ROSE OF THE SHIRES
Sue & Nathan
Scotch Corner 29/08/09
On Saturday 29th August, the Northampton Town and District Federation had another goodtrailer load of youngster's at Scotch Corner. For a good 150 mile or so race. As one would expect at this time of the year, the amount of bird's in the transporter was not far off the amount that went last week, with most of the not so good bird's having fallen by the wayside by now. As last week, convoyer Dave Boxford had abit of a predicament, as there were several organisations with large birdages at the race point's further down the country. Which would be heading straight for us, as soon as the weather permitted. Dave contacted stand in race controller Barry Andrews, (Wag Freeman was having a well earned week off), and gave him a run down of the situation as it stood. It was decided that to prevent clashing, Dave would hold the bird's awhile, to enable other birds to come through before letting our's go. The weather was no problem, so at 10.30 hrs the birds were in the air, and quickly off into a strong westerly wind. Report's differed with some claiming it was north westerly, and some claiming it was south westerly. The answer was in the velocities, and with birds in excess of 1500ypm, they must have had abit of help along the route. In the Raunds club 8 members sent 129 birds, which was alittle down on last weeks numbers, but still a decent flock. Leading the charge home to Raunds was none other, than the canny one from Corby Mick Lawless. With a complete whitewash of the money placings, taking 1st,2nd,3rd and 4th club, with all 4 in his clock in 14 secs. That was some clocking feat. His winner was a previous card winner, bred from a Willy Thas x Pete Madejczyk pairing. This young cock was reared on the darkness system, and sent paired to the race. The nest mate to this cock was Mick's 4th place winner, sent in a similar nest condition. His 2nd and 3rd birds, were another nest pair bred from Willy Thas bird, this time x'd with a B & J Andrews Corbett Busschaert. The Willy Thas side of the breeding is Mick's "Hattrick", a 2yr old widowhood cock, that won three races on the trot this year, including topping the Fed.
Alnwick 5/09/09
The Northants Fed had their birds at Alnwick on Saturday the 5th September for the penultimate race of the young bird season. It was also an Amalgamation race through the auspices of the East Midland North Road Amalgamation. The weather forecast promised a good flying day with a fresh north west wind which turned out to be west at the race point but taking a definite west north west feel nearer home. The birds were on their way home at 0745 with a stiff wind blowing. Most had ideas of 50 miles an hour but it was not to be. The Raunds club managed 80 birds for this 215 mile race and hopes were high for a good one. The winner on the day was the old "New Kid on the Block" Phil Lane who clocked the eventual Fed winner at 13.05 flying 233 miles down into Bedford bandit country. Not content with the winner, he also clocked the runner up as well. His velocities were 1282 and 1239ypm. The winner is a self bred Adrie Van Der Rhee cock that has flown consistently all season and had taken a fourth from Wetherby earlier on. His second arrival was another self bred cock that was of Busschaert x SVR bloodlines out of Phil's own retired racers. The next three birds on the result homed to the Mick Lawless lofts. Mick's first home was a cock bird bred from a Rob Jarratt gift cock and a Cattrysse hen and it was making its first appearance on the sheet. His next arrival was yet another cock bird this time from a Willy Thas cock crossed with a Pete Madejczyk hen. This pair have bred three youngsters this year and all have taken cards with one winning Gold Ring money. This really is a gold mine pair. What started out as a day full of promise turned to disappointment when, at the end of the day, numbers were checked and returns put as "poor" with many over half their teams adrift. Some made home on the Sunday morning but returns are still little more than 50%. As the week progressed it turned out that many organisations, south as well as north, also suffered for no apparent reason.
Berwick 12/09/09
Saturday 12th September saw the Northants Fed at Berwick as part of the East Midland North Road Amalgamation and everyone was hoping for a good race after the tough one from Alnwick the week before. The Saturday was wall to wall sunshine just about wit a little rain on the west side of the country. The route down the east coast was clear and the birds were in the air at 0815 into a light northerly wind that would be a little help to the birds as they progressed down country. In the Raunds club it was that man again Mick Lawless who led the 35 birds home with a pure Willy Thas hen. This youngster went to the Alnwick event last week and returned a little the worse for wear on Monday. Mick admitted he felt a bit guilty putting her back in but she was obviously OK and had learned her lesson. She recorded 1326.3ypm. Just a gnats tallywacker behind finishing on 1326.03ypm was Phil Lane, fresh from his winning exploits last week. He claimed the 2nd spot with another hen, this one bred very well from his Coopman stock which are based on the "Bronco" lines. Mick Lawless slipped another one in on 1321ypm for 3rd place, this time a cock, which was a SVR from Pat Eden stock. Never ones to be far away when the distance starts to increase Barry and Joy Andrews clocked a Pete Aitchison gift bird for 4th place. The bird boasts bloodlines of the late great Alf Chamberlain and last years Northants Fed Gold Cup winner Ray Campbell who now incidentally resides in Wales. The youngster had already chalked up 4th club 7th Fed Retford and was the duo's first bird from NRCC Dunbar last week. The club snowball rules state that if on the last race the money is not won by the winner then the first snowballed bird on the result takes the cash. Phil Lane trousered the snowball pot and the B & J Andrews duo legged it with the pools and a very good chance of the P J Lofts nomination as well. After marking on the Friday night the club members and some Kempston members got together in the Raunds Conservative club and enjoyed the annual buffet courtesy of Phil Lane. Phil brings the Kempston birds up to the transport at Raunds every week and he always said how well he was received by the Raunds members and this is his way of saying thank you. This year Dave Boxford and Paul Stevens took the Fed birds up to Leicester and returned via Raunds to eat their way through a pile of sandwiches in the club. A very nice gesture much appreciated by all. Incidentally Dave is scheduled to have a hip op in October and the Fed members hope he has a speedy and successful recovery.
Wellingborough North Road
Scotch Corner 29/8/09
Out of WNR 5 members sent 51 birds to the race point. Dave Gent took 1st,2nd club, doing 1430/1423. His 1st club, was bred from "Darn Good" Gent's 'son of tyson' and a Mick Smith Trio hen. His 2nd club was 'son of tyson'. Andy and young son Dennis "Do it all" Johnson's took 3rd club. Their van Johnson blue pied hen was doing 1399. It's the 1st time in the cards this season for the "Do it All Johnsons" hen. Brian "Big Man"Lawrence took 4th club doing 1396.
Alnwick 5/9/09
Wellingborough North Road member's (4), sent 36 to Alnwick. Dave Gent took 1st,2nd,3rd and 4th club, doing 1244/1222/1212/1196. Dave "Darn Good" Gent's 1st club was his 'son of tyson'. He's doing very well for Dave this season. his 2nd was bred from Dave Boxford stock. The 3rd club, was bred by Alan "Pensioner"Neville. Last but not least his 4th, was a Dave Gent X Mick Smith Trio. Returns at WNR were poor.
Berwick 12.09.09
Out of WNR 4 members sent 14 birds to Berwick race point. Dave Gent took 1st,2nd,3rd club, doing 1317/1312/1297. Dave "Darn Good" Gent's 1st was a blue cock "Gold Ring", bred by Alan 'Pensioner' Neville. His 2nd club was his grandson of tyson, and 3rd was Dave Boxford X Mick Smith Trio stock. S.Chambrowski (Sam), took 4th club, doing 1296 with his "Polish Invader". This bird was bred in Poland for Sam, and sent over to blighty for him. It did well for Sam several week's ago.
Northampton Town & District Fed Results
Alnwick Y/B 5.9.09 36/399
Kempston - P.Lane/Son 1st-5th. T.Head 8th-15th. P.Konceizny 16th.
Wellingborough North Road - D.Gent 2nd, joint 8th-12th-17th. Corby - J.Czarnota 6th-13th-18th. Desborough - D.Hadley 2x3rd. R & S Gubbins 14th. Raunds - M.Lawless 7th-19th-20th. Brixworth - Wisken & Wigfall 10th-11th.
Scotch Corner 29.8.09 45/621
Raunds - M.Lawless 1st-2nd-2x3rd-20th. Kempston - P.Lane/Son 6th-7th. T.Head 8th. Desborough - R&S Gubbins joint 8th-11th-12th-13th. J.Gateley 14th. R.Gasson/Son 18th-19th. Corby - J.Czarnota 10th-15th-16th-17th.
GOLD RING WINNERS - SCOTCH CORNER Y/B.
M.Lawless GB09x14421 / GB09x14422 (Raunds). D.Gent GB09A24975 (WNR).
Tail End
Well guys and gals, here endeth another hectic season, now what will you all do with yourselves on a Fri/Sat night ha! The 2010 season will be here before you all know it! Then we can all do it All Over Again! A huge thankyou to Dave Boxford and Paul Stevens, for looking after our bird's on the transporter. Without them they would'nt be a race day. We hope young (Wag) from Brixworth club is now on the mend, and we wish our old friend and fellow fancier Graham Stafford all the best with his hip operation. Well guy's and gal's, don't forget to let us know if you have an event you want announcing (give us plenty of time). We can be contacted on 01933 395553, or
Until next season, all of you keep well and take care.
Bye for now, Sue & Nathan
