Those Were The Days

THOSE WERE THE DAYS.

 

Long ago in far off 85,I had entered old Diabolos along with Denney, Peterson and stalwarts of The Strensall PRS to fly in the blue ribbon 516 mile race from Nevers in a Nor Wester with a total of 2,516 birds in The Yorkshire Middle Route Federation. The old cock was on fire and shone like a diamond in the basket. Bets were taken and confidences were raised in this culmination of a heady season. Saturday was overcast, yet a day bird was a possibility. It was the dawning of my distance career, when the cock, on silent wings loomed low over the cottage at 8.50 pm to top the Western Section and be 6th open. He would be given the Feds best performance of the season trophy for multiple performances. The corollary is I stopped him at 2yrs, and living to 22 he would found a dynasty of good birds including Mystical Queen and Barcelona Dream to this day. Yes GB 83S35305 was and is my favourite bird of all time. It was the right bird on the right day that created my destiny in the sport-the essential link in a long chain.

 

 

Jim Emerton

 

 

 

A PERCEPTION OF PURE SPEED

 

Faster, higher ,longer are emotive words for the fancier. To win big sprint races takes the highest velocity of a speed bird. Looking at my archive reminds me that I cut my teeth on competitive young and old bird races. Now as a marathon man, it is long ago that I enjoyed specialist young bird races. These are the fabric of racing and some are clever at it. I had some fine moments, yet Dorothy’s Courage stands out ,as she zoomed in flat out above the loft to win the Fed of 6,066 birds, followed by 3rd and 14th open. These were all hens and on a widowhood type system to the old natural loft. It was 89 and I can produce an image of the hen as she winged it over the loft now. The irony is that her genes are in marathon birds today. Yes fast things are sensational and intoxicating to the mind and fundamental to the sport.

 

 

Jim Emerton