South West of England Lerwick Club
The SWELC was at Ashbourne on the 17/8/24 and at 10.00am the birds were liberated into a west south west wind the top open twenty positions are as follows claiming top position was the one form loft of Stuart Luff who also claims 2nd,3rd and 5th open SWELC and 1,2,3,4 at the Longford club flying 90 miles the winner a blue cock being a G W P Macaloney crossed Geoff Cooper bred bird from birds of Graham Clift and this cock has previously already carded at club and SWELC open level the next a dark chequer cock being a Hardy Kruger lines inbred to black power lines and the dam vire J & B Oakley from their Skyfall bird. The next another Ben Oakley line bred bird vire Skyfall and the famous box 1 cock in its creation, the final scoring being a blue cock that was purchased at the new north Road amalgamations Futurity young bird sale and was bred by Kevin & Dona Spiers of Nottingham Stuart's velocities were 1407.862, 1407.234, 1406.419 and 1405.595.
4th,6th ,7th, and 18th open was Dave Tyrer flying 105 miles plus also achieving 1,2,3,4 in the Oldland club with velocities of 1406.094, 1405.563, 1404.326 and 1389.
8th, 9th, and 10th open is Percy Hatherell flying 104 miles and also claiming 1,2,3 in the Sodbury Vale club with velocities of 1401 and 2 x 1400.
11th, 12th and 20th open was the Walker Brothers flying 90 miles their first a blue chequer hen being a Herman Cuesters Crossed Van Den Bulk the next a blue cock being a Franz Zwols crossed Hooyman and a previous 2nd open SWELC from Penkridge and a 3rd open SWELC from Coventry and the next a blue hen being a full nest mate to the above Herman Cuesters Crossed Hooyman scoring cock all were flown paired up or sitting nest eggs with velocities of 2 x 1399 and 1385.
13th, 16th, and 17th open was Dave Smith flying 102 miles with 3 x cocks all three being Soojens flown on the darkness system and squeezed in 4th Sodbury vale club with velocities of 1395.909, and 2 x 1390.
14th and 15th open plus 1st and 2nd in the South Bristol club was Andrezj Stanowski flying 113 miles with 2 x cocks the first a Dirk Van Den Bulk crossed a bird from close friend Lucaz of Nottingham of team UK and the next being a combination of August Jansen, Leon Bores, Gaston Van De Wouwer and U & K Mazepa birds flown on the darkness system Andrzej's velocities were 1395.214 and 1394.
19th open was Adrian Bishop flying 110 miles with a chequer cock that was purchased at the New North Road Amalgamations young bird sale and was bred by Sylwester Kaminski of Worksop and this cock has already carded a few times for Adrian his velocity was 1386.
Over to a south west of England Lerwick club committee member and regular flier in the organisation of Dave Smith of Thornbury near Bristol Dave is the transport manager for the organisation with owning his own mechanics business the transporters of two which the organisation has for many years Dave's looked after these and maintained them for the organisation and has also for many years been the every week race advisor for the Lerwick club and then being the New North Road Amalgamation and International flying clubs race advisor when altogether in the Scottish distance races for many years held Dave is a fancier who sends every week and supports his local club and off course of his beloved South West of England Lerwick club Dave's kept racing pigeons all his life over 50 years being raised as a child with pigeons with his father keeping racing pigeons and now Dave carries the tradition on with some great success over the years of winning the IFC scoring well in the new north road amalgamation and also breeding 1st and 2nd to the new north Road amalgamations Futurity race event for John Norris winning them over £10,000 regular club wins and south west of England Lerwick club wins from short sprint to middle distance and long distance races as Dave's love is the north road route he has in the past occasionally sent a few south road just switching them routes and sent in the Central Southern Classic and had a few good section positions with freshly switched birds Dave has also helped out doing a few youngster runs when we operate the new north road amalgamation Futurity schemes were the south west and Welsh birds exchange with the midlands and north birds and delivers the youngsters to the northern hubs.
At Blackpool with Stuart Wilcox
Still helping out with his roles Dave's venturing to the one loft scheme with a picturesque field at his house in the heart of the south Gloucestershire countryside on the Somerset borders a one loft race loft has been erected at 28.5 metres long and 8 metres wide with wide open aviaries at 3 metres wide all on the front of the loft for the birds to enter and enjoy split into 3 sections this is now three quarters finished being built by a building company who build houses for their profession this is sat on a solid concrete base the entries for the event open on the 1st of April and all the north road and south road locals know Dave as Smithy so hence the name which everyone uses as Smithy's one loft so the name being Smithy's one loft race and this will be flown on the north road route with hot spots from Coventry, 76 miles Ashbourne 105 mile, Wakefield 150 miles with a semi-final being flown from Wetherby at 178 miles and the final from Alnwick at 270 miles.
Smithy’s one loft
The aviaries and the enclosed field at the house
Benzing live will be in operation for everyone to see everything and entries are £150 per bird for every 5 entries a 6th entry is free prize money will be announced on closure of entries and all remaining birds after the final race auctioned off spilt 50/50 breeder and one loft after auctioning costs I've attached a few photographs of the loft and the settings and of the renowned local Bristol pigeon auctioneer and racer and breeder Stuart Wilcox at his Blackpool auctions with the banner for the event for all further information and enquiries contact Dave on 07836792681.
The Rat Man.
