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This my report and list of early times in our recent Fougeres Young Bird & Old hens Races which were held last weekend. The birds were all marked at our marking stations throughout England. Everything went very well and the birds were soon on their way in The National Flying Club state of the art transporters.
These transporters are really something to behold. Not only do they look excellent and reflect the Sport of Pigeon Racing in a really positive way, but owing to professional design and build, they are ideal for comfort and welfare of our birds.
This is of paramount importance and every design feature applicable to keeping the birds in the same condition that their owners entered them is incorporated into their design. Automatic feeding and watering systems are fitted. These are such a clever design that ALL birds are able to gain access to water at all times even when in transit and the food given is fed through other troughs fitted and this ensures that the corn remains clean and the birds are unable to foul it by walking on it. I have seen other feeding methods where the troughs are fitted to enable birds to drink, but the corn is fed using a scoop to put the corn on the basket floor. Not with our transporters and in addition owing to the crates being made of aluminium and very robust in construction, can be easily removed and steam cleaned. I can tell you that this cleaning is carried out after every race. The transporters have a self levelling system on the suspension which is used whenever the transporters are at rest in order that no matter what uneven surface they are on ensures that the water containers are level and therefore all birds are able to drink at all times.
The birds arrived safely in Fougeres and as you will see from our race advisors report below, he and the convoying team are in constant communication to ensure that all officials are aware of weather and wind conditions over the whole course and whether here are any other liberations likely to affect ours.
These races actually were a great success given the weather and showers about. There were excellent birds timed over to the Eastern side of England which was expected given the wind but look at where some of the early timers were. Really outstanding birds on the day.
For instance, YBs’ 3rd Open Cleethorpes 363 mls, 4th Open Manchester 357 mls, 6th Open Pontefract 370 mls, 13th Open Derby 317 mls, 29th Open Salisbury and 22nd Open up on Congleton 336 mls. Furthest flying bird timed in first 30 Open belongs to D Fussey from Yorkshire flying 401 mls.
OHs’ 1st Open Redditch 275 mls, 4th Open Derby 324 mls, 17th Cheshire 346 mls, 26th Open Crewe 327 mls, and 2nd Open well off the line of flight this race Winkfield 216 mls. The furthest flying Old hen was flying 401 mls and yet again was owned by D Fussey of Yorkshire. Very well done to him for two excellent timers.
Here now are the weather reports and maps, also list of early timers in Open and Sections for both races.
Spoke to Terry Scholey Friday am and was informed that the expected weather conditions for Saturday were generally favourable with South to South East winds throughout. It was arranged to have a further discussion on Friday evening
Trevor Cracknell rang Friday at approximately 13.30 and informed me they had arrived at Fougeres and the weather conditions at that time were sunny, good visibility with Southerly winds. I arranged to speak to Trevor at 07.00am Saturday morning.
Terry Scholey rang at approximately 19.00 and informed me that there had been little change from our previous conversation and it was arranged he would ring me at 07.00 Saturday.
Trevor Cracknell rang at approximately 20.00 for an update.
Trevor Scholey rang at 07.00 and informed me that there was a large amount of mist and fog in France and the English coast and it was agreed to speak again at 08.00, this information was relayed to Trevor Cracknell.
Following numerous conversations and with the improvement in the weather in the Cherbourg peninsular it was decided to liberate.
The birds were liberated at 09.45 in sunny conditions in a south west wind, they cleared immediately.
Many thanks to all concerned.
Paul Clements
Race Advisor
YOUNG BIRD NATIONAL
D HEYWOOD & SON, 1st & 2nd Section E, 1st & 2nd Open NFC
1st Section E, 1st Open NFC Fougeres, now named "PLAY BOY", a Blue Pied Cock sent feeding a 3 day old baby. This cock is bred down from their Old Busschaert lines of Little Black, De 85 etc. and is a direct son of "THE BIHOREL COCK" winner of 1st Section 1st Open BICC National Bihorel,
2nd Section 2nd Open NFC Fougeres now named “MISS DIANE" a Blue Hen was flown to overdue eggs. This hen is bred down from the JOHN GERARD HARTOGS, of the Bullhead and Golden Eyes line. She is a half sister to their 2009 National Winner "CELEBRATION LASS"
Probable 1st Section A is the partnership of Crammond & Langstaff of Fontwell,
The partnership sent a team of 35 that all flew the channel the week before in the BICC from Guernsey, The partnership only race their young hens across the water as they don't like to risk their young cocks across and this has proved positive for them this year when they took
the first four in the NFC Messac race 2011 with four yearling cocks having their first ever race across the channel. Their section winner this time is a Frans Rigole young bird bought in a kit of 25 young birds from Ian's good friend Frans this year after doing a deal over a (lot of beers) in February at the beginning of the year. Ian and Nigel race all their young birds on the darkness system and feed them on Marimans Junior super power with a little bit of V.L sneaky mix given as a treat they train their young birds three times a week from 30 miles. Ian and Nigel have won the NFC and 3 NFC Sections and a BBC Section this year so this tops off an other successful year for the partnership.
1st Section B TNFC is J Attrill from Salisbury.
John timed a Blue Cock bred by himself. Sire is a Gaby Vandenabeele from Crammond & Langstaff; Sire is a Flor Engels from Morris & Pugh from Maerdy South Wales.
He has had a very good Young bird season in 2011, winning 4 races from 7 so far in Salisbury & District. This Section win is the 3rd one this season and also won 2 x 2nd Sections, 2 x 3rd Sections, 4th Section and 14th Open Cholet.
Winners of 1st Section C are D & G Thomas
Our names are Dexter and Gemma Thomas and our winning Section pigeon is now named ‘BOLT’
We train our youngsters to Bournemouth which is 50 miles.
They then went training with the Devon & Cornwall Combine to Salisbury and Lyndhurst.
The following week they went straight into the NFC race to Fougeres.
The pigeon is a Peter Van Der Merwe pigeon.
He was always either the first or amongst the first pigeons back home from training.
The photograph shows Gemma holding the Section winner and Dexter holding another 2 timers.
2nd Section C after a correction, John Halstead times a Blue Gaby Vandenabeele ‘A’ ring cock, raced on his ‘Reverse Thrust’ Darkness 
System. This cock’s full brother was 3rd Open in the Central Southern Classic 
Open Young Bird race from St Malo in 2009 in a very hard race, which is why he was rung with an ‘A’ ring. Another sister is also racing well in the North Coast Classic One Loft race. This Blue cock has only had one previous race and he returned 2 days late from the Dorset Fed Open Guernsey and had obviously covered some ground and probably plenty of sea. He was showing to a hen on the morning of basketing. His sire is ‘Ruby’ winner of 3 firsts and put to stock at a young age, because he breeds young bird winners every season. Ruby has the same dam (1137) as ‘Nyland Arrow’ who won his 3rd NFC Section win from Saintes (371 miles) in July, having also won the section as a young bird. This hen 1137 is from a brother to M&D Evans’ ‘Rolls Royce’ out of ‘Nationaal Fideel’ and ‘Belle’, original 1995 Vandenabeeles. Ruby was mated with a granddaughter of ‘Shadow’. John entered 4 young birds and 2 old hens in this race and all were home by half past four and all will be prominent in Section C.
Winner of 1st Section D is C Colwell of Minehead.
1st Section F Fougeres YB was timed by F Seeney.
Mr Seeney is assisted by his Grandson Christopher who spends a great deal of time at the loft, cleaning and helping with the birds training whilst he is on school holidays.
The breeding is Soontjen cross Delbar, and the sire won Niort and was my first bird 2 weeks later from Bergerac. The Soontjens I bought from Brian Clayburn, six years ago crossed them in with my Delbars and I have been building a family on these lines, now call them Bluevanseeneys. Will name the pigeon Burnt Out (private joke in club). Also find attached a picture of myself and my Grandson.
WINNER OF SECTION G, FOUGERES YOUNG BIRD RACE – NATIONAL FLYING CLUB
MR A K Heal
I am over the moon with this win, as a section win in the big races has always managed to elude me, despite some strong performances over 
the years
This pigeon has now been named Cam Valley Celine, her breeding is somewhat complex as for many years I have purchased sprint based pigeons from different strains old and new to breed into this family of pigeons, the original family was Van Reets which I purchased in the late nineties and are still very prominent in the bloodlines, they won right from the start, however needed a bit of stiffening for the channel races.
As a small Team fancier I decided to try and build a sprint based family of pigeons that would allow me to compete in the majority of races and leave the long distance races to those whom enjoy them best. like most fanciers I have looked at all the theories and come to the conclusion the best way to achieve my aim was to source performance fanciers and pigeons and pair best to best.
Fancy named and unraced pigeons, which are so often on sale with an endless pedigree, produce nothing but rubbish, as the losses of young birds tends to suggest, the test is and always has been the basket. I work my young birds hard, and select only the best performers at the end of the season, regardless of what they are bred from, the whole team young and old are now becoming very competitive at all levels.
I now call my family of pigeons The Cam Valley Thoroughbreds as I estimate there have been at least a dozen different strains bred into the team over the years.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the people involved with the N.F.C and the true sportsmen who phoned congratulating me on Celines wonderful performance, and to my mate Eddy who seems to be my good luck charm.
Winning 1st Section H YB Fougeres is A. Smith.
This pigeon is a Van Breeman, from stock obtained from Matt Rakes, previous 1st TNFC Tarbes. Raced every week in the Fed and on the darkness system. Many thanks too Mel Erington for taking my birds to the marking station for me.
the girls in the photo are my granddaughter Rhea (left) and my youngest daughter Bev. (right)
Winner of Section I - Fougeres YB - 3rd September 2011. Gregory and Son
GB11N73594 - Cheq Pied Cock
Sent Sitting: 7 days
Breed: Vandenabeele x Kipp & Son
My interest in birds started when I was a young boy when I started keeping pigeons with my granddad and dad when I was 7 years old. I have been involved in racing pigeons since 1948 and racing on my own for 42 years. I have had lots of involvement from my family; my wife Chris for helping when training and later involved my son Paul when we became R Gregory & Son.
Without my good friend Steve Redfern I would find it hard to get my birds to the Marking Station.
The birds I keep are Vandenabeele - Kipp and Sixsmith Dordins from F Jones of Stourbridge who has gifted me many birds over the years.
I sent 9 birds and clocked 6 birds in the Fougeres Race.
1st Section J YB Fougeres was Mick Jones.
The bird that I timed is a blue bar cock of Geoff Cooper Deweerts, bred by Trevor Hughes of Ludlow.
The sir won 1st Fougeres and 3rd Saintes for Trevor this year and is bred down from Daybreak and a sister to Farm Boy, the dam is from Tomo 11 x Paula, all Geoff Cooper birds.
My winner was sent sitting a 5 day old young bird and was very keen on the nest; he had all races to Portland last week, where he was 3rd St George’s club.
Just a note Trevor Hughes father the late great Sam Hughes was the force and mentor that started me in racing pigeons back in the early 60s.
Mick Jones
1st Section K was timed by Mr & Mrs M Wilson.
Now named “BECKS GIRL" One of a pair from JOHN BECKINSALE of Wales; John & I for the last 20 yrs have travelled extensively over Belgium, Germany & Holland seeking out families of interest
John has m
any wins & National results including a couple over the channel this year, with one Desmet Mathys family;
Mr & Mrs WILSON'S next two timers are from his main family being Frenken x Desmet Mathys; This year Marco has raced 30 Y.B.'s on semi darkness from a small loft in our garage; FOURTEEN old birds are raced through to TARBES 712 miles with some success, including 1st section K DAX 657miles; We enjoy competing in the now very tough HUMBERSTON F.C., one of the strongest clubs in the LINCOLNSHIRE SOUTH ROAD FEDERATION , with fellow members such as SNOOK BROS, FOX & HORSFALL, MR & MRS BLENDELL , WALLY MAY & THE SMITH'S; Wife Kath is the diamond who keeps the lofts clean & Grandson Joe is showing a keen interest which is helping to motivate Granddad; A small team concern with no secrets, just good honest birds low in numbers with plenty of training; yours 
on behalf of Mr & Mrs Marco Wilson of Cleethorpes, Terry Wykes press officer to the Humberston F.C. & scribe to the B.H.W. PICTURES section k winning grizzle Marco, & all three timers!!!!
1st Section L is owned by A G Clements.
On race day, my good friend, David Garnett, came to sit with me as he usually does when not racing himself. Inland races had been held over, so as a result my ‘Good luck mascot’ as I call him, due to the many times he’s been present when my winning birds have arrived, was free to come over.
We were remarking on the silence in my garden, which used to be a hive of activity, with the variety of wild birds, which enjoyed the relative security it provided, probably due to the number of trees we have. Not so in recent months, due to the unwelcome presence of a neighbour’s cat, which has become an absolute pest? To add to this bad situation, a rather large female sparrow hawk has also been paying daily visits, during which time it has taken adult and baby ring necked doves, the adults having been long time inhabitants and fairly tame, my family also miss them.
Around 4pm, whilst sheltering from the rain and drizzle, inside the back porch, David and I were enjoying a cup of tea and scone. We wondered whether it would be possible for any birds, having to come so far North in the prevailing weather conditions, would make it home at all. However, David with his usual optimism assured me, ‘Something will get through, Gerry’
At about 4.25pm, a pigeon dived in from the South, which I immediately recognised as one of my National birds I quickly made my way down to the loft. She was doing a few laps of the loft and I realised I didn’t need to waste any time in getting her down, because the recent presence of the cat and hawk, could possibly cause her to take off again.
I released a broken winged cock as a ‘dropper’. As soon as she spotted him, she did a half turn, landed and passed through the bob wires to record a time of 4.26pm.
‘Frankie’ as I have now named her, is a small to medium. sized Grizzle, of the Willy Thas strain. She is typical of a lot of WT pigeons, totally uninterested in anything around her and flying to the perch.
One of my reasons for selecting ‘Frankie’ for the race, was because, as a baby, on the 2nd or 3rd time of being in the air, she and some others were carried off with a batch of trainers. She arrived back some 4 hours later, dropped in the garden and began pecking around as if she’d never been away. I then thought, ‘That is a survivor’
This was the first race she’d been entered in this year, following private training along with the rest of my youngsters, up to distances of 170mls.
This hen has the ‘winning genes’ as she is the direct daughter of what is probably, my best stock cock, namely ‘The Good Grizzle’ who was one of my most consistent racers, winning prizes from 100mls to 600mls. When I moved him over to the stock loft, he immediately began producing, Club, Fed, Combine and National winning birds throughout, England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
He himself is a son of ‘Del Boy’ and ‘Miss Ali’. His Dam, ‘Miss Ali’ unfortunately passed away last year. His Sire ‘Del Boy’ was a direct son of Willy Thas’s No.1 racing cock ‘The Domin’ when paired to the Grizzle of ’92.
The Dam of ‘Frankie’ is a blue hen; direct from ‘The Florin’ another of Willy’s super racing cocks.
As a matter of interest, I changed my corn at the beginning of the YB season, following a discussion with Roger Sutton, when I was telling him I was concerned that my birds may not be getting sufficient nourishment from some of the feeds currently available on the market. He suggested I try Merriman’s No.3 Widowhood mix. As a result, I saw a marked improvement almost immediately. So I would like to thank Roger for his sound advice.
I would also like to thank the Convoyer for the care taken of my birds, which was obvious from the excellent condition they arrived home in. Too often this huge responsibility is left unappreciated, some fanciers being quick to criticise, but lacking in praise when it is due.
I decided to name this little hen ‘Frankie’ as a tribute to my dear friend Frank Tasker, who sadly passed away last Wednesday. I am sure he would have been looking over us on Saturday. What I did miss, was the usual phone call from Frank, to check if I had carried out all the necessary requirements to ensure the welfare of the youngster, even sometimes calling back to make sure I’d done as he’d asked! I know this is something I will always miss.
As many of my fellow fanciers are already aware, I am originally from Derry, N. Ireland, as I never tire of telling them, especially after one of my ‘famed’ awful jokes!
I raced there for approx. three or four years and still keep in contact with several of my fellow fanciers over there, some of whom were once schoolboy pals.
One of my abiding memories of those times is of, at around age14yrs, clocking in my bird from St Malo, approx. 500mls at 8.30pm on the day. It felt like I had won the National, Grand National and Lottery all in one! However I was soon brought back down to earth, when I got to the Club headquarters to hear some members had clocked in at 5pm. But, no matter, from then on, I was hooked on long distance racing!
A few years later, I moved to England, finally settling in Manchester, where I have lived for the last 50yrs. Although I now have asthma and a touch of pigeon lung, through religious use of dust masks and any other aids I can find to help with my breathing problems, I thankfully manage to continue to enjoy this wonderful sport, with the same enthusiasm, as I have always done
FOUGERES OLD HEN NATIONAL
1st Section I and 1st Open Fougeres OH, Mr R W Parker.
Mealy Hen GB-10-R-3583 Strain Walter Docx
Sent sitting 10 days paired to a young cock in the young bird loft. She was in good body feather and had dropped two flights.
As a young bird 3rd club 5th south mid fed, dropped with loft mates.
As a yearling 3rd club 3rd HOE fed messac 309 miles.
Both parents are fed winners.
1st Section A flown by D J Deveson.
1st Section B is Tony Barrett.
1st Section B Fougeres Old Hen
She is a Cheq White Flight Hen and was a gift bird to me from a good friend Erik Nilson;
She is only a yearling and is of Janssen blood lines.
She was sent sitting 12 day squeakers
She was my only entry and now I have got myself a 1st Section Winner
Thanks to all who phoned and texted to congratulated me ,
1st Section C Old Hens is John Halstead of Kington Magna. This is John’s 15th Section win – the first of which came in 1988 when John lived in Uttoxeter in Staffordshire. Since moving to Dorset in June 2002 the emphasis has been towards the longer distance races with National wins at Palamos, Barcelona and Bordeaux in the last 4 seasons – a very good family of distance birds has been developed. However this latest Section winner is a yearling Blue hen of 100% Kees Bosua sprint/middle distance bloodlines. Along with another yearling these two hens were set out for the old hen’s races before the season started. They were left unpaired in the widowhood hen loft until May and then when other hens were lost in the 6 nest box natural compartment these were allowed to move in. The section winner was given training and raced for the first time on the 11th June with 2 Maidstone’s and a Carentan, but even though she was second bird to the loft twice, she could not get within ¼ of an hour of the widowhood cocks. Both hens were sent last week to the CSCFC Carentan sitting newly hatched babies and the Chequer hen was 3rd Section, but the better fancied Blue hen made a mistake and did not return home until Wednesday morning, but wherever she had been she had been extremely well looked after because she arrived home in great condition. Her mate had been feeding her baby in the nest, so she was quite happy to drop back into her normal routine. Let out on Wednesday afternoon, she flew around the loft like a young bird, showing that she was none the worse for her 4 full day’s absence. She was basketed for the race feeding a 6 day old youngster, tight in feather and holding a full wing, having grown only 3 new primary flights. As a young bird she had shown some promise in being 10th in the Hartcliffe Open Guernsey. On return from Fougeres, approaching from an Easterly direction she trapped like lightening and would have to be considered one of the best pigeons on the day, having to fly into the wind. She will probably return to Fougeres next Saturday in the BBC Old Hens National.
Sue White – 1st section D Old Hens Fougeres 2011
It turned out quite a busy day, my partner Wiss Stevens was away driving the Devon South Road Federation Transporter as the current convoyer/driver Ron Gardner is recovering from an illness. 
I was expecting Club birds for us both plus NFC young birds and old hens all due to arrive at approximately the same time trapping to 4 separate lofts. They had to negotiate difficult conditions down here in the South West, a fair south west wind and a mist all along the coast and up over the hills at Sidmouth. At 14.45 my good yearling chequer, Tuplin Barker “R Kenny’s” landed with a ‘thud’ a gift bird from good friend Ken Ware from Exeter, we exchange a couple of young birds every spring. This hen has done everything asked of her as a young bird and as a yearling. She was flown on the roundabout system, but due to losing her mate was sent ‘flying to the perch’ in the young bird loft, fed on an Irish mix, cider vinegar and strike.
My second arrival just after 1500hrs was purchased at the Devon & Cornwall transport fund sale, a Janssen bred by Mc Clements. My thanks to all at the Honiton Clock Station, and to Sid Barkel and family, and to all associated with the NFC.
1st Section E OH timed by Mark Gilbert.
The old hen was a yearling late bred hen and is 100 percent van Elsaker blood, She is from a son of Van Elsacker's 'Kilimanjaro', when paired to a racing hen that won first prizes for Van Elsacker.
She has been raced in with the youngsters. and has been raced split, The night before I let her together with her cock
She is all pooled and has been my fancy for the old hen’s national all year.
In the young bird national, I had two birds together. The first hen was from a grandson of Kliene Dirk and Mighty man of Koopmans, when paired to a Syndicate loft hen from a son of Figo. This hen was 3rd open Section L two weeks ago. The parents of this pigeon bred 1333 which won the Mad Hatters Open last year from Guernsey and then went on to be 10th open and 39th open Young Bird National last year. They also bred 1st and 4th section E 13th and 15th Open Cholet this year.
My second bird was from a son of Golden Gaby when paired to daughter of Gabys Loverboy. This pair bred me 4th open Saintes National this year, plus the winner of the Solent Fed open.
1st Section F OH Fougeres, raced by J & P Parker.
Pure Peter Van De Merwe (black)
Raced to ten day old babies, dropped in with last weeks 2nd open CSCFC, trained twice down to the coast this week after last weeks classic. We enjoyed good returns and a good race. Many thanks to all at the NFC who’s hard work throughout season have enabled us to enjoy our racing this year.
1st Section G is W G Harris.
The winner of Section "G" clocked at 15:20 and recording 1299ypm is Bill Harris of Elton, Gloucestershire. This Blue Bar hen was born in June of last year and was 
only privately trained as a baby. This year she had several races with Bill's local club, Blakeney and District, and was also sent to the NFC races from Messac, 278 miles (1,689th Open) and NFC Saintes 428 miles, found on the loft early next morning. When she arrived from Fougeres Bill was waiting for his young birds from the local fed race from Wincanton (which he won) and had six flying around at the same time. Another one joined them and he didn't pay much attention until they landed and he recognised that it was his national entry. His local fed organised several old hen's races along with the young birds this year and this hen won 3rd and 9th fed in two of those races.
The sire of the winning hen is on loan from Wilf Reed of Monmouth which in turn was obtained from Don Jones (Usksider) of Raglan. A medium sized pigeon steeped in middle distance blood. The dam was bred by Luscombe and Allen (Terry and Geoff) of Plymouth, bred down from their "Good Hen" who during her racing career won 12 NFC prizes including 3rd Open Poitiers and 11th Open Tarbes and this flying into Section "D"; she is of Janssen De Klak bloodlines. 
This loft after the young birds are weaned races roundabout all season until the longer races come along and the birds are then paired up depending on what races they are earmarked for. All birds are raced and all yearlings must go to Saintes with only four pairs of stock birds kept. Six birds were sent to this race he had 5 recorded with the other one arriving on Sunday morning.
1st Section H is the partnership Of Mr & Mrs Raper.
Hello Geoff,
just to reply to our telephone conversation, the pigeon is a Dark Cheque White Flight Yearling Tuplin Barker hen.
The family was introduced in 2008 to build a team to fly the distance. This will be her third channel race this year, always consistent without winning like the rest of the family.
All pigeons are flown on the natural system. Best result I have had since moving here six years ago, but I have been trying to build a distance family in that time, not a great deal of racing done in that time either. The partner’s daughter Lauren is pictured with her parents.
1st Section J OH Fougeres Mr & Mrs A Shore.
Mr Shore is the Son of the Late, Great Joe Shore and actually flew for years with his father as J Shore & Son putting up many fine 
performances.
GB10J17389 was bred by M Hughes by a cock which I gave him as a young bird which flew well over the Channel for him as a yearling but had to be retired to stock as he damaged a wing. This cock was bred from my old Pau cock Danny Boy crossed with stock from J & T Barnett & Daughter. This hen has been a widowhood hen all season then paired up with this race in mind, having a couple of Inland races and a few 50 mile training tosses and was sent to the race sitting a 3 week-old youngster. I feed a general mix which I usually make up myself.
1st Section K, C Dixon.
My pigeon now named Skippy is a 2yr old Van De Merwe hen. She has already had a highly successful career with 3rd Midland National Old Hens last year and numerous first and second prizes at club racing.
If she wasn't such a bad trapper I feel her performances could have been much better.
I started training her three weeks before the old hen’s race and then raced her as a widowhood hen. I am immensely proud of Skippy and am excited to see what she can achieve in her future races.
Mr Colin Dixon.
1st Section L Fougeres.Mr E Little & Son.
T
he bird that wins 1st Section for us is a 2yr old Gaby Vandenabeele Hen sent covering a 16 day YB.
She has been a steady pigeon for us, and in her last race before Fougeres was 5th Federation Niort 515 mls. She also has 2 x 1st prizes inland.
The Dam was purchased at G Pearce bereavement sale, and is very inbred to THE STIER.G Pearce was a very good friend to my late Father and I. He was a top flyer in his day.
Also at this sale was George Hilson who bought a pair of Gaby Vandenabeeles. We subsequently exchanged 2 ybs and the Cock of the pair became the Sire of the Section winner.
My Father, Ted Little passed away 2 years ago, but he had a real passion for National racing, and he would have been over the moon at our winning the Section. Dad & I (me being Dennis Little) always did everything together and were more like mates than Father & Son. That’s why I kept the name of
E Little & Son to honour his memory.
To finish, I would like to say that it is very nice that our Section winner came from birds of our good friend.
Below is a map of England showing where the YB Section winners are from.
In addition, below is a map of England showing where OH Section winners are.
Hopefully these are of interest to the members.
That concludes my report for our YB & OH Fougeres Nationals. I do hope that everyone enjoys my articles as much as I have enjoyed writing them.
I have tried to give all members an insight into how the National Flying Club operates with the members birds being most important.
In addition I have attempted to convey the excitement that is in all the Section and Open winners’ voices when I call, and perhaps let you all share something as to what it is like for members winning a major position in the Premier club of all England.
I intend to write more articles during our closed season in order to keep members interest up and let everyone know that the National Flying Club is still attempting to inform members of items of interest. I will be carrying out some loft reports too so look out for these.
Finally, if I have managed to report on our races in an interesting way, it is only because I, in turn get full support from Sid Barkel our hardworking secretary, Paul Naum who has gone out of his way to assist me when required, Paul Clements our race advisor who keeps me up to date on every race day as to the weather etc., and last, but by no means least, you the Section & Open winners who furnished me with the details and in some cases, interesting story’s.
Take a well deserved bow all of you.
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
