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This is the race that all serious minded distance flyers have been preparing for since 2010. Entries for this race, flying distances ranging from 520 miles up to over 750 miles and in the view of our members, the ultimate test of their birds, breeding methods and preparation. You will see that the weather just about perfect over the whole route. When you read the race advisors report the weather forecast takes into account the whole of the route home through France, throughout England, Scotland and Wales and in addition shows the detailed forecast for the second day too. In other words every care was taken to ensure members had a great race and so it transpired as early birds were timed in all Sections. Returns were very good. There are of course birds not yet home but we must remember that this is a long distance race and there really is no longer a drag once the convoy reaches England. The winning birds strike out for their own areas and lofts in many cases on their own. It takes special pigeons for this. These birds have not been raced week in and week out in a local Federation. National racing calls for a completely different type of bird and preparation.
The convoy reached Tarbes after a very good journey where they were, as usual very well looked after by our convoying team.
Liberated into a glorious sky they did not even circle but set off for home within seconds.
There were 7 gallant day birds and when you consider that many birds will not or cannot fly in excess of 12 hours, it makes it very remarkable that these 7 flew for over 14 hours and in 2 cases flew over 15 hours. This shows the standard of birds and shows how the owners prepared their birds for the supreme test of endurance. British pigeons are amongst the best in the world. British fanciers have now won 1st International on 3 occasions. Brilliant flying by anyones standards.
However, it was not to be that a day bird would win the coverted 1st Open.
Saturday dawned, the second day. A partnership in Yorkshire had prepared their sole entry for Tarbes. A widowhood cock, with National winning bloodlines was sent with quiet confidence and pooled accordingly.
The partners were aware, via The National Flying Clubs excellent website of the day birds timed, and in view of these birds flying 550 miles on average, expected birds into Yorkshire approx 0900 to 1000. One of the partners went to the loft on an allotment around 0800 to prepare the loft for the race and to feed the birds at home. The other partners were to follow on towards 0900 for their Tarbes entry. Just imagine. This fancier unlocked the allotment gate, walked into the garden on a beautiful summers morning and approached the loft. A bird was on the loft and first glance was thought to be a bird from another week, or a stray or even a yb. As the fancier neared the bird his heart began to race because this was their Tarbes entry already home. With great excitement the loft was unlocked, the entry was opened and the bird was timed. The bird was checked many times as the fancier still could not believe that their bird was home so early. No-one will ever know when the bird actually arrived or how long he had been there, but, this gallant bird proved to be the 1st Section K and 1st Open winner from Tarbes flying over 740 miles. This is what fairytales are made of. This is why fanciers flying these distances enter their birds. When I spoke to the senior partner some hours later, he was so excited he was unable to speak and handed the phone to the loft manager John Hanley. It was fantastic to hear the excitement in their voices to experience the high they were on. Fanciers will know what I am talking about. There is nothing like it in the pigeon world, the feeling when timing an early bird from over 700 miles. This is why we race pigeons. Long may it continue.
That, I hope has set the scene for the rest of my article and generated much interest.
Here now is the race advisors report, the weather maps and list of 1st 30 in the Open and each Section. In addition, there are photographs of each Section winner and their proud owners, and not forgetting our fantastic 1st Open Tarbes and owners. There are articles on management and preparation of each winner and their bloodlines. You will notice that each and every winner is bred for the job, and all are steeped in long distance winning bloodlines.
1. Spoke to Simon Peart Wednesday afternoon and he confirmed that everything was in order. The weather was sunny with light winds and they were hoping to stop off for the night south of Saintes with a view of arriving at Tarbes between 10.00-12.00 Friday.
2. Spoke to Terry Scholey Thursday afternoon and he indicated that he anticipated that the weather will fine, good visability with light North to North east winds.
Arranged to speak with Terry 05.45 Friday.
3. Spoke with Simon Peart Thursday afternoon and he informed me that they arrived at Tarbes at 11.30 and the weather was sunny, light winds and good visability. I informed Simon of the conversation with Terry Scholey and following a discussion it was agreed to liberate at around 06.00 Friday provided that my conversation with Terry was possitive and good visability at Tarbes.
4.Spoke with Simon Peart at 04.45am and following a discussion it was decided to get ready for an early morning liberation. At that time it was dark.
5. Spoke with Terry Scholey at 05.45am and he confirmed that the conditions were ideal for as early morning liberation, light and variable winds at the race point turning north westerly as the convoy headed north with sunshine in abundance, visibility throughout very good.
The forecast for Saturday for the British mainland is sunshine and light and variable winds.
6. Spoke to Simon Peart and following a further discussion it was decided to liberate and the earliest opportunity will be 06.15.
7. Rang Simon again at 06.20am and was informed that the birds were liberated at 06.15am in a light and variable wind with the sun rising in the east,they left the race point without circling.
8. Many thanks to all concerned.
Paul Clements.
Race advisor.
1ST SECTION K, 1ST OPEN TARBES TNFC FLYING 740 MILES FOR SHACKLETON & SON
'Pennine Heights' , Tarbes winner 2011 National flying club, belonging to Shackleton and Son of Keighley West Yorkshire.
photo's show the pigeon, 'Pennine Heights', Brian Shackleton, Peter Shackleton and John Highley.
Shackleton and son clocked 'Pennine Heights' at 8.12 am saturday morning, flying 740mile, 'Pennine Heights' being a widowhood cock and last seeing his hen when being clocked at N.F.C Cholet 14 days previous.
Sire: Son of Snydale Prince when paired to a daughter of Snydale Express
Prince = 8th open N.F.C Tarbes
Express = 1st open N.F.C Tarbes
Dam: Full Sister of Ettienne Meirlaens' LUKA' bought from PIPPA by john highley in 2006.
Partnership consists of Brian, son Peter daughter in law Karan and loft manager John Highley
RE A.E Shepherd 1st Sec A.TNFC Tarbes
GB08A00603
His name is Cheeky Face and from my K.O Nipius x Jan Aarden family of which i bought back in 1978 and that is the only strain that i keep.His past performences are 95th Sec A Young Birds in the NFC St Marlo race.He has flown Tarbes in 2009 homed on the winning day, then he was first clubbed lessay and then 16th Sec 100th Open NFC Tarbes in 2010, and now if the result holds he will be 1st Sec A 8th Open NFC Tarbes.
His sire is called Lucky with four timings in four NFC races, his dam is Elizabeth a sister to Seven Up, my Barcelona winner with the BBC 2010, and his greatgrand dam is the dam of Seven Up.
At the time of writing Saturday 2nd July 2011 I now have 9 of my birds home in the clock.
I would like to say a big thank you to the convoyers for the excellent condition the birds arrived home in.
1st SECTION B – SCOTT STORIE
My first bird from Tarbes is a 4 year old Jim Biss Widowhood Cock. He has been a steady bird until this race, just arriving home behind my 
first birds. His two brothers bred the same year have scored well. One was in the results from Tarbes NFC last year, Cholet NFC this year and my second pigeon home from Tarbes this year. The other cock was 2nd Section 5th Open CSCFC Messac and 5th Section 41st Open NFC Poitiers last year.
The sire is bred by Jim Biss and is a son of Champion Basher. The dam is bred by Fowler Family from their Jim Biss stock and is my No.1 stock hen. She is dam of 3rd National BICC and gdam 2nd National BBC plus many other Classic and National prizewinners.
All birds are fed on Versele-Laga corn when racing.
I would like to congratulate the winners of the race and Mr and Mrs Crutcher on their 2nd Section Tarbes and the tremendous season they are having.
Also I would like to thank my Parkstone club mates and other fanciers on their support this year.
1ST SECTION C TARBES TNFC D,N&B JOYCE
Neil started pigeon racing in 1992, Derek started two years later. They raced against each other until merging in 2001.
The winning CH cock was bred from original pigeons from Neil's loft, Dam having won SW Section CSCFC from Pau.
Races this year: Carentan twice, Messac 3 times, Fougeres. This bird did not race much last year due to an injury sustained early in the season. Have not trained this year, put straight into races. Birds have been out every day through winter flying around loft.
We would like to thank Christine for looking after birds, cleaning them out, feeding, etc also David Davies for taking birds to marking stations.By the way,their second bird from Tarbes which also be high in the Section was bred from their very good friend Ivan Mills and the partners wish to thank Ivan very much for the bird.
Our birds have had more success long distance flying:-
2000 1st section, 16th open Nantes
2001 2nd section, 4th open San Sebastian (on day)
2002 6th section, 18th open Bergerac
2003 6th section, 32nd open Bergerac
Weydor Club 1st and 2nd YB Silver Jubilee race
2005 1st section, 6th open Pau
19th, 29th and 32nd Open Bergerac
2010 3rd section Saintes
1ST SECTION D TARBES TNFC MESSRS KNOX & STEWART
This partnership timed a 4 yr old Blue WF hen sent sitting eggs 12 days when basketed.This fine hen has been timed from at least 12 National races and is a very consistent racer.She is of Busschaert X Van Hee,the Sire is a bird called the Ollys Cock who incidently is Gsire of G Chappells 1st Section TNFC Fougeres 2011.
Ollys cock is owned by Olly Gittings from Bude and is son of The Old Man a multiple first prize winner.
Dam of the Section winner is a Van Hee of Napolean lines.Always stock,and was bred by Captain Cutliffe.This hen is now named My Little Treasure as a fellow fancier,one of two waiting with Jim Knox said that this is what Jim said to the hen after timing her,well done my little treasure.This hen was specially prepared for tarbes this year.Given one race from 80 miles,then to Cholet with TNFC where they wanted her on the wing for 10 hours and she was timed after flying for 12 hours.She flew every day with the YBs’for over 1 hour and was privately trained each morning from 30 mls,at 0500 to miss the hawks.It goes to show that hrd work and good prep with birds does pay off.
MARK GILBERT 1ST SECTION E TARBES TNFC
Firstly, I would like to say what a great race the grand national was this year. Nearly every section winner in the top 20 of the open, be it short or long . A testing race which I think the grand national should be, but it must go down as one of the fairest on records.
I must congratulate the winner, what an outstanding performance to win such a great race, I must admit it did hurt when I saw the verfication the next morning, thats how much winning the grand national means, its alway been a childhood dream of mine.
I had a great weekend and I must say I am still on cloud nine, my wife has just about had enough of me.
My first two pigeons were a brother and sister . The first bird is a hen and has been 6th open BBC Youngbird National and was 5th Fed BBO Cholet this year. The brother has been 6th open NFC Messec.
They are from a daugher of my International Winner, when he was paired to a daughter of Dewerdts champion Iban. The father is a double grandson of Invisible spirit.
I would also like to say a big thank you to the convoyer as the pigeons always come back in excellent condition.
Once again well done to the winner, to send one and win it at that distance thats some performance.
P KENDAL 1ST SECTION F TARBES TNFC
We would like to congratulate Mr Shackleton and Son on their Tarbes win at 740 miles. Well done. This season Tarbes was the main race. Paring at the end of January, sending to two club races of 116 miles. Ywo weeks back into Foargers with the NFC then onto to Cholet 11 birds sent 11 birds back. This gavce us just over three weeks to rest the birds prepare for Tarbes. The feeding was the same as 2010 Garvo Marathon all season with no break down early in the week. As the race gets closer peanuts are added to the mix. This years bird is a Jennsen Van Den Bosche bred by Mr and Mrs A Horton of Telford when paired to a sister of the 2010 Tarbes Winner bred by M Dorrington. Well Done to all section winners on a seamingly tough race.
J& G SMALLCOMBE 1ST SECTION G TARBES TNFC
John Smallcombes section G winner was bred by himself and the parents were obtained from Club colleagues Geoff & Catherine Cooper. Thanks to fellow club members for all of their congratulations on my success. Congratulations to Shackleton & Son on winning the national. What an achievement.
MARLEY WESTROP.1ST SECTION H TARBES TNFC
I have kept pigeons virtually all of my life and am now 90 years young.I believe that pigeons keep me going and consider that sitting in front of the TV doesn’t 
bear thinking about and would see me off in short order.I have always been interested in long distance racing and still get a great thrill when one of my birds arrive from the distance.my birds are all of the old Harrison Logans kept since 1960 with carefully selected crosses throughout the years.Some of my performances are 15 1st prizes from Lerwick 565 miles,many many positions in National racing which is where my interest lies.I also have the honour of being in the Guiness Book Of Records with my performance of racing the only bird ever to fly from Rome 918 miles on the South then flew from The Faroe Isles 733 miles on the North.
My Section winner is a grizzle hen which flew the young bird programme and was very consistant.As a yearling flew several races from France and again was very consistant.Sent to Tarbes on a 4 day old YB and would not leave the nest.I usually fly on RABT but do change things around a bit.Feeding for the distance is a hopper of farm beans in front of the birds at all times,supplemented by a good mixture fed at midday.For shorter races also use a lot of barley,and winter all birds on 100% barley which as a past farmer,I believe is a very underrated grain for pigeons.I do not give much in the way of additives,maybe cider vinegar couple of times a week,and my birds are,on the above system,always in excellent condition.
1ST SECTION I TARBES TNFC MR & MRS HILL
The partners timed a 4 year old Mealy cock sent on widowhood.This cock is what the owner calls Heinz 57,but it is not as simple as that.When Mr Hill restarted in our sport he purchased the very best distance bloodlines around and paired the best to the best so this cock and loftmates are from a dynasty of long distance bloodlines.Previously the Mealy cock was at Tarbes in 2009 with TNFC and was 2nd Section and 7th Open.
Sent to Tarbes again in 2010 with BICC he was timed but out of the result. 4 weeks later he was sent to Bordeaux with the MNFC and was 70th Open so 3 times to tarbes at a distance 0f 670 mls and has been 4th and 7th Open,what a pigeon.Mr Hill sent 11 cocks to this Tarbes and with 7 home,it looks likely his 2nd & 3rd timings will be approx 3rd & 4th Section and possibly 20th & 21st Open.
1ST SECTION J TARBES TNFC MR &MRS WEAVER.
Don and Marilyn Weaver from Ludlow have been members of the N.F.C for many
years.
This year is the first year they have competed for some time, as they
normally fly in the British Barcelona club.
The loft consists of small stock loft of only 10 pairs of stock pigeons.
Recently young birds have been obtained from top flyers Crowley and Green
and the BBC stud.
This little 07 hen is bred off old lines of Jim Biss cross George Bates of
Gravesend. She has been over the water many times, some of her results are
as follows:
2010 - 250 first VIRE with the B.B.C
2010 - 90th open messac
In 2011 she went to Carentain and Messac but was well behind in the
results, but this has given her the experience to push home from the 644
miles from Tarbes.
She was sent feeding 8 day old youngster.
As Don is 80 plus years, he is finding things a little bit difficult and a
lot of thanks and appreciation must go to grandson Neil for all his work
and help around the loft.
The club we fly in is Ludlow homeing society, many thanks go to all the
club members for all there help and support.
Thanks go to all who have contacted and congratulated us.
This bird and partnership is included in the report as initially I contacted them to congratulate them on 1st Section J.They responded immediately and were kind enough to forward photo and writup to me.It was only later that I received a correction e-mail from our national Sec.that in fact this bird did not win 1st Section.By way of an apology from me I include it.
The partnership of Brian & Shawn Price clocked in their Blue Pied Hen from the Tarbes National on Saturday Morning at 10.09am to take Provisional 1st Section J.
This partnership extends to being a full family affair with Shawn’s mother Margaret who feeds and exercises the birds in the evening while they are both at work.
Shawn’s two children Georgina (12) & Richie (15) are also very keen, as they both help out at the Hereford Homing Society Pigeon Club with Georgina checking the paperwork and Richie reading the clocks.
We also must mention Brian’s mother who is 86 years young, she takes the birds to Alverly marking station driven by her friend Bill who is in his 80’s.
The Blue Pied Hens’ mother was bought as a youngster from John & Ann Rakes of Caldicot who are top Welsh National Winners from the distance to cross into our family of long distance birds. She was clocked in the three NFC races last year, before being sent to Tarbes where she was 6th section J, 114th Open.
We race the widowhood roundabout system and then pair up for the Tarbes race she was sitting 10 days and we slipped a three day old youngster under her the night before basketing, she returned very tired from her long hard flight.
This year she was prepared for Tarbes by flying NFC Carentan & Cholet.
Our best performances from this race have been 2nd Section J, 81st Open Pau 2004 and 3rd Section J, 24th Open Tarbes 2005 (flying 15hrs:40mins on the day) both by the same pigeon
J. R. SUTTON
TARBES 2ND JULY 2011
1st Section L 6TH Open GB06C64409
I have been racing now for over 40 years from our farm in Astbury, Congleton. I race in the local clubs and specialist clubs but my main interest is flying in the Nationals.
Although I have never been successful in winning a National Race I have now won the Section L 14 times.
My family of birds that have been blended over the years contain Delbars in the early days, Andre Berte Janssen, Van de Weyer, Kellens and in more recent times Taveirne - Rigole,Vandersanden via Les Parkinson and Syndicate lofts via Derek Woodward. In more recent times daughters of outstanding National and Classic pigeons, whatever the breed, have been added to the existing family.
I prefer to add faster middle distance birds to the family rather than long distance pigeons.
My racing team consists of 100 young birds most of which are expected to fly the channel. The old bird race team consists of 50 widowhood cocks, the yearlings flying the less difficult classic races with 2 year old and over birds flying in the NFC.
I also race 20 natural hens and 20 – 25 celibate yearling hens.
The two hens timed in from the Tarbes race were natural hens sent sitting ten days at basketing. Both these hens have had excellent results racing from 500 miles on the day and on this occasion obviously in this country with the leading day birds.
There we are then.I hope that you will agree that there is a great deal of information in the above reports.There are of course different methods by the fanciers in preparing their birds for such a supreme test such as Tarbes.One thing in common is that without exception the birds have distance bloodlines running through their veins.These bloodlines are the finest in Europe,and you will see that with at least one loft there are still fine old strains which are winning even in 2011. By the way,our race advisor was contacted by members,some of them committee members with different views as to when liberation should take place.We appoint officials to look at the situation,weather etc.and should really trust their judgement as to their decision to liberate.Some wanted a late liberation in order that the further flying members would stand a chance if all birds had a night.In my humble opinion this,for the shorter flyers would result in 2 x 260 mile races not one 520 ml race.I am sure that most people would opt for the longer race with a chance of day birds but the longer flyers still having a chance of winning.And so it transpired that we got an early great lib,we had day birds flying over 15 hours and best of all,we had an Open winner flying 740 mls which is an incredible achievement.
We will of course never know but would Shackleton & Son or Chris Gordon have won their 1st Opens with a midday lib? What we ought to do is leave it to our officials to decide in the best interests of the birds.All members will join me in congratulating all winners but let’s not forget our advisors and convoyers as they have done the National Flying Club and members proud this season,as usual.
I notice that up there in the far North east of England,Durham to be exact that one Bill Bowden of Toft Hill timed his only entry a 4 yr old cock at 1930 hrs second day at 817 miles to be prob 12th Section and 106th Open.
How proud must this man be.Bill is a member of an extreme distance club who send with our National.They are hoping for more like-minded members to join them and with this performance showing that it can be done at these distances,they should get them.Prep for this bird was 1 race from Melton Mowbray 180 mls and into Tarbes 817 mls.No training was given but I am told that bills pigeons exercise like demons around the loft.
A fine distance race was experienced by all.Look in the result and you will see the same names cropping up year on year.Such fanciers base their whole years work in preparing for these races.We look forward now to Saintes.The very best of luck to all for a great race.
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
