GWENT GREATER DISTANCE CLUB
Reports by Gareth Watkins
Tours & Barcelona
The third race in the GGDC members’ calendar took place from Tours when something like 20 members sent just over 100 pigeons to compete with the BICC. The total convoy was 3,693 birds entered by 405 members from all over Wales and England, and these were liberated at 6.30 am into a light westerly breeze.
In view of the prevailing weather conditions it was anticipated that the leading pigeons would be clocked on the eastern side of the country and the small Welsh contingent would do well to get near the leaders in the west section which stretches from Dorset, Devon, Wiltshire and Somerset up through Gloucester, Hereford and Shropshire to the outskirts of Manchester. Nevertheless, yet again the GGDC members and their birds proved equal to the task, as at the end of the day, GGDC members took 1st; 3rd; 4th; 6th & 7th West section plus respectively 178th, 214th, 223rd, 260th and 261st Open BICC 3,693 birds, thus maintaining their record of topping the west section in every race so far in the 2008 season.
Leading the way this time was the old warhorse Wilf Reed of Monmouth. Wilf must be one of the most successful long distance fanciers ever in Wales with numerous National wins in Wales plus 1st British Barcelona Club Palamos and many top finishes with the NFC including twice 3rd Open NFC Pau. In the Tours race, the first in the clock proved to be a yearling chequer cock which finishes in 1st spot with both the GGDC and in the west section of the BICC. Wilf does not race youngsters but does give them a thorough education in the year of their birth. This takes the form of multiple single up tosses in any direction from 40 miles. The babies are very often liberated when other organisations birds are being liberated to race to various parts of the country. This makes them think for themselves and to depend on their own homing ability and not follow the flock. The Tours winner was treated in exactly the same manner and in 2008 had a number of inland races and then competed with the GGDC and BICC from Falaise, Alencon and Saran before going to Tours. His g.g.dam won 1st section Pau with the NFC whilst his dam contains all the best of Wilf’s performance saturated “old family” containing Clerebaut and Leonard & son Putman bloodlines.
Management of the Reed team is kept as simple as possible and the old birds are raced on a modified round about system, with both the cocks and hens being housed in aviaries at either end of the loft for most of the week before being allowed access to their nest boxes on basketing night. In the early part of the season a fair proportion of barley is used in the mixture fed to the birds. This is to ensure that the racers are agile enough to avoid aerial attacks from the local raptors when first let out after their winter’s confinement to the loft. Throughout the season both cocks and hens are exercised for one hour twice daily around the loft. Very little training is now given and the local raptors make sure that the home exercise periods “go with a swing”! As the shorter channel races approach a mixture of barley plus widowhood mix and GerryPlus is fed to the birds by hand twice daily and this is supplemented by a hopper of beans in the run up to the longer channel races.
In 2nd spot with the GGDC and taking yet another top prize with the BICC at 3rd section is the ultra successful Cwmtillery partnership of Colin, Henry, John and Leigh Preece. The partnership joined the GGDC in 2008 and I don’t think they have missed out in any race so far. In the Tours race they sent 9 and had 8 home on the day when conditions deteriorated rapidly to high winds and heavy rain. The partners clocked a yearling dark W/F cock flown on round about .This yearling is bred from a Jan Aarden cock gifted to the Preeces by Tony Heynes at Ponderosa U.K. Weymouth and his dam has all the old Morgan & Cook “Iron Man” and Burgham Bros family in her make up. In the build up to Tours the yearling had 4 races on the east/west route plus all the BICC races from Falaise, Alencon and Saran. They take no prisoners up at Cwmtillery- like all mining stock you are expected to work hard if you want to keep your place. The round about team are allowed 90 minutes “play time” each morning but in the evening both cocks and hens are made to fly[ if necessary] for one hour. Judicious use is also made of the training basket if needed.
Leigh, John and Henry Preece.
Preece Bros & Son's lofts.
2nd GGDC for Preece Bros & Son.
A close up of the Preece Bros & Son loft.
Taking 3rd place in the GGDC and 4th section 223rd Open BICC is a real trooper of a pigeon raced by the “dynamo” behind the GGDC, Chairman, Ray Strawbridge. This one has a lot of “previous” on his record including 1st GGDC Falaise and 3rd GGDC Tours in 2007 as a yearling. He returned from Tours 2008 covered in mud but still takes an excellent position. The bloodlines are predominantly Wim Muller Jan Aarden via Mr & Mrs Woodyard, and these have excelled at the distance for Ray since being introduced in 1995. Ray’s Dax National winner is included in the breeding. Once again we have a pigeon raced on the round about system coming to the fore and as with all Ray’s race team he was mated in late March. Hopper fed on beans with a high carbohydrate/fat tit bit fed by hand, the Strawbridge team are rarely far away from the top of the result when the race is long and difficult.
Ray Strawbridge.
Next we have Spencer Jones of Pontypool who clocked a three year old grizzle cock flown on widowhood to take 4th GGDC and 6th section 260th Open BICC. Spencer has already this year clocked birds to take 1st sect 1st Open BICC and 1st sect 12th Open BICC, so the 2008 season is proving very successful for this keen cyclist and top class pigeon man. When speaking to Spencer he did point out that although the grizzle was on widowhood he was in fact sharing a loft section occupied by mated pairs! It all goes towards making life interesting for the birds I suppose. The bloodlines that are evident here include the best of Wilf Reeds old family crossed with a Lambert & Davies Grizzle bought at the partners’ clearance sale. Spencer doesn’t keep many birds but insists that his youngsters are thoroughly tested in the year of their birth. To quote Spencer “I give them a dozen or so tosses together and after that I try to lose them by single and double tossing them from anywhere and everywhere”. Obviously the survivors have earned their perch.
Spencer Jones.
Gordon and June Mears need no introduction as their record speaks for itself. In the Tours race they clocked a good bird once again to finish in 5th place with the GGDC and 7th sect 261st Open BICC. This continues their early successes this season, with both the GGDC and BICC. Their first in the clock this time is a yearling red chequer cock sent unmated but taking an interest in a neighbouring hen. The Dale Newcombe bloodlines via Mr & Mrs Everard have been highly successful for Gordon and June, both pure and crossed, and the red is a pure bred Newcombe. He was lightly raced as a baby and this year had a few inland races before competing across the channel with both the BICC and Welsh SRNFC. His last race before the BICC Tours was from Tours with the Welsh SRNFC. He may now go to Bordeaux with the BBC.
The loft of Ray Mears.
Gordon & June Mears.
BARCELONA
Finally to end this report I have brief details of the winner of the GGDC race flown from Barcelona in conjunction with the BICC and Entente Belge. This marathon race saw 30 birds entered by 10 members of the GGDC to compete against a convoy of more than 23,000 pigeons from all over Europe. Of this total convoy of 23,000 birds just over 300 were entered by British fanciers. Once again, as in 2007, the elements conspired against the British pigeons in general and the Welsh pigeons in particular, as the wind blew steadily from the west accompanied by heavy rain throughout Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Conditions were so bad on the Saturday evening that I wouldn’t have put next door’s cat out in them. Things had not improved on Sunday morning as yet again the wind blew fiercely from the west with intermittent torrential downpours interspersed with persistent rain, AND YET despite these horrendous conditions, one gallant bird made it home to Wales on that Sunday morning being clocked just after 9 a.m. at the loft of Wilf Reed of Monmouth.
Wilf’s timer was a 4 year old hen sent on the roundabout system. She is bred in the purple as her sire is “The Nantes Cock” a big winner for Wilf in classic competition, whilst her dam is a full sister to “Endurance Pride of Wales”, winner of 1st Open BBC Palamos for Wilf. When speaking to Wilf he told me he was a little concerned about sending his team to Barcelona on the roundabout system as he usually likes to have them sitting. However, the birds had been in such good form in the lead up to the race that he was reluctant to change anything – result 1st GGDC 2nd Section 13th Open BICC in an absolute “pig” of a race with only 35 gallant birds home in the UK as I write this report 6 days after liberation. Congratulations Wilf and Janet on yet another outstanding long distance performance.
