Section Winners

1st  A. M/M Brian Wall

Flying 174 Miles  

1st Open - 1st Sec B

Mr & Mrs Cyril Lever

Flying 190 Miles

1st C. P J Hollard

Flying 187 Miles

1st D. E Reilly; J.Parr

& Family

Flying 259 Miles

1st E. Don Pembroke

Flying 215 Miles

1st F. Crowley & Green

Flying 227 Miles

1st G. M/M Fairfax

& Liam Meaden

Flying 224 Miles

1st H. D Owens

Flying 254 Miles

1st I. B Brooks

Flying 286 Miles

1st J. Mr L Wood

Flying 269 Miles

1st K. M/M M Wright

Flying 335 Miles

1st L. D Impett

Flying 398 Miles

After a two day hold over the National Flying Club liberated approx seven and a half thousand birds into clear skies on Monday morning at 5:30am. As you can see from my report in last weeks paper there was an awful lot of work went into getting our birds home safe. We would personally like to thank Chief Convoyer Paul Pym and all involved with the liberation. Clearly you put our birds first as you will see from Steve Appleby’s weather report that was no easy task with bad weather every where. We have had many calls saying what good condition their birds came home in after being in the baskets for four days

Two National races this season and two section wins for Mr & Mrs Brian Wall, Brian said he was delighted and pleased when the bird hit the roof bang on expected time and the one he wanted as it was pooled right through section and a few open pools

The bird is a lovely blue cock and is a gift bird from Nigel Llewellyn of Southampton. It was the first bird back from the BICC race and the last BBC race so no surprise when he came. Brian thought he might have the winner for a while. As he has been close to this is his second 4th in a National and has have been 5th 7th and 10th this is his 8th section win. He says many congratulations to the winner and I would like to say a thank you to the team who cared for the birds they came back in excellent condition after the hold over. I was in another race that was held over and went up a day earlier than the National birds and these birds were not in the same condition as the NFC birds so well done lads. 

1^st Section B – 1^st Open Cyril & Jean Lever. 

The winners of the 2009 Alencon National are Cyril and Jean Lever from Romsey in Hampshire with a four year old blue Janssen hen, now named Cupernham Express, doing a velocity of 1583 ypm. This pigeon obviously has a good line from Alencon having been sent to this race point on three previous occasions and always being the first or second bird to the Lever loft.

For the 2009 season the partnership decided to race both cocks and hens on a "roundabout" type system whereas in previous seasons only the cocks had been raced and this has worked as a number of good performances have been achieved in the strong Solent Federation, classics and nationals with the hens.  Cupernham Express is a pure Janssen coming from a cock bred by Ponderosa and the mother, who herself was second section B in a national, is from the lines of A & I Jurd of Southampton. This is the first time that this pigeon has hit the head lines but has always been consistent so this was obviously her day.  All the "roundabout" pigeons are fed Versa Laga with both Gerry Plus and Super Widowhood being used. The exercise campaign is at least an hour a day around the loft with twice a week training provided by fellow club member Colin Edwards to either Wimborne or Chichester.

Cyril and Jean Lever starting racing with young birds in 1994 and won the first race they ever entered so their novice status did not last long and over the years a number of good performances have been achieved including 2^nd Open BBC Nantes, 5^th Open BICC Saran and in the first national race of the 2009 season they were 6^th section B from Fougeres.  At least 50 young birds are reared each year with a view to giving them at least one channel race as education for later life. The predominant family is Janssen to which new Janssen blood lines are added, as and when required, to "freshen up" the gene pool.  The aim now is to get a good bird out of Tarbes and have a go at winning the Langstone Gold Cup. Both Cyril and Jean would like to thank the large number of well wishers who have telephoned with their congratulations.

1^st Section C is Peter Hollard, his winning bird is a blue cock which was badly damaged by a sparrow hawk at the start of the season, but he managed to sew him together and as you can see it has survived his stitching. This pigeon is closely related to his own family of National & Classic winners. Peter has kept pigeons since the sixties, and has raced successfully with the Wareham & Purbeck club and the Dorset South Road Federation. He won the National Flying Club Nantes race in 1990 and the Central Southern Classic Nantes race in 1993; he also races with the British Barcelona Club. The birds are fed on Natural or Willsbridge mixtures, with cider vinegar given weekly in the water.

Eddie Reilly takes 1^st Section D. He lives in Barnstaple north Devon with his family. He started to be interested in pigeons at a very young age. His dad and his dad before him up in Scotland kept pigeons. He has a30ft x 8 ft loft, he only keeps 12 cocks and 12 hen birds, plus a few spare hens. He also keeps 9 pairs of stock birds. He breeds about 40 young birds and breeds young birds for his good friend Roger Diamond of Barnstaple north Devon. Roger Diamond has already won two channel races with his stock Eddie is trying to persuade Roger to fly the National races.

The birds are fed once a day unless they are sitting on young then they get fed twice a day. The feed used is Sports Extra Subliem, best all round mix and Super Weduwschap. All of these mixes are Versele –Laga.

The pigeon that won the section is a 2 years old and was sitting on eight day old eggs. He is a blue pencil cock; the breed of this pigeon is Vanloon cross with Vanbruanes. The Vanloon is bred from one of Alan Benny’s from Plymouth stock. The Vanbruanes comes from Don Taylor from Exeter, the mother and father both have won races for him over the years.

The pigeon which his son Peter is holding in the photo is called Jack, it was sent last year and she came 3^rd in the national race. She was the first pigeon home from, north Devon winning £54.00 from Barnstaple and Bideford members. The pigeon which I’m holding is the one which came 1^st section D in this race.

I would like to thank Chief Convoyer Paul Pym for how well he looked after the pigeons; all my pigeons looked and handled well after the race.

1^st Section E winner Don Pembroke started keeping pigeons at the age of 3; Don is now 47 and is still just as keen as he was then. His winner is a 2 year old cheq widowhood cock; this pigeon is from his old family, lightly race as a baby with two channel races this year, BICC Falaise and BBC Messac. The shire son of foundation cock has always been at stock.  Dam - direct L.Stabel & Son of Holland.  This pair has been together since 2004, and has bred good pigeons every year. Don feeds gem widowhood mix His set up is an 18’ feet race and stock loft with a 12 foot young bird loft, the young birds are raced on darkness but not as dark as most. He breeds approx 30 – 35 young birds, and likes to look at the eyes but does not rely on it.

Don would like to thank Eric and Ruth Higgingbottom who came forth section in this race for all their help over the years

As you can see from the result of Section F we made hay down here in the small Wiltshire village of Compton Bassett timing four cocks to take the first four in the section.

All of these birds were on their fifth race of the season having flown Minstead and Littlehampton with the WESR Combine, Lessay with the Classic and Fougeres with the National they will now be prepared for Messac in two weeks.

1^st Section G Melvyn Fairfax. Melvyn fly’s in partnership with his wife Marion and 10 year old Grandson Liam Meaden.They have raced pigeons for over 44yrs, also being members of the Bridgwater Sedgemoor S.R.F.C. & Lerwick North Road Club we are also members of the B.B.C.and C.S.C.F.C. Melvin and Marion race their pigeon’s natural and feed Willsbridge Super Widower with Beans & Maize added. The pigeon they clocked to win the section is an Eric Cannon x Busschaert cock sitting 18 days on date of basketing.  It was a nice surprise to hear we had topped the section. I would like to thank my wife Marion for all the help she has given me over the years.

Des says the breeding is 100% Jackson & Andrew of Howden.  The father of this pigeon was 1st Sect Sennen Cove in 2006 and 4th Combine Picauville in 2007. He Feeds Versele Laga Gerry Plus and Prestige. The birds have some training spins before racing and then exercised round the loft once racing starts. He has been introducing birds from several good long distance fanciers to add to the Jackson & Andrews birds to build a distance team.

Barry Brooks 1^st Section I. After a 25 year break Barry restarted in 2006, he fly’s with the Portway H.S. club in the South Midlands Federation and he is now concentrating on long distance racing. His winning bird is a dark cheq Wildermeersch cock bred from stock bought from D. Jones if Wrexham. The birds are fed on Versele Laga Widowhood Corn. Barry has four lofts 24’ x 4’ race and young bird loft , two widowhood lofts one 8’x 6’ with the other being 8’ x 8’ he also has a 10 x 8 stock loft. This year he has also raced roundabout, in his first race he was 1^st; 2^nd and 3^rd Fed then in his 3^rd race he was 1^st and 2^nd Fed.

Len and Jen Wood take 1^st Section J, they had two birds arrive together, both pigeons are three year olds. The winning pigeon was bred from Peter Fox’s stock both of these birds raced in the recent National race from Fougeres but reversed their finishing order home. They are both hens and sitting together on three eggs for fourteen days. Both birds collapsed upon arrival home and wouldn’t trap, so approximately 5 minutes was lost on trapping the first pigeon.

They currently race with the Ledbury and District Flying club and have been with them since 1999. Previously Len raced from 1976 to 1986 with the Newent Flying club. I had a complete break from racing from 1986 to 1999.Len would like to thank my wife Jen for all her hard work and handling of the birds.

Topping Section K are Mick and Brenda Wright. Mick started up in the sport in 1972 when he came out of the army. The strain is Busschaert x Verheder; this two year old red hen is raced on widowhood. Mick fly’s 36 cocks on widowhood and 36 hens. The birds are fed on Natural corn mixed with Versele Laga which is fed in troth; the corn is left in front of the birds all the time. The birds are paired up March 1^st with 40 young birds being bred. Mick and Brenda’s set up is a gift loft from Dave Allen which is 30ft x 8ft, Mick says that the Convoyers should get a pat on the back the way that they got the birds home in such bad weather

1^st Section L. Mr D Impett. He tops the section L with a two year old hen sitting 10 days, the base of this bird is from Bruggeman Bros, this bird is half sister to 6^th; 9^th and 11^th North Ashton Club, she was also 13^th Open Tarbes. He restarted pigeons in 2001 and for the last four years has won the Best Averages from Tarbes NFC, he also won section L in 2005.

Ron Crook

Email roncrook@virgin.net

Telephone 01491 613477

NATIONAL FLYING CLUB ALENÇON OLD BIRD RACE 8 JUNE 2009

CONVOYERS REPORT

Mark the birds at Kingsteignton then drive up to Frome.

Arrive at the docks at 2030 hours, all birds were well.

Friday morning, birds all watered 1½ hours rest.  Set off for St Nazaire 0730 hours.  On arrival, all birds were fed and watered for the night, checked the birds at 2000 hours, all birds looked well and were resting.

Saturday 0430 hours.  Birds checked and watered.  Spoke to J Tyreman, he said ‘no liberation, bad weather in GB’.  All birds were fed and watered 1530 hours, hoping for good news on Sunday morning.

Sunday morning – no good news.  In France there was no rain at all up until 0930 hours, there was good sunshine and tail wind, but I was then told to take the birds across to Alençon, hopefully to get a liberation on Monday morning.  We had clear vision all the way from St Nazaire but met some light rain at Alençon.  All the birds were fed, watered and resting well.  We had one heavy shower so far, no steady rain up until 1600 hours. 

Monday morning.  I rang and got the weather report, it was all good news – clear line of flight, good weather forecast, I told John Tyreman I would release the birds at 0530 hours in no wind at the liberation site in Alençon.

It was a good site to liberate from – showers, toilets and food for the men.

Well done to the overall winner and all the section winners.

Chief Convoyer.

Paul Pym

9^th June 2009

Welcome to another report on pigeons that scored well in the latest NFC old bird race (based on provisional timings only) and that have previously taken good positions with the NFC. The new Press Officer, Ron Crook, will doubtless have compiled a very good report on all the leading Open and Section winners but the pigeons listed below will for the most part received little or no mention in his report by dint of the fact that they didn’t actually win their Section.

The weekend provided some very challenging weather conditions for all Organisations, not least those flying back from France, and the NFC’s Race Controllers and Advisors seemed to have pulled a fat white rabbit out of the hat in second-guessing the weather fronts, moving to Alencon, and producing what appears to be a very good race result!

I have looked at the top 50 pigeons in the provisional result, plus the top 10 pigeons in each Section thereby giving a good spread across the sections. As you’ll quickly see I have found some consistent pigeons not all of whom were flown by ‘household’ names as you’ll see:-

Not so many pigeons this time around, perhaps, but some good pigeons as I’m sure you’ll agree. Maybe the holdover had something to do with this, or maybe the inherent random nature of statistics has provided this low count of previous consistent performers? I’m sure as the distances increase through the Summer you’ll see some truly astounding pigeons appearing in these reports as when the going gets tough the tough get going.

This report plus many others can be found at www.pbosolutions.co.uk and I would ask anyone who has won 1^st Open NFC since 1997 to e-mail me any pictures they have of their winning pigeon as these pictures can be added to my database and held securely. Please e-mail picture to Paul O’Leary at poleary72@hotmail.com123