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Hello National Flying Club members and welcome to my article on the Messac National. As everyone now knows, the scheduled race date was to have been Saturday 18th June but owing to inclement weather it was decided to hold the convoy over. As can be seen by the race advisors report below and the maps of Britain, this was a wise decision based on weather reports given and as always the welfare of our birds is of paramount importance.
Race advisors report on MESSAC NATIONAL 18th June 2011.
1. Spoke to Terry Scholey at approximately 6.00pm Friday and was informed that the anticipated weather conditions for Saturday were not good and a holdover was to be expected.
2. Spoke to Simon Perks (assistant convoyer) and informed him. The weather conditions at that time at Messac were gale force westerly winds with no sun.
3. Spoke to Terry Scholey at 06.00am Saturday morning to be informed that the current weather conditions were broadly as predicted the previous evening and the weather conditions were, race point cloudy with light to moderate south westerly winds,France generally cloudy with intermittent sunshine with the wind picking up,Channel westerly winds with heavy rain wind upto 30mph,England wind west to south west with intermittent showers possible anywhere.
4.Spoke to Simon Perks and informed him of my findings and would ring again at 06.30.at that time it was cloudy with light to moderate south westerly winds as I had been previously informed by Terry Scholey.
5. I carried out a line of flight telephone analysis from Yorkshire to the south coast and spoke again to Terry Scholey and informed him of my findings. He was of the opinion that it will be a better day for a liberation on Sunday I told him I would ring again to confirm my decision.
6.Carried out the various weather checks on the computer and reluctantly decided that in the best interests of the bird and with the current information that I had the birds were held over.
7. Spoke to Terry Scholey,Simon Perks and Sid Barkel and informed them of the decision.
8. Arranged for a weather update at 19.00pm with Terry Scholey Saturday.
9. Spoke to Terry Scholey 19.00 Saturday evening and was informed that it is anticipated that Sunday will be a better day than Saturday with west to south west winds and good visibility with winds up to 25 mph in the channel.
10.Spoke with Simon Perks and informed him of the forecast the current weather conditions at 19.15 Saturday were showers with intermittent sunshine and wind in a south westerly direction.
11. Rose at 04.45 am checked the various weather sites and found generally as indicated by Terry Scholey on Saturday evening.
12. Spoke to Terry Scholey at 05.50 am and was informed that the current weather conditions are Messac South West wind 7mph, channel Westerly wind up to 30 mph on English coast, English mainland manly westerly light to moderate with good visability throughout.
13.Spoke to Simon Perks and informed him of the current weather situation after a brief discussion it was decided to liberate, Simon requested that he would hold the birds until the sun rose, it was agreed that he liberate the birds when he considered the conditions were right.
14. Simon Peart rang to say that the birds were liberated at 06.45am in a South West wind in sunshine and they cleared immediately.
15.Rang Sid Barkel and notified him of the liberation.
16. Many thanks to all concerned and a special thanks to Simon Peart who I sure is a very able deputy in Trevor Cracknell's absence.
Paul Clements.
Hi National members and welcome to my report of the Messac National flown on Sunday 19th June Liberated at 0645 after a one day holdover.The race turned out as a typical National with velocities initially in the high 1500s but dropped away quickly as the further Sections timed birds flying over 400 miles.There were showers about but this did not affect the birds despite some arriving wet.One Section winner told me that his 1st & 2nd section winning birds were soaking wet on arrival but once dry were clapping and roaring all over the loft.This fancier flies over 420 mls too.These sort of reports only serve to inform everyone that The National Flying Club officers,advisors and convoyers do a fantastic job in caring for our birds.They do not often receive praise so I would loke to pay tribute on behalf of all members on another job very well done.
Reading through the Sections it is very interesting to note that several fanciers although small team flyers, had more than 1 bird in the winners enclosure. For instance, Nick Adshead from Selby in Yorkshire timed birds to be 1st and 2nd Section. In fact this remarkable fancier has won 1st Section K in each of our 3 races this year. Nick tells me that he has won 5 out of the last 6 Section races. Excellent flying by any standards.
Howse & Parsons timed 4 quick ones to be provisional 1st,3rd,4th Section G and this was not an easy race.
I see that once again Green & Hilson timed an early one to take 14th Section L and when you take into account this partnership were 2nd Section in both previous races in 2011.In addition,in a difficult race from Cholet when many members flying much shorter than these partners struggled to time and not many bids about,Green & Hilson had 10 birds in the clock.What performances these fanciers put up year upon year.They are well overdue a loft visit and with their permission I will visit them this year and carry out a loft report.This will make excellent reading for everyone.
Saving the best until last,the partnership of Crammond & Langstaff who of course have gained the coverted 1st Open TNFC Messac,timed 3 more good birds and are in the enviable position of Probable 1st,2nd,3rd,4th Section A and also a fantastic 1st,2nd,3rd 4th Open.What a performance in the Premier National of all England.
I may be wrong but I have not seen such performances in The National Flying Club ever before.if there has been such performances in the past then I apologise but that fact takes nothing away from this result.
Scanning through the list of early times I see names that are continually in the Open results each race,no matter what the conditions are or where the wind direction is from.These fanciers are masters at preparing birds for National racing.The National Flying Club is the Premier National in England.It takes completely different birds and preparation for these races.This is where the birds are racing to all parts of the country and many birds not suited to this type of race follow other birds and end up miles adrift of their lofts.
A great many members that I speak with tell me that they are interested only in National racing.Winning multiple prizes at club or Federation level pale into insignificance when a single National Section or Open diploma is won.
Here now are details and photographs of the Messac Open and Section winners.
Very well done and congratulations to them all and everyone who timed early birds in this testing race.
1st Section A 1st Open TNFC Messac is Crammond & Langstaff
Probable 1st 2nd 3rd 4th section A, 1st 2nd 3rd and 4th open is Crammond&Langstaff of Fontwell, the partnership clocked a blue Kees 
Bosua yearling cock out of there no. 1 pair of Bosuas (sire is from Chico x Dochter Figo and the dam is from Kleine Figo x Witkopje) this pair have bred some very good pigeons over the last few years for the partnership and for others, a sister won the sect in the BBC Messac race this year and was 6th open. Their second pigeon was a Andreas Drapa yearling third was a Van Lint (Bred by Nick Barran and partner) and fourth was a M&D Evans Vandenabeele. The birds are raced on the widowhood system and are flown on open door so the birds are caught and scanned on the pads on the wall of the section, all the race birds are fed on Marimans corn and this week leading up to basketing they had Gem Gem-Thepac and Versele Laga Boost x5 added to the corn. The widowhood cocks are trained 2 to 3 times a week from 35 miles. Ian and Nigel would like to thank Eileen Paul and Tony for all there help over the last two months and to Robbie Jones for training the birds while Nigel was unable to do so. they would like to finish by saying a big thank you to everyone who phoned text and emailed to congratulate them. Thanks Ian and Nigel
1st Section B is P Ayling 
My first pigeon is a 2 year cock raced on roundabout. He has always been a very consistent pigeon that can be relied on. His sire was a dark janssen, a winner of five firsts, from Brian Wall lines. His dam has been 20th open NFC Angers and 31st open NFC St Nazire, and comes from my Dad’s distance family.
I have been racing pigeons since 2001 and enjoy classic, national and international racing. My best performance to date was 1st Open BICC Pau 2008.
I would like to finish by congratulating Nigel Langstaff on his win and a brilliant performance.
Paul Ayling
1st Section B photo
1st Section C we have B Woods,
The icing on the cake having just celebrated my 73rd birthday and 45th wedding anniversary was to clock in my 5 year old blue cock GB 06N 88457.
He is bred from a Louella Busshaert sire and a Renus Laban hen. This year he has had 2 BBC and 3NFC races also races with the Dorset Fed. He was my
1st bird from Cholet, 246 open 13th section C on June 4th, on the same sitting of eggs as today which are due to hatch.
He has been flown widowhood in the past but changed to natural this year and has always been a consistant bird every year that I have raced him.
1st Section D Messac NFC ‘A & W Harwood & Smith’
The bird that has done me proud is the same hen coming 7th Section NFC from Cholet, she is from a cock bird bought from David Reed, a pure Vandensbeele from the TC bloodline. Every bird bred from this cock has taken 1st cards and Fed wins. I would like to thank David for supplying me with some really good birds.
I fly my birds on the ‘roundabout system’, one week hens, one week cocks. The club I fly with is the Honiton South Road, we have some of the top flyers in the Fed and Nationals in our club here in Devon.
This is my first section win, so I am over the moon with her, I am going to call her ‘Dawn’s Delight’ for she is out of my daughter’s section. The sister to this bird was 1st bird in Devon last year with the BBC from Messac.
I give my birds, six training tosses at the start of the season, one hour in the morning and one hour in the evening, flying out of the loft. All my young birds are on the dark system, they come off of this system on the 21st June.
I feed my birds Sunday and Monday with ‘Super Diet’. Tuesday, Wednesday ‘Mariman Variamax’, and Thursday, Friday, 50% ‘Mariman’ 50% ‘Red Ruby’ plus ‘Sunflower Hearts’ and ‘ ‘Hormorform’ – a teaspoon for each bird. When they return from a race I put ‘Electrolytes’ and ‘Honey’ in their drinking water.
All my pigeon corn, I buy from ‘Twyfords’ in Tiverton, they are so helpful and always happy to order whatever I ask for.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the ‘convoyers’ for looking after the birds so well, my birds were in great condition on their arrival back home to the loft.
I would also like to thank my great mate Brian Reene and his wife Vera, for kindly taking my birds to the marking station for me, and for coming over to the loft
to take a photo of me, holding my winning bird. A big thank you to club members for sending ‘well done’ messages.
Good luck to everyone in the future.
Alan Harwood
1st Section E DMJ Hughes
Attached are the photos you requested. This pigeon is a Serge Van Elsacker-Jepsen widowhood hen bred from a pair of birds purchased from Mike Parker in Maesteg.
First time across the channel, was second club Yelverton last week. This is the 3rd time that I have won Section E in the National.
Thank you,
Mr David Hughes
1st Section E photo
1st Section F J&P Parker
Blue Hen, bred from the best Ian Stafford Jos Thone X Vandenabeele. We race the roundabout system, training twice daily around the loft and feed a mixture of matador and garvo corn. The birds trapped very well considering we ripped the entire flat roof off in the week and re-fitted a new pitched roof (madness mid season) so she came back and trapped fine after seeing a tiled roof for the first time.
1st Section G is C Howse & D Parsons
Chris Howse and Daivd Parsons prob. 1st section G
GB09B30058 BC cock
Chris keeps all pigeons at his address and solely looks after them with David helping with vacc and health issues when required.
All birds are flown on the basic widowhood system being paired early jan and reared two ybs.
All birds are fed VERSA-LAGA corn. We are really pleased with this section win as we have concertrated solely on NFC races this year. We entered 29 in the race and had 4 birds arrive in 4 minutes to take provisional first, third, fourth and fifth section. 58 was a consistant bird last season and flew the NFC programme last year. Apart from tarbes and was in the clock every time. He was our second pigeon last week from NFC cholet winning 77th open 15th section. He is also the sire of the hen that won 2nd open highlittleton national from tours when we were 1st and 2nd open.
The breeding of 58 is on the sire side buss. As the sire is a full brother to our NFC certicate of merit winner and the dam is a champious janseen, also the nest mate of 58 won 8th open C.S.C.F.C. carentan this year. Finally we would like to thank the convoyers on the excellent condition the birds returned in after the hold over as the time of writing we have 22 out of our 29 entries home.
!st Section H Jan Czarnota
Jan Czarnota
Jan lives a few miles north of Corby in Northamptonshire in the pretty village of Gretton, and as can be seen from the photo of Jan outside his loft, he enjoys views across the Welland Valley and open countryside. Jan has only turned to south road racing in the last couple of years after many years of successful north road, and his section winning 2008 bred hen, now named “Welland Lady” has spent two years in Jan’s stock loft. The sister to Welland Lady won seven Fed cards on the north out of seven races and Jan was fearful of loosing this bird to the abundance of hawks in the area. Consequently Welland Lady has only had three Inland races this year, and the NFC Messac race was her very first Channel race. The hen is a small to medium sized hen bred by the Genealogy Stud in Liverpool (hence the NWHU ring) and is bred off Bartoli De Klak Janssen lines from the Champion Ace bird of Holland “De 25”.
Jan believes in a simple racing system where the birds have virtually an open loft and enjoy total tranquillity in a loft, which is probably as near to nature as any loft one can imagine, with rafters; nooks and crannies for the birds to nestle down into their own space and feel completely ‘At Home’.
As a secondary point………..
Jan is of Polish origin and came to England well over forty years ago. He is hugely generous and sponsors the Northamptonshire Championship Club, where much of his inland training is done via mid week racing, plus flying as an Independent in the Harrowden Federation. The Northamptonshire Championship Club (NCC) was formed three years ago to specialise in National Channel racing and has for the first time in 2011 adopted the NFC Channel program. The membership is open to the whole county but is predominantly situated in East Northamptonshire, and the club’s results via the NFC so far this year are really impressive. In the Messac race, with just six members sending; five of the top six section positions were taken by NCC members, whilst two out of three section wins this year have also been taken by club members.
1st Section H photo
1st Section I is the partnership of Mr &Mrs Broom,Son & Daughter.
I had some trouble in contacting the family and eventually received a call from Mrs Broom from deepest,darkest Rhyl in North Wales.The son is holding the fort whilst the rest are on holiday but got his own back in some style when timing their Section winner.That will teach them to leave you home Martin.
The hen that won section I Is a Vanderbosch. Both grandparents are fed winners. She is a yearling hen on the widowhood system. In this picture is Martin Broom with the pigeon. Unfortunately Graham, Susan, and Lynnette Broom who are also partners were unable to be in the photo as they are on holiday in Wales.
Regards
Martin Broom.
1st Section J are Preece Bros.
1st Section J winners Preece Bros.For the second race running 1st Section J has been won by a CleeHill HS member.This time being Peter and Kimmy Preece. This partnership was reformed 4 years after their Father Gordon passed away.Preece Brothers have been flying pigeons for 40 years but 2011 will be one which will be well remembered.Their winning 3 year old Cheq cock being a De baere x Vanderbeele this being a gift bird from Albert Hodgson from Kidderminster.the partnerships loft is in the village of Cleobury Mortimer which is 15 miles to the West of Kidderminster.The dark cheq cock now known as Dick Barton after their late Father Gordon has previously won from Wincanton as a yb 90 miles also winning 1st Fougeres 3rd Messac and 3rd Saintes in their club. Already this season the partnership have won the Hereford & South Shropshire Federation twice both from Kingsdown 119 mile with 2 seperate birds. On my visit to my loft only a small team of pigeons are kept.I would like to say thanks to the partnership for letting me see and handle their winning bird.I think their late Dad Gordon will be looking on down at Pete and Kim and feeling very proud of his sons'.Shame he wasn't there to have a few beers with you both a big well done from all club members.
1st Section K the formidable Nick Adshead
Hello Again
Well its the 3rd NFC race of the year and its my 3rd section win on the trot, and my 4th section win in 5 NFC races so as you can imagine i am very pleased with my team at the momment.
The winning Bird is a cheq w'f cock who is now named "Special K" He' s been a consistant bird for me. My family of pigeons are based on Peter vd Merewe but over the last 10 years futher introductions have been made from Koopman, D Sepers and Comb B & W. The birds have been blended together to form a fantastic National winning Team. I started the season with 13 cocks and to say that out of them came 3 section winners is unbelievable. My 1st Section 36th open Cholet winner was only 3 mins behind his team mate and will be placed high in Section K for the 2nd race on the trot.
My birds are raced on total widowhood and are fed on Garvo corn supplied by B Leefe and sons of Malton which i feel is very beneficial to them,
I manage a under 10's football team and i was away for most of the day but i did manage to be there when the bird arrived. I must thank my good friend Mark Aldred and my Son, Connor for keeping an eye out for me in my absence. The birds arrived in very good condition which just goes to show how well the NFC looks after the birds in their care.
1st Section K photo
1st Section L is A & S Hughes.
The pigeon we have timed in is a 2 year old light blue check rietvink/brasspenning vanloon roundabout cock. He is a winner of minor prizes this season before topping section L today. His sire is a direct 14 year old rietvink cock from Galaxy lofts. His mother is a 7 year old brasspenning vanloon which is a full sister to the dam of our second open midland national winner from Carentan in May this year. The sister was also 3rd in a three counties combine from Faliase 2 weeks ago.
I would like to add that all our pigeons which returned today were in excellent condition considering the 3 nights in the basket.
All of our pigeons are flown on the roundabout and are fed 50/50 marimans varimix and versala laga breeding mix and are given GEM supplements.
In the picture is myself on the left Simon, My 6 year old son in the middle Zak and my dad Tony on the right.
1st Section L photo
That’s it then,another really good testing race with The National Flying Club. Talking with fanciers throughout the country, although the wind and conditions did have the usual effect on the race and birds, everyone was full of praise for the condition of the birds on their return. In addition, returns were very good with some fanciers only a couple away on the night.
We now look for ward to the next race and may I wish everyone the very best of luck for a good race with good returns, and maybe a phone call from me with congratulations on a Section win and one person with an Open win. Look forward to speaking with you all.
Geoff Blackhall, Press Officer
The National Flying Club.
50 Elm Grove, Whitby
Ellesmere Port, CH66 2PT
Tel. No. 0151 356 8204
Mobile 07891 831831
E-Mail: anne@blackhall69.orangehome.co.uk
