WELSH SOUTH ROAD NATIONAL
by Dixey
Bergerac - July 2014
Another tough race was had from Bergerac with the Welsh South Road National Flying Club. After a one-day hold over with the Central Southern Classic liberation took effect 06.05 into a westerly north wind with rain forecast for the approx 500 miles to the southern part of the Principality. It wasn’t going to take rocket science to realise that with drizzle rain and hill fog through the Welsh Valleys day birds were going to be hard to come by. But still once again against all the odds we had a day arrival and it was out of this mist that the entry to John and Pat Webber arrived into Abertillery in the Gwent Valleys and was duly recorded to be the probable National winner being the only day bird home on the day. This is not the first time they have archived this wonderful singularity, for they did the same from Thurso in 2001 when they were 1st Welsh Grand National Flying Club from Thurso winning the WHPU coveted Queen’s Cup in the process with a cock named “Basher” bred for them by the late Dennis Ford of Blaenavon.
John and Pat Webber, winners of the Welsh SRNFC Bergerac.
John and Pat would like to thank all those who have phoned them and conveyed messages of congratulations as they have been overwhelmed by the number of phone calls, texts and e-mails expressing good wishes.
Their Bergerac winner is a two year old blue hen bred from a cock they purchased while on a visit to George Carteus and on the dam side is a top level performance pedigree as her mother was 1st National from Lillers, her grandmother was also a National winner from Crieff with the New North Road Federation and her grandmother was also a Federation winner with the same Fed.
The winning hen has been performing well all year being 7th National from Nort-Sur-Edre three weeks previous to this win also winning Six Bells' show race. She was sent sitting 9 days eggs after coming off roundabout earlier in the year and returned in excellent condition from this Bergerac National, not looking like a pigeon who had flown for fifteen and half hours on the wing into a headwind flying 502 miles.
The Bergerac National winner sitting her eggs after being the only bird on the day
Taking 2nd and 3rd in this National is another household name in the fancy, that to Preece Bros & Son of Cwmtillery. John Preece was telling me on the phone that their first arrival was a two year old blue pencil cock and was raced on the roundabout system. He has won minor positions in his racing career and is of the Lefebre Dhaenen bloodlines. His sire is a brother to their Queen’s Cup winner, while its dam was loaned to them from Jeff Davies. Their second arrival winning 3rd open is a two year old dark cheq cock. The sire being bred by Andy Gregson from his number one pair of Deweerdts. The dam being from Geoff Cooper being a daughter of his famous Riddler. This was a really excellent race for this partnership as they also won 5th, 6th and 7th open as well and gaining some real top positions into the Central Southern Classic club for good measure. Well done to them on really excellent flying into the South Wales valleys.
Taking 4th open are Lovell Bros from Trinant nr Abertillery. Once again they are there up with the leaders as this is another very good loft, always there or thereabouts when it comes to the classic racing.
Listed are the vels of the leading competitors, all subject to being confirmed in the full result.
J & P Webber Abertillery 954. Preece Bros & Son Abertillery 812, 790, 710, 588 and 576. All these on the result flying 504 miles. Lovell Bros probable 4th open at Trinant nr Abertillery doing 721. John Ludlam taking 1st centre east sect doing 573. Smith & Jones Cwmbran 403. Owen & Evans & Son Maerdy Rhondda also taking 1st Centre West sect doing 366. Spencer Jones Abersychan 330. Treharne & Son Nantyglo 324. Silver Maybey & Lewis Ferndale Rhondda 285. John and Pat Rake Caldicot 273 Mr C Morris Bliana 238 and Tony Coombs Llantwit Fadre 231.
Paul Owen and Tony Evans of Maerdy, winners of 1st Centre West sect.
A special mention here for that fabulous pigeon flown and owned by M L Thomas of Newport for some outstanding wins in the Welsh South Road National from Tarbes, 600 plus miles. This year their five years old Blue Pied hen took 4th National Tarbes. Her other National performances from Tarbes were 2011, 25th; 2012, 1st; 2013, 15th and this year 4th open. Her breeding is Van Der Wegan x Jan Theelan. Her racing career started on the South East route where she flew 500 miles in their South East National and also scoring from Lillers. This year she only had one channel race where she was 7th club from Carentan. It’s always great to write a about a very good pigeon. Derek told me she has just laid her first egg in her third nest paired to her sire and he is tempted to put her back into Saintes as a final fling but the urge is of course to stop her and use her to help build his excellent family of pigeons. Who can blame him for pigeons like this very rarely come around in a fancier’s lifetime.
Derek and Jeanette Thomas of Newport holding their fabulous blue pied hen, four times on the result from Tarbes 600 miles including 1st National.
John Ludlam topped the Centre east sect and it is very interesting to note the background on this very good winner for John in Nelson. He is a three year old cheq cock, but he was never raced as a young bird even though he was hatched on May 11th but he did have a few tosses. In 2012 and 2013 he had a few inland races and flew the channel as well. This year he flew Alencon with the BICC, then Tours and then Bergerac with the CSCFC and with the Welsh South Road National Flying Club winning 1st sect 8th open, and 11th sect 26th open in the CSCCFC. His sire was bred by Paul Woolliss being a grandson of Palona, 1st Single Bird Palamos 815 miles and 1st sect K Pau 703 miles. Also on the sire side is Ambition 1st sect K 37th open Pau 703 miles. The dam of John's winner is also bred by Paul Woolliss as above. He was flown on widowhood and fed Versele Laga super widowhood. He is a half brother to John’s Barcelona hen and John’s National winner and half brother to his Tours National winner.
John Ludlam, 1st Centre East sect.
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