THAMES VALLEY FEDERATION
Jo Cuthbert
Two Fed wins on the trot for Peter Glenister
Big congratulations to Borehamwood’s Peter this week as he not only makes it two fed wins in a row but he also takes the first three fed positions and wins the £100 nom donated by the fab five of Roy, Johnny, Carl, Richard and Tony. The 642 birds were liberated at 930am in a strong South West Wind and in Peter’s own words, his winner “busted a gut to get here” because as it landed it hit the top of his loft, rolled down the back and when it got back up must have been in a state of shock as it took off and flew across the road before turning and heading in the trap. This is the three year old chec roundabout cock’s first win but he has had a third fed in a previous year. All of Peter’s top three birds this week are bred down from Brian and Karen Hawes Leo van Rijn strain of birds and are doing velocities of 1301, 1296 and 1291. His next two birds were both yearling roundabout hens in only their third ever race. His hen in second place is the money bird and Peter told me that because the weather was so wet on Thursday he kept the birds in and as a norm he doesn’t usually let his birds out on a Friday but as he was off work he decided to let them have a fly. He said he had trouble getting his cock birds in because he had fed them up the night before and then when the hens finally got out the heavens opened and they all got soaked anyway! Just goes to show you that whatever the circumstances if the birds are ‘right’ they will do the business. I like chatting to Peter as he always has a little story to tell and never boasts about his success, telling me last week he didn’t really class it as a win as Pip hadn’t sent and this week said that he should have got the birds where he is in that wind. I think credit where credit is due and well done to you! Taking the next two positions in Borehamwood is Johnny Randall on velocities of 1275 and 1257 who has also got his birds on form this year.
Double fed winner Peter Glenister
I also enjoy chatting with Teresa Leney who rang me to tell me that Peter Mercer took the first two positions in Feltham this week with velocities of 1216 and 1211. Peter only races a few birds and both this week are yearling van mer kerks and his winner also takes the pools. Teresa and her hubby took third position on 1209 with a two year old van reet chec cock that she says entered their loft as a stray baby, they transferred it and it has been a consistent bird ever since. I was thinking about Feltham member Andy Camis who has been racing so well and remembered some articles Keith Mott sent me, so I looked back and I found one on Archie Camis and son Andrew and am thinking they must be one and the same! The article informs me that Archie started up in 1952 when he joined Sunbury club and Andy joined as a partner in 1975. Dad Archie felt the pigeons helped keep his boys out of trouble. In 1978 the partnership won the North Thames North Road Combine with a bird they named ‘Wayside Blue’ which beat 3,775 birds to win Fraserburgh. Andy has obviously been flying a good bird for some 40 years!
Another scribe making the result sheet this week is Doctor Kumara at Stonebridge but he and his fellow members still cannot topple Mr George Gallagher who makes it four in a row with his three year old blue Staf van reet which takes its third win doing 1287 and puts George high up on the fed result yet again. Second club is birthday boy Vic Rhodes on 1249 with a two year old blue cock bred by Dave Coulman. Hope you had a happy birthday Vic, 21 again?? Kumara Srikrishnamurthy takes third on 1247 with a bird that won the club breeder/buyer last year bred by none other than George Gallagher who also took fourth and fifth in the club with Henry White sixth on 1243 with his velvet pied Busschaert cock that has scored many positions in the past. The Partnership of P & E Cox won at Apsley this week, their two year old widowhood cock doing 1213, followed by Gary Witherall on 1205 with his four year old red hen. Mr Johnsons Roland Janseen took another third position on 1196.
Thanks to Ray Neale for phoning through Watford’s info for both last weeks’ Retford and this weeks’ Wetherby. I will start with Retford and Steve Redding’s bird was the two year old dark pied hen that had won the first Newark. Fed chairman Roy Barnes birds took second and third, the first being one of his mosaic chec cocks and the next a two year old Jan Thelan Mealy. On to this weeks’ race and Roy is top of the sheet on 1242.9 with a yearling Busschaert. Former fed topper Ken Clark was literally decimals behind on 1242.47 with his Norbert sion cross cattrysse cock that has won lots of previous cards. Nipping at Ken and Roy’s heels was the Watford wizard Terry Haley with his yearling cock that won the young bird combine. This bird is bred by our mutual mate Keith Mott and I know they have been swapping eggs again this year, this bird is obviously not a one hit wonder or flash in the pan and was close behind on 1241. Last weeks’ winner Steve Redding is in the frame again with a two year old chec hen on 1240. I bet it was a tense time waiting for the result at Watford Saturday night with them all being so close together. Ray told me that there was only minutes between most of the members and all the birds were dropping in together.
Dave Craft wins again at Mill End doing 1125 with a red chec cock bred down from his old family of birds he had from the late Mr And Mrs Wheatley. Second club was Peter Parsons on 1105 with a blue cock bred down from Gary Inkley’s birds. Dave said he got all his birds home but felt it was a hard race in that strong wind.
I agree Dave as my birds got home but that was about it and I was miles behind the big boys this week. At Houghton Regis, the ‘boss’ Carl Ellwood takes his second club win doing 1246 with his old faithful chec cock that has now won Wetherby three times over the years. This four year old bird is bred from the 09 birds Carl started with which are full Geordies from his Uncle Bob Graveson. Carl had a good trap, was 40 yards in front and took the pool money which he then spent treating me to a Chinese takeaway so I can’t complain! Second again is Pete Briars on 1204. Pete is the shortest flyer in our club and did well getting them over his way in that wind. You will hit top spot soon Pete! Third and fourth is Bill Smullen with his trusty Staf van reets doing 1197 and 1190. We would like to thank the lovely Mrs Briars for the delicious cakes she sends up for us via Pete every week.
Carl’s triple Wetherby winner on his return home
Wonderful cake maker Carol alongside Robin Mennell’s girlfriend Sandra
Looking ahead to the first combine race of the season from Aycliffe next week I have to say from Houghton Regis’s point of view we are disappointed that the combine won’t be racing from Thurso this year unless a sponsor comes forward. I know that for lots of members in the fed that Thurso is so often the pinnacle of the whole season for them and that they prepare all year for this race. I really wish someone would come forward to sponsor or that an alternative way of the birds getting there could be found. I think that most North road flyers dream of winning the combine from Thurso and that too many, especially those that like the distance races, there is no greater achievement. I still remember vividly as a 10 year old in 1984 my Grandad and Dad winning the seven counties combine from Nantes. I can still picture seeing that chec hen in the distance like a little dot over the trees and folding her wings back, shooting into the loft and my Grandad letting me clock her in. I even remember her ring number and that even though that was the only race she ever won it earnt her perch in the loft for many years! I still have the medal he collected from the combine presentation evening that year. Irreplaceable memories and at least I can state that in my lifetime I have indeed clocked a combine winner. I will probably be shot down for asking this but if any lovely person out there wants to sponsor the combine from Thurso so we at Thames valley can keep the race going, please get in touch!
On a final note I was contacted by Eleanor at the BHW who suggested I have a header and name for the articles. After much deliberation and asking of advice and opinions I have opted for ‘Surrey bird flies north with the Thames Valley Fed’. Seeing as I was born and bred down South but now love racing North it seems appropriate! Thanks as always to all the club scribes who give me information, there would be no article without you.
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