Lanarkshire News - Brighton Open Race 18/7/25
Well we have come to the end of the old bird season, racing from the longest distance of the season from Brighton on the English Channel.
The weather again was giving the race controller a headache with heavy showers and thunder storm predicted for Saturday, the word came through that it would be Wednesday marking for a Friday race.
The 437 birds were liberated at 09 30am in a light south west wind for the seventy five members who sent.
This week’s winning pigeon was timed after 8hrs 57 minutes to record a velocity of 1228 ypm for Graham Brothers of Carluke club.
Andy Graham has shown a cracking level of consistency throughout the season with him winning 1st Open federation from a difficult Leicester race earlier in the season.
This fine performance is the icing on the cake and he is the winner of Old Bird Averages 2025 Lanarkshire federation.
I contacted Andy to congratulate him on a brilliant result and get some information on his Open winner.
Andy was over the moon with the result and was still feeling the excitement of being the winner of such a prestigious race.
As said in a previous report Andy competes in two clubs, Carluke in the Lanarkshire federation and Kirkfieldbank in the South Lanarkshire.
He has only really started competing in Lanarkshire over the last few seasons and already has won 1st Open in the Longest Young Bird race and the Longest Old Bird race.
Andy said this season was really just about increasing his level of consistency and being competitive throughout the difficult programme.
I had no doubt that Andy would make a significant impact in Lanarkshire federation with his top performances in the South Lanarkshire and the Scottish National Racing Pigeon Club over the years.
His 1st Centre section,1st Open federation winner from Brighton is a two year old Dark Grizzle cock ,winning the race by an amazing 23ypm.
He is a Marley Westrop with the parents being purchased from a chap down south as Andy was keen to get some distance lines into his loft.
As a yearling he score from Billericay with South Lanarkshire, this year he raced weekly on roundabout system and went to South Lanarkshire Billericay the same day Lanarkshire was at Kettering and he didn't return in the afternoon of second day.
He was then prepared for Billericay with Lanarkshire and was Andy's third pigeon and so Andy thought he was starting to get to grips with a bit of distance, so he was given a bit of rest and loft trained in preparation for Brighton.
On race day in the short races his birds mostly come out the North but on this occasion he was direct South.
Andy was absolutely delighted with this performance and also winning the Old Bird Averages just pipping the ultra consistent loft of Young & Kelly who have never missed the top 100 throughout the race programme.
Congratulations to Andy on his cracking season and a full loft report will follow of the loft that Andy calls the "Dungeon"
2nd Open federation in the North section was Billy Holland who timed a yearling cheq cock .
As a youngster he raced the fully young bird programme.
This season he was badly injured early doors before being put back into racing from Leicester 260 miles and the two come back races 100 miles ,raced on the roundabout system.
He was loft exercised morning and evening and given his hen 24hrs before basketing.
He raced the fully young bird programme and is out of the highly successful Geoff & Catherine Cooper on Sire side and Battenberg Van Der Mere on Dam side.
Billy would like to congratulate Andy on his fine win from the longest race.
Top ten positions in the Open
1st Graham Bros, Centre section 1228 ypm
2nd W Holland, North section 1205 ypm
3rd Mr & Mrs Elliot, Centre section 1177 ypm
4th T Richardson, Centre section
5th Polockus & Feelie, West section
6th T Richardson, Centre section
7th T Richardson, Centre section
8th T Richardson , Centre section
9th J McPheat & Sons, North section
10th Boslem & Gilfillan, Centre section
Final Old Bird Average Board
1st Graham Bros 1289
2nd Young & Kelly 1280
3rd T Richardson 1270
4th Cameron & Fan
5th Eadie & Kelly
6th Gault & Quinn
7th T McGinn
8th Boslem & Gilfillan
9th J Green & Son
10th J Gillon Son & G/son
Well that's us for the Old Bird season, not too sure there is much mileage left in flying this type of programme.
Feel a fresh approach is needed to carry the federation into the next decade.
Tom Corrie jnr
Lanarkshire Press Officer
|
This week’s cracking winner of |
Andy Graham in front of the "Dungeon" loft |
Andy Graham winner of 1st Open Brighton |
|
Billy Holland winner of 2nd Open federation |
The legend that is Davie Elliot winner of 3rd Open |
Tam Richardson had an outstanding |
|
Young & Kelly had a brilliant season in the |
John McPheat & Sons had a cracking season |
Billy Hollands 1st sect, 2nd Open Brighton |
|
Joe Boyle snr winner of Dalziel club |
