Chief Convoyer Geoff Allan loosed the convoy 7.30hrs on Saturday in a light and variable wind. A look at a couple of useful websites, namely www.xcweather.co.uk and www.meteofrance.com suggested some north in the wind in France, whilst our own Met Office predicted some south in the Channel and up through the UK. The portents were that the race would be won in the north and so it turned out but when Andrew and Denise Hodge of Cullompton in Devon posted a velocity of 1537 for a clear early lead there were many who felt this would not be beaten. As the race evolved it became evident that the birds going up the western side of England were favoured, and 1 hour and 57 minutes after the Hodges had clocked, Keith Rhodes of Telford jumped to the front on 1561ypm. When R & B Smith of Warrington clocked 64 minutes later to fall just short of Keith’s velocity it looked all over bar the shouting, however one of the longest fliers in the race, Joe Dorning of Preston, timed at 4.22pm for a velocity of 1562.451, to edge out Keith on decimals. The events which unfolded in this race were seen by scores of fanciers on the NFC’s website ‘as they happened’, which was great entertainment!

Convoyer’s Report

Thursday 30/05/07

All birds fed and watered at marking stations. We had a good run down from Sheffield with no hold-ups, clearing Cambridge and Ash on time.

We encountered a hold-up at the Chichester marking station. I am not knocking this marking station; it was just sheer volume of members with birds. John Tyerman and Brian Reeves do a good job here but I think the marking should be brought forward one hour to enable us to get away earlier and arrive at the docks in good time in consideration of the birds’ welfare.

Friday 01/06/07

On arrival at Cherbourg we parked up the transporter, watered the birds and filled up the water tanks. Birds were rested for two and a half hours allowing them to have plenty of water.

On travelling down to the liberation site we had good visibility but full cloud cover. We arrived at the liberation site at 1430hours. The birds were then given a full feed and watered. This task was completed by 1540hours.

The birds were checked at 1845hours and all was well; water also topped up.

Birds and water checked again at 2045hours; all was well and the birds were comfortable with some lying down. They were left to rest for the night.

Saturday 02/05/07

Up at 0410hours. Weather was foggy but there were blue skies up above. Birds and water checked at 0450hours and water topped up. I did notice that the birds were drinking from the troughs on all three sides and with the gull wings closed all night the inside of the transporter was nice and cool.

I phoned a convoying friend of mine at Messac for a weather report and he gave me clear skies and good visibility. The race advisor called at 0615hours and said there was a bit of mist in the Channel and that he would call back. At 0645hours the fog had lifted on the liberation site and left us with blue skies and good visibility. I called the race advisor and told him of the situation on the site and he said he would call back in ten minutes. I said I would get ready for a liberation. He called back to say all was well and left it to me to decide when to go.

At 0730hours the birds were away in a very light variable wind at 15 degrees Centigrade. The birds cleared the site almost immediately.

We left for Cherbourg and on our way to the port the weather was very good with good visibility of 20 miles+. At Cherbourg the Channel was flat calm with visibility as far as the eye could see. The temperature at 1430hours was 22C.

Many thanks to my assistants Paul and Ian and also to Kenny Hurst (International Ken!).

Please note that all times are GMT.

Convoyer’s Comments

On arrival at the Cholet liberation site I was very disappointed and disheartened when I saw the site.

It is the worst site I have ever liberated from because there was no water and if you have a hold-over there will be problems. It may be okay for small vehicles but when you have two artics you have problems space-wise. The vehicles require at least 120 feet of space.

My honest opinion is it should be taken off the programme. People are saying it is a truck stop but it is not. The actual truck stop is very near the airport and nobody knows the telephone number. The truck stop is also out of bounds and locked and too near the main road.

This is one liberation site I never want to return to. The further we go to race points, with our transporters and the way they have been designed, the birds will benefit from them. With air intake changing quite often they will be kept very cool and in good condition and with the crates being re-designed it is a big factor.

A MAGNIFICENT WIN FOR JOE DORNING

Joe Dorning & Brian Parkinson (L).

1st Section, 1st Open flying 472 miles is Joe Dorning of Preston who timed a 2y cheq pied hen who is impeccably bred. Her sire is The Judge, a winner of over 40 prizes; 2nd in the RP £10,000 Championship Sprint Category; 3rd RPRA Sprint Award and a Meritorious Award winner. He is from Fulwood Cracker, 7 x 1st x Fulwood Leading Lady, 5 x 1st and a Meritorious Award. The dam of the National winner won 1st Combine, 29th Open RPRA Millennium Race Vire 351 miles. She is from Fulwood Detective, winner of 37 prizes and Bird of The Year North West Lancs Fed x Fulwood Classic, 1st Section, 1st Open North West Classic Club Rennes 396 miles.

Now named Coronation Queen, Joe’s National winner had 8 races leading up to the coast and was then sent to Cholet. Her previous positions are: 1st Club, 2nd Fed Mangotsfield 77/1549 birds; 2nd Club Kempsey 164 birds (came together with winner); 3rd Club Ludlow 234 birds; 3rd Club, 11th Fed Cheltenham 76/1545 birds; 3rd Club Portland 155 birds & 5th Club Wollaston 157 birds.

Joe had this to say: ‘She is on no system really. She was in the stock loft paired to The Millennium Cock and I have bred 4 young birds from her this year. When I moved her last 2 young birds about three weeks ago, I also moved her and put her back into the racing section. But at every opportunity she got she would fly over my head and try to get back to her mate and I just put her back to him and then sent her to the National. On arrival she was in fantastic condition. Credit should go to all members of the Committee of the National Flying Club and the convoyers for the condition of the birds on their return. Also to people like Jack Pickup and no doubt other members who came up with suggestions into improvements in the final transporter design. I would also like to pass on my personal thanks to Mr Brian Long for setting up a trust fund, so that the National Flying Club could buy the new air-conditioned transporters. They truly are fantastic transporters and a great gesture to all the members of the club. Another gentleman has also to be congratulated for his financial support to Brian in replacing the grills in the crates. You truly are gentlemen who are much respected and appreciated.

Joe Dorning’s Coronation Queen.

‘I feed my birds as much as they can eat of a good quality mixture from either Bamfords or Bucktons. They are also given a good supply of various grits and minerals, which are kept clean. Besides giving them good corn I believe that it is most important to wash and clean the drinkers ever day - and I do not mean just rinsing them out. I have had pigeons on and off since I was 10 years of age, which is for over 50 years now. I do not have a partner but my friend Brian Parkinson comes round every Saturday to wait and to throw the droppers and he now rightly boasts that he took the rubbers off a National winner. He now proudly displays his own photograph holding the winner!

‘I sent 3 to Cholet and got all three. It was an exciting and confusing afternoon as I also had birds in a combine race from Lessay which were released at 10am and arriving approx. 30 minutes before the National birds. I was ringing other members and they were ringing me (Andrew Hastings, Frank Cuthbertson, Trevor and Tony Ennis from Whitehaven in Cumbria, Jim Sephton ,Tony Moss to name but a few). Also I was checking on the websites for the wind forecasts and the progress and speed of the various Section winners as the birds were racing up the country, trying to work out the expected time to get a good one. To have one to be up with the leaders I calculated I needed one by 4.30pm. I was keeping a close eye on the leading times, especially in Sections J and L, and the excitement was building up. And then she appeared! Brian threw the dropper, which, although it has a broken wing, flew onto the top of the loft instead of going straight through the open door, which upset Coronation Queen and she failed to trap. She was a little nervous as she could obviously sense the excitement in my voice and would not trap through the open door or the stall trap. In desperation I dropped the stall trap into the stock section where she was trying to get in. A big mistake as three or four stock cocks then came out, and to say that panic set in would be an understatement. It was like Fred Carno’s circus until I clocked in at 16.22.

‘On accessing the National website, it said there were no birds recorded at the time of my bird’s arrival in Section L, which I did not believe. Approximately 15 minutes later I then managed to access Section L, which was recording a page of arrivals in our section. I worked out my velocity. Frank Cuthbertson then rang me, asking if I had clocked in. I told him that I was just about to verify my time and he said, “You will not be far away with that time”. Quite a long time elapsed and still my verification was not showing but I had worked out my velocity. It was then my heart started to beat a little faster. I tried to refresh the website to see if that would make a difference but still my name and bird time and velocity was not appearing. The pages had frozen! It was then I got a telephone call from the Secretary Sid Barkel asking me to confirm my seconds’ reading on the clocking in time. I informed him that it was a dead reading of 16.22.00. He then congratulated me and informed me that at that time I was in 1st Open position. To say that I was ecstatic would be an understatement - this was my ambition come true.

‘It was then my heart went into overdrive. Sid informed me that he was going to update the result right away. It was back to the computer waiting for the updated result and telephoning numerous fanciers who had rung me up asking what the wind speed and direction was, and what time should they expect their birds from other liberations. Whilst waiting for the update to appear, I ran back into the loft to throw some corn into the troughs and I noticed three or four other birds had arrived from the club racing, which I had paid no attention too. The stock cocks had gone back in and, not checking, I had just closed the traps. Back to the computer and, after what seem be forever, there it was, the telephone result with Joe Dorning at the top. I just sat there shouting for Brian to come and have a look.

The pedigree of 1st Open NFC Cholet.

‘The club secretary arrived shortly after 6pm to take me to the club and then to the national clock station at Chorley. I showed him the bird. Then it was back to the computer to run a few copies of the provisional telephone result off. Without checking, I shut the loft up and was off to the club and the national clock station. I was that high, if that’s the right word, that I never checked to see if my other two entries had returned. It was only the next morning on entering the loft that I discovered that both my other 2 birds must have arrived sometime between 5 and 6 o’clock the night before and were in the loft before I set off. I was so pleased to see them as they had both performed well previously that I was on a high again, so much so that when my wife saw me she said,  “DO YOU KNOW THAT YOU HAVE GOT YOUR SHIRT ON INSIDE OUT?” That’s what a good drink celebrating does for you, but who cares, I have just achieved a life’s ambition. And my ambition now is to do it again before I die.

‘Whilst out celebrating the question of what to name my winner came up. Andrew Hastings, our club Secretary, started by saying that I had got to think of a name that I would would remember. I remember the 2nd of June because it is my daughter’s birthday, and Andrew said it is also the anniversary of his sister. It is also the day Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth was crowned and everybody remembers that, so the name I have chosen is Coronation Queen. I will always remember 2nd June 2007.

‘I would like to thank all the numerous people that e-mailed and telephoned me and others who left messages on my answering machine to congratulate me on my bird’s performance. Calls came from fanciers on the south coast, from fanciers in Wales and from fanciers ight up into Scotland. And the telephone never stopped ringing till after 10pm. Some of the comments were quite exceptional and straight from the heart. One message I picked up after returning from celebrating till the early hours on Saturday night was from Brian Stansfield. It said: “Hello Joe, it’s Brian Stansfield here, your section representative, ringing up to congratulate you on your absolutely fantastic win and achievement. I think it was wonderful for you and wonderful for Section L and all of us up here. The other thing is that Roy and Arthur Gough have asked me to pass on their congratulations to you, too.” I mention this because of the genuine warmth and excitement in his voice. Thanks Brian and thanks also to all the other fanciers who contacted me. I would like to add my congratulations to all the winners and every member who took part in the race. Keep sending and it may be your turn next. Believe in your birds and love them and you will get the best out of them like I do. Whether I will race Coronation Queen again is something I might have to take a little time thinking about.’

In last week’s report on the BICC Alencon race we made reference to what a fabulous run of form Brian & Viv Wall of Havant are having and they keep it up here by winning 1st Section A, just pipping Mr & Mrs Mead of Emsworth. Brian is, of course, the man behind Gem Supplements and it is no surprise to learn that he administers Gem Supplements for 6 out of 7 days a week while racing. A fancier for 25 years, he clocked a yearling widowhood cock which was a gift pigeon from Keith Goodenough of Wales. It won minor prizes as a YB and was his second bird form the last National race. His winner was in excellent condition and will now be aimed at NFC Alencon. When we spoke on Sunday morning Brian had 12 out of 13 home. This was his 6th Section win, to which you can add two Classic wins, and if he keeps this run of form up he will fulfil his ambition and win a National outright sooner rather than later.

Brian & Viv Wall, winners of 1st Section A.

Mr & Mrs Mark Gower from near Fordingbridge in Hamsphire win 1st Section B. This is a family affair as Mark has to work late so son Luke or other members of the family step in to exercise and feed the birds.  Mark, who has been racing since 1979, timed a 2y hen raced on a form of roundabout. She is Vandenebeele bred from a Woodlands Farm Stud cock and a M & D Evans hen. This pair have bred many good pigeons including 6th Open NFC Messac, 10th Open CSCFC Cholet and 2 or 3 fed winners. She has been consistent with minor prizes and in preparation for Cholet had 1 x 70 mile inland race and 1 x 180 mile race from Fougeres. Mark feeds the Versele-Laga range of foods and generally mixes Super Widowhood and Champion Plus along with Homoform. This loft had 6 out of the 10 on the day and some of them came from back out of the north. All were in good order on arrival although Mark said the later ones had done some flying! His winner will now have a couple of club races but her main next race will be NFC Saintes. Already the winner of 1st Open CSCFC Dax & 1st Open BBC Bordeaux, Mark’s ambition is to win a NFC race, preferably Pau or Tarbes. He said his work commitments have increased this year and it has been difficult to spend the time needed with the birds to compete so he would like to thank his friend Gordon Emm who has helped out with training and food delivery.

Continuing their good run of form are the John & David Staddon partnership from Merriott, Somerset, by taking 1st Section C. This performance follows on from their 2nd Section, 2nd Open Falaise National with the BICC. John has won Section C many times, mostly when part of the Staddon Bros partnership. However, this first section win for the new partnership with his son David he feels is the most important yet. John & Dave formed the partnership in 2003 from scratch with the aim of building a new long-distance family of pigeons, so this year’s successes in the Falaise and Cholet nationals are something of a bonus. They were a little surprised to win the section and feature prominently in the open result with the wind being in the south-west.

Somerset Sumo (direct son of SUMO), sire of Lady Sumo, 1st Section C for John & Dave Staddon. Photo by Catherine Cooper.

The section winner is a blue yearling hen of pure Jos Thone blood. These pigeons were only introduced in 2005/6 direct from the Belgian master. The hen has now been named Lady Sumo. Her sire is Somerset Sumo, a direct son of the world champion breeder of Jos Thone namely Champion Sumo. The dam of Lady Sumo is Blue Amelia, again bought direct from Jos. Blue Amelia is a sister of Sedna 1, 1st National, 1st International Narbonne 2005 for Jos. Blue Amelia’s dam being none other than Amelia, the mother of Sedna 1. Amelia is also from the famous Sumo. For those who are interested, Sumo also featured prominently in the pedigree of Lee Jackson’s recent NFC winner, proving what a fantastic breeder of national and international racing champions he is. The partners entered 9 hens for this Cholet national, racing to a newly devised hen system that they have moulded for themselves. All 9 returned in good nick on the day and they would like to congratulate the NFC committee for the changes and modifications made to the transporter, which has clearly made a massive difference to the condition of the birds on return. John & David would also like to thank Jos Thone for his help and guidance in tweaking their system, which they feel has really brought their performances up a notch this season. They are now looking ahead to the longer national and international races with a great deal of excitement. This they feel will be a better barometer of how far the development of their team has come.

John & Dave Staddon.

Andrew & Denise Hodge of Cullompton timed in a blue chequer yearlingwidowhood cock to win Section D and take 4th Open.The pigeon is a Van de Rhee x Van Loon. The sire was purchased from local fancier Andy Cridland and the dam is bred down from Hudson & Lowe Van Loons. This continues a fine run of performances from this loft. Only concentrating on national racing fromlast season, this loft has won in their last six national races: 2nd Section, 2nd Open St. Nazaire; 6th Section, 21st Open St Malo; 1st Section Saintes; 1st Section Chale Young birds, and so far this season 2nd Section Fougeres and now 1st Section Cholet. All this when sending an average of 10 birds. Andrew and Denise would like to thank everyone who congratulated them on their latest performance and Nobby and MikeHenley for all the hard work they do in giving the birds invaluableracing from the Isle of Wright with the Devon and Cornwall club, and also to the members of his local Tiverton club for making their club racing so enjoyable.

Andrew Hodge, winner of 1st Section D.

1st & 2nd Section E is Roger Lowe of Reading, a fancier for 33 years, who timed two widowhood yearling cocks, the first in the clock being of Conimix x Walt Soontjen lines and the other one a De Klak bred from direct De Klaks. The dam of the section winner is called Super Nova and she is nest sister to Conimix Dream, winner of the BBC Lamballe race when only 5 made it home on day, winning an RPRA award. This section winner was first bird to the loft from NFC Fougeres where he sat out for 3 minutes but still finished 24th Section, 65th Open. The runner up had done nothing before. Roger recorded 13 out of 18 on the day and his two winners will now go to the next national race. Roger, who feeds Versele Laga and uses garlic, has previously won at the highest level: 1st BBC, 2nd BBC, 3rd BBC and 1st & 2nd Open BICC. He finished by saying: ‘I am pleased the floors of the crates have been changed for the better as the birds came back in excellent condition.’

Roger Lowe.

1st Section F are Ernie Smith and Darren Baker, who have been involved with pigeons for 38 years and 15 years respectively. They clocked a 7y widowhood cock bred from Ernie’s Janssen-based family. Prior to this it had two inland coastal races and BICC National Falaise winning 18th Centre Section, 37th Open. Their winner was described as being in ‘fantastic condition’ on arrival and their returns were 100%. Feed was Versele Laga and Marimans. Amongst their best previous performances are 1st Open CSCFC Messac 3,284 birds; 5th Section, 18th Open CSCFC Picauville 4,582 birds; 2nd Section CSCFC Messac; 3rd Section CSCFC Vains; 1st Section F, 28th Open NFC Nantes and 2nd Section F, 98th Open NFC St Malo. Their aim is to continue to try and top the sections, however like all fanciers who compete in the big races they would really like to win the open.

Ernie Smith & Darren Baker, 1st Section F.

1st Section G are Phil and Tess Newton of Weston-Super-Mare who timed a yearling blue hen flying 310 miles. She is a gift pigeon from Dave Vowels of Street being a Busschaert x Reg Venner. She had three races as a youngster and three land races plus CSCFC Messac this year and this was the first time she has scored. Phil flies natural with the distance races being his main aim and says it is toss up between which he would most like to win, BBC Palamos or the NFC Grand National. Feed is Versele-Laga widowhood and depurative, a few peanuts and Red Band, and he gives pigeon tea and garlic once a week in the water. Phil had 8 out of 10 on the day and said they were all in good condition. Indeed his winner was in such good nick that had it not been for the 7-day rule he would have considered sending her again this coming weekend. As it is, she will probably next go to NFC Alencon a week later. A very successful fancier, Phil has been racing pigeons for just under 20 years.

Phil Newton 1st section G

1st Section H are relative newcomers to the sport, Petherbridge & Pollitt of Milton Keynes. They timed a 4y widowhood cock direct from Bob Scrivner. This season he had flown UBI Combine Picauville and NFC Fougeres prior to Cholet. He is the winner of 3 x 1st club, 2 x 2nd club, 2 x 4th club and 1 x 2nd fed. ‘Bouncing’ on arrival, he will now be targeted at MNFC Alencon. The partners mix their own corn from the farm and use Pro-Vit, Garlicoil and brewer’s yeast. In just a few seasons they have won: 106th Open & 116th Open old hens MNFC & 4th& 6th Section; 13th Section MNFC YB; 7th Section Gold Ring YB; 9th UBI Combine; 5th& 6th Section NFC Fougeres; 53rd Open NFC; 96th Open NFC; 42nd Open MNFC, 3 x 1st fed, 3 x 2nd fed etc. They say they fly NT, NT, R & R, which is short for no treatment, no training, rest and routine, and at the moment they are trying an old flying technique. It seems to be working, and they say they will reveal all at the end of the season. Their ambition is to win an International.

Petherbridge & Pollitt.

C. Leadbeater & Sons of Rugeley are 1st Section I. The partnership consists of Brian, Barry & David who all work together in the best interests of the pigeons. They timed a 3y blue widowhood cock, which is a Supercrack off their originals from Robert Venus. The sire is a son of the legendary ‘48’, the best racing cock they have ever had having been 5 times in the first ten of the MNFC! Dam is his half-sister, which has been 2nd Open Hens National and 1st Section Saintes plus lots of other positions. Their timer has taken several minor club prizes and was their second bird from Fougeres a fortnight earlier. Feed at this loft is Versele Laga Super Widowhood and the birds receive basic tonics and vitamins and quite a lot of Rhonfried products. They sent 14 birds and timed 10 in about 30 minutes with the last one dropping at 7.30pm, so they had a really good race. They have already won two Nationals and will be all out to make it three from Alencon a week Saturday. Asked about the condition of their winner on arrival, Brian said: ‘Absolutely amazing, as good as when he went to the race, he could not have been better. Everyone got it right.’

The Breakfast Club: Brian Leadbeater (2nd from left), 1st Section I, seen here in good company at a BICC do.

1st Section J went to a pigeon with ‘previous’. Keith Rhodes’ 2y blue widowhood cock won a young bird race by 7 minutes, scored inland as a yearling and then was 41st Section, 146th Open NFC St Malo. This year he had 3 races prior to NFC Fougeres where he was 3rd bird to the loft winning 58th Section, 410th Open. He is bred down from pigeons which have won over £10,000. His sire won from Chepstow to Saintes. His g.dam was 2nd Section, 4th Open NFC and won £4,000 and his g.sire won two RPRA Awards plus £5,500 in National races. A case of being bred for the job and conditioned by a master craftsman who was bringing all of his 45 years’ experience with pigeons to bear. He has in fact been 4 x 2nd National. The bloodlines are Busschaert x Desmet-Matthys. Feed was Versele Laga Prestige with the sprint mix plus a bag of golden maize from Vanrobaeys, and the birds also get herbal tea and a few monkey nuts! Keith described his winner as ‘perfect’ on arrival and he had a great race all round, clocking all six of his entries with his second bird being around 20th Open. The next race for his winner will be NFC Saintes.

1st Section J for Keith Rhodes.

B. Shackleton & Son of Keighley are 1st Section K. We were unable to make contact with them so will highlight their bird in due course.

PROBABLE 3RD & 5TH OPEN FOR R & B. SMITH OF WARRINGTON

Probable 3rd Open

Probable 5th Open

The next race is from Alencon and then it’s the big one, the Tarbes Grand National. Please note that a full report plus photos will appear on www.elimarpigeons.com on the Monday/Tuesday following each race. In these report we concentrate on the Section winners, but if your birds have performed with distinction, please forward details to us at elimar.pigeons@btinternet.com and we will gladly highlight their efforts.