The 2010 Tarbes National/International Record Breaking Deweerdts
Left to right is Andy Parsons, Geoff Cooper, Paul Kendal, David Hughes and Mark Gilbert.
The 2010 National Flying Club's Grand National was flown from Tarbes with the Entente Belg.
Many good performances were recorded by the members, none more so than Paul and Helen Kendal with their 1st and 7th open National, with only two pigeons entered. David Hughes from Windsor also had 3rd and 5th open National - another very good performance.
One fact which may not be obvious, is that out of the first fifteen on the result, eight of these birds all had the bloodlines of one family, either pure or crossed.
This must be a record. I have studied the results of the Grand National for many years and I have never known over 50% of the top birds sharing the same gene pool.
This family is the Deweerdts of Kortemark, Belgium.
The first pigeon clocked was “Litton Glory” raced by Paul and Helen Kendal from Wantage bred by Mark Dorrington from Litton. “Glory Times” was bred from a brother to “Morning Glory” who was twice 2nd open Pau National. “Morning Glory” and his brother are 75% Deweerdt blood.
The 3rd and 5th open National pigeons raced by David Hughes from Windsor were both great grandchildren of “Emiel”, who won 1st International Bordeaux for Deweerdt.
Paul and Helen clocked their second pigeon to win 7th open National. Named “Glory Times”, he is also inbred to “Morning Glory”
Geoff and Catherine Cooper from Peasedown St John were 8th open National with a two year old cock called “Woody”, bred by them from their “Emiel” lines.
Mark Gilbert from Winkfield timed a yearling hen to win 12th open National. She was bred from his top breeding pair, the sire being a son of “Ted” and “Roxanne” when he was paired to a daughter of “Magnus”.
Geoff and Catherine Cooper also clocked a second pigeon to win 14th open National. This cock, called “PD”, is once again from their “Emiel” lines.
Andy Parsons from Salisbury clocked a three year old hen to win 15th open national. She was also a great grand daughter of “Emiel”.
Congratulations must go to the Deweerdt family for originally supplying these brilliant bloodlines and also to Geoff Cooper and Mark Gilbert for perpetuating and developing these bloodlines further and taking them to new heights.
As a footnote to this article, Geoff Cooper won Ace National Fancier from Tarbes in the years 2008, 2009, and 2010, and Mark Gilbert third, as seen on PBO Solutions NFC Data website.
Mark Gilbert also won the National Flying Club Averages for the Best Average All National Races and Geoff and Catherine Cooper were runners up.
The National Flying Club organised seven races in 2010 and for two fanciers to have won 1st and 2nd Averages, one living in the East and one in the West, shows the calibre of their birds.
Geoff Cooper and Bernard Deweerdt. Both are winners of Euro Diamond Ace Fancier trophies.
