The Joe Murphy Column
A few weeks ago I highlighted 10 issues brought up by Les Wellburn; I received a bit of feedback with fanciers saying that what Les had said was very true; while other thought it was tongue in cheek at some points. 2 issues which were spoken about by the majority of fanciers were; 1) Early liberations due to it being too cold, and the other issue of clashing etc. For example in Les own club see clubs birdage / losses all liberated early morning. From the first race club 9 members sent 242 birds; second race 11 members sent 311 birds; longest young bird race 4 members sent 35 birds. This was repeated in all our local clubs and the federations.
Issue 2) Cross contamination young bird’s problems: We have suggested for the last 3 years that for the first 3/4 races with youngsters members put there birds in separate baskets to avoid cross contamination but this is met with a deafening silence and we are told ‘NO’. Kevin wanted to do this as well but it also never happened as the youngsters were all mixed together. Joe M says ‘Well ladies and gentlemen if you don’t do something in 2021 then more and more people will leave the sport. I’m sure many fanciers would be prepared to pay for a basket knowing that it was only there youngsters were in it’. Because we done this since I stated in the 1969’s doesn’t mean we still have to do it NOW, we must move on and try to improve the sport’.
Received the following story from Stephen regarding Belgian Stray!
In the early 1970’s a local fancier had some real success in club and federation level, he also had a 2nd Combine from Thurso to his name. One morning on rising early he went out to the loft and there on the trap board was a red cock, the old fella opened the traps and after a while the pigeon dropped through bob wires. On checking the red cock’s ring it was a Belgian ring, no other details could be gleaned from the ring, on handling the pigeon he realised to be a young cock. Hmmm thought the old fella what shall I do with him? He was very run down and ‘no way’ was he going to be kept. A few days passed and the red cock claimed a perch, training was about to commence with the youngsters so the red was put into a box and off the old fella went to his designated training spot. The birds were released and quite pleasing the young one’s cleared after a few minutes, thoughts then turned to releasing the Belge red, after a cigarette and a walk around stretching the old legs the box was opened and the Belge red shot off without circling bang on line. On returning to the loft there boldly sitting on the perch was the bloody red cock with not a feather to be seen of the old boy’s young bird team. Hours passed and the Belge red was roaring about by him-self in the young bird section, he just did not stop. Finally 2 of the team returned, a chequer plus a blue bar, as night time fell no more arrivals, this was very worrying indeed. The following morning the old fella got up even earlier than normal and sat with a cup of tea watching the sun arising, by midday worry really had set in. Looking into the loft only 3 pigeons were sat there and one of them was a stray!!! The 2 that had got home were both hens and the red cock was chasing them all over the place, the day dragged on but no more pigeons arrived. Two days no pigeons 3/4/5 days passed by still no pigeons, by this time all hope was lost of seeing any more youngsters returning, By the end of the 7th day and the old fella gave the 3 remaining birds there liberty, they seemed quite happy as they flew around. With the red cock that by now was totally recovered and looking the part, he kept clapping off the loft in pursuit of the 2 hens. It was decided ‘no’ racing could be under taken with just 2 hens. However after another few days the old boy thought....well I could report the Belge red so a letter was despatched to the Belgian Union asking for transfer form; a few weeks went by and young bird racing had started in earnest. By the 3rd race week the red cock was paired to both the hens and was driving them, the 2 hens were very young and did not have a clue what to do. The old fella's wife said one morning ‘There is a letter for you’, on inspection it was a reply from the Belgian Union, as the envelope was opened a ring card fell out, the name on the card did not mean a lot to the old fella at all. Another week went by and he decided sod it... I will race the 2 hen’s, he gave them 2 tosses from 15 miles then straight into a 180 mile race point. On marking night he got some right stick from the other members, laughing at him that he had lost virtually all his young bird team, the old fella took it in good heart as he could give as good as he got. Early morning after 2 slices of toast and a cuppa the old telephone broke into a ring, ‘Pigeons liberated at 08-30 in a south west wind’. He figured 4 hours would be a decent time so at 12-15 the old fella rose from his chair, picked up his clock (he could hear the Belge red cooing... as he walked out into the garden, on looking at the loft there was his 2 hens frantically trying to get into the loft. The Belge red was sweeping his tail all along the bay, ‘Oh dear, Oh dear he said. The traps were opened and the 2 hens dropped into the loft...in his embarrassment he did not bother to clock them. He never attended the club that night to save himself the inevitable onslaught that was surely going to come his way. Sunday morning his mate came for their weekly ritual of pigeon talk. On hearing the times of the winning pigeons it became apparent that the 2 hens would have been 1st & 2nd club, in fact the club winner was provisional 1st federation!!! The old fella kept his 2 hen’s time quiet, the following Friday he set off once again to the race marking. The 2 hens were entered into the race for a bit more education then be stopped, the race was 20 odd miles further that the last week’s race. After a few pints and much banter the old fella staggered home to a bit of an ‘ear bashing’ from his wife. Next morning on getting up the weather had took a real turn for the worse and there was surely not going to be a liberation, this proved correct and a one day hold over ensued. Sunday was very clear with nice blue skies, once again his phone burst into life and the birds had been liberated at 08-15 hours. This time the old boy thought I’m not getting caught out again; so duly settled down in the garden straight away. He sat there in total peace with the little swallows chirping, every hour his wife would bring out a cup of tea for him. Bang on 12-20 he saw 2 pigeons coming on line and in a flash he banged the 2 rubbers into the same thimble; then clocked them into his Toulet clock. The old fella was very pleased and while sitting eating his Sunday roast he felt confident. At the club headquarters that evening it was buzzing with the best supported race of the season, all clocks were struck off at 07-00 hours and the clock committee started to read the clock times. The old fella strained his ears listening to the times, when it came to his clock the chief clock setter stated; ‘We have a good un here’...the time was read out and a ‘hush’ came over the room. The ‘old fella’ had won it by over 10 minutes. Of course on opening his thimble he was in fact double 1st with 2 in the ONE thimble. ALL the members congratulated him on ‘some performance’ with only sending 2 pigeons, in fact on Sunday afternoon it was confirmed that he had won the federation AS WELL! He decided of course not to race the 2 hens again that year. On getting his BHW/RP magazine that week; there was an advert for a £1000 single entry young bird 300 miles (or over) open race. Locally to be held at the end of the season, £1000 was one hell of a lot of money in those days. Now the old fella was a sucker for an ‘open race’; he loved them and was a bit gutted that he would miss it. His thoughts turned to the 2 hens but he could not separate them at all, over the next few days he mulled it over which of the hens should be his candidate. He thought so much about it he gave himself a headache, several trips to the young bird section and still he could not decide. He knew he had plenty of time to decide but it was impossible. Then he had a brain wave, why not race the red Belge cock? - He realised he had nothing to lose with him as he was a ‘stray’. He parted the cock away from the hens and started to single toss the red cock in all weathers, it just did not seem to make any difference if it was easterly winds, westerly, southerly on the nose, raining, liberated at different locations off line....Nothing stopped the Belge red cock from homing bang on time, as the weeks passed by the old fella realised this damn red cock is an absolute weapon, in fact he decided he had never owned a pigeon quite like him. The pigeon was a maniac and would coo at sparrows or anything that moved. The old boy timed it perfectly and let the chequer hen into him, within 12 days she had laid out and the red cock loved those eggs and protected them with his life. By the time of the marking day the Belge red cock had been sitting for approximately 15 days. He was entered and pooled right through; the race was 315 odd miles for the ‘old fella’ being one of the longest flyers with many fanciers sending. Next morning the convoy was fed and watered then liberated into an overcast sky with a south westerly wind at 06-35am; The old boy worked out an estimated time of 4-30pm, the day deteriorated and rain started to fall; it got heavier as the day progressed. ‘The estimated time was now put back to 5pm. Even that seemed optimistic to say the least, 5pm came and went and the ‘old fella’ decided to go inside and sit in the back room as it was getting chilly. As he was opening the back door he heard a faint ‘thud’ behind him, he spun round to see a tail disappearing through the traps. The Belge red was home, he ran down the garden in the pouring rain to see a sorry looking red cock on the floor. The red could not fly up to his box so he gently picked him up pulled the rubber off then lifted him onto his box, he promptly got on his eggs pushing the hen out if the bowl. In the ‘old fella's’ excitement he had forgot to actually time the Belge cock in!! He banged the thimble shut and clocked in at 06-21pm....the result? The Belge red cock had won 1st open only bird in race time winning all prize and pool monies. The ‘old fella’ had always dreamed of owning a Rover Car which at the time was very plush indeed, so he went out and purchased one for cash!!!! His old car was a dark red Hillman Imp which he promptly gave to his youngest son as a wedding present. The new Rover was also ‘RED’ so from that day he called the Belge red cock ‘RED ROVER’. The story has a little footnote to it! - The following year he had only 1 youngster (a rather small blood red son who was really mischievous and a right little character) from ‘Red Rover’ and the little chequer hen, he trained him separately for the £1000 open race; that the local club had put on again and what do you think happened? Yes the little blood red son only went and won it as well!! Funny enough the ‘old fella’ named the little mischievous son ‘RED IMP’.
Good Birds
I have been having a look at the SNFC results and noticed some pigeon that have added to their lustrous racing history within the club and I start with A Nelson of Hamilton whose chequer pied hen SU16L494 should now win her SNFC Silver Award as she has won 3 times from over the English channel. Her performances are as follows; in 2018 she competed from Ypres a distance of 445 miles to her home loft and she won 36th section E 248th open from an entry of 2541 birds entered by 433 members. The following year she was back to Ypres and she won 44th section E 168th open from an entry of 2483 birds submitted by one member more than the year before in 434. This year with only one channel race from Reims a distance of 566 miles to Hamilton, she was to the fore winning 5th section E 28th open from an entry of 1490 birds sent by 313 member; congratulations to Mr Nelson on achieving his Silver Award. I now come to 2 Fifer’s the first is R Cook of Rosyth whose blue bar hen also won from Reims a distance of 565 miles being 21st section C 68th open from the 1490 birds entry. She won 21st section C 105th open from Ypres last year from an entry of 2483 birds sent by 434 members; she had previously won 320th open from an entry of 3876 birds but did not win a section prize from the Buckingham race the same year 19 flying a distance of 296 mile. Staying in Fife I now come to my dear friends George & Brian Hunter of Dunfermline with their blue bar hen a daughter of their champion ‘Kingdom Spirit’ SU15 3064 who has won 4 times in the national twice inland and twice from over the channel, in 2018 she won 76th section C from Buckingham a distance of 298 miles but no open position; from an entry of 2941 birds sent by 441 members. In 2019 she won twice from 2 nationals with the first being from Maidstone a distance of 347 miles competing against 2957 birds entered by 421 members she won 36th section C 146th open. Then a few weeks later she was entered into the Gold Cup race from Burdinne a distance of 516 miles back to her home loft and she won 9th section C 43rd open from an entry of 1251 birds submitted by 358 members. This year 2020 she was again sent to the Gold Cup race this time from Reims a distance of 567 miles and she won 10th section C 20th open from an entry of 1490 bird enrolled by 313 members; she requires one more diploma to gain her Silver Award and we wish her George and Brian all the best for 2021.
Joe’s Joke
A man walks into a Chinese restaurant but is told that there will be at least a 20 minute wait and he is asked if he would like to wait in the bar. He goes into the bar and the bartender says, ‘What’ll it be’. The man replies. ‘Give me a Stoli with a twist’. The bartender squints at him for a few seconds, then smiles and says; ‘Once upon time there were four little pigs…..’
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