Around Middlewich 12-06-16

 

Around Middlewich

 

By Westlands

 

The latest race into the town saw a good day for the pigeons but still rather colder than we would like when we are racing our pigeons even so the winning vels were not much more than 1324ypm but the fed winners were on 1460ypm, mind you there were not many over the 1400ypm mark, seems a few got away. The Middlewich FC winners are Dave & Lynn Healey with a 2yo blue hen and were also 3rd after seeing a yearling blue cock go through the ETS to record vels of 1324/1317ypm. 2nd are Peter & Dawn Latham after seeing home a 2yo blue cock on 1321ypm while 4th goes to Mark & Heather Smith with a 4yo blue cock clocking up 1298ypm. The club saw 7 members send 90 birds with some not sending for whatever reason. Ray Lunt sent a photo of the best racer they had winning 3 first feds 4 seconds to loft mates this is how it came back Saturday from the Mid Cheshire Fed. There were two that came back with this kind of strike. The fed had another good race with 76 sending 1,327 birds that were liberated at 9-15am in a North West wind. For the third week in succession the first 4 all went to Curtiss-Wall-Lunt with their winner recording a vel of 1464ypm, fed secretary John Allbutt was saying he thought there must have been a bit of south in the wind somewhere along the line. The Middlewich 5B were at Frome when 11 sent 128 birds that were liberated at 9.40am in a North West wind. The winners and also 4th are Ken & Stan Bosson on 1360.9/1350ypm. Their winner is a yearling chequer cock followed home by a 2yo blue cock these two finish 4th & 9th South West Cheshire fed from an entry of 780 from 64 members. 2nd & 3rd see Alan Woodcock who is having a good start to the season collect another two cards recording vels of 1360./1358ypm. Alan clocked a 2yo dark cock and a yearling chequer cock that finish 5th & 7th fed.

 

Yeovil

Prior to this latest race we saw some good weather for training but come Saturday it was muggy and not the best of weather to race pigeons and there were a lot struggling to get home in a reasonable time. The race for the Middlewich FC members was from Yeovil 156mls into the town with 114 birds from 8 members competing for the top positions with the red card going to W Wilson & Son who clocked a 2yo blue cock on 1289ypm. The hens had a good day taking the next 5 positions the first being to the lofts of Dave & Lynn Healey recording a vel of 1276ypm with a yearling blue hen and also picked up the first share of pools with their second entry. Ron Woodward clocked a 2yo blue hen for 3rd spot on 1271ypm while Peter & Dawn Latham also clocking a 2yo blue hen are 4th on 1266ypm. The last of the pools went to Alan Groom.  None of the Middlewich winners were on the fed result this week when 73 members entered 1251 birds that were liberated at 12.15 in an east, north, east wind. The top two positions going to the Burtonwood partnership of R & B Smith and even though fanciers were reporting empty perches the vels in the fed were good starting at 1371 down to 1316ypm for the top 20. The Middlewich 5B were at Frome a shorter distance when Mark & Heather Smith topped the list and was 12th fed with a 4yo blue cock on 1318ypm ahead of Ron Woodward who also clocked a blue cock with a vel of 1304ypm being 17th fed. Dudley & Irene Niblett are 3rd 18th fed on 1299ypm with a 3yo blue hen ahead of Jimmy Smith with a chequer cock on 1281ypm. In the South West Cheshire Fed 58 members entered 894 birds that were liberated at 13.30pm in a South East wind.

 

Portland

The weather has been improving and that has allowed more training and better races for the fanciers in the North West the latest races into Middlewich being Portland for the Middlewich FC when 8 sent 89 birds when Peter & Dawn Latham took the top two positions with 2 x 2yo blue cocks recording vels of 1276/1272ypm. The first for the partnership finished 20th fed from an entry of 1098 sent by 67 member and liberated at 9.45am in a North East wind which once again resulted in the first 4 positions going to Curtiss-Wall-Lunt. 3rd in the club went to Alan Groom on 1262ypm also with a 2yo blue cock ahead of W Wilson & Son who clocked a 2yo mealy hen on 1258ypm. In the Middlewich5B 11 members send 137 birds to Yeovil to be liberated at 9am and as has been the case they birds are recording steady velocities. Once again the red card plus 4th fed go to the inform loft of Alan Woodcock who clocked a 2yo dark cock on 1306ypm and was also 4th club 13th fed with a chequer cock on 1281ypm. Mr & Mrs Dudley Niblett are 2nd club 11th fed recording a vel of 1284ypm after seeing home a blue hen while Mark & Heather Smith are 3rd club 12th fed with a vel of 1282ypm and also collect the first share of pools with their next in the clock while Dave & Lynn Healey secure the second share. In the South West Cheshire Fed 65 members sent 894 birds liberated in a North, north East wind at 9am with 1st Fed going to John Allbutt from the Greenbank club.

Mel Bratt of Winsford

The North West Classic is also half run from Middlewich and there are members who see this as their best club especially for the channel races. This was their first race of the season from Bedhampton which is also an open race but the weather was not too kind so only 13 members sent 178 birds but there were some real good fanciers competing. This was a good race fro Steve Radcliffe who took the first nine positions in the section and open plus 11th. Steve was telling me that he sent all his pigeons because his thoughts were on the National races and with them being on his own roundabout system they all had to go. Steve's winner on the sires side is a Syndicate Lofts pigeon being from the Phantom's Legend line who was a Las Vegas OLR winner while the dam is again the Syndicate lines via the very good Outlaw cock. Next in the clock is out of the nest mate to the winner when paired to another of the Syndicate pigeons. Steve them clocked a Lefebre Dhaenen with is a gift from Lee Davidson of Liverpool crossed with one form the lines of the Kevin Lawson Bushwacker cock via a Steve Smith hen. This pigeon is a good one having won prizes including 1st Ormskirk Amal last year and 2nd Monmouth Ormskirk Amal this year. Steve was saying his pigeons are not on the same form they have been in recent years but it's early days yet with the big races coming up. The pigeon that came in 10th open and 1st section B was a chequer hen on her first race of the season and racing to the Weaver View Lofts of Melvin Bratt over at Winsford. Mel was saying that when Mark Kidby passed away he went to the sale and bought 13 pigeons that have turned out to be a good investment. One particular hen has bred some real good pigeons but is now 11yrs and so far this year not filled an egg. This hen as a young bird in 5 won the Continental young bird ave on her own. The sire is a direct son of The Governor which Mel also tried to buy but missed out. Mel was saying that he has bred some good pigeons out of this Van Triest pairing and there are two brothers that have also been with the winners this year. 2nd & 3rd section B plus 12th & 13th open on 1206/1206ypm with the first collecting pools are both racing to the lofts of Jimmy Smith a member of the Middlewich 5B. Jim's first was bred by Geoff Jones of Crewe and is a pencil pied cock mainly being from the Van Lint family. Jim then clocked a 2yo blue hen who is off a sister he previous open winner with this club and is called Jasper and has a touch of the Harrison & Hull pigeons in it. Jim Started with 12prs but is down to 8prs that are raced on the roundabout and fed on a good Bamfords mix.  In section A Simon Chaisty came out on top with one of his yearlings recording a vel of 1191ypm. Simon is a busy man and getting info is not easy, he does race a good pigeon. Mr & Mrs George Smith are 2nd section A and had a good race with 3 entries also being 6th & 10th section so a good race and two of these collect pool money. Their first is a 3yr old blue widowhood cock, he hasn’t been what you call consistent but he scored 1ST Stockport FC, 1st N. Cheshire Fed from Worcester as a yearling, then last year scored in the NWCC race from Carentan. He is bred from their long standing stock  birds. Ray Bullen who is as keen as anyone on this club is 3rd section A 16th open, she has been a good hen for Ray in club and the Nationals. Some results are 1st club 3rd Fed Worcester, 2nd club 8th Fed Cheltenham, 2nd Section 11th open Carentan BBC, 10th section 137th open Messac NFC and 21st section 90th open BBC Messac. She is a Gerry Clements and Brian Denney cross and has bred birds to perform also. Looking at the result this was not an easy race for the NWCC with the winning vel and the only one over 1300ypm down to 913ypm covers the first 40 positions.