THAMES VALLEY FEDERATION
Jo Cuthbert
Aycliffe - May 2014
The first combine race of 2014 saw 48 Thames Valley members send 583 birds to Aycliffe and leading the way this week is John Randall of Borehamwood with his two year old Van Reet hen, flying on the roundabout system doing a velocity of 1250. The birds were liberated at 7.15am in a light south west wind and John’s fed winner raced the 210 miles back to her loft in four hours and fifty five minutes. I am told by John that his intention was to only send the cock birds this week and leave the hens until next weeks’ Wetherby as he had only trained the boys. When he let the girls out on Thursday evening and they flew for over an hour and a half, he changed his mind. Good move John! I do know that John has recently retired and the birds seem to be responding to him being around more as he has been on the fed result most if not all weeks. John was kind enough to give me three young birds this year and I hope they follow in this hen’s footsteps! Following John and taking the next three in Borehamwood is a name that needs no introduction in our fed, Mr Pip Gomes with all his birds doing 1206. Pete and Aaron Coomber and Derek Damalie also continue to race consistently making the fed sheet on a weekly basis and race controller Tony Byfield makes an appearance this week too.
John with friend and earlier fed winner Pip Gomes
Stonebridge take second fed with members Mr and Mrs Richard Llewellyn doing a velocity of 1213. Richard’s bird was bred by fellow club member George Gallagher and is a yearling Staf van Reet cross hen. Richard has this week managed to stop George taking five consecutive wins in the club but Mr Gallagher almost did it being just a yard behind on 1212 with his two year old van lint cock. George actually took the next five positions in the club and also takes six positions in the top thirty of the provisional fed result. Really superb racing from George Gallagher in our federation this year!
Watford’s Terry Haley wins his club and takes fifth fed on 1210 with a dark chec yearling cock bred by Chitty Bros of Kings Langley. Terry tells me all his birds race natural and this cock bird was sitting three day old eggs and has already won him a second fed position last year as a young bird. Terry also believes he takes second and possibly third club. The bird in second is called ‘Kerry’s gift’ as it was bred for Terry by Kerry Mellonby of Bridlington and this three year old has won six first positions in the past, five on the north road and one on the south and takes the pools for Terry this week. His next bird is ‘The wizard’ who featured in last week’s result as well as winning the young bird combine from Aycliffe last year, taking a position in the young bird National and in the Spelthorne open race in 2013. Terry told me he started racing this bird south before switching it north and it has done the business on both routes. Terry kindly pointed out to me that this Van de belle is bred not just by Keith Mott but by his partner in pigeons and life, his wife Betty. Big apologies to Mrs Mott as I do always just mention Keith! I know Terry and the Motts have been close friends for a long time and I am sure Terry is god-father to one of their children. Thanks to Terry for the info as with the club secretary being away the club had to work out the result by looking at times.
I did slightly better over at Houghton Regis this week beating most of the big boys but am still following the mighty Bill Smullen. We have a rule in our club that each member can only have their first three birds in the club result. When I get home from the club I do another result that goes to the fed so that all birds are included. Because of this rule I came 4th, 5th and 6th but Bill actually had another three in front of me and took the first six positions I sent to the fed. His winner is from an egg, yes an egg, that he was sent from Jimmy Douglas of Dublin. This yearling hen is a Van Lint and its velocity is 1201 and takes 1st club and 14th fed. His next bird is one of his trusty Van Reets doing 1184 and next on 1180 is a blue hen that has raced well for Bill taking cards in the club previously and she is a Jos Thone crossed with his own Van Reets. I should point out that my first two birds were two of the four Bill gifted to me last year! It felt like a long wait for the birds in the heat this week and I have turned a nice shade of red!
Houghton Regis’s Irish smiler Bill Smullen
Over at Feltham the familiar name of Andy Camis is back on top with his four year old Janseen widowhood cock that won this race last year and notches up the fifth win of its life on 1165. Andy was also second club on 1164 with his two year old yearling van Reet Mealy that has won a Newark earlier in the year. The partnership of P and J Harrison take third club on 1162 with a three year old grizzle cock bred by Jim’s brother in law, Tom Kyle of Lanarkshire, Scotland. Apparently this breed of bird (whose name we could not decipher) is the only strain in this country that comes from Germany. Feltham scribe Teresa had been busy cooking up a feast including carrot cake and chocolate strawberries in preparation for her grand- daughters visiting, I hope all your efforts were appreciated!
Peter Parsons wins at Mill End, his two year old hen doing a velocity of 1102.
Gary Witherall takes top spot in Apsley this week with his two year old cock bird doing 1170. Gary set up the Thames Valley fed forum a couple of years back and it’s a good place to get or put on info/results about your club. Close behind on 1169 is E Johnson and son with their seven year old cock, I bet this bird has done some miles and seen some sights in its time, if only our feathered friends could talk the stories they could tell!
I don’t have any information about how North London got on this week so have no idea how our members got on in the combine result. I can only hope they are at the top and if not, are right up there. As soon as I find out how we got on I will spread the word in a future write up. From what I have heard, most peoples returns were good and the birds coped well in that blistering heat, especially those longer flyers in the fed like Feltham, whose birds had to keep going when us shorter flyers had ours home.
It was lovely to see ‘Silver Hen’ Janina Jenkins writing again last week in the magazines. As I have been writing this Janina has emailed me with some sad news that her Alan has suffered a setback and really is very poorly. I know Janina is aware that we all still think of her and Alan and I wish there was more I could offer her than words to help her at this time. Before I end I would like to wish my friend Bob Oakey a speedy recovery from his operation. Bob doesn’t think he will be able to race anymore old birds this year, I hope you are back on your feet and sending again soon Bob. Congratulations as always to those who won and for those of us that didn’t, better luck next week . Thanks to those that took the time to share their clubs info with me. Do you realise in about ten weeks we will have had our first young bird race? What a scary thought that is, I swear racing pigeons makes your life go quicker! My babies haven’t even started ‘running’ yet but I think that is my own fault for keeping them hungry so they don’t mess about and come back in.
My mob of 32 babies
As always call me on 01582 477860 or email on
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