NEWS FROM BALERNO
by Norman Dixon MBE
Earlier this year the Scottish Central Combine organisations agreed their 2016 race programme in a way to ensure that once the season was underway they would be at the same race points on the same day so they could work together, share transporters when possible, share convoying costs and liberate together. This appears to have worked well and at 08:00 am on Sunday 22nd May 2016, 2,443 Combine pigeons were released at Newark into a light South West wind for the fourth joint Scottish Central Combine liberation of the season.
Angus Orr and Son Allan timed the pigeon with highest winning velocity from the Combine liberation for the second week in a row. In fact the Orr partnership was 1st and 2nd North West Federation with two pigeons that trapped together on the same velocity of 1372 out of 805 Federation pigeons. The partnership had a fantastic race in what was also a North West Federation Open race, and they managed to lift some pools as well, which is always nice. The bird taking second place is a cousin to the winner and he actually topped the Federation and Combine liberation from Wakefield the week before. So in two back-to-back races this same pigeon has raced his heart out and come out on top out of 5,712 birds. The partnership sent 19 Widowhood Cocks to the race and had 6 on the Federation Open result. ‘Kevin's Choice’ their superb yearling cock finished 16th Federation, his 6th Federation position from 6 Federation races. 3rd & 4th in the Federation was C Smith, 5th & 6th Cowan & Berry, 7th Bert Stewart, 8th D McArthur and 10th W Orr.
1st Newark Open North West Federation for Angus and Allan Orr as well as first in the SCC liberation of 2,443 birds - 2nd Newark Open North West Federation for Angus and Allan Orr
At the Scottish Central Federation it was Gordon MacKenzie from Broxburn who won Club and Federation with a velocity of 1,323 against 1,129 birds. The winner that was actually 3rd out of the total Combine liberation convoy, is a Blue Gabby Vandenabeele yearling hen raced on roundabout. This hen was bred from Gordon’s top hen that only had eight races and topped the Federation twice. The first time she did that was when she was a yearling late-bred. She is bred from one of Gordon’s best original M&D Evans Stock hen’s. The sire of the Federation winner had three first clubs and topped the Federation once before being stopped as yearling and put to stock. A wee insight there into Gordon’s appreciation of keeping winners back for breeding, to keep the same line in the loft, rather than continually sending good birds on and loosing them. 2nd and 3rd Club and Federation was J Ferguson and Son Hamish, 4th was Gordon Mackenzie again with Peter Keogh winning at Winchburgh and claiming 5th Federation. 6th Federation was club mate Mark Doran. Mel Noble flying in Currie in the Newbridge Club was 1st Club and 7th Federation with a pigeon that must have been super keen as Mel is on a totally different line from the other winners. 8th Federation was Gordon MacKenzie with his 3rd bird over the pad and John McNeill timed the next two for 9th and 10th Federation.
Gordon MacKenzie 1st Broxburn Club and 1st Scottish Central Federation at Newark - Mel Noble 1st Club Newark at Newbridge
Tam Adams 1st Newark at Pumpherston Premier
In the Scottish Central Federation Clubs
The winning fanciers were:
East Calder David Jamieson 1st, 2nd, 3rd & 4th. Bo'ness 1st Alan Davidson and was also 15th Federation, 2nd Frickleton Brothers, 3rd Martyn Brown and 4th Shanks & Grant. Winchburgh 1st Peter Keogh 2nd Mark Doran with Henry Borthwick 3rd & 4th. . Pumpherston Tam Adams had a great race being 1st, 2nd & 4th. His first pigeon was 20th Federation. W&G Russell were 4th. Newbridge Mel Noble 1st for the second week running with another Gabby Vandenabeele Roundabout pigeon, this time a Cock bred from his direct M&D Evans stock obtained via Mr and Mrs Forrest. 2nd & 3rd was Alex Cockburn with Mel Noble 4th. Broxburn 1st & 4th Gordon McKenzie 2nd & 3rd J Ferguson and Son Hamish.
At the Fauldhouse Club 17 members sent 266 birds and it was the Club’s East Section partnership of Johnny Lumsden and Derek Colligan who timed the winner on a velocity of 1274.This winning widowhood hen was 3rd Club the previous week from Wakefield and last year was the partnerships 3rd pigeon from the SNFC Gold Cup race. 2nd & 3rd Club and 1st & 2nd West Section with two poolers picking up £52:00 was H Drummond, Son & Hilditch, the first was a hen paired to another hen that’s been first to the loft in the last two races with the second being a standard roundabout hen. 4th was Jim Burt with another good pooled pigeon a natural Sion/Kirkpatrick flying to a small young bird, collecting £34.25, 5th L & N Redmond with a Van Hayvaul from LPW direct from Van Micteroy, 6th was Hope Brothers and Bryce with a five year old roundabout hen that’s flown steady all her racing career. 7th L & N Redmond again, 8th C & C Smillie, 9th H Drummond, Son and Hilditch with their 3rd bird in the clock and 10th was the Club winners Lumsden and Colligan with their 2nd bird.
The Midland Federation had 243 Pigeons in the Combine liberation and it was W Mitchell from Chapelhall, who won the Club and Federation with a velocity of 1258 The winner was a two year old pigeon in front of two partnerships from the same club namely M & J Miller who was 2nd Federation and J Hendrie & Sons who were 3rd and 4th Federation. 5th Federation was Iain Gibson, winning at Wattison / Caldercruix, 6th Federation was J Hendrie & Sons 3rd bird with Mr and Mrs McKee 7th Federation. 8th Federation was M & J Miller again and 9th Federation Iain Gibson’s second bird in the clock. 10th Federation was Mr and Mrs Naylor from Watt / Caldercruix.
