset, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire Shropshire and all of Wales. Winning the section alone is therefore a formidable task in its own right. Leading the way this time was the old warhorse Wilf Reed of Monmouth with three early birds taking 1st GGDC and 1st 6th & 8th section BICC. Preece Bros & sons finish at 2nd GGDC 3rd Section BICC and club chairman Ray Strawbridge strikes for the first time in 2008 for 3rd GGDC and 4th section BICC. This Tours race was to prove a fore taste of what was to come as far as the steady and relentless build up of form in the Wilf Reed loft was concerned.
If the Tours race was a success for the members of the GGDC then the Saran race certainly couldn’t be classed as a disappointment as our members once again topped the west section of the BICC and took 9 of the first 10 positions in the section. Preece Brothers and sons of Cwmtillery lead the way with 1st GGDC 1st section 62nd Open BICC followed by John Smale of Abergavenny at 2nd GGDC, 2nd section 69th Open BICC. Kevin and Tyrone Arnold maintained their form with one at 3rd GGDC, 3rd section 71st Open BICC and Wilf Reed in with a timer for 4th GGDC, 4th section 77th Open BICC.
The Pau International race attracts some of the very best pigeons from some of the very best lofts in Europe and this season saw a small Welsh contingent competing with the GGDC, BICC and Entente Belge in the International race. It was to prove a memorable weekend for one GGDC member in particular, Jim Hooper of Cardiff who won 1st & 3rd GGDC, 1st & 6th section 12th & 70th Open BICC. The WSRNFC Tarbes National also took place on this weekend and Jim once again timed a belter for 1st section National to round off a superb weekend of long distance racing. Dave and Vince Padfield maintained their excellent record in long distance races to finish with 2nd GGDC 3rd section 31st Open BICC. This race also witnessed another outstanding performance by North Wales members Davenport & Roberts who clocked a real battler of a pigeon at 675 miles in atrocious weather conditions to win 4th GGDC,2nd section 75th open BICC.
The Tarbes race flown on the same weekend as the Pau International but in conjunction with the WSRNFC, saw Dennis Ford of Blaenavon clock his good grizzle hen at 6.45 am on the second morning to win 1st GGDC and also finish at 3rd Open with the WSRNFC for the second successive season. This hen is some pigeon flown by a truly exceptional pigeon fancier!! Jude & Prosser come in for 2nd GGDC with John Smale 3rd and Jim Hooper 4th.
The second Tarbes race on the club’s programme was held once again in conjunction with the BICC and this race witnessed one of the greatest performances in the club’s short history. The small Welsh contingent was liberated with the International convoy to compete from this 600 mile race. The wind throughout the course was blowing steadily from the north west and as a result, no birds were recorded into the UK on the day of liberation. However, early on the second morning, Dennis Ford clocked his two year old hen to win 1st GGDC [only bird in race time] 1st section 1st Open BICC beating the 2nd Open winner by nearly 90ypm and flying 40 miles further north and 100 miles further to the west in a strong north westerly wind, a truly magnificent performance to add to Dennis’s long list of excellent results.
The two longest races in the GGDC programme were flown from Barcelona and Perpignan, the latter flown in early August. Both races proved to be difficult affairs and both were won by none other than Wilf Reed of Monmouth who timed the only bird in race time in both races, terrific long distance pigeon flying. Wilf timed a four year old chequer hen flown on round about and her bloodlines contain all the very best of the Reed’s established long distance family. In the Barcelona race Wilf’s timer also took 2nd section 13th Open BICC. In the Perpignan race the first in the clock finished at 5th section 61st Open BICC. This one was another four year old hen and once again she contains all the very best of the old family, being line bred back to the 1st sect 3rd Open NFC Pau hen, with just a touch of Eric Cannon blood thrown in for good measure. She had previously flown the NFC Tarbes race a month or so earlier and returned with several of her secondary flights missing.
Thus ended a highly successful old bird campaign for members of the GGDC. Both the young bird races organised by the GGDC from Guernsey and Picauville, proved to be further examples of the ability of one man, Dennis Ford, to breed and condition pigeons to compete and win at any level and at any distance. The Guernsey young bird event saw Dennis in pole position followed by John Williams and Terry and Carol Gardner. Dennis’s timer was a chequer hen of Koopman bloodlines obtained from Premier Lofts and raced on the darkness system. The second prize winner for John Williams was also a hen, flown on the natural system and showing up to an old cock bird that had been placed in the young bird compartment to “spice things up a bit”. At Picauville Dennis once again came up trumps, not only winning 1st GGDC but also winning his NINTH National 1st prize into the bargain. This young bird contains all the best of Dennis’s National winning family as her sire was 3rd Open National Crieff in 2007 and her dam is a daughter of “The Golden Pair” which is responsible for 4 x 1st National winners. What more can I say or write about this remarkable pigeon fancier? My apologies for omitting the other prize winners in the Picauville race but this is all the information I have from the secretary at the time of writing.
Before concluding this report on the 2008 season, I feel that I should make the point that when you compete with the Gwent Greater Distance Club and, more specifically, the BICC, you are not only competing against most of the best fanciers in the UK , you are also enjoying the luxury of being part of probably the most professionally run organisation in British pigeon racing circles. In Jan and Albi Deacon the BICC has two top class pigeon fanciers who’s ability at racing long distance pigeons is only matched by their skills as top class administrators within the sport. As a result the BICC can be justifiably regarded as the “Rolls Royce” of pigeon organisations. To those fanciers reading this who are not yet members of the GGDC and BICC I can only say one thing – you’ve tried the rest now join the best. Here’s wishing good racing for all in 2009.
Gareth Watkins September 2008.
