Mid Cheshire.
The young birds have started with mixed racing and a few have failed to reach home which is not what pigeon fanciers want so early in the young bird season. The first weekend in August saw one of the local feds mark Friday and the other Saturday. The Saturday looked OK in Middlewich but in Crewe 6mls shorter I hear the rain came down rather heavy when the birds were just about reaching the area. My sister was in Crewe town shopping and had to act because there was so much rain about. By the time the pigeons arrived in Middlewich I am told that there were many who looked as if they had been for a swim. When they did arrive home a shake of the body to get rid of excess water also saw plenty of feathers leaving the body of some, mind you many are moulting at this time of the year anyway. Although they were wet from what I can gather most got them home on the day in what was a steady race for youngsters. So, what happened to the birds that were marked Saturday for a Sunday race, well the weather forecast was not all it was made out to be. It was one of those grey days that pigeons do not like, having said that they did have a strong blow home and made easy work of the trip home reaching nearly 1600ypm. Again, having said that, from what I am told the returns were not as good on the Sunday and I half expected that with the grey sky that pigeons do not like. Who made the best decision, well I think that as is very often the case, it all depends on who you are talking too. Some had good races on both days while others did not and that will always happen so we must carry on and hope that all comes good before the season finishes. I was talking to a fancier from down south who was telling me that the atmospheric pressure was not right for birds to fly on the Sunday. I am also told that such days are predicted and should be avoided when racing or training pigeons. Just before finishing about racing over the weekend, other areas who raced on different days experienced the same problems and had more losses on the Sunday.
In the Middlewich FC the top two positions clearly went to W Wilson & Son recording vels of 1314/1293ypm ahead of Dickens & Wilkinson who are 3rd club on 1218ypm.
In the Acton Bridge club 150 birds competed for the red card and the result is back to normal with Curtiss-Wall-Lunt taking the first 4 positions. When you look at the result for these fanciers you can see how the weather affected them with 121yds between their first 4 home when they normally drop in batches. There was then a drop of 50yds to 5th placed Rob Bebbington, sounds as if they struggled to get home. Anyway, back to the Curtiss-Wall-Lunt winners, where they are 1st with a blue hen a direct dtr of "Eurovision" (see photo) is sire and grandsire to many winners in club, fed & Combine and RPRA Award winner. The winnings in this pigeon are prominent being a direct son of the great breeder; “Den Euro” 1st Quievrain against 2,687 birds. 1st Quievrain against 2,516 birds. 2nd Quievrain 4,924 birds. 4th Quievrain 2,120 birds. 1st Nat Ace-pigeon De Reisduif 2003 Young Birds. 1st Nat Ace-pigeon Ave Regina 2003 Young Birds. 1st International Ace-pigeon Western Nations Cup Short Distance. They are then 2nd with a chequer cock a direct son of "Frederick" bred by Leo Heremans. 3rd goes to another of the top winning Leo Hereman stock.
In the Mid Cheshire Fed 44 members sent 1058 birds to Worcester to be liberated at 13.45pm in a West South West wind. The fed winner is Mick Stockton on 1359ypm making it a good weekend topping both local feds they are really of form as are the youngsters of Keith Herbert who was 1st fed last week and 2nd fed this week.
Mick Stockton
The Middlewich 5B were at Cheltenham when 10 members entered 148 birds that were liberated at 7.45am on the Sunday morning after the decision was made to mark Saturday night. The top spot went to Mr & Mrs Dave Healey on 1656ypm, they are often seen popping up to collect the red card. 2nd & 3rd go to W Wilson & Son recording vels of 1644/1640ypm while Alan Woodcock was 4th on 1638ypm.
The club were racing with the South West Cheshire Fed where 62 members entered 1,157 birds that were liberated in a light south west wind. The fed was won by Mick Stockton who races with the Greenbank club.
I found an old photo in the archives taken at a Mid Cheshire Fed presentation many years ago. Left to right, Brian Carson, Harold Dale, Barbara Hulme, Denis Gleave, Joyce Hollinshead, Alan Wright, David Hulme, Les J Parkinson, Elizabeth Wilkinson, Ron Woodward, Bill Cookson, Frank Garner and Jack Garner.
Still not had any feedback on the young lad in front of the group from a few weeks ago.
Westlands
