T P N28513

THE PORT NEWS

Alan Shinton

Late start but early finish for Paul Coombes

The 2013 season commenced for the Victoria Homing Society on Saturday 13th April, one week behind schedule after West Cheshire Federation delegates decided to cancel the first race to allow fanciers to get some sort of training into their birds prior to commencement of racing.

The Victoria Club birds (203-9) were liberated at 10.30 am into a south east wind, with a fast race anticipated at the home end, which ensued. First birds being recorded were by the furthest flyer of the day Paul Coombes clocking at 11.33.40 and 11.33.45 recording velocities of 1717 and 1715 to take both first and second position. Taking the third spot is the newly formed partnership of A Davies and Sons (Alby Davies, Alby Davies junior and Alan Davies) timing in at 11.34.28 for a velocity of 1680. With fourth spot going to Mr and Mrs A J (Archie) Price recording in at 11.35.04 for a velocity of 1664.

Paul was finishing from where he left off in 2012 after winning both the first old bird and the first young bird race last season and for good measure won the last young bird race. The winner is a yearling blue cock procured last year from Hale and Langa of Cefn Mawr. Conditioned on the roundabout system this game cock has been 3rd West Cheshire Federation Kingsdown Young Birds 2012 and 10th Chester 2 Bird Littlehampton 2012 winning £150. Paul's second pigeon is another yearling blue cock bred from his own blend of various families. Paul has over the last five years concentrated on eliminating birds that had not been in the first three birds to his loft and this is now coming to fruition. With only 6 stock pigeons kept the standard gets higher each year and will surely culminate with another strong push towards the fed points trophy.

Paul's feeding methods are somewhat orthodox although they are designed and administered by himself. Paul feeds Gerry Plus as a base mixture and adds a percentage of champion plus through the week, however Paul is an avid barley supporter and feeder along with his own fats, high energy mixtures along with omega 3, 6 and 9 supplements that he honed in on over the years. Paul's birds were trained  a couple of times prior to the first and will train again before the second race, at which time training of his old birds will be confined to exercise around the loft.

Paul's results have been improving steadily better each year over the last few seasons and so much so that he can expect improvement again this season, and by the way his birds have performed already in this currently cold climate we can expect to see some more good efforts from this loft throughout the season.

Paul's winning blue bock

Paul with his favourite "Blue Mick Cock"

With the first race of the season completed at the Victoria the result makes interesting reading. The delay in preparing birds for this year's start has meant that everyone has started training late due to the inclement weather but the familiar names appear at the top of the result page once again. This not surprising when you consider that Paul Coombes was runner up in 2012 in the West Cheshire Federation Points Championship and was 2012 highest prize winner in the Victoria Club 2012. Alby Davies of the A Davies and Sons partnership is a previous West Cheshire Federation Points Championship winner (when flying as Davies and McDonald) and of course Mr and Mrs A J (Archie) Price are the current West Cheshire Federation Points Champions of 2012. If this is a sign of things to come then 2013 season is forecast to be one of the most competitive within the Victoria Club. Long may it continue.

West Cheshire Federation Ludlow 13/04/2013 convoy of 1483 (75) birds

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