News & Reports

In the last article I highlighted Andy Holland’s terrific ‘453’ that has flown in excess of 5000 miles with the NFC with distinction. I have since heard from a friend of his, Paul Corley, that ‘453’ remains in Andy’s race team with view to another crack at the Grand National and a Certificate of Merit. Good luck Andy, keep us posted!

I thought this next article would be a useful follow-up, so as to give full credit to all 15 pigeons that have flown in excess of 5000 miles with the NFC. Here’s the roll of honour:-

5000 milers table

Top of the shop with 6449 flown miles at an average velocity of almost 995ypm is Freelands Gem, raced by Bill and Beryl Lewis. This pigeon is an absolute legend in the truest sense, with 6 * Grand National performances where he was never worse than 88^th Open, scored 2 * Section wins and was never worse than 4^th Section. I think you can trawl through long distance pigeon performances all around the globe and very few will match or better this pigeon.

Freelands Gem race records

Freelands Gem

To all the listed Fanciers, if you want me to email you a report (the same format as for Freelands Gem) just let me know and I’ll send it to you (FOC of course). I’ll also speak with the NFC hierarchy and see if they’ll support a Special Diploma Award for these 5000 milers, I think they richly deserve it?

That’s all for now.

Regards
Paul O’Leary
NFC: O028B
Email:
Mobile: 07817-776720

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National Flying Club Latebred Sale 2

Through the Winter I will be trying to throw some worthy spotlights on some wonderfully consistent pigeons flying with the NFC.

This first report showcases GB15N75453 flown by Andy Holland of Shipley way up in Section K, and we can see that it joined an exclusive band of only 15 pigeons that have been timed in from races with flying distances aggregating more than 5000 miles. My database of results covers all races 1998 – 2022 (25 years), and of course it’s possible that pigeons in earlier eras have flown > 5000 miles, and I’d love to hear from anyone with documented evidence of such pigeons.

You can see that GB15N75453is anything but a turner-upper, have 3 times finished in the top 10 of section K when flying > 564 miles … he’s a proper distance warrior alright. He flew Tarbes this year as a 7yo, and will put himself in line for a treasured Certificate of Merit if he can make the Top 200 in the 2023 Grand National Race.

I don’t know Andy in person, but clearly he knows the time of day when it comes to long distance racing as I note that apart from this topper he was 2^nd Section 16^th Open from Tarbes this year and in fact he timed all 3 entries within the top 16 of his section! Top flying.

Paul O'Leary
O028B

5000mileclub1