Sheffield & District 5 Bird Championship
After the usual pre-season banter and hype of who’s going to win what and who’s going to do this and that, the season has now begun and all the shouting is over and it’s time to let the birds to do the talking. This year the club has taken a big hit with resignations with as many as 17 members resigning. Surprisingly there were one or two lofts that had actually been reasonably successful in the club and won a significant amount of money in the process, which I know is not everything, but it's always nice to win a few bob to help pay for the birds. However, for some reason they have chosen to resign. Despite this the club still begins the 2012 old bird sprint programme with a healthy 20+ members, many of which are top fliers in their own respective clubs and feds so we are still racing against the best fanciers for miles around and their best 5 birds, which is what the club is all about. The drop in membership means that the prizes have gone down from 10 to 6 but the prize and pool money will still be around the £600 mark every week.
As usual, we are again being convoyed by the fantastic North Derbyshire Federation, which always provides great racing and assists the club hugely in making each and every race as fare as this sport could ever be due to the Fed’s geographical location/radius in comparison with our own clubs radius.
The first race of the season was from Stratford on 7/4/12 and saw 101 birds liberated in to a light north east wind. The weather for this race was far from perfect and was bitterly cold and very cloudy with heavy rain showers all over the country. The toughness of the race shows in the velocities and the fact that apart from the first few, the birds were really spread with big gaps. However, the result was as follows: 1st Carder&Thomson 1127.84, 2nd M&J Hobson 1127.58, 3rd B&C Brelsford 1125, 4th Mr&Mrs A Jackson 1118, 5th Garner&Morton 1113, 6th S Neville&son 1111. Well done Mark and Steve on winning the seasons opener and to John and Dave only being a whisker away.
Brian and Christine Brelsford.
For the second race we were racing from Warwick on 14/4/12 when 105 birds were liberated in a light north east. Given the poor conditions for the start to the season we were all hoping for a much better weekend both weather wise and race wise. However, the weather was even worse. As we waited for our birds it was a bitterly cold North East wind and raining on and off. But when the birds came they came really well following each other in and were all home in no time. The result was: 1st B&C Brelsford 1338, 2nd & 3rd J&M Hobson 1336 1306, 4th J Burton 1305, 5th M&A Sherwood 1296.9, 6th D&C Gibson 1296.6. Another good performance by J&M Hobson getting two early ones, a good start to the season John.
For the third week in succession it was another dull cold day with showers up and down the country that the birds had to contend with. Hullavington 21/4/12 saw 95 birds liberated in to a north east wind. For two weeks on the trot taking top spot was the top partnership of B&C Brelsford on 1489, 2nd Carder&Thomson 1472, 3rd, 4th and 6th M&A Sherwood 1451 1450 1440, 5th Brelsford&Davidson 1448. Great flying by Mark & Alison taking three of the six prizes.
The fourth race of the season should have been from Salisbury on the 28th April however, the birds were brought back on the Saturday night due bad weather. I know all the members were extremely glad the North Derbyshire Federation made that decision as other local feds had experienced bad racing on the Saturday with most of them suffering from heavy losses. So, thank you and well done to the fed officials.
Wincanton 5/5/12 only 78 birds were sent this week possibly due to the wipe out most members experienced the week before in the Derby & Burton Fed. However, there was still £550 to race for and the birds were liberated at 11:00 into a north east wind. 1st & 5th M&A Sherwood 1231, 1225, 2nd Carder&Thomson 1227.9, 3rd Mr&Mrs A Jackson 1227.0, 4th J&M Hobson, 6th J Burton 1223.
Very well done to all the prize winners in the first four races of the season, particularly the ones that are, yet again proving you are the ones we all have to beat to be in with a shout.
Andy Jackson, always one to watch.
Dave Marshall & John Hobson.
Lastly, I would just like to apologise to some members of Wadsley Bridge HS, Sheffield, who very promptly corrected me after reading my last article in which I mentioned that Darnall HS was the biggest club in the city. This would appear not to be the case, as these days Wadsley Bridge is much bigger and sends far more birds, as does Beighton HS.
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