Sheffield & District 5 Bird Championship
Well, I can honestly say I cannot remember a season like 2012 as far as the weather is concerned. You can count on one hand the number of nice days we’ve had for racing, and the rain has just been relentless recently. To say it's not pigeon weather is a huge understatement. However, we are as always enjoying some fantastic racing being convoyed and liberated with the North Derbyshire Federation, whilst other local feds are experiencing sticky races most weeks the racing in this fed is quite something else. To say that every member only has 5 birds on the transporter that are liberated with up to 3,000 birds, the club's results are always a tight affair, often with decimals splitting the first few birds and only a few yards is the difference between being in or out of the top six prize winning places, not to mention 100% returns most weeks. On to the results, of which there are plenty as I have been busy with work and family commitments so just haven’t had the time to spend with our birds let alone type any reports. But here they all are, sticking with the sprint programme first then the Channel section.
Kevin Jenkinson of KJP Jenkinson. Kev also gives his Friday nights up to transport the club's birds over to Unstone to be placed on the North Derbyshire Fed transporter. Thanks Kev.
Hullavington 12/5/12 95 birds were up in a N/N W wind, again racing for over £600 pools and prize money. 1st & 4th J&M Hobson 1363.5, 1359.8, 2nd & 3rd Carder&Thomson 1363.3, 1361, 5th Brelsford&Davidson 1359.1, 6th M&A Sherwood 1358. Hats off yet again to John Hobson continuing to have a fantastic season against such quality opposition. Like wise Steve and Mark, I think I’m right in saying that it's the same yearling cock that has now had 3x2nd so far this year each time missing out by a whisker. Add this to his 2x1st as a baby and he’s some pigeon.
Blandford 27/5/12 105 birds liberated at 09:45 in a E/N/E. Well he did it this week. The yearling cock mentioned above took 1st for Carder&Thomson 1287, 2nd Garner&Morton 1285, 3rd&4th J&M Hobson both birds on same second doing 1274, 5th M&A Sherwood 1272, 6th Mr&Mrs A Jackson 1271. Well done Steve and Mark. With 3x1st and 3x2nd in this hot competition that yearling cock certainly is a Dazzler..! Up there again John, you’re having some season.
Hullavington 2/6/12 78 birds up at 13:00hrs in a E/S/E. 1st Garner&Morton way out in front on 1322, 2nd& 6th D Turton 1234 1185, 3rd&4th A Plant 1231 1206, 5th Mr&Mrs A Jackson 1199. Congratulations Trevor, after taking 2nd the week before you got the red card in this one. Also, very well done young Adam, great flying young man.
Montage of Garner & Morton. Trevor has been the top loft in Park HS for many years and can certainly hold his own in this club.
Blandford 16/6/12 only 64 birds were sent this week but still flew for a few pounds short of £500. Not bad is it? Well in front in 1st M&A Sherwood 2252, 2nd&3rd Carder&Thomson 2159 2142, 4th&5th A Plant 2102 2101, 6th Boden&Hollingworth 2087. Again, young Adam had a fantastic day. Very well done mate.
Poole 23/6/12 up at 08:15 in a strong West. Again only 64 birds were entered, but still the money up for grabs was as per the previous week. This week it was the turn of Adams mum and dad to show him how it’s done. 1st&5th Mr&Mrs P Plant 1775 1754, 2nd M&A Sherwood 1771, 3rd Carder&Thomson 1767, 4th Boden&Hollingworth 1760, 6th A Plant 1763. The Plant family taking 3 of the 6 prizes, very well done.
Hullavington 30/6/12 67 birds were up at 11:00hrs in a strong S/W again racing for £500. As per the previous inland race taking 1st Mr&Mrs P Plant 2100, 2nd B&C Brelsford 2054, 3rd&4th M&A Sherwood 2053 2052, 5th&6th Carder&Thomson 2047 2043. Well done again to the Plants, winning two on the bounce. Also, to the Mauncer mafia on taking 5 of the 6 prizes between them. That concludes the results for the old bird sprit program and looking back through the results sheets you can see that over the 11 races the prizes have been reasonably spread. However, the three Mauncer lofts have, yet again, like previous years taken more than their fair share.
On to the Channel section now and the first race was from Carentan on 19/5/12 with 68 club birds being liberated into a light N/E wind. Despite this section of the club being smaller in membership there was still over £300 in pool money alone to be flown for, plus the usual prize money which always includes the £100 for 1st the same as any other race. Not bad when you’re racing against just 68 birds. 1st M&A Sherwood 1326, 2nd young Adam Plant with his “Black Jet” 1270, 3rd Carder&Thomson 1244, 4th Steve Light 1236. A clear winner for Mark and Alison with our young star of the future Adam Plant in 2nd and winning his self a good few quid, nice one Adam. Also congratulations to Steve Light taking 4th spot and winning well over £100 in pools and prize money in his first race with the club.
The super hen that is "Black Jet". This hen has won several prizes inland and is now doing it over the water.
Messac 9/6/12 saw just 58 birds entered but still the prize and pools added up to the best part of £500. The birds were liberated at 08:00hrs in a variable wind. 1st W Lax&son 1481, 2nd M&A Sherwood 1479, 3rd J&M Hobson 1478, 4th A Plant 1468. Congratulations to Pete Lax, Pete loves racing over the water and this win is very well deserved indeed. Picking up £100 for the win and few pence short of £135 in pools making a pick up of £235 it certainly was a good day, well done Pete. Young Adam’s “Black Jet” was there again pooled all the way through to the £10 picking up a few quid again, well done pal.
Paul Plant and young superstar Adam, both having another great season
Saintes 8/7/12 the longest race of the year saw just 55 birds entered but again they were racing for the same money as in the two previous channel races. 1st M&A Sherwood 1261, 2nd Mr&Mrs T Dury&son 1224, 3rd KJP Jenkinson 1191, 4th&5th G Brook with two on at 1179, well done having two drop together from 530 miles, good flying. Congratulations again the Mark and Alison making it 2x1st 1x2nd from the three channel races. Also Trevor Dury on taking 2nd, Trevor has supported the club from day one and travels a fare way every Friday to send his birds. Well done Trevor.
