RHONDDA VALLEY FED
Reports by Martin Dunn
NEWBURY, HUY, BONN & GEISSEN
Newbury was the next race in the calendar, with 1751 pigeons being sent by 178 members. The pigeons were released at 06:45 into a South Westerly wind, with the Tredegar club having a field day. They have been praying for this wind all season since joining the fed, but unfortunately for them we have had mainly North in the wind most weeks which doesn’t suit Tredegar at all.
Anyway, those very good fanciers Gregory and Davies clock 2 pigeons a minute clear of club mates M/M Matthews. Gregory and Davies are 1st, 2nd and 5th club 1st, 2nd fed and 18th fed, with M/M Matthews having to settle for 3rd and 4th club, and the same Fed positions.
Into 5th fed and staying at the top end of the radius are Keith Goodenough and Jones. Keith clocks the winner at Treherbert and another for 2nd club 27th fed. From the top of the fed we travel back into the Rhondda itself and to Ynyshir where Dean Webb keeps clocking for fun. This week he takes 1st, 2nd and 4th club, 6th, 7th and 30th fed. Arnold and Keith Davies are 3rd club at Ynshir and are 8th fed.
Down to Tonyrefail and the ever present Mal and Darren Woodland clock another of their roundabout team for 1st club 9th fed. Amesbury, Akers and Willliams take 2nd club 22nd fed and the Smallman Bros are 3rd club 24th fed.
Next we go to Penygraig where the Gill boys, Brian and Mike have a good day with 5 on the result, all clocked within 20 seconds, they take the first 3 in the club and fed positions of 10, 12, 14, 16, 20th, showing how tight the fed result is. Arnold and Keith Davies complete a good days racing with 3 of their Penygraig arrivals taking 15, 17, .26th fed to go with their Ynyshir results.
Just up the road to Tonypandy and Gareth Watkins gets his fancied widowhood cock when winning the club and taking the snowball to go with it, Gareth takes 13th fed, Roy Street and Les Hughes are 2nd club 21st fed with their widowhood team, Darren Morrisey clocks one for 3rd club and Dunn son Seal clock a yearling cock that won Epsom earlier in the season for 4th club.
Brian Roberts gets going over at Tylorstown, Brian is 1st/2nd club 11th and 19th fed with the Butler bros keeping their good old bird season going when winning again at Cwmparc, 25th fed and the final club winner goes to Nantymoel’s Denny Phillips when he wins here and 28th fed. In the West Section, Evans son Evans keep their fantastic run in the comeback races going, winning the section again when winning at Maesteg Park, club mate P. Watkins are 2nd club and section and Raymond son and Howe, 3rd club and 3rd west section.
THIRD RACE ACROSS THE WATER WAS FROM HUY, APPROXIMATELY 380 MILES TO THE MIDDLE OF THE FED, THE PIGEONS WERE LIBERATED WITH THE REST OF THE WELSH COMBINE AT 06:00 INTO A EASTERLY WIND, WITH THE BIRDS ROMPING HOMING, THE WINNERS WERE SPREAD WELL OVER THE FEDERATION WITH THE WINNING PIGEON MAKING A REAL SUPERB EFFORT ON THE DAY.
THE WINNER WAS CLOCKED AT ONE OF THE FURTHEST FLYING MEMBERS OF THE FED, WAY DOWN IN PORT TALBOT TO THE JOE OBRYAN AND STEVE JONES PARTNERSHIP, THESE 2 FLYERS HAVE INVESTED HEAVILY IN THE M&D EVANS VANDENABEELES, WITH A NUMBER OF PIGEONS DIRECT FROM THEM AND FROM VANDENABEELE HIMSELF.THEY HAVE BUILT UP A SUPERB TEAM OF PIGEONS WITH THE RESULTS IMPROVING YEAR ON YEAR WITH THEM.NOT ONLY THAT THEY ARE ALSO SUPPLYING WINNERS TO FRIENDS AND CLUB MATES TO BENEFIT FROM THESE SUPERB PIGEONS.
JOE OBRYAN LEFT – 1ST FED HUY, WITH MAL DUNN RIGHT
THIS WEEK THEY TAKE 1ST CLUB , 1ST FEDERATION AND PROBABLE 1ST WEST SECTION WITH THE WELSH SOUTH EAST NATIONAL AND COMBINE. THIS 3 YEAR OLD WIDOWHOOD COCK IS A PREVIOUS WINNER FROM OUDENAARDE AND HAS SCORED REGULARLY IN 2008. HE IS DOWN FROM THIER BENNETON AND MACLAREN LINES AND CLOCKED DEAD ON 7 HOURS FOR THE 401 MILES.
RUNNER UP IS ANOTHER TOP FLYER, TONYREFAILS ADRIAN WARE, ADRIAN HAS ALREADY TOPPED THE FED AND WON THE WELSH SOUTH EAST NATIONAL FROM RAMSGATE IN 2008, HIS PIGEONS OBVIOUSLY TAKING A LIKING TO THE HIGH VELOCITIES,IN RAMSGATE THEY WERE DOING 1800YPM AND TODAY HE WAS JUST 3 YARDS BEHIND THE FED WINNER ON 1675 YPM.ADRIAN CLOCKED A 5 YEAR OLD WHICH HAS DONE A LOT OF WINNING IN THE PAST, ALTHOUGH I DON’T HAVE THE DETAILS OF THIS PIGEON.TO COMPLETE A GOOD DAYS RACING ADRIANS SECOND PIGEON TAKES 2ND CLUB, 8TH FED FOR GOOD MEASURE.
FROM THE BOTTOM END OF THE FEDS RADIUS WE GO TO THE TOP SIDE AND TO MAERDY, WHERE MORRIS PUGH AND WHITCOMBE CLOCK YET ANOTHER WINNER IN THIS VERY STRONG CLUB, THEY TAKE 3RD FED WITH THIS 2 YEAR OLD, KEEPING THIER CONSISTENT RUN GOING.OWEN AND EVANS ARE RUNNERS UP AT MAERDY, 28TH FED
FROM MAERDY WE DROP A FEW MILES DOWN THE VALLEY TO TYLORSTOWN WERE DES JONES CLOCKS ANOTHER 2 YEAR OLD WIDOWHOOD COCK THAT WAS GIFTED TO DES BY FORMER CLUB MATE NEIL RICHARDS, THIS COCK I BELIEVE IS DOWN FROM LUC VAN HOEKE BLOODLINES BROUGHT IN BY TONY SEAL FROM LUC DIRECT.THIS COCK TAKES 4TH FED.NEXT IN AND RIGHT TO THE TOP END OF THE FEDERATION WHERE COMBINE RACE CONTROLER KEITH GOODENOUGH CLOCKS A 3 YEAR OLD FOR 1ST CLUB AT TREHERBERT AND 5TH FED, THIS SHOWS HOW FAIR THE RACE WAS, WITH THE FIRST 5 PIGEONS BEING SPREAD ALL OVER THE FEDERATION, WITH THE BIRDS THAT WERE RIGHT ON THE DAY HITTING THE TOP OF THE RESULT.
FROM TREHERBERT WE GO TO PENYGRAIG WHERE BRETT JONES CLOCKS UP HIS FOURTH WIN OF THE OLD BIRD SEASON, WHERE HE CLOCKS A 2YR OLD ROUNDABOUT COCK FOR 1ST CLUB 6TH FED, BRETT HAS TO FINISH AT THE END FO THE OLD BIRD SEASON, I BET HE’S GUTTED AFTER THE YEAR HE’S HAD.
NEXT PIGEONS WERE AT THE SHORTER FLYERS IN NEWPORT WITH JAKE FLETCHER TAKING ANOTHER WIN AT THE FERNS CLUB, WITH SECOND AND 3RD CLUB TO GO WITH IT, 7TH,16TH 20TH AND DISTANCE SPECIALIST BOB SADDLER WINNING THE NEWPORT CLUB, HIS PIGEONS 9TH FED RESPECTIVELY. T.GIBBONS KEEPS HIS SUPERB CHANNEL FORM GOING, THIS TIME HE’S 2ND CLUB AT NEPWORT, 19TH FED, HE’S ALREADY BEEN 1ST FED LILLERS, 2ND FED BRUSSELS IN 2008
FROM NEWPORT BACK TO THR RHONDDA VALLEY ITSELF WHERE DUNN SON SEAL TAKE THIER 5TH WIN OF THE SEASON AT TONYPANDY WITH AYEARLING SOOTJEN X VAN REET HEN SENT SITTING, THIS HEN HAS SCORED AS YOUNG BIRD. RUNNER UP AT TONYPANDY WAS GARETH WATKINS, SON AND COCKROFT, GARETH CLOCKS HIS FANCIED 3 YEAR OLD HEN, WITH ROY STREET AND LES HUGHES TAKING 3RD/4TH CLUB, THESE TWO FOR THE SECOND TIME THIS YEAR GET CAUGHT OUT WITHOUT THIER ETS WIRED UP, LES WAS CLEANING OUT WHEN THE FIRST PIGEON CAME BY THE TIME HE SET UP THE ETS THIER SECOND PIGEON HAD ARRIVED.
KEEPING THIER BRILLIANT RUN GOING AND ANOTHER FED POSITION IN 11TH ARE TONYREFAIL’S MAL AND DARRON WOODLAND THEY CLOCK ANOTHER ROUNDABOUT FOR 3RD CLUB DOWN IN TONYREFAIL.OVER TO THE CYNON VALLEY WHERE THE ABERCWMBOI WINNER IS C&C LANGDON,12TH FED, JUST EDGING THE CONSISTENT BRYN HOLMES INTO SECOND CLUB 15TH FED.
THE GILL BROS, MIKE AND BRIAN HAVE REALLY HIT TOP FORM OVER THE LAST WEEK, CLOCKING A 2YEAR OLD NATURAL FOR 3RD CLUB AT PENYGRAIG, 14TH FED, WITH ANOTHER IN FOR 5TH CLUB, 22ND FED. THE ANSTEE BROS COMPLETE THE RESULT AT PENYGRAIG CLOCKING 2 QUICK ONES FOR 4TH/6TH CLUB, 21ST/23RD FED.THIS SHOULD BE A GOOD TONIC FOR ALEC WHO’S BEEN IN HOSPITAL FOR YET ANOTHER OPERATION. TREDEGAR ARE FLYING WITH THE RHONDDA VALLEY FED IN 2008 AND THIS WEEK THE WILLIAMS BROS AND SON PARTNERSHIP CLOCK THE WINNER, 13TH FED, WITH THIER SECOND PIGEON TAKING THE RUNNERS UP SPOT AND 18TH FED, BEATING GREGORY AND DAVIES INTO 3RD CLUB 24TH FED.
FROM HERE WE GO TO NANTYMOEL AND DENNY PHILLIPS IS HAVING A GOOD SEASON OVER HERE, HE WINS AGAIN AND KEEPS HIS EVER PRESENT CHANNEL RESULTS GOING WHEN TAKING 25TH FED, M/M ALAN WINDER WIN AGAIN AT NEWTOWN IN THE CYNON VALLEY, WITH ANOTHER 2 YEAR OLD AND JUST DWON THE VALLEY TO PONTYPRIDD AND THE RELENTLESS JEFF OWEN MUST HAVE LOST COUNT ON HOW MANY FIRSTS HE HAS THIS YEAR, AGAIN HE TAKES 1ST AND 2ND CLUB 27TH/29TH FED. COMPLETING THE RESULT ARE TREHERBERTS STANTON BROS AND EVANS, THESE BOYS HAVE ENJOYED A GOOD OLD BIRD SEASON AND COMPLETE THE RESULT IN 30TH FED.
The week after Huy, we were back again at Newbury for the final comeback race of the old bird season. The 1305 pigeons sent by 144 members were liberated at 07:40 and the birds made good time in the Westerly wind with the winner clocked after 2 hours 10 minutes by Penygraig’s Martin Jarman. Martin clocked a 2 year old widowhood cock bred by Arnold and Keith Davies, this cock has scored minor cards for Martin earlier in the season and picked up the pools on a couple of occasions, this week he comes really well for 1st club 1st fed. Martin only flys a small team due to problems with Pigeon Fanciers lung, but holds his own most weeks in the club against the bigger team flyers.
Taking runners-up is an excellent pigeon to Kenfig Hill’s David Gore, Dai takes 1st club 1st West section, a really good performance considering the wind on the day. Dai also takes 3rd Club 13th Fed, with the fed convoyers, Payne Parry and Davies in for 2nd club 6th fed.
In 3rd spot are Ynyshir’s Morris and Webb, Dean clock’s another 4 this week in 19 seconds for the first 4 in the club, 3, 4, 7, 11th fed. Dean has really had a good old bird season in club and fed.
Next we go to the runners up at Penygraig and another loft with and excellent finish to the old bird season, Brain and Mike Gill also clock 5 in 19 seconds for 2nd to 6th club, with fed positions of 5.8.9.10.12th , these are flown natural and they come as a team when they are in top form.
Just up the road and to Tonypandy where Roy Street and Les Hughes take 1st and 2nd club, 22nd and 23rd fed with 2 widowhood cocks, they are followed by Dunn son Seal who are 3rd club, and fed positions of 25th, 26th and 28th fed, these are Dikke Meerman based pigeons from George Stevenson of Cumbria.
Staying in the Rhondda and Tony Southwood wins again at Cambrian, Tony takes 14th fed, from here we go down to Tonyrefail and for another win to Mal and Darron Woodland with their excellent roundabout team, they have 4 together for the clean sweep in the club and 15,16,18 and 20th fed.
Completing the results are the shorter flyers where Jake Fletcher wins at the Ferns in Newport and Bob Saddler clocks the winner at the Newport club, fed positions of 17th and 19th respectively.
The fed results over the 4-5 weeks have had the same in form lofts week in week out on the results with the Woodland, Gills and Morris and Webb being the form lofts in the comeback races.
From Newbury we go to the Big one in Bonn. This is the top race of the old bird season and this year 130 members entered 674 of their best pigeons which were released after a one day holdover with the rest of the Welsh South East Combine and National at 06:25 into a variable wind, although their must have been a bit of east behind them for the times the leading pigeons made.
Clocking the winner 10 hours and 8 minutes later is the Welsh South East National Secretary Graham Thomas and Son, Adam, these two were winning the Tonyrefail club and are 1st Centre section in the National 2nd open Welsh South East National, another excellent performance from the distance from these two, they have previously won 1st National Liege and 1st National Ramsgate, another top honour for them.
Adam Thomas, Graham Thomas and Father in Law after Clayton
They clocked a yearling Lt cheq Sootjen X Van Loon hen flown on Roundabout. They have a 2nd arrival for 2nd club 9th fed, to complete a good day for the loft.
Runner up in the fed are Maerdy’s Davies and Evans, they take 1st club but unfortunately this pigeon wasn’t entered into the National because they weren’t happy on how their old birds had been coming in 2008 or they would have been well placed in the national, bad luck to the 2 Bryn’s.
Taking 1st club at Tredegar and 3rd federation 3rd open Welsh South East national are the Williams bros, these boys have a had a good season across the water, being 6th fed Brussels , 13th fed Huy and now 3rd fed Bonn, good flying. They also have 2 others on the result for 4th/5th club, 15th and 21st fed.
Into 4th fed and taking 1st at Penygraig are the Gill Bros, Brian and Mike clock a well fancied 2 yr old for 4th Welsh South East National, this cock was 1st club 13th fed Brussels earlier in the season and was sent sitting 14 day eggs, these 2 were also 2nd club 13th fed with a yearling.
Denny Phillips is next, clocking 2 pigeons in 4 minutes, he takes 1st and 2nd club 5th and 7th fed, Denny really flies a good pigeon from Bonn and this is no exception, he excels at the channel races and making a good go at keeping the most points from across the water in 2008 to go with his win in 2007.
Next in is the Tylorstown winner Des Jones, he clocks a 2 year old cock flown on widowhood, this cock was bred by former club mate Neil Richards from pigeons gifted from Dunn son Seal, he really has flown well in 2008, scoring from Brussels before taking 1st club at Huy, 4th fed, 19th national and again follows up at 1st club Bonn 5th fed and another prominent national position, a good candidate for bird of the year in the Rhondda Valley federation in 2008.
The ever present Dai Gore is next, winning again at Kenfig Hill, and winning the West section in the fed, Dai is 8th fed and probable 1st west section in the Welsh South East National. Runner up in the West section is Port Talbots R.Woozley with Glyncorrwg’s Enoch son Enoch winning the club and 3rd section.
Back to Tredegar and taking 2nd club 10th fed is M.Morris who pip club mates A.Shackerly into 3rd club 11th fed. Taking 3rd club over at Nantymoel and 12TH Fed are Maurice and John Owen who finish the season on a positive note.
Another loft who’s had a consistent year are Treherbert’s Stanton Bros and Evans, they have been edged a few times in 2008 into 2nd club, this week the boots on the other foot they take 1st club and 14th fed, Lee Hughes and Harris 2nd club 16th fed just a yard behind, the Stantons are back in again for 3rd club 17th fed a minute later.
Up to Maerdy next and 2nd club here is Don Chaffe, Don is another who sets his stall out for the longer races and can be relied on for a timer, this week he’s 18th fed with club mates M &M Holland 3rd club, 22nd fed closely followed by Paul Owen in for 4th club 24th fed. Staying at the top end of the fed Abercwmboi’s Bryn Holmes clocks another winner here, Bryn’s been there or there about’s most weeks and has picked up a few wins in this competitive club.Phillip Sheldon is 2nd club 29th fed
Down to Tonyrefail and Adrain Ware clocks 2 in 2 minutes for 3rd and 4th club 20th and 23rd fed, and back up to Tonypandy where Roy Street and Les Hughes clock the only widowhood cock they have sent over the water this year for 1st club 26th fed, this cock had played Roy up earlier on in the season and his punishment was to go every week, he repays the ‘favour’ with this win. Runner up was Gareth Watkins just a yard behind Les and Roy, 2nd club 27th fed with a yearling. Third club was Keith ‘Buffer’Thomas, Keith also Takes all the pool money to rub salt into the wounds, Dunn son Seal are 4TH Club with roundabout hen that has won Liege previously.
Over at Tylorstown, Brian Roberts comes in for 2nd club 25th fed, Brian is another who can be relied upon to get a pigeon out of Bonn last year he was 2nd fed from the same race point. Final result is to Cwmparc and another club with 2 birds being separated by a small margin, this time Fred Tucker holds off Rhyddian Mathias into 2nd place and fed positions of 28th and 30th again less than a yard between them after 471 miles.
Final Old bird race of the season was from the longest race point, Giessen in Germany, 530 miles to the middle of the fed radius, and there were approximately 1400 pigeons in the Welsh South East Combine, which was pretty good considering the season we have had.
This race turned out to be an absolute stinker and full credit must go to the 5 gallant pigeons that managed to struggle home after 4 days of race time, but questions must be asked and reasons given why on earth the birds were liberated on the day. You didn’t have to be a weather man to check out the forecast and pictures on the internet of the rainfall in Germany and Belgium that stopped the birds dead in their tracks. There is no way you will get them home if they don’t have a good start and rain in Bonn at 09:15 when the birds would have been making their way through is a good start in my eyes, like wise a friend of ours that lives in Ostend phoned on the Thursday to see if they had been liberated commented that ‘it's not pigeon racing weather today and you wont get them home’.
Anyway and onto the winning pigeon and this is to Maerdy’s Owen Evans and son and was clocked the day after liberation at approx 17:11, it take some doing to keep going for 532 miles after all this time, a tremendous pigeon. This hen was sent sitting 12 day old eggs and had been 2nd club Oudenaarde previously. She was bred from pigeons obtained from club mates Davies and Evans paired back to a hen from Abercwmboi’s Ray Sheldon.
Paul Owen holding his 1st fed Giessen pigeon
Runner-up and completing a tremendous end to the old bird season are Penygraig’s Gill Bros, they clock a 3 year old cock Herbots cock that as won Liege and a few other races along the line, they take 1st club at Penygraig and 1st Centre section in theWelsh South East National, this cock should secure the fed old bird averages for these two and most point s in the East section for the 3rd year running, well done both on your performances.
3rd fed is another top fancier in 2008 Adrian Ware and Dtr, Adrian has already won the Ramsgate National in 2008 and been close up in a few others, this completes another very good old bird seasons flying for Adrian. This 5 year old cock has won many positions over the years including in 2008 2nd fed Huy, 9th National and now 3rd fed Giessen, 8th National, another possible Queens cup winner?
4th fed is G.Davies and son of Ynyshir, Better known as Moelwyn Davies, who clocks a 7 year old who obviously knows its way about the place, this bird makes it home on the last day and doing a velocity of 239 ypm it probably deserves retirement now Moelwyn.
5th fed and final bird to make in race time goes to Newport’s long distance specialist Bob Saddler, no stranger to clocking pigeons in really hard races, Bob’s been doing this for as long as I have been a member of the fed and beyond that , well done Bob on another excellent pigeon.
