Wilf Reed Stock Bird Sale - December 2012 - Elimar Pigeon Services Limited

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WILF REED

STOCK BIRD SALE - December 2012

The view from the English/Welsh Border loft of Wilf Reed looking out into the distance in the direction of some of the sport's most iconic racepoints.

Tarbes 606 miles - Perpignan 673 miles - St Vincent 567 miles - Barcelona 754 miles

2012 Performances

1st section NFC Pau Grand National

2nd, 4th & 5th section BICC Perpignan International

5th section BICC Barcelona International

5th section BICC St Vincent International

Wilf, now 80 years young, is finding it difficult to cope with his pigeon workload so has decided to reduce his stock team and concentrate on the racers. Had he been twenty years younger, the birds he is letting go would not be for sale. This is one of the finest middle-to-extreme distance families of pigeons in the UK and very much at its peak, as Wilf’s 2012 performances testify.

Wilf’s pigeons win right out to Barcelona and have won 1st open BBC Palamos, 1st open Anglo-Welsh Sebastian, several times 1st section NFC Pau (again this season), the 3 Bird Pau Averages with the National Flying and other national, combine, federation, open race and club prizes far, far too numerous to mention.

A photo taken at the end of July 2012 of Wilf's racing hens the day prior to basketing for the BICC Perpignan International 673 miles. Wilf entered 7 of these hens and took 2nd, 4th & 5th section.

In recent years, to make things easier on him and Janet, the Reed pigeons have been got fit around home and sent straight across the channel to France without any inland racing, or indeed training. It’s not surprising that these pigeons, under this lack of cajoling, have gone on to excel in International races from Barcelona and Perpignan. And if you doubt the task facing the Reed pigeons coming out of International convoys racing hundreds of miles to the east of his Welsh Borders loft, just get an atlas out. These are proper pigeons which need little educating, and even less medication, which are winning here and now at the highest level of competition.

Wilf has said that potential bidders on any of the birds he is offering are welcome to give him a ring and go and handle any pigeon before deciding to place a bid.

The birds on offer represent a unique gene pool crafted by Wilf through constant testing, as he explains:

‘My foundation base strain came from Eric Buffin. In 1970, I bought 70 pigeons from him. These originated from Mr Smith & Son of High Wycombe when they had their dispersal sale, the Smiths having obtained them from Slabbinck.

In 1972, I brought in the Tom Clarke lines flown by my brother Bert, who had just died. These birds were housed in a wood and were left to their own devices. That year Bert had timed the only bird on the day from both Elgin and Thurso on the north road – two nestmate cocks. I said to my other brother Ern that we should see about going and getting the birds otherwise with the predator problem they’d be lost to the game. Bert’s wife wanted to keep some birds around her as memory of Bert but she wasn’t bothered which ones, so we bought half a dozen from her including the two cocks and their dam. I paired the dam of these two cocks to a red Kirkpatrick cock called Robin that came via a local fancier called Bob Barrow who’d obtained the blood from a chap called Murray, a very close friend of John Kirkpatrick they produced Crabby, a key pigeon for me later on. Robin also bred me a red cock, twice 1st West of England St Malo and 31st open NFC Pau 700ypm whose blood runs in the family.

In amongst the birds I bought in 1970 from Eric Buffin was a little hen who was half Westcott. She came from Maurice Williams of Monmouth who had given her to Eric as a youngster. Here sire was a tremendous old strain pigeon which had won the longest races both north and south. I paired that hen to one of the best Cattrysse cocks and they bred ’23’, the father of my loft. He won 1st section 14th open NFC Nantes and was subsequently paired to Crabby. In the early days I did not rate Crabby as she was just like a little blackbird. It was either black or white with me at stage of my pigeon career and I used her as a feeder first off. Then as a 2y year old late-bred the Saintes race came around and I thought you’ve gotta go. She’d only ever been as far as Salisbury on the back of a moped of a friend who regularly went to Southampton University. Anyway, to cut a long story short, I sent her to Saintes and she won it… and that was to be the only race she ever had in her life as I stopped her and paired her to ‘23’. They bred a couple of cocks and one of these bred my first 1st section winner from NFC Pau, which was 3rd open and the nestmate was 13th open.

The next move was the Clerebauts. We were talking in the club about the continental pigeons and some of the members were saying that there were good pigeons over there. I said get away with you we can get as good a pigeon within 50 miles of Monmouth. But then things started niggling away in my mind and I thought what if I’m wrong? Just at that time there were four sales of continental birds advertised in the Midlands – Henri Van Neste, Paul Gilmont, Willy Clerebaut and Paul Fauconnier. I went to each of the four sales on my own over successive weekends and handled every bird. I wanted to see what they were all like because I was into theories and stuff back then! Of all of them the Clerebauts were most to my liking. Willy Clerebaut’s son-in-law, who spoke very good English, was there so I approached him and asked him what chance I had of purchasing 6 ybs the following year. This was the spring of 1976 and I received a letter from Willy in May time inviting me over to pick out 6 youngsters. By that time, however, racing was in full swing and I thought no, I’m not going to interrupt my plans. Then that autumn Willy sent 200 birds over to England for a sale. Don Jones and I went to it and I bought one – a sister to Willy’s ‘Crack’, winner of 1st national Argenton. Driving home, we decided we would go over and visit Willy in early December if it was at all possible. When we got there Willy had 20 odd late-breds which had hardly moulted housed in the apex of his house. They were off his cream. He gave me the pick and I brought back six. (Don didn’t buy any – he relied on me!) Amongst the six was a son of the Crack (who was partly of Roosen bloodlines) and a hen off his 5 x Barcelona hen paired to his violet-eyed stock cock; these were basically of Stichelbaut lines. Also there was a blue cock bred from his best Barcelona pigeon of that year. I paired the little hen off the 5 x Barcelona hen with this blue cock to breed the dam of my next 1st section Pau winner in 1982. The sire was a blue cock from Crabby and ‘23’. This 1st section winner subsequently became the g.dam of Paula who won me 1st section 3rd open NFC Pau in 2000 she being the dam of Forty-Niner when paired to the sire of Spanish Queen. That was the year I won the NFC 3 Bird Average from Pau with three hens, one of whom later became known as Endurance Pride of Wales after she won 1st open BBC Palamos on my first attempt at the race. How Endurance came about was, I went to the sale of a Dutch fancier who had just won 2nd national Barcelona being held in Newport. There were 60-odd late-breds, all with consecutive ring numbers, which told me that none had been selected out prior to the sale. I bought two. One, the cock bird, bred my 5th open Pau cock when paired to an inbred hen of the old strain to breed the dam of Endurance. The sire of Endurance was all my old blood through ‘23’ and ‘52’who was 2nd section Pau in a strong west wind, a very difficult race. Bringing us right up to the present my 1st section 15th open NFC Pau bird in 2012, Darkie, who was also 2nd section 21st open in 2011, is a g.son of Endurance being from a son of Forty-Niner when paired to Endurance; the dam of Darkie is a g.dtr of Red Barcelona on one side with Kipp & Son blood on the other.'

The stock birds on offer will appear on the Elimar online auctions commencing Monday 3rd December.

KEY REFERENCE BIRDS

Darkie - 1st Section G 15th Open NFC Tarbes Grand National 605 miles in 2012. The nestmate to the sire of Darkie is in the sale.

Endurance Pride of Wales – WHU 98 N 11375

1st Palamos British Barcelona Club 2002

3rd Bird Clocked to win 3 Bird Average Pau N.F.C. Year 2000

20th Open Welsh South Road N.F.C. San Sebastian 2001 open to all comers.

Forty Niner – GB 02 N 98249

Top stock cock

Sire of 98249 is also sire of Spanish Queen – Key Bird 29984

Dam of 98249:- 1st Sec, 3rd Open N.F.C. Pau

3rd Section 33rd Open N.F.C. Pau

Paulene – GB 97 E 96156

Blue Cheq Hen

6th Sec, 9th Welsh South Road Amalg Messac

2nd Welsh South Road N.F.C. Saintes

3rd South Road Amalg Saintes

10th Sec, 27th Open N.F.C. Pau 3941 Birds and 2nd Bird clocked to win 3 Bird average in the year 2000

15th Sec, 146th Open N.F.C. Pau

Spanish Queen - GB 98 L 29984

Blue Cheq Hen

1st Club Saintes as Yearling

5th Sec, 109th Open N.F.C. Saintes

1st Open San Sebastian Welsh South Road N.F.C. open to all comers 2001

Flying San Sebastian Twice That Year

Stella – GB 03 J 81272

Blue Chec Hen

1st Club East to West 1st Combine Brussels almost 7000 Birds

Then stock.

Saintes Cock – GB 95 N 55964

Blue Cock

5th Sec, 21st Open N.F.C. Saintes 5470 Birds

47th Sec, 167th Open N.F.C. Saintes 4620 Birds

6th Sec, 63rd Open Welsh South RoadN.F.C. Tours 2195 Birds

Then Stock

Blue Hen – GB 02 N 98232

6th Sec, 37th Open N.F.C Pau

14th Sec, 186th Open N.F.C. Pau

5th Sec, 132nd Open N.F.C. Angers 5957 birds

Leonard & Son x Wilf's old family.

GB 01 P 48615

Blue Cheq Hen

2nd Sec, 64th Open N.F.C. Saintes

41st Sec, 130th Open British Barcelona Club Messac

Dtr of the Saintes Cock x Jan Aartsen Bacelona blood hen

GB 97 E 96180

Blue Cock

Stock

Sire of 96180 Nantes Cock – Key Bird 82239

Dam of 96180 Paula – Key Bird 66753

Barcelona Lady – GB 07 19535

1st Club Greater Distance, 2nd Sec, 8th Open B.I.C.C. Barcelona. Then taken by hawk.

Barcelona Belle – GB 04 J 04083

1st Club Greater Distance, 2nd Sec, 13th Open B.I.C.C. Barcelona

Sire of 04083 Nantes Cock – Key Bird 82239

Dam of 04083 Sister to Endurance – Key Bird 11375

Nantes Cock – GB 94 J 82239

Pencil Blue Cock

Clerebaut Blood

10th Sec, 39th Open Welsh South Road N.F.C. Pau

1st Sec, 16th Open Welsh South Road N.F.C. Tours

1st Club Nantes Twice

Then Stock

Paula – GB 96 N 66753

Blue Cheq Hen

1st Sec, 3rd Open N.F.C. Pau

29th Sec, 189th Open N.F.C. Pau

4th Sec, 33rd Open N.F.C. Pau

Then taken by hawk.

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A DAY OUT AT WILF REED'S

by Cameron Stansfield

On a glorious summer’s day in late July 2012, I took a trip down to see a fancier who I regard as being in the top handful I’ve had the pleasure of visiting over the years – Wilf Reed of Monmouth on the border of England and Wales. My first trip was back in the year 2000 after his three terrific hens won the NFC Pau 3-Bird Average including 1st Section G. Then a year later, whilst Editor of the BHW, I was putting the finishing touches to a two-part article on Wilf’s birds and methods when he promptly went and won the Anglo-Welsh open race from San Sebastian, which lies on the north coast of Spain, just a little way around the corner from where south-west France ends. Cue a bit of a rush to polish the article off and get it in that week’s edition for something of a coup.

Wilf

The ensuing decade has seen Wilf go on to win 1st Open BBC Palamos with Endurance Pride of Wales (who was the 3rd of those aforementioned hens that won the Pau 3-Bird Average) and develop an appetite for the International race programme right out to Barcelona 754 long, lonely miles from his raptor infested home environment. He had four from four home from Barcelona in 2012, a tough, tough race for the UK contingent, his first bird, a small chequer hen with a beautiful expression winning 36th open, to follow up Wilf’s 8th and 17th Open in 2011. The icing on the cake in 2012, however, was the performance of his dark cheq cock Darkie who gave Wilf another 1st Section G winner from the NFC Grand National. Here are a few shots of Wilf’s birds and lofts. I’ll leave his thoughts on various aspects of the sport to another day.

The young bird loft which is surrounded on three sides by wire mesh. The old bird loft sits above it.

Wilf's YBs relaxing after mid-day exercise

Darkie. 1st Section G 15th Open NFC Tarbes 605 miles 2012. Sire is a son of Endurance x Forty Niner (Forty Niner is a son of the 1st Section NFC Pau hen of the year 2000 when paired to the sire of Spanish Queen – 1st Open Anglo-Welsh San Sebastian Open. Dam of Darkie is from a son of Saroman who is from De Hollander the sire of 1st International Barcelona 24,000 birds x Purple Rose – 1st National Barcelona Hens 3rd National Barcelona and 3rd International Perpignan. On the dam’s side the dam of Darkie is out of a dtr of Red Barcelona.

Cheq hen. Wilf’s 1st bird from Barcelona in 2012. She is the same bloodlines as the first bird into Wales from Barcelona last year (who was lost around home when being prepped for Bacelona 2012). Sire: inbred to a cock from Jan Artsen of Belgium. Dam: closely related to the first 2 birds for Wilf from Barcelona last year being a mixture of the old blood.

Cheq hen. Wilf’s 2nd bird from Barclona 2012. Sire is a son of Wilf’s Saintes Cock (Clerebaut lines). Dam is from the Wilf’s 1st Section NFC Pau hen of the year 2000.

Cheq cock. Wilf’s 3rd bird home from Barcelona in 2012. His sire is from a son of Endurance – 1st Open BBC Palamos x the three times Barcelona hen. Dam is Wilf's old lines.

Blue cock. Wilf’s 4th bird home from Barcelona, returning with a severe leg injury. He is a mixture of Wilf’s own strain x Desbuquois Brothers.

Blue hen. Three times Barcelona and g.dam of Wilf’s 3rd pigeon from Barcelona this season. She is bred from 2 Desbuqois Brothers' late-breds.

Cheq hen. 1st Wales, 2nd Section 13th Open BICC Barcelona in 2008 in atrocious conditions. She is bred from a sister to Endurance when paired to the Nantes Cock (predominantly Clerebaut lines).

Blue pied cock. This cock was pulled out of the stock loft after two seasons and put on the road for the first time in 2012. Wilf sent him to Tours and then St Vincent International in July at around 600 miles and he was the 2nd bird home into Wales. He was bred by Les Woodside of Northern Ireland and is of Smyth Bros Kenyon lines.