First open and first section K went to Pearson and Dransfield from Barnsley with a two year old named the Treetop Cock on 1330ypm over 363 miles. This partnership had a top ten finish in the section last year to win a Hartwells Car Nomination. Frank Pearson is now helped by his sister and niece in the day to day running of the loft. Frank flew for many years with his brother-inlaw who is now deceased and the partnership were the scourge of that area for over forty years with their Busschaert family of pigoens. The Treetop Cock is so named as that is his favourite spot when out of the loft, flying with the rest of the widowhood cocks for twenty minutes he will then land in the tree at the end of the garden and watch the others fly. He is bred from a Busschaert cock from the partner's old family, when paired to a hen from Geoff and Barbara Kirkland's Flor Engels family.
Darren Ede
To find the winner of 2nd Open and 1st Section B we have to go to Southampton where we find the loft of Darling and Ede. Their yearling cock was good enough to win the Yearling Championship, and is now named Billy, after Tonys’ late father who sadly passed away just before Christmas. Billy was bred by their good friend Robert Pugh of the Rhondda and is 50% his Licence to Thrill lines and the father is a Curtis, Wall, Lunt & Green cock, so this type of racing is right up his street. Billy is a cousin to their 5th national hen in last years YB national. The team fly cocks and hens on the roundabout system.
Flying 363 miles, D W Thompson from Barnsley timed third open and second section K with a three year old on 1300ypm over 363 miles. Mr Thompson also won the Hartwells car nomination.
Eamon Kelly
Lloyd and Kelly of Abingdon took fourth open and first section F with a yearling on 1298ypm over 227 miles. Eamon timed an M & D Evans x Michel Van Lint hen flown on the roundabout system and which had been trained from the south coast upwards of thirty times this year. Eamon's roundabout team were run together on the Thursday morning before being basketed for the race at lunchtime and the hen in question was very keen on her nestbowl, so he had a hunch she would do well.
Robert McKie of Newcastle upon Tyne was fifth open and third section K with a two year old on 1290ypm over 456 miles. In an exceptional performance, Robert timed his chequer pied cock, The Driver, at 4.44am on the Sunday morning and on its first race of the season. He was purchased at the Sportsman annual young bird sale and was bred by the Driver, Dawson and Dawson partnership being of excellent Soontjen lines. The dam came from Stobbs Brothers and Mosey (Stonehaven Lofts). Interestingly, The Driver has eleven flights in each wing.
Team Buckley
Gavin and Glynn Buckley of Rochdale clocked a four year old hen on 1289ypm over 367 miles to take first section L and sixth open. Raced on the roundabout system, this hen was on its fourth race of the season and its first from over the channnel. Previously this season it had been raced from Yeovil and twice from Kingsdown. The partners had eight birds in less than an hour and eleven out of twenty on the day.
Don McCartney of Carnforth timed a three year old, black cock on 1284ypm after 405 miles to take seventh open and second section L. Flying into Carnforth is no mean feat with it being isolated up in the north of Lancashire and with hawks being an ever present threat. The dam comes from the loft's old family of Van Loons that originated from the Staddon Brothers a quarter of a century ago. When breeding, Don looks to inbreed top individual performers and then outcross to get good racers.
B P Lee of Congleton was eighth open and third section L with a two year old on 1280ypm after 337 miles.
Mr and Mrs Kirkland of Stoke on Trent timed a two year old on 1279ypm after 330 miles to take ninth open and first section J. The Kirklands clocked a blue cock bred from their longer distance strain when outcrossed with some Eric Ceulemans bloodlines.
Completing the top ten we have Norman Lidster of Rawmarsh with a two year old on 1268ypm over 354 miles and which was also fourth section K.
Around the sections
Section A was won by S & L Harris of Havant with a two year old on 1243ypm over 175 miles. This father and daughter partnership timed a chequer pied hen bred from birds they obtained from Steve and Lesley Wright of the House of Aarden. Containing Spirit of Dreams and De Barcelona Missy bloodlines, this hen was allowed to raise two youngsters earlier this year before being put on the roundabout system. As a yearling it was second federation from Nort-sur-Edre.
Second section A went to Alan Holdaway of Emsworth with a yearling on 1227ypm over 174 miles.
Third section A was M Foster and Sons of Petersfield who timed a two year old on 1217ypm after 187 miles.
Colin Edwards of Romsey won second section B with a yearling on 1261ypm over 185 miles.
Third in section B was timed by P Priddle of Southampton and was a two year old on 1252ypm over 177 miles.
W Woods
W Woods of Shaftesbury won section C with a two year old on 1223ypm over 190 miles. A fancier for over sixty years, Mr Woods timed a cock raced on the widowhood system. The section winner was bred from a bird bred by his brother Bill, the sire being a Renus Laben crossed with a Wildermeersch and the dam being from his own established family.
Second section C went to Mr and Mrs Hodges of Templecombe with a yearling on 1189ypm after 194 miles. Racing on the chaos system, the sire of this pigeon came from Mark Dorrington's Matrix pair and the dam is a Daniel Aerens obtained from Sheldon Leonard.
Third in section C was Mr C Long of Salisbury with a yearling on 1183ypm over 193 miles.
The winner of section D was Mr A J Weymouth from Wellington with a two year old on 1118ypm over 204 miles. This hen was bred by Richard Goodier and bought at the Honiton young bird sale for thirty pounds. Containing Jos Thoné bloodlines it has Sars and Miss Dynamite on the sire's side and Sumo on the dam's.
Second section D went to Daniel Hocking of Bridgwater with a yearling on 1106ypm after 216 miles. Daniel was gifted a pair of pigeons by Steve Willis of Bridgwater, one half of which came from Steve's Lerwick winning family and the other half from Phil Mags' Lerwick family. This second section winner is a blue cock bred from this pair and raced on the roundabout system.
Third in section D was won by Mark and Sarah Beavis from Newton Abbot, who timed a two year old on 1089ypm over 188 miles.
Mark Gilbert (photo courtesy of Chris Sutton)
Section E was won by Mark Gilbert of Winkfield with a yearling on 1268ypms over 216 miles. Mark timed a blue hen, bred from a double grandson of George, the father of Euro Diamond.
Second section E was Laz Gorman of Slough with a yearling on 1246ypm over 222 miles.
Third in section E was won by S & P Kulpa from Reading with a two year old on 1243ypm over 215 miles.
Second section F went to P Kenny from Wantage with a yearling on 1252ypm after 226 miles. Paul clocked a Vandenabeele hen bred from M & D Evans stock and raced on the widowhood system.
Third in section F went to Smith and Baker from Swindon with a four year old on 1240ypm over 224 miles.
First in section G went to Howse and Parsons of Devizes with a yearling on 1233ypm after 210 miles. A Koopman x Drum pigeon this was one of a batch of four the partners swapped with the Smith and Baker partnership of Swindon.
Second section G was won by Chris Nelmes from Bristol and was also a yearling on 1219ypm after 220 miles. Chris only keeps a small team of twelve widowhood cocks and his timer in this race was a René Nauwelaert x Gerrit Lashuis pigeon.
Bill Harris of Elton won third section G with a two year old on 1194ypm over 248 miles.
Section H was won by A Smith from Wellingborough with a two year old on 1163ypm after 277 miles. The section winner comes from Andy's longer distance family, being a Van Breeman crossed with Mickey Locke bloodlines.
John Searle of Cambridge took second and third section H with a two year old and three year old respectively on 1138ypm and 1128ypm over 268 miles. The sire of his first pigeon is Litton's Johnny, bred by Mark Dorrington and a full brother to Paul Kendall's Tarbes winner.
Jones & Adams
The winner of section I was G & J Jones and Adams from Redditch, the partners timed a two year old on 1263ypm over 276 miles. A Walter Docx hen, both parents of this pigeon were bred by the late Ray Parker of Redditch.
Second in section I was Rob Rome from Cheltenham with a three year old on 1247ypm over 249 miles. The sire of Rob's winner is Geronimo 594, bred by Patrick and Dimitri Houfflijn of Belgium.
Third in section I was won by John Bate from Birmingham with a three year old on 1245ypm after 286 miles.
Second in section J was J A Hamplett from Stafford with a three year old on 1252ypm over 312 miles.
Third section J went to F Machin & Son of Stoke on Trent with a three year old on 1246ypm after 332 miles.
That concludes the report on the provisional result of the National Flying Club race from Fougères.