L J Parkinson
I had a lengthy conversation with a good friend of ours regarding pigeon racing today compared with 20yrs ago. When I got back to racing the pigeons, Elizabeth also said I would find it different, my reply was, not that much, I have now changed my mind on that one now. After two thirds of the old bird season, I can see a difference and it’s not good. I have lost more yearlings so far this season than I have ever done in a whole season before and that includes the club channel, plus National races and as pointed out to me the BOPs are taking more birds than ever. However, I did lose 8 of my 10 yearling entries in the Carentan NFC race which was not an easy race and as pointed out in previous notes this did disappoint me, having not lost anywhere near as many in any previous NFC race that I had competed in over the years. I have since spoken to many fanciers about this race and find that even the shorter competing members were experiencing losses, we have these races and must put up with them, nothing we can do about it. The weather wasn’t that bad. That weekend saw 16 go down between the three clubs I entered and with starting fresh I didn’t need that to happen, but it did. As was pointed out to me, on average you can sometimes lose one every time you send the pigeons out, whether for a race or training toss, or even around home. Probably my age, but I do find it harder to keep the pigeons going, but that is generally the case with sprint racing, which I have never really gone for in the past. I think the older we get the more patience we have and that suits for the longer races. Out of the losses we have experienced we had two Mid Cheshire pigeons reported in Cumbria which shows where they are going, northwards without looking back. Just about to send these notes off and I had a call from Joe & Sarah at Chester Zoo, reporting one of our pigeons, so along with Elizabeth we decided to go and collect it. They had it in a big box with plenty of bedding in it and were saying that they just walked up to it and picked it up. I must say it was very thin, but I assured them that I would get it on some good food and bring it back to its best. I will because I have told them I will send a photo of it in a couple of weeks to show that the chequer cock is now going strong.
Hen’s or Cock’s.
Looking at it another way, no doubt a good debate could be held on this subject, which are the best to race, or are they about even. We, being Ebony and myself racing to the same loft between us started the season with 65 yearlings and one 3yo. We have only got down to 146mls and we are down to 39, that’s a loss of 27 pigeons, take the 8 out for the NFC race and we are still at a loss of 19 from the land races to date. Remember that these were all raced down to that distance as young birds with no problem at all. So, that’s what we had left by the third weekend in May, that’s a lot of pigeons to lose in just a few short weeks. Oh yes, we had a Chequer hen drop on the landing board while waiting for the pigeons on the 25th May. I looked at her and could see she had no ETS ring on her leg so I thought it could not have been mine. I tried to shift her, and she showed no sign of leaving, because we were waiting for the racing birds, I let her in and promptly picked her up, I looked at the ring and yes, she was one of ours. She was in lovely condition, and I would go as far as to say you could enter her into a show and expect a card for her as a racer. I looked her number up and found that she was lost early doors as a young bird, before we put the ETS rings on them. Getting back to the hen’s V cock’s, well we still have 24hen’s left and they have flown much better than the cocks, so to date it’s a thumbs up for the hens. I must say that over the years the hens have put up the better performances that we have achieved in the Nationals. 1st Sec L 3rd Open NFC St Nazaire Blue Hen and in the same race 32nd Open and two more in the first 100 were hens. 3rd section 27th Open Tarbes (697mls) on the day was a Chequer hen. In club racing this year racing to the Elimar Loft, to date, there must be over 18 positions in the first four with most being down to Ebony’s cocks. We appear to be able to get hens going more than the cocks on average in the National races in the past, but for sprint races it is the cocks who shine the best.
Results
The Mid Cheshire Fed race from Mangotsfield (OB3) saw 76 members enter 1347 birds that were liberated at 9.30am in a northeast wind. Racing with Lymm FC we have Mr Consistent himself Ray Lunt is there again with 1st 2nd 4th 5th Fed, I have known Ray for the best part of 40yrs and I still don’t know what that extra touch is that keeps him at the top in such good competition. They are 3 yearlings and a 3yo recording vels of 1339 (2) 1329/1328ypm. 1st club 3rd north section and open goes to St Helens winners Arnold & Johnson whose yearling clocked up 1336ypm. They were also 2nd club on 1301ypn followed by A Greenhall 4th on 1300ypm. 6th 7th 8th 9th fed with four yearlings go to Acton Bridge winners Mr & Mrs Carl Hickman who must be one of the most consistent winning lofts in the fed. My intentions are to call in and see how they race their birds, I believe they have had a good tutor. Also with the club Eric Taylor is 5th club 20th Fed. 10th fed goes to Sankey Bridge HS winner Steve Cooke whose first bird clocks up 1319ypm ahead of 2nd & 3rd club winner M Magee recording vels of 1309ypm with two on the same yard. 1st club 1st north section 11th fed sees Greenbank’s Mick Stockton lead the way on 1319ypm. Martin Williams is 2nd club 19th fed with a vel of 1308ypm, ahead of John Peever who saw a 2yo home on 1266ypm. Another loft that is never far away is that of W & P Brown who take the top two with a yearling and 3yo in the Earlestown FC, both being on 1317ypm to also finish 12th & 13th fed ahead of Arnold & Johnson whose 3rd placed winner is on 1265ypm. Over in the Frodsham HS Geofrey Warburton fills the top spot with Sidney Rogers & Son taking the next two positions. D & P Whitefield take the top three in the Halmerend FC clocking up 1229/1220/1184ypm. Jim Chadwick does the same in the Leigh & Atherton HS taking the top three positions recording vels of 1311/1310/1294ypm along with 14th & 16th fed. Ebony Crowley wins the Middlewich FC with a yearling dark pied cock who is by far her best pigeon winning a few prizes both as a young bird and yearling. In this race Ebony was 1st & 4th on 1303/1295ypm. 2nd & 3rd is won by Mark Smith with two on 1302ypm. Meanwhile over in the Rudheath WMHS Dave Lowe is 1st & 3rd on 1253/1223yom being split by Peter & Mike Child with a vel of 1248ypm.The top 3 in the Runcorn DHS all go to S Spataru recording vels of 1259/1236/1208ypm. That leaves the Wrinehill HS where 1st & 3rd club 15th fed go to Joe Glover clocking up 1311/1238ypm with Mr & Mrs Nigel Shaw in between with a vel o1270ypm. In the South West Cheshire Fed race from Wincanton 55 members entered 809 birds that were liberated at 10.15am in a light southeast wind. The Middlewich 5B members had a good race with seven of the first twelve on the result. Leading the way is Mark Smith who is having a good season and in this race is 1st with a 3yo blue hen and going through the trap at nearly the same second is a yearling ending up 3rd club and fed with both being on 1686ypm. I was talking to Mark about racing into the town which is going well and even though there is not the big birdage and members sending that we used to have we are keeping up with the southwest fed winners, which is a good sign for the future. Mark also mentioned that Lesley the 5B secretary is organizing a get-together on the 22nd June after the clocks have been struck. Food will be organised and menus available, plenty appear to be going. Back to the race where Peter & Dawn Latham are also having a good season are only two decimal points behind to finish 2nd club 2nd fed with a yearling blue cock om 1686.2ypm. There used to be trees right being their loft where the pigeons used to land, we could see them. The trees are no longer there, which must be a benefit on race days, but Peter was telling me that the pigeons would hide in there when the BOP was about. Any also from the 5B and making the top ten are Les Parkinson and Elizabeth Wilkinson from Elimar Lofts who are 4th & 5th club 9th & 10th Fed a chequer and blue on 1676/1675ypm, both being yearlings. First in the clock was 1st club 4th fed Cheltenham, while the other was 4th club 9th fed Mangotsfield, both being bred by Slav Tomczak from Macclesfield, who has a top team of Curtis-Wall-Lunt pigeons in the stock loft. I did say we would cover the top 20 in the fed so are still with the Middlewich 5B where Jones bros are 11th 12th fed with a 2yo red hen on 1668ypm and a 3yo chequer cock recording a vel on 1668ypm. Right let’s move on to the Greenbank club where Turner & Son take the top 6 positions in their club and 4th 5th 6th 19th 20th fed with three 2yo’s and two yearling recording vels of 1686/1685/1684(3)/1639ypm. Over in the Crewe West End Colin Lindop is 1st club 7th fed with a 2yo on 1682ypm. 2nd club 8th fed goes to Mr & Mr Lovatt who clocked a yearling on 1676ypm. 3rd 4th 5th club 13th 14th 15th fed go to Martin Williams with three 2yo’s on 1666ypm. Roy Parker is 6th club 17th fed on 1657ypm followed by Bob Humphries clocking up 1656ypm. The Crewe West End has always been a competitive club ever since I can remember racing into the town. In the Duddon PFC KW Walker & Sons are the winners here with 1st club 16th Fed with a 4yo on 1661ypm ahead of K & K Rowland who clocked to close together for 2nd & 3rd positions on 1649/1647ypm. 4th goes to Gary Adamson also with a 4yo to record a vel of 1646ypm. In the Halmerend FC come out on top with a vel of 1588ypm with D & P Whitefield 2nd clocking up 1568ypm. 3rd goes to D Everill with a vel of 1554yom ahead of G Gill on 1500ypm. Moving over to Hankelow where we find Joe glover’s birds in fine form taking 1st 3rd 4th on 1622/1606(2)ypm. Mr & Mrs Nigel Shaw stopped the landslide in 2nd place after recording a vel of 1620ypm. That takes us to the Winsford HS where A Jones collects the red card on 1634ypm with a yearling followed by Mel Bratt on 1622ypm also with a yearling. 3rd & 4th go to G&A&C Jones whose first two being a yearling and 2yo clocked up 1619/1612ypm.
Les Parkinson. 11 Rushton Drive, Middlewich, Cheshire, CW10 0NJ.
Tel: +44 (0)1606 836036. Mob: +44 (0)7871 701585.
E-mail:
Web site: http://www.elimarpigeons.com
