HOUGHTON REGIS NEWS
Jo Cuthbert
Wetherby 31/08/14
Aaron Coomber on course for a hat trick
Double winner Aaron Coomber
This week seven of us were flying from Wetherby and most of us fly roughly 145 miles. It was a Sunday race for us as it was decided by the fed that as there were so many liberations at or around the race point it would give the birds a better chance of making it home and they were liberated at 8.00am in a west North West wind. I had already prepared my -self before heading up the club to do the result and had put a packet of tissues in the bag along with the lap top and pool money. I like the banter I have with young Aaron and at the moment he has every reason to be a bit cocky as he made it two in a row, being a clear three minutes in front of anyone else and doing a velocity of 1609. His winner was bred for him by Leagrave secretary Paul Treanor and is a chec hen, bred down from his old Jan Aarden family. I followed in second doing 1589 with a chec pied cock bred for me by Johnny Randall of Borehamwood. He bred me three and they have all had every race so far. Aaron took third and fourth and his blue hen is also bred by Johnny and is one of his Staf van Reets. The bird in third doing 1561 for Aaron was the bird he bought at the fed breeder/buyer and is also a Staf van Reet bred by our own Bill Smullen. Aaron beat me to the pools again with this bird! I took fifth and sixth with my dark grizzle cock who has been my most consistent young bird this year, either being my first or second bird home each week and a blue cock bred for me by Aaron! The lad has had another good week and fair play to him. I know he gets up at 6am every day and lets his birds out before he goes to work and his dedication is paying off.
My check list for the club result: clock, laptop, pool money, tissues!
Aaron told me that his little four year old sister Romey ‘went missing’ for over an hour last week and while they were all hunting for her, Aaron noticed all his pigeons were up one end of his loft, when he looked little Romey was in the loft trying to catch her big brothers birds. Aaron also said his Mum is warming to the birds a lot more now and taking much more interest in them, getting them in for him when he is not there so it seems to be turning into a family affair. Talking of little ones loving the birds, I mentioned last week that Carl’s Grandsons really love the pigeons. Well, when Carl was in hospital and I was looking after his birds, Carl’s daughter came round with Oscar who is one and a half. We were chatting in the garden when I noticed this blonde head poking out of the loft, looking into the young bird aviary. Oscar had let himself in to have a look at the birds! Hopefully these two will stay interested and want to get involved in our sport. Romey likes the pretty birds so Aaron and I are going to do a swap next year, two winners for me from him and two pretty ones from me for Romey.
Little Oscar looking for the birds
Carl Ellwood made a schoolboy error this week, chatting on the phone when the birds are due home and missing them come. I had text him to see how many he had and when he went outside he said there were eight sitting on the roof. Tut tut Mr Ellwood, should have known better! He was not very happy at the time with himself but luckily for me his mood quickly improved.
I know for most of us at the club are birds are literally falling apart, I think only Bill did darkness this year and that was with only half of his. I wonder if that will tell in the remaining longer races.
Next week we are at Ripon and it is the fed breeder buyer. That would come in very handy for me and would help pay towards the wood on my loft extension I will keep dreaming and hoping!
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