NEWS FROM BALERNO
By Norman Dixon MBE
The 2017 end of season Prize Presentation nights for the Scottish Central Federation, the North West Federation and the Scottish Central Combine all took place together on Friday 3rd November within the Royal British Legion Club in Grangemouth. There was a nice turnout of winning fanciers and their families and friends, who all had a good night celebrating their successes after a hard season.
The night started with Jim Jack the North West Federation Secretary bringing the assembled crowd to order before he read out the North West Federation Trophy winners and invited them forward to receive their Trophies and Awards. John McNeill one of the most consistent Racing Pigeon flyers in Central Scotland, at all levels of competition from Club to National racing presented the prizes to the following North West Federation Trophy Winners:
The partnership of DH Ogilvie won The Combined Average TC Ogilvie Trophy, The Young Bird Average Trophy, 1st Federation Old Bird Coldstream Stewart Trophy, 1st Federation Old Bird Alnwick Kevin Homes Trophy, 1st Federation Young Bird Coldstream McCardle Trophy, 1st Federation Young Bird Coldstream (2) T Morton Cup, 1st Federation Young Bird Catterick Country Feeds Trophy, 1st Federation Young Bird Open Ripon Trophy, Best Average 4th and 14th race J Reid Number 1 Trophy and the Top Federation Points winners H Mitchell Trophy.
Team DH Ogilvie Lofts with their silverware won in 2017
Robert Hamilton won the Old Bird Average Trophy, The combined Bedhampton / Ypres / Ripon - Skol Trophy, The combined 2 x Old Bird Federation Open races and Ypres B Hunter Trophy, 1st Federation Old Bird Newark Open Herald Rose Bowl, 1st Yearling at Old Bird Newark Open R Sneddon Trophy, 1st Federation at the Scottish Central Combine Ypres race J Dawson Memorial Trophy and the Federation Open races Average winner J Sinclair Trophy.
Robert Hamilton multi prize winner in the Robert Hamilton one of the many top class fanciers
North West Federation and winner in the North West Federation who win year after year
of 2nd Open Scottish Central
Roseanne Hamilton stepping in for her husband to collect another Trophy with John McNeill
The partnership of Cowan and Berry won the Old Bird Inland Average A Law memorial Quaich, 1st Federation Old Bird Catterick Heart Foundation Trophy, 1st Federation Old Bird Ripon - Greenaway Trophy- ,Old Bird Bedhampton Open Trophy and 1st Federation Young Bird Alnwick Queens Carron Trophy.
James Berry with the Trophies won by Cowan and Berry
The partnership of Angus Orr and Son won the combined Bedhampton / Ypres / Young Bird Ripon S Jack Memorial Shield, 1st Federation Opposite Sex Old Bird Coldstream Glensburgh Trophy, Bedhampton Opposite Sex Inde Coop Trophy, 1st Federation Scottish National Flying Club Alencon Rennes Shield, 1st Federation Scottish National Flying Club Young Bird Buckingham Kinniel Cup, 1st federation Scottish Central Combine Leicester Yearling Derby Mary Fenna Cup, Ripon Young Bird Opposite Sex Wick Rose Bowl and 1st Federation at the Scottish Central Combine Wakefield Young Bird race Betty McGoff Trophy.
Alan and Angus Orr receiving their John McNeill with Alan Orr and one of
Scottish Central Combine trophies from Jo Forrest the Shields he won with his father in 2017.
John McNeill with Angus Orr a top prize winner in the North West Federation
Willie Alves won the Newark Old Bird 1st Opposite sex P Dick Memorial Trophy, and the Opposite Sex award at the Alnwick Young Bird race A Combe Memorial Trophy. J W Strang and Son won 1st Federation at the Scottish National Flying Club Buckingham race the Strang Memorial Trophy and 1st Federation Young Bird J Reid Trophy. M& R Paterson won 1st Federation Old Bird Coldstream (2) Strathearn Cup. Chick Devine won 1st Federation Old Bird Wakefield AJ Glass Trophy. McGowan, Son and Fotheringham won 1st Federation Old Bird Leicester The Aitken Trophy. H Menzies won 1st Opposite sex Leicester The Alice Jack memorial Trophy. T & M Paterson won 1st Federation at the Scottish National Flying Club Ancenis race The Thomson Cup. The Club with the most points in the League over the full season was Bannockburn.
John McNeill with Willie Alves a winner of two North West Federation Trophies in 2017
John McNeill with Willie Strang from the partnership of J W Strang and Son who nicely won the Strang Memorial Trophy
Following the North West Federation presentation Peter Keogh the Scottish Central Federation President invited Angus Orr to present the Scottish Central Federation prize winners with their Trophies. Angus and his Son Alan over the last few years have really started to rise to another level in Club, Federation and National Racing. They have also had some very good positions in the One Loft Races they entered this year, with their Kevin Lawson from Ollerton ‘Soontjen’ based family. The Club with the most points in the Scottish Central Federation was Broxburn and Uphall and the individual winners were:
Gordon Mackenzie won 1st Federation Old Bird Newark Victory Cup, Winning a Federation race with the Lowest Winning Velocity in 2017 J Burt Trophy, 1st Federation Old Birds Newark, 1st Federation Old Bird Leicester (1), 1st Federation Young Bird Otterburn and 1st Federation Young Bird Ripon.
Jo Forrest and Gordon Mackenzie winner of the Scottish Central Combine Yearling race and other Scottish2
Henry Borthwick won a Federation race in 2017 with the Highest winning velocity Haliburton Trophy, 1st Federation Young Bird Stobs Camp, 1st Federation Old Bird Otterburn and 1st Federation Old Bird Towlaw.
Angus Orr with Henry Borthwick a multi Scottish Central Federation winner who even tops the Federation
John McNeill won 1st Federation Young Bird Wakefield Open T Muirhead Cup, 1st Federation Young Bird Wakefield Scottish Central Combine Trophy, Best nominated birds at the three longest Federation Old Bird Races T Muirhead Trophy, 1st Federation Young Bird Ripon, 1st Federation Young Bird Wakefield and Fancier of the Year with most Points Trophy.
Angus Orr presenting John McNeill with his Federation Trophies Jo Forrest presenting John McNeill with
including Fancier of the Year in the Scotland his Scottish Central Combine Young trophies.
David Jamieson won 1st Federation Scottish National Flying Club Alencon Mr & Mrs Wilson Cup, 1st Federation Scottish National Flying Club Ancenis, the Best Average all Open Races J Ferguson Memorial Trophy and 2nd Federation Open Bedhampton G Duff Memorial Trophy
Angus Orr with David Jamieson winner of the toughest Scottish Central Federation SNFC Trophies
J & C Smith won 1st Federation Scottish National Flying Club Buckingham Cormack Trophy, 1st Federation Buckingham Victory Cup, 1st Federation Scottish National Flying Club Ypres Averanches Cup, 1st Federation Scottish Central Combine Trophy Ypres Owen Sweeney Trophy.
Peter Keogh won the 1st Federation Old Bird Bedhampton Open P Barrett Trophy and 1st Federation at the Scottish Central Combine Yearling Derby The Bathgate Trophy. Pat Ward won 1st Federation Old Bird Wakefield Stanley Cup and the Federation Trophy. Martin Brown won 1st Federation Old Bird Otterburn. Pat Rafferty & Son won 1st Federation Old Bird Leicester. Mr and Mrs Forrest won 1st Federation Young Bird Towlaw. Mark Doran won 1st Federation at the Scottish National Flying Club Falaise race The Mr & Mrs McKinnon Trophy. J Ferguson & Son won 1st Federation at the Scottish National Flying Club Young Bird National T Manger Memorial Trophy.
Angus Orr with a very happy Mrs Keogh receiving her Trophy Peter Keogh receiving his 1st Open Scottish
Central Combine Yearling Race Trophy from Jo Forrest
Angus Orr with Jo and Ali Forrest enjoying the moment they received the smallest Trophy of the night
Thereafter the Scottish Central Combine prize winners were called forward by myself and the winners were presented their Trophies by the Scottish Central Federation Secretary Mrs Josephine Forest. The winners were:
Gordon Mackenzie won The 1st Open Leicester Yearling Derby Trophy and the Young Bird Wakefield two Bird Average T Young Trophy . A Orr & Son won the 2nd Open Leicester Yearling Derby Trophy Vera & Ernie Harbourne Trophy and the Yearling Derby two Bird Average Trophy. J & C Smith won 1st Open at the Ypres Channel race Scottish Television Trophy. Robert Hamilton won the 2nd Open Ypres Channel race James Dunoon Trophy. Peter Keogh won best three Bird Average at the Ypres Channel race the Sixty Five Trophy.
John McNeill won 1st Open at the Young Bird Wakefield race the Harlequin Trophy, the best two bird average at the Ypres Channel race the Challenge Cup and had the best Combined Average for all three Scottish Central Combine races Combined Average Trophy.
The two Federations have worked together for a number of years and the revival of the Scottish Central Combine has greatly benefitted the member organisations in terms of transport arrangements and overall race costs. With regard to straight forward pigeon racing it is very hard to win in either Federation never mind the Combine. This year in the very hard Scottish National races, Scottish Central Combine members were never out the top 20 in the final result of all six races. Combine members won 2 x 4th, 2 x 5th, 6th, 2 x 13th, 14th, 2 x 16th, 18th & 19th Open positions across all the SNFC races. In the Scottish National Racing Pigeon Club, where not so many Combine members compete, they also recorded places in the top 20 of all that organisations races in 2017. The best positions were 2nd, 3rd, 7th, 9th, 10th, 11th, and 2 x 13th, and 15th, 17th & 2 x 18th Open in the SNRPC. That really shows the high level of competition that the two Federation and Scottish Central Combine members compete in. I congratulate all the winners in 2017 and look forward to the continued cooperation and friendship within top class competitive Pigeon Racing in 2018.
