RHONDDA VALLEY FED
Reports by Martin Dunn
Firstly before I start the results I would like to apologise for the lateness in this report, this has been caused due to my self taking redundancy from my job and purchasing a local Post Office. I have had to put all my time in setting this up and trying to learn the basics to cope with the responsibility that this brings. Therefore my own pigeons have taken a back seat and writing has been on the bottom of the priority list. Anyway here goes for the final old bird races.
Following on from Brussels we found ourselves back at Newbury with 1264 Pigeons being liberated at 12:05 into a Northerly wind. The leading birds were expected to be at the southern end of the federation, which proved to be the case with Kenfig Hills Dave Gore clocking 2 pigeons within a minute to take 1st and 2nd federation.
The fed winning pigeon is a yearling cock that had flown consistently early on in the year before coming back from Folkestone with a bump, it was left to recover and paid Dave’s patience back by topping the fed. It was certainly bred for the Job, it’s a G-son of Dave’s Ramsgate National winner, with it’s father scoring an incredible 14 times for Dave, another case of winners right through its pedigree.
The second fed winner is a top pigeon in her own right, flown Natural this yearling hen has a string of wins, including 1st fed Epsom as a Baby and plus 1st and 2nd West section in the Welsh South east National, another top winning pigeon from this excellent fancier.
Completing the result at Kenfig Hill is Dave taking 3rd club 14th fed with Payne And Davies 4th club 15th fed
Martin Jarman & Green are the clear winners at Penygraig, clocking their good widowhood cock that has already taken 1st Fed Newbury and a lot of other positions. This cock bred by Arnold and Keith Davies adds 3rd fed to his tally. Staying at Penygraig Kevin Andrews is 2nd club 25th fed with a yearling widowhood cock. Williams Jones and Davies clear the next three positions 3rd,4th and 5th club, Just missing the fed result.
Clive an Carwyn Harris clock the first pigeon into the Cynon valley, this 2 year old cock really must have fought against the wind to get up here at this time to take 1st club at Abercwmboi, 4th fed for just reward. Roy Street and Les Hughes clock the winner up at Treherbert with a 2-year-old cock, this cock won Bonn in 2008 as a yearling, showing good form again. Vince Merret gets two quick ones for 2nd and 3rd club, 21st and 22nd and Chris and Jonathon Butler pops another one in for 4th club 27th fed and Gwyn Collins is 0.01 of yard behind, 5th club 28th fed to complete the result at Treherbert.
Glyn Sibley clocks up another win at Trebanog, Glyn is enjoying a very good old bird season, this week he’s takes 6th fed to go with it. Another fancier who is flying well is Don Chaffe up at Maerdy clocking early pigeons from the fast races to the hard races this week he’s 1st club 9th fed, with Morris Pugh and Whitcombe carrying on with the dream season 2nd club 20th fed for Maerdy.
Owen, Owen Davies and Hale take the top spot at Gilfach, they clock one from Louella lofts, with Mal and Darron Woodland taking 2nd and 3rd club 11th & 26th fed. Back to the Rhondda where Dean Webb wins it once again at Ynyshir and from here to Tonypandy where Gary Davies clocks the winner here, one gifted to him from Gareth Watkins. Gareth himself is edged into 2nd club 24th fed with a 2 year old and Dunn son Seal complete the result with a yearling cock scoring for the 3rd time this season.
Completing the results are the Tredegar winners Sullivan & Parfitt in at 16th fed, this is another pigeon that has one well on the wind, Bayliss Walker and Nolan win at Nantymoel, this is the two youngsters doing really well, and finally down to Newport where Tony Gibbons wins it here and takes the first three in the club for good measure, with M/M Paginton taking 4th club.
Following week we found ourselves at Huy, around 400 miles to the longer flyers, the birds were up and away at 06.00 into a North Easterly wind, the pigeons made it look easy with nearly all reporting 100% returns, which can’t be bad a this distance.
Les Vaughan 1st Fed Huy
The leading pigeons were found in the Heart of the Rhondda at the Cambrian club, with Les Vaughan just holding off club mate Tony Southwood in a close finish. Les can always be relied upon for an early timing when the pigeons have water in front of them, 2nd National Giessen a couple of seasons back is the first one that spring to mind.
The winner is a yearling cock that is actually a son of the 2nd National Giessen cock, paired back to a Jan Arden hen that was bought by Les’s wife as a 60th birthday present, this take 1stclub, fed and 4th Open Welsh South East National for good measure.
Runner-up as mentioned earlier is Tony Southwood, who is another that flies a good pigeon, not just across the water but right through the programme, Tony clocked a good one last year from Lillers, Topping the section in the National with it, today he’s the runner up in club fed and 5th open Welsh South East National.
Taking 3rd fed and carrying on with another brilliant season are Mal and Darron Woodland of the Gilfach Goch club, they clock another yearling from their roundabout team for 3rd fed, 6th open Welsh South east National.
Right behind these are fellow Gilfach club mates, Owen, Owen Davies and Hale this partnership have found their form over the last month or so, winning a number of firsts, both at Gilfach and Nantymoel. They also have another arrival to take 11th fed to finish off a good a days racing. Taking 3rd and 4th club at Nantymoel is Denny Phillips, another top Channel flyer, Denny gets 2 together for 13th and 14th fed. Showing how competitive it is across the water in the Nantymoel club Philip Bayliss is in at 22nd with John Courts completing the result in 27th fed.
Back to The Rhondda Valley itself, Roger Webb times the winner at Ynyshir,5th fed, with Mike Kettley keeping his consistent season going when taking 28th fed.Morris Pugh and Whitcombe makes win number five at Maerdy, three of these have come across the water, this week they are 1st and 3rd club, 7th and 10th fed. Rogers and James spilt these for second club 8th fed. Davies and Evans complete the result here taking 4th club 30th fed.
Staying in this Valley, Gareth Hughes wins it at Tylorstown his second channel win of the season he also won Brussels. Gareth takes 17th fed, with Ronnie Slatter taking 2nd club 24th fed at Tylorstown. From Here we go to Newport where Tony Gibbons wins again, Tony has already topped the fed twice this season, this week he’s 1st and 3rd club, first one at 9th fed.Glyn Hazelwood is 2nd club at Newport, 29th fed.
From the Shortest to the longest flyers in the West Section where the winner is found at Port Talbot, where R.Lloyd clocks a 2 year old Vandenabeele hen to take top honours. Dave Gore has a good day, 1st, 3rd and 4th club at Kenfig Hill, 2nd West Section, 15th, 19th 23rd fed, with Richard Stokes seeing his pigeons coming in to form at the back end, 2nd club 3rd section, 16th fed.
Stanton Bros Evans win it at Treherbert, a Fauconnier x Vandenabeele from Darky Dimond pigeons doing the damage. Runner- up at Treherbert is Vince Merret another whose pigeons have come into form the last few weeks. The Butler Bros by Name, Chris and son Jonathon actually keep up their really consistent end to the season with 3rd club 26th fed.
Staying in the Rhondda, Tonypandy, 1st 3rd and 4th club are Dunn son Seal, they clock are yearling Vandenabeele hen sent sitting. Billy Moon the fastest taxi driver in the Rhondda tales 2nd club with one bred from birds purchased from Graham Warren, the father of this pigeon has actually topped the fed for Graham.
Penygraig Next, where Dunn son Seal finish off a good day, they are 1st and 2nd here, second timer is a Vandenabeele hen that has taken 2nd and 3rd fed this season. A&K Davies are third club with a widowhood cock.
From Huy we go to our final come back race from Newbury, where after waiting for the weather to break, the pigeons were released into a Southerly wind at 14.05.The pigeons made light work of the race and tumbled in, the leading pigeons were found at the top end of the fed in the Cynon Valley where Newtown’s Gavin Keeping managed to trap a yearling Janssen hen sent sitting to take top honours for 1st federation. This hen had scored from the bad Newbury race we had a few weeks back.
Runner-up are Penygraig’s Dunn Son Seal, they time a 2 year old Vandenabeele hen that was 3rd fed from the bad Newbury race, she’s also won from Lillers in 2007 and has a few cards to credit. Second and 3rd club at Penygraig are A&K Davies who have 2 yearling widowhood cocks for 5th and 10th fed. Kevin Andrews is 4th club with another widowhood cock, 16th fed, with Martin Jarman and Green clock their very good widowhood cock that has topped the fed in 2007 and been 3rd fed 2 weeks ago, this week he’s 29th fed.
From Penygraig we go back to the Cynon Valley, where C&C Langdon have 2 together for 1st and 2nd club, 3rd and 4th fed, these boys have flown well this year picking up a few wins right through the season. Philip Sheldon is 3rd club 7th fed, Philip really flies a good young bird and will be looking forward to the start of the young bird season. Philip’s father Ray takes 4th club 19th fed to complete the Abercwmboi result.
Staying at the top end, Maerdy where in a tight finish Morris Pugh and Whitcombe get 2 to go over the pads, for 1st and 2nd club, 8th & 9th fed, just edging 3 for Don Chaffe, who takes the next positions, 12th, 14th and 15th fed. Fellow club members seen their arrivals on the fed sheet with Thomas bros and Ratcliffe at 25th fed and Davies and Evans and Silver Mabey and Lewis taking 27th and 28th fed respectively.
Just down the valley at Tylorstown, once again Gareth Hughes wins it from Ronnie Slatter in another tight finish, these two take fed positions of 24th and 26th fed. Next club down is Ynyshir where Morris and Webb wins, they take 13th fed. Working back up the larger of the two Rhondda Valleys first stop is Tonypandy, where Dunn son Seal are 1st and 3rd club, first timer is a grand daughter of their Maidstone National winner. Street and Hughes are second club with a widowhood cock and Gary Davies complete the result with one that was 1st club 15th fed 2 weeks earlier from Newbury. From here we go just up the road where Tony Southwood wins it at Cambrian, Tony takes 11th fed, after being 2nd fed the week previous from 400 miles.
Finally at the top of the Rhondda where Stanton Bros and Evans wins for the second week running, they clock a yearling cock that won the Rhondda Valley 2-bird from Brussels a few weeks back. Butler bros keep knocking on the door they are second club 18th fed and finally the winners at Gilfach are Mal and DarronWoodland who take the first three position and down at Newport, where Bob Saddler takes the spoils from Glyn Hazelwood and Tony Gibbons 3rd club.
Finally we come to the last old bird race for 2009, the one every one would love to win, Bonn, 470 miles to the heart of the Rhondda Valley. The pigeons were liberated into a North Westerly wind, with showers expected on the route, it was hoped for 30-50 day birds from the 2000 plus entries in the Welsh combine and National.
The race can certainly be described as a tester, with just 8 birds in the federation on the day from the 646 sent. The winner was up for the Job, this yearling cock was almost an hour clear of the next pigeon in the federation and I am sure that the owner Gavin Keepings from the Newtown club could not be more pleased if he wanted to be on the success of his pigeons over the last week, he started off by taking 1st fed Newbury the week previous and now from the longest race point he takes 1st club, 1st federation, 1st open Welsh South East Combine, 1st Open Welsh South East National to top a wonderful few days for Gavin.
Gavin Keepings – 1st Welsh South East National Bonn 2009
The winning pigeon as mentioned, is a yearling cock, this was bred from birds that Gavin obtained from Graham Bracey’s entire clearance sale, which is of Wildermeersch breeding. This cock made a mess of the Lillers race earlier in the season, but returned to pair and his hen was sent to Huy two weeks earlier. This hen never returned and the winning cock was spare. Gavin took full advantage of this and managed to borrow a spare hen from one of his friends and he placed this hen in the section on day of basketing. The cock duly paired with the hen and this was the motivation for the outstanding performance on a real working day. Well done Gavin and congratulations on a superb performance.
Runner – up and the longest flying pigeon in the federation on the day was Kenfig Hills Richard Stokes. Richard takes 1st West section 2nd federation to finish off a successful end to and old bird season.
Les Vaughan, fresh from taking 1st fed Huy two weeks earlier clocks another that’s up with the leaders, another yearling cock that’s a mixture of the best of Les’s channels pigeons, the father of this cock has won from Lillers as a young bird. Les clocked another early next morning to take 2nd club, 18th fed. This one, If I’ve got my facts right, bred the Huy fed winner.
Mike Kettley is next, Mike is another who when the going gets tough, he can be relied upon to time in. This tops the season off for Mike who’s been there or there about from the first race Swindon, to the last. Incredibly with only eight on the day, Mike clocks 2 of these eight 3rd and 7th fed. It’s a great pity that this is Mike’s final race and he’s called it a day.
Kevin Andrews clocks the only bird on the day in Penygraig. Kevin is another who’s flown well, this is his third win of the year and his timer is one of the lofts most reliable performers. He’s scored right through the programme to Huy and now takes 1st club, 5th fed to round it off.
Holland Bros are 6th fed, they clock the only arrival on the day in the big Maerdy club, which is a feat in itself with the calibre of fanciers here. While Newport’s Tony Gibbons can look back on the 2009 old bird season as one to remember, twice a fed winner and now clocks the only day arrival at Newport for 8th, and clocking two more arrivals early the next morning for 8th and 24th fed.
Up early and looking for arrivals, it was Glyncorrwg’s Corey Lewis, that gets the first one, he takes the first three in the club, 9th, 14th and 25th fed, superb flying again by this youngster.
Dave Gore is another that does well from Bonn, he topped the section last year in the National, this year he has to settle for 2nd, 3RD and 4th club, 10th 20th and 23rd fed, this is another solid performance from Dave. Don Chaffe is 2nd club up at Maerdy, 12th fed, with Davies and Evans in for 3rd club 16th fed and the Holland Bros again in with another 2 arrivals, to take 4th and 5th club, 29th and 30th fed
Arnold and Keith Davies set their stall out for Bonn and are never far away from top honours here, this year they clock an experienced 4 year old cock on his 3rd visit to this race point, he takes 2nd club and 13th fed to go with it. The Anstee bros are third club at Penygraig and due to a technical error when working the times at the club were, denied a good fed position, approx. 16th fed. This timer as scored before across the water.
The Tredegar winner is next, where J.P Davies takes the top honours, 15th fed to go with it. Mal and Darron Woodland finish off another top old bird season, they are 1st and 3rd club at Gilfach 17th and 26th fed, with Owen, Owen, Davies and Hale splitting these for 2nd club 22nd fed. Brian Roberts takes the win at Tylorstown, Brian is 18th fed, with Gareth Hughes taking the next 4 positions in the club, all clocked within 40 minutes of each other.
Brown and Jones are another loft who can look back on a consistent old bird season, they are 4th club at Ynyshir, 21st fed. Butler Bros finish off at Treherbert with another win they clock a yearling hen, from their Bernard Clarke bloodlines, to win here and take 28th fed.
Final result goes to Tonypandy where Isles and Lewis clock the winner here, followed home by Brian Fitzgerald, 2nd club and Street and Hughes 3rd club.
