LES J. PARKINSON'S
NEWS-REPORTS-ARTICLES
The second weekend for the young birds turned out to be a bit of a mixed bag when most organizations made an early decision to mark on the Saturday instead of Friday. There were others who left it as late as possible because the weather forecast was a bit hit and miss. For the shorter races there was a spell when there could have been a lib ion the Saturday afternoon but you would have had to have timed it spot on to have got away with it. When the weather was good I was having a break in the front room because the weather got a bit warmer than I wanted. As I sat there instead of watching the commonwealth games I was watching Peter & Dawn’s pigeons going round and they were flying really well as they have done all season. They had been going for quite some time when Elizabeth said, “Have you seen the weather behind” I looked and the sky was black and looking rather naughty. The pigeons kept flying and I was thinking are they going to drop before that weather gets here. The answer to that was no they weren’t and it hit them head on. The pigeons carried on flying and the weather was getting worse and worse all the time. Then the big one came with the wind being so strong it knocked them down and there they stayed but as soon as the wind dropped they were up and at it again with the sun shining through. When you see something like this unfolding in front of your eyes you can appreciate how strong the pigeons are. I was talking to Peter while the storm was on and he called me later to say they were all back in the loft. The pigeons were marked for a Sunday race and the wind stayed in the South West so an easy race with the winner’s doing over the mile per minute mark and with the wind coming back out of the North East which is learning the youngster’s the wrong lesson from the start. The young bird sickness has affected the racing in this early part of the season with not many sending. So we can expect to see more of this problem when they do get going. I was talking to Paul Scott who called to collect some pigeons on the following Tuesday and he was telling me that there are thousands missing at this early stage in the season and one organization has even cancelled a young bird channel race because they cannot see their members having the birds by the end of the season. You know when we all do those things with the pigeons and realize we have made a mistake. Well one day last week I was watching the young birds and they were hanging on the wires so I gave them just a little bit more corn. That was one of those mistakes that fanciers do make from time to time, think they need a little bit more and give it to them. Big mistake, sent them training the next morning and they took nearly 10mis longer and half would not trap when they got here, that was my soft side giving way to the pigeons, won't happen again.
How Far?
For various reasons I take a look at my Facebook page nearly every day even though sometimes I only have time to look and then come off again. I was looking at a post of “How far should we send yearlings” The response was quite good and the distance were anything up to 840km in Thailand where they tell me they only race young birds so they cover a fair distance. The thing about racing in Thailand is the amount of money that is available for them to compete for in such races. I pointed out the in the bigger of the Combines into the North West from Niort that 1st 2nd 3th 5th 6th all went to yearlings flying around 500mls with vels around 1100ypm. With pigeons, in fact with any living thing we all get slower as we get older and that must also apply to racing pigeons that then start to pace themselves. You let sprinters go and if they are trained right they leave the basket and set off for home at full speed but you cannot train channel pigeons onwards (into the North West) to do that because they would burn themselves out before they reached their final destination. No matter what family of pigeons you get you will always come across the exception to the rule. In a family of sprinters you will come across a pigeon that does not sprint but when the distance increase the pigeon paces itself, keeps going and gets in amongst the prize winners. Pigeon racing is what you want to get out of it and I am not referring to the financial side because some like to sprint others middle distance and you also have the long distance and extreme distance. One thing is for sure and that is no matter where you live in the UK racing pigeons is different and even the type of clubs you compete in the competition changes and so do the circumstances. There is only one thing apart from having pigeons that pigeon fanciers have in common and that is they love to have their pigeons around them. However all the systems and pigeons they have are their own choice and win or lose it is always in the hands of the fancier concerned.
O’Hare & Woodward
I was talking to Mike O’Hare & Ron Woodward about their very good performances in the Nationals and classics this year and asked them to get a few photos that I shall use over the next few weeks. The first one is “232” bred from the un-rung Michel Buik cock from a pair bought from the Elimar Sale in 2010 and the dam is a Frans Vanwildersmeerch from their old Jim Dutton pigeons. This cock 232 as a YB was 3rd Club Kingsdown and 5th Sect B 28th Open NWCC Carentan. As a yearling was 1st Open North West Classic club Messac and this year was 10th Sect L, 112th Open, NFC Messac, 103rd Sect L and 302nd Open NFC Cholet and was also timed from NFC Saintes. Just an add on, the Jim Dutton pigeons came into this area a few years ago and they really did well with winner after winner coming from them and in fact those lines are still producing winners.
The second one for this week is another blue cock “713”. The two most prominent positions for this cock in specialist racing are 1st Sect B, 1st Open North West Classic Club Niort 483 Miles and 23rd Sect L, 46th Open NFC Cholet 420 miles. His sire is the line of Jim Dutton’s Frans Vanwildersmeerch crossed with those of Gaby Vandenabeele. The dam is from a grandson of Champion Toey the great Staf Van Reet stock cock paired to a double granddaughter of Jester and Carrie. These two lines have won more than their fair share of races at all levels for the partnership since they first introduced them. All being well there will be a couple more next week from these winning lofts.
Club/Fed News
In the Moulton FC 8 members sent 152 club birds to Worcester which saw a new name at the top of the list with Mr & Mrs D Jones who recorded a vel of 1743ypm with a blue hen. Tony Lacking is 2nd & 3rd with mealy cock and chequer hen who were racing each other hone finishing on 1731ypm and one decimals between them. 4th goes to Peter & Mike Child whose chequer pied cock clocked up 1728ypm. The Crewe West End are a real strong club in two days market and in this Cheltenham race 17 members send 431 club birds. Mr & Mrs Richard Young continue to have a good season and secure the top two positions so good flying in strong competition and record vels of 1782/1784ypm. Rob Mellor is 2nd on 1772.74ypm followed by Mr & Mrs Jennings 4th with a vel of 1772.1ypm. In the last old bird race of the season for the Three Counties Combine 299 members sent 1288 birds for the race of around 500mls. This was the tough one when only eight pigeons topped the 1000ypm mark and only the winner racing to the lofts of Cheshire Combine winners Tommy Hulme & Son making over 1100ypm and this was with a yearling. I see 5 of the top ten were from the same Combine with 2nd spot going to another yearling racing to the lofts of Kenny Burke and Gary Hodkinson. DJ&CJ Wilkinson are 3rd and it is not often that David does not clock one in the Niort races. The next three positions all go to members of the Lancashire Combine headed by J&S Ward 4th, L Slicker 5th and G&G Buckley 6th. C Ratcliffe & Son are 7th ahead of Charlie Peel 8th, W Vickers & Son 9th and Central Lancashire Combine winners Read & Gant 10th. The other member combine winner being the Two Counties is B Morris who was next on the list in 11th position. It was interesting to note that there were 30 yearlings on the combine result, there was a time when hardly anyone would send yearlings to a 500ml race, how times have changed. The Middlewich 5B were at Cheltenham when 7 sent 91 birds when the top two positions went to Mr & Mrs Albert Austin on 1788/1728ypm with a blue pied cock and blue hen. I have been asked a few times how come so many fanciers take the top two positions in this area. The reason is many clubs have an agreement where they are happy with their first two birds on the result, some do send four to the fed and the channel is open. They have been content with two positions in the club for many years in some clubs in the area. Ken & Stan Bosson are 3rd after seeing home a red hen on 1704ypm ahead of a blue hen racing to the lofts of Alan Groom at a speed of 1697ypm. In the Middlewich FC1st & 4th go to Parkinson & Wilkinson who clocked one of their breeder/buyer pigeons bred by Harrison & Hull. This is a Coorman/Janssen and is a grandchild of their very good pencil cock winner of multiple 1sts including 1st Combine. The pigeon that was 4th is one of a batch of young birds the partnership purchased from John Whittaker from his clearance sale. The sire is a winner of prizes including 1st with the dam being from the lines of “Kannibaal” and “Eurostar” Mike O’Hare & Ron Woodward are 2nd & 3rd their first being a chequer cock having its first race. The Sire is a shallie w/f cock late bred in 2010 and was the only bird that failed to reach its £40 reserve in their sale at the end of that season. It was then retained for stock and has bred several top class pigeons including 2 bird club winners and is a Gaby Vandenabeele cross Frans Vanwildersmeerch. The Dam of the YB is from a direct pair of Robert Venus Supercracks via Tony Merrick. The 2nd pigeon is a chequer hen also having its first race. This is a Gaby Vandenabeele from Gaby 303 and Lady Spirit on the Sires side and Jester x Lady of the Rings on the dams side. These Vandenabeele have been good for the partnership and kept them in the position of the premier lofts in the area winning in club, fed, classic and National racing. In the Winsford club 13 members sent 280 birds to Cheltenham with the South West Cheshire Federation. Leading the way, in a very fast race, were Mr & Mrs Albert Austin with a velocity of 1791ypm. Albert and Margarite,s winner being a Mealy Lambrecht bred in the stock loft and flying to the perch. This loft also won the Middlewich 5B from the same race point on the same day with different pigeons. Taking the next four positions was Dave Dickenson with velocities of 1777/1777/1776/1776ypm. Dave’s first and second pigeon’s being a Van den Bosch, bred out of the old stock hen of Derek Walkers with the parents breeding winners each year. The third pigeon is from a group of six bought off the Midland fanciers A.L.Painter with another one winning last week. The fourth pigeon is a Lambrecht of Galaxy lofts on the sire’s side and a Van den Bosch on the dam’s side. David has a very good family of Van den Bosch pigeons through Derek Walker of Warrington. Dave approached Derek in 1995 for stock and as his winning shows has flown very well. Good flying Dave! This is when ETS comes into its own. H.Bratt & Son took 6th place with a vel of 1771ypm after clocking a chequer Janssen cock that won the Moulton Show Race the week before. The following information is on the pigeons from the Winsford members who figured in the hard Niort race with the Middlewich 2B. Ken & Mike Lamb who saw home a chequer Busschaert cock purchased from Billy Whisker in 2011 as a young bird. He has not trained until this year and had four races inland and Falaise before Niort. G.A.Jones clocked a 2yo Gaby Vandenabeele whose dam won Middlewich 2B Niort last year, this blue cock having had prizes before. Thanks for the information Mel, keep it coming. By the way Mel I do understand what you are saying about ETS but you have to get them home first and Dave has done that for many years especially being a very good racer of young birds. It is good to see that the North West fanciers are continuing to get together for the local 500ml race with the Three Counties and North West Combines producing a result from both their races. This is a good move forward that could go on to better things and by that I am referring to producing a list for the other channel racers. This would then give the fanciers a great deal of competition in the races where the birds have to work harder to earn their prizes. I also see that the North Ashton 2B have joined in and from the three 472 members sent 1949 birds. I am sure these numbers would have been much higher had we not had such bad channel races earlier in the season. I mentioned yearlings earlier in these notes and I notice that five of the top six in this one are all yearlings, we must be breeding better pigeons for the distance. The top spot goes to North West Combine winner R Clare ahead of Cheshire Combine winners Tommy Hulme & Son. J McDowell & Son are 3rd, John Blundell & Son 4th, Kenny Burke & Gary Hodkinson 5th, G Porter 6th, DJ&CJ Wilkinson 7th, J&S Ward 8th, L Slicker 9th and G&G Buckley 10th. The North Ashton winner Ken Roane is 14th. Shrewsbury was the next liberation for the West Coast Fed when 54 members sent 1476 birds to be liberated at 1pm in a fresh south west wind. As is often the case with this fed a few seem to get several dropping together and this race was no different when Kirkham & Wesham members Jones & Harrison took 1st 2nd 3rd & 6th positions and what did surprise me was that their fourth pigeon was 2mins behind their first which shows that the first three must have left the batch early. Hassall & Jackson are 4th & 5th flying with the Staining HS while Mr & Mrs French who had a good race in the Pilling Inv are 7th 8th &10th fed. Fleetwood & Districk member J McLellan clocked two in 40secs for 9th & 13th with Thornton & Cleveleys Mr & Mrs Reg Sarre being 11th ahead of Blackpool Col winner Kenny Cardwell finishing 12th fed. Mr & Mrs Holloway & Family saw 14th 18th 19th & 20th going their way after seeing them through the trap in 15secs. The Stalmine & District winner is J Cross while Ron & Shirley Mott saw their first two entries being 16th & 17th and had a further five just missing the top twenty all went through the trap in 7secs, shows how tight the race was. Those taking a break from the top twenty this week Blane, Edge & Blane who won the Fleetwood HS while Cornell lofts topped the list in the Marton Village leaving Brian fisher to do the same in the Queens Inv. Now on to the Rudheath club race from Worcester when B&G Mainwaring collected another red card with a Vandenabeele off the O’Hare & Woodward stock, this one was second the week before. George also clocked another to finish 2nd and this one is the nest mate to last week’s winner being from the Brian Barnes and Brian Dearne stock, they recorded vels of 1756/1755ypm the second being an exchange bird. Keith Herbert is 3rd on 1739ypm keeping up his appearance in the local clubs and is ahead of Paul Harrison 4th on 1725ypm. We now move on to the Mid Cheshire Fed result from Worcester 2 when 39 sent 766 birds to be liberated at 7.45am in a South West wind. This is another of those fast races with the top three vels being over 1800ypm and another race when several fanciers had more than one in the clock. 1st & 2nd positions go to fed secretary John Allbutt with two of his entries from the Sandbach club and he did show that you don’t need ETS to clock them in close together. Eric Taylor also clocked a couple to collect 3rd and 7th fed. Wrinehill members did well in this race when Dave Beeston & Son put two in the clock and collects 4th & 6th being split by Bagnall & Antrobus 5th. Crewe Premier winners Manley & Lloyd are 8th ahead of Joe glover who had a good race securing 9th 10th 11th & 14th places. Frank Speed is 12th followed by Parkinson & Wilkinson who won the Middlewich club and finish 17th fed. Colin Lidop saw two go into the clock for 15th & 18th while B&G Mainwaring had three and collected 16th 17th 7 19th positions leaving 20th to Graham Davies. There were three club winners who missed out on the top twenty in the fed and they are Weaverham leaders Mr & Mrs John Howman. Moulton saw Mr & Mrs d Jones top the list while Mr & Mrs John Burnett & Son did the same in the Kingsway club. The Macclesfield FC Tewkesbury race saw 5 sending 80 birds with Martin Hough claiming the red card on 1381ypm with a home bred young hen homing to the perch. The sire of the winner is from a brother to Blue Diamond and the dam is a sister to Martin’s Staff Moorlands young bird classic winner this year. The youngster is bred from Roger Sutton’s National family crossed with the Willy Thas birds. In second place is Roger Bowers on 1366ypm with a hen sent paired, the sire is a Sootjenn bred by him and was 3rd section L National for him earlier this year plus other club positions the dam is a Jos Thone. Martin enjoyed a good race is also third and fourth on 1350/1344ypm both hens returning to the perch the firsts a Willy Thas from Mr & Mrs Geoff Kirkland stock on the dams side the sire a Vandenabeele being a grandson of James Bond bred by martin. The other bird is a Staffs Moorlands breeder buyer bred by Chris Knowles of Stockport from a granddaughter of Tommy Shaw’s New Hayes Rambo a multi first prize winner. Next we move on to Hullavington yb 2 with 5 sending 64 birds, this race turned out to be even better for Martin Hough taking the first five positions 1800/1790/1789/1786/1763ypm. The winner was fourth club at Tewksbury being his breeder buyer bred by Chris Knowles then in second was a hen bred by martin from his number one stock hen off Roger Sutton on to a Syndicate Lofts cock from Barron & Blakey. Third was last week’s winning hen again Roger Suttons National birds on to the Willy Thas birds and in fourth is a hen bred by Martin which is a Duggins Janssen cross Staf Van Reet homing to the perch. Well done Martin on two weeks of top flying club PO Roger Bowers. 47 members of the South West Cheshire Fed sent 939 birds to Cheltenham to be liberated at 9.30am in a south west wind. Mr & Mrs Albert Austin won both their weekly clubs being the Winsford club and Middlewich 5B to take 1st & 2nd Fed. Mr & Mrs Richard Young took the top two positions in the Crewe West End and finish up 3rd & 4th fed. The next four positions of 5th 6th 7th 8th go to Dave Dickenson & Son ahead of Greenbank winners Mr & Mrs Geoff Matthews 9th leaving 10th to Rob Bennett. This was a good turnout for the fed with the winners of all four member clubs being in the top ten of the fed. The prize and pool money in the West Coast Fed Fougeres race when 24 members sent 68 birds was won by the following members. 1st & 3rd J B Riley collecting £361.70. J Hassall & Jackson who were 2nd winning £56.10. 4th Dave Farrell 53.75 and 5th J Pawson £10.20.
Les J Parkinson. 11 Rushton Drive, Middlewich, Cheshire, CW10 0NJ, +44 (0)1606 836036. +44 (0)7871 701585.
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Web site: www.elimarpigeons.com
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