PIGEON TOPICS
Stuart Bowman
At Rosyth's Ripon race the winner was Gordon Cree with a chq hen flying only to the perch. The winner was bred from a cock supplied by yours truly. He was from a Billy Kinnear & Son cock crossed with a John Ellis of Wellbank hen. The dam of the winner was a yb Gordon bought at the SNRPC yb Sale and was bred by W.S.Smith of Maxwelltown! Close behind in 2nd were Jimmy & Dwain Bingham with a chq hen flying to the perch. This one was a Red Fox Janseen and was bred by their friend Neil Tomlinson down there in Yorkshire. In 3rd was Louie Mitchell with a Van Bruane blue cock flying to the perch. This one was bred from birds bought at Stewart Bros of Stirling at their Entire Clearance Sale. 4th place was won by J & D Bingham and was a chq hen flying again to the perch. She is down from Janssen birds that Jimmy had many years ago and some of the present day team go back to them.
At the last race from Wakefield the Bingham Partnership of Jimmy & Dwain Bingham take top spot with a red chq cock flying natural to the perch. He is from birds via Jim Doig of Cardenden which originate from John Carmichael Kirkpatricks. Not too far behind in 2nd was Stuart Bowman with a light chq cock just flying to the perch. He was a gift from Norman Renton of Foulden in the Borders. He has been a steady bird for me having been my first bird three times and I ’m hoping he can trap faster next year and gain an elusive first prize! I have hopes for him anyway as he never seems to be tired, fingers crossed! John Skelton was 3rd with a Mealy hen flying to the perch. She was bred by Louie Mitchell from a pair of Van Bruanes Louie bought at the Entire Clearance Sale of Stewart Bros of Stirling. Finally in 4th place was club Secy Gordon Cree with a Home bred Mealy Pied cock flying the old fashioned way naturally to the perch!
My apologies to the club members for not having the yb results in a lot earlier. At least I now have Word installed so things shouldn’t be delayed as long again.
Might as well add the first 10 places in the Kingdoms YB Open race from Wakefield in which John Ellis won 1st Open, in fact John had 5 drop together to take the first five Open positions. You can only say top class flying well done John! Jim Benvie was 6th Open. Jackie wishart was 7th & 9th Open split by Chic Dinsdale in 8th and Dunc Walker was 10th Open. Also well done to Jim Benvie who was 1st Sect C in the SNRPC Peterborough yb race!
During this years old bird season I was thinking back (racing and breeding wise) to what the highlight of the previous season were for me. They were having a hand in the breeding of some good birds for friends! Jock Mackenzie was 4th Open Wakefield y.b race and then scored in the yb National with a cock bred from a half brother of my 6th Open Andrezel hen “Keekaboo”! John Ellis was 12th Open National Arras with a yearling pied hen bred here from a son of my old mealy who is also the G Sire of my “Misty Lady” 1st Sect Reims 570mls. However before I knew it the season was over very quickly just like the season before, and I was wondering where all my good pigeons were! Winners or breeders of winners, such was that season. So reflecting back again on this season 2011, I would say even though I have lost two or three good birds I have still had great pleasure in again being able to have a hand in the breeding of some decent birds for friends. As stated earlier, the club secy Gordon Cree has one or two pigeons starting to do him a turn from birds bred here or off birds bred here. Hope it continues Gordon! John Clark from Airdrie timed a 2yo Late Bred Mealy cock shortly after 5.00 am to win 72nd Sect E, SNFC Eastbourne when an awful lot of pigeons spent the night out from this 400ml race point! This one was bred direct of my old Mealy who unfortunately hasn’t filled an egg these last two years. The old Mealy is in fact a half brother to the Mealy hen which I supplied John with and she in turn bred John's Chq Hen 1st West Sect, SNFC Falaise, won 3 times from France and twice from the coast and was retired after being knocked onto the road by a Sparrow hawk. Still at Eastbourne David Russell from Dunfermline timed a yearling chq cock after hesitating to win 78th Open SNFC, with a half brother of my Blue hen “Keekaboo” 6th Open Andrezel National 580mls on the day! David then timed another two together to win 183rd & 185th Open with the first one of these from a son of Keekaboo! David has also had a few turns with some other birds bred here.
As you can see, I am very pleased when fanciers get back to me and let me know how they are getting on with birds that I gifted to them. Makes it all worthwhile in the end! Now I ’m trying to look forward thinking of the breeding side and what the future holds. Hopefully I can breed a few more good birds for someone and maybe a few good pigeons for myself of which I am short of at the moment!
Alas the season is long gone, don’t know where the weeks have went but we are now at the show season. Although I have some nice looking birds I don’t intend to show any this season but wish all would be competitors the very best of luck whoever they are. I here that there is to be an Open show in Fife this year on Sat 10th December, just off the A92 at the Lomond Centre Glenrothes. I am hoping to go along to this show and a few other shows this year to have a look at the birds and maybe meet some new friends and of course some of the old brigade, should be fun! Maybe break the winter up for a change as long as it’s not like the last two years. If there’s any young fancier or new starter out there that thinks there birds are behind in the moult don’t do anything drastic. Keep them in a bit more if need be and cut the feed back a little as you may be over feeding. One ounce to an ounce and a quarter should be enough if it’s the right sort of feed. Give them some tic beans and or peas, with a little maize, wheat and tares and some small grains like dari. You could also add a little barley to the mix. Afterwards give them some linseed which is excellent for the feathers, you can give them some every other day. Also put some fresh garlic in the water drinkers for a couple of weeks, this will cleanse the blood and get the feathers dropping off them. One other thing that is important is to give them a bath every two or three days as the pigeons benefit greatly from this! Hope this helps some young fancier, til next time take care!
I can be contacted at 118 Sinclair Drive Cowdenbeath Fife KY4-9RG, Tel 01383-518471, or email to
