News from Balerno
By Norman Dixon MBE
The 2016 race programme with the Scottish Central Federation of Homing Societies started with a stiff race from Coldstream on Saturday the 16th April. The report back from Rab Muir, our Convoyer, was that for some reason the 804 birds that were liberated at 10:00 am into a North East wind took a very long time to leave the race point and some big batches were still circling the town of Coldstream when the transporter started to make its way back home. There could have been any amount of reasons for this, such as Hawks in the sky or weather in the distance the birds could see and didn’t fancy flying towards but once the birds were liberated and in the air then the race was on and it was the same conditions for everyone. Although the birds took a bit longer than anticipated to race home returns were good and no matter the type of race there are always worthy winners.
Red Cock 1st Scottish Central Federation Coldstream for Martyn Brown
For the first race of the season top Federation honours went to Martyn Brown of the Bo’ness Club with a 6 year old Red Cock raced on roundabout. Martyn a 21 year old who has been in the sport 11 years, told me that the Red Cock has probably been the most reliable pigeon he has ever owned, scoring almost every time he has been placed in the race basket. The Red Cock has a small mountain of Club and Federation tickets with the highlights being 2nd Club at Newark, 2nd in the Bo'ness Open race, and another twice he has been Martyn’s first bird on the result. Now that he has added the 1st Club and 1st Federation Red Cards to his collection Martyn is obviously delighted for him. Martyn would like to thank the fanciers who gifted him the grand parents of the red Cock. The Grand sire on both sides was Martyn’s number 1 stock cock who sadly broke his neck in the winter. He was a Willy Thass, Frank Bristow Bloodlines pigeon bred by Andos Grant, from Bo’ness. Fanciers George Appleton of Denton, Manchester and Rob Gordon of Willaston, Liverpool each gifted Martyn one of the Grand Dams of the Red Cock. Martyn thanks both men for their birds and he would especially like to wish George Appleton a get well soon message and speedy recovery after a recent operation and thank him for all the advice and gifts he has shared over the year’s as they have been priceless. Martyn’s pigeon won the Club and Federation with a velocity of 915.564 and that must already be a strong contender for winning the Federation Cup for the lowest winning velocity.
Willie and Gavin Russell 1st and 2nd at Pumpherston Premier Club at the Coldstream race
The Federation winner was a good 36 yards a minute in front of the yearling pigeon timed by John McNeill that claimed 2nd Federation and 1st Club at Broxburn. 2nd & 3rd at Broxburn and 3rd and 4th Federation was club mate Hamish Ferguson timing two more yearlings. Willie & Gavin Russell from Pumpherston Premier also timed two yearlings for 1st and 2nd Club and 5th & 6th Federation. 7th Federation was David Jamieson winning at East Calder RPC and Agnes McLeish the hard working secretary of the Pumpherston Premier Club timed a Dark Chequer Cock for 3rd Club, 8th Federation. Both fanciers again timing yearlings. 9th and 2nd at Bo’ness was Jim Smith with a 4 year old Cock and John McNeill timed his second yearling bird for 10th position.
Although I normally only name the first 10 Federation position winners the other main point from the Federation result I thought I would share is that the bird that David Jamieson timed for 20th Federation was his Welsh rung Yearling Chequer Cock that won the SHU Unikon Trophy last year for its positions at the distance races at the end of the young bird season. As a young bird this Yearling won 1st Federation Newark 221 miles and the following week 1st Federation, 2nd Region D, 23rd Open SNFC Buckingham 287 miles. A young bird flying 505 miles back to back and winning 1st Federation each time is some performance and here he is in his first Old Bird race from just under 50 miles, winning 2nd Club, 20th Federation. It may have been a hard day at the office for some birds and fanciers but as always the best conditioned birds on the day, rose to the top.
Around the Clubs Bo’ness 1st Martyn Brown, 2nd Jim Smith and 3rd Frickleton Brothers Broxburn 1st John McNeill, 2nd and 3rd Hamish Ferguson in his flying name J Ferguson and Son. East Calder RPC David Jamieson 1st, 2nd and 3rd Newbridge Alex Cockburn 1st, 2nd and 3rd. Pumpherston Premier Willie & Gavin Russell 1st and 2nd with Agnes McLeish 3rd. Winchburgh Tom and Gina Weir 1st and 2nd and 3rd was Mark Doran.
Its that time of year again when Kate Manger the Secretary of the Bo’ness Club reminds me to remind everyone that the Bo’ness Open race is coming up and for as long as I can remember this race has always been considered a special event in the Central Scotland pigeon racing calendar. This year the race will be from Otterburn with marking at the Bo’ness Club Rooms between 4pm and 5pm on Sunday the 1st May and the race will take place on the morning of Monday the 2nd May. Cost to enter a pigeon is 50p with Pools available and guaranteed prize money of 1st £50.00 2nd£30.00 and 3rd £20.00. The race is open to all fanciers who race with member organisations of the Scottish Central Combine. It’s always a good event on the May Day holiday weekend and I am looking forward to it already as a means to get some birds started that missed the early training and racing.
