The N.F.C. committee held it’s February meeting at the Gainsborough House Hotel,
Kidderminster, recently and there was an excellent turn out, with nearly all the committee
attending. With the adverse weather conditions on the day, several members turned up late,
but the chairman for the day, Bill Harris, delayed the start of the proceedings, to give
these fanciers a chance to battle through the snow and arrive at the Hotel.
A letter was received from Geoff Cooper and he wished that ‘The L.A. Barker
Trophy’, which Geoff won outright and re-donated to the club, be raced for in all
races including the N.F.C. Dax race. This adheres to N.F.C. rule 42, which states all
N.F.C. races, except the old hens event. Another letter was read out from Mr. W. Nicholls
and he said that he has in his possession a cup, ‘ His Majesty The Kings Cup’,
awarded to J. L Baker for the 1902 national race, by his majesty the king. The club plans
to contact Mr Nicholls to see if they can borrow the cup to display it as the prize
presentation in December.
The club has pleasure in accepting the offer of trophies from – Mark Gilbert who
has donated a trophy for the Dax national winner. Patrick brothers and Joe Raeburn who
between them have donated a trophy for the best 2 bird average from Dax, and the west
country fanciers, Richard Green and Tony Kane, who have between them agreed to sponsor the
section trophies for the Dax race. The offer from Catherine Cooper of an oil painting of
the Dax winner was also accepted. Many thanks from the N.F.C. to these fanciers for there
donations.
It was agreed by the committee that the Dax race would not be included in the N.F.C.
averages. It was agreed that Colin Bates should continue as N.F.C. Chief convoyer and that
Geoff Allen be promoted as his deputy. The position of assistant convoyer is to be
advertised. It was also agreed that in previous years general rule 18 has been broken and
therefore there will not be £1000 first prize for the 2003 races. The pay out will now be
15% for the open and 85% for the section prize money. It was agreed that the Nantes
birdage prices would be £3.50 per bird, Saints £5.00, Dax £8.00 (This will include
approximately £2.00 international entry), Pau Grand National£6.00 and Falaise will be £3.00 a bird, for both
young birds and old hens.
The 2003 prize presentation will be held at the Palace Hotel, Buxton on Saturday 13th
December, prices of the tickets will be £25.00 and it is urged by the organiser, Doreen
Kneller, that people book up as early as possible. B+B at the Hotel is £45.00 per night,
per person and if you require a meal on the Friday night please state when you are making
your booking. The 2004 prize presentation is being held at the very popular venue of
Torquay.
It was agreed, to save costs, to close the marking station at the Barrell Public
House. The Farnborough marking station has taken some criticism from the members and
because of this Reading was being looked at again. The committee also has a suggestion
that a new marking station at Horndean, just off the A3 near Petersfield, be opened. It
was decided to alleviate pressure from Farnborough, at Horndean be opened on a year’s
trial. Geoff Cooper has stood down as I.C. at the Frome marking station and the committee
thank him for all his past efforts. The new I.C. will be Roy Christopher, who is on the
national committee and is a good worker for the club. Please note that several marking
stations have changed there times, these will be advised in the N.F.C. yearly hand book.
It was agreed that Roger Sutton and Ray Barrington will carry on as race controllers
for the coming season. It was decided that a small team from the N.F.C. committee,
including Bill Harris, Ray Barrington, Clive Merrills and John Tyerman look into possible
future transportation for the N.F.C. Because several of the N.F.C. committee are
travelling to Belgium on the weekend of 15th March, it was agreed to hold a
further meeting on Sunday 6th April, at the HighField Hotel, Coventry. This
extra committee meeting is to discuss the outcome of the meeting in Belgium between the
N.F.C. and the Entende Belge.
Edward Froggatt of Abbotts Bromley
Edward Froggatt is a N.F.C. life vice president and runs the Crew marking station with
his wife, Julia. He has been a great worker for the national, over many years and has
enjoyed outstanding success in long distance races. The 2002 season saw him win 9th
section. 87th open N.F.C. Pau (658 miles) and recorded runner up in the B.H.W.
Pau sporting challenge.
Edward is a farmer in Staffordshire and his great lofts are built into the ‘olde
worlde’ buildings in his farm yard. He started up in the sport in 1952 and says
through the years he has flown all the sprint races but is now only interested in long
distance racing from Saintes, Bergeracand
Pau (658 miles). He has won countless premier positions in the national, including the
N.F.C. ‘Langstone Gold Cup’ twice, 16 times 1st section in the
nationals and 1st open in the mighty Midlands National Flying Club. Edward
likes national racing best because he says you are flying against the best and says that
his best performances in recent seasons were when he recorded 4th and 10th
open N.F.C. Pau (658 miles), in a very hard race, and won the national averages.
Edward races 12 cocks on the widowhood system for club races and these are paired up
in March, and his 12 pairs of long distance racers are paired in April for the natural
system. The birds used to have an open loft all day, but because of the very bad hawk
problem this is no longer possible and they are trained hard from the south. Edwards farm
is mainly dairy and the pigeon sections are in the roofs of the farm buildings and are
dry, and vermin free. He says he has won the section with widowhood pigeons but likes the
natural system for the long distance channel events.
The stock loft has small sections, with 3 nest boxes and these house different blood
lines in each to make sure they stay pure. Edward pairs his 18 pairs of stock birds in
December and feeds them on a mixture and horse beans. He keeps the pairs locked up in
there nest boxes until the hens lay, to make sure the youngsters are from that pair of
pigeons. He races his old red family and two other strains from Belgium, with out standing
success.
The old birds are trained down to the south coast and Edward likes hens on their first
round of youngsters for the long distance races. One of his top racers, which flies to a
youngster is a granddaughter of Edward’s champion ‘Double Gold’, winner of
2nd and 6th open national. She has scored from Saintes and Pau to
chip in eggs and young birds in the nest. Edward has no problem with sending yearlings to
500 miles and he breeds 100 young birds, many of these are going to France with the
national.
He races cocks and hens in the young bird events, not saving them for the widowhood
system, and he races 235 miles from Guernsey which is a good lick for young birds. The
young birds are trained most days and are raced well in the Federation to teach them the
ropes. Edward feeds his youngsters on the hopper with beans and maintains his only
interested in good development and not young bird prizes. Some of Edward’s best
pigeons are – ‘Queen’ 1st open M. N.F.C, ‘Motor’ 3rd
open M.N.F.C, winning a motor car, ‘Willy’ 3rd open M.N.F.C. Nantes,
‘Golden Coin’ 4th open N.F.C Nantes, ‘Double Gold’ 2nd
open M.N.F.C, 6th open M.N.F.C. Nantes, £1,000 nomination an the N.F.C.
Nantes, ‘Lady’ 1st section 4th open N.F.C. Pau, £1,000
nomination, ‘Handy Cap’ 1st section 13th open N.F.C. Pau,
£500 nomination, ‘The Chequer Hen’ 10th open N.F.C Pau, ‘The
Red Cock’, 55th open N.F.C. Pau (658 miles). A brilliant loft of pigeons!
That’s it for this weeks ‘NATIONAL FORUM’. If any member needs to
contact me about N.F.C. matters please telephone:01372
463480 or e-mail on: keithmott@btopenworld.com
