NEWS FROM BALERNO
by Norman Dixon MBE
The third young bird race of the season for the Scottish Central Federation and the first joint liberation of the Scottish Central Combine organisations took place on the 6th August 2016 from Appleby in Cumbria around 100 miles into the centre of the Combine. At 07.45 hrs that morning 2,898 Scottish Central Combine Pigeons from the Fauldhouse Club, Midland, North West and Scottish Central Federations were liberated into a light North West wind. Despite the winning pigeons doing reasonable velocities for the distance there were large losses across Combine with reports of Peregrine Falcons chasing the Combine pigeons not long after they were liberated.
The winning pigeon in the Combine liberation was timed by in the North West Federation by Rab Hamilton from Stirling. Rab timed a Blue Cock on a velocity of 1404.885 to also beat the 953 Federation birds. 2nd North West Federation was A McCartney another Stirling fancier, 3rd was McGowan Son and Forringham with these fanciers also claiming 1,2,3 in the North Section of the Federation. 4th Federation and 1st in the South Section was Scott Morrison from Lauriston, 5th Willie Alves also from Lauriston with 6th A McCartney, Stirling. 7th Rab Hamilton again, 8th Willie Alves with his 2nd pigeon, 9th D H Ogilvie Bannockburn and 10th Alan and Angus Orr from Lauriston.
Rab Hamilton Stirling First out of the Scottish Central Combine liberation of 2,898 birds from Appleby Young Birds 2016
At the Fauldhouse Club Wilson and Mackie won the race out of 285 birds on a velocity of 1385 and were 7th out of the entire Combine liberation. The partnership timed another bird some two and half minutes later for 2nd place in the Club. 3rd was Lumsden and Colligan, 4th Wilson and Mackie again. 5th was J McLaughlin, 6th & 7th L & N Redmond, 8th R McConnell, 9th W Redmond with R McConnell 10th. Jim Burt had the best pooler at 12th position winning £32.25
The Midland Federation sent 356 birds to the race and it was Federation Secretary Geordie Truesdale from Chapelhall who topped the Federation on a velocity of 1360 and was a credible 15th out of the entire Combine liberation. Geordie was also 3rd and 5th Federation. 2nd Federation was M&J Miller who were also 4th. 6th Federation was J Hendrie & Sons. 7th Iain Gibson who won at Wattison and Calderxcruix. 9th was club mate J Craven with Tam Jack 10th Federation and winning the Denny Club.
The Scottish Central Federation had 1,304 pigeons in the liberation with David Jamieson from East Calder timing a youngster out of the long distance family he has cultivated over the last few years at 9.56.57 recording a velocity of 1338. David was a bit shy in telling me exactly what the breeding was but he hinted it did coo with a bit of Dutch accent. 2nd Federation was Alan May winning again at Bo’ness, 3rd was Rab Henderson of Bo’ness. 4th was David Jamieson with his second bird in the clock, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th Federatoon was Jim Smith of Bo’ness, 9th was Alan Shanks of Bo’ness with Jim Deans 10th Federation and winning at Winchburgh.
Mr and Mrs Forrest Appleby race Winners at Newbridge Club and David Jamieson winner of the Scottish Central Federation Appleby race, having fun at the Pigeon Club - Agnes McLeish, 1st Appleby Young Birds at Pumpherston
Around the Scottish Central Clubs the first four card winners were:
Broxburn - J McNeill 1st. P Rafferty & Son 2nd and 4th. G MacKenzie 3rd.
Newbridge - Mr Mrs Forrest 1st. A Cockburn 2nd. Mel Noble 3rd. R & J Ward 4th.
East Calder - D Jamieson 1st,2nd & 3rd. C McReight 4th.
Winchburgh - J Deans 1st. P Keogh 2nd & 3rd. M Doran 4th.
Bo'ness - A May 1st. R Henderson 2nd. Jim Smith 3rd & 4th.
Pumpherston - Agnes McLeish 1st. A Fleming 2nd. D Bratchie 3rd & 4th.
