The British International Championship Club winner from St Vincent - photo courtesy of Chris Sutton
The first bird clocked into the UK from St Vincent was at the Bracklesham Bay loft of the British International Championship Club President, John Tyerman. For a while John was at the top of the leader board but he was then overtaken by Doug Gatland of Reigate who also occupied the top spot for a while. In the end it was the Padfield Family (aka Vince and David) from Abertillery who triumphed on the day, taking first west section and first open for their loft with a five year old chequer cock which was re-mated a week before basketing. He was sent driving to nest and being given an open loft to do what he wished. The Padfields usually race their birds on the roundabout system in the middle of the season and then switch them to the natural system for the nationals and internationals, but with the cold weather earlier this year they have left their team on the roundabout system and with excellent results. Always near the top in the international races the Padfields have won an excellent UK victory this weekend on a velocity of 738ypm.
A proud Padfield Family - photo courtesy of Chris Sutton
Doug Gatland's second open pigeon
Doug Gatland of Reigate in Surrey was in second open on a velocity of 732ypm. Doug is 41 years old and married with two sons aged 8 and 10 years. He has been racing pigeons for thirty years and when he first started he wanted to win every race. Now, however, he prefers to concentrate on the distance and especially the 500 mile day races. He joined the BICC especially to fly St Vincent and sent five birds to the race. His first bird home is a two year old, blue chequer hen containing the bloodlines of Van de Wegen, Jan Aarden and Wim Muller. Her sire is a son of Chyavarrien and her dam was bred by Duncan Harvey of St Buryan in Cornwall.
Preece Brothers and Sons
Third open and second west section went to Preece Brothers and Sons, from Cwmtillery on 730ypm. Their timer was a three year old, blue pied, roundabout hen called Brian's Girl which had three short inland races and then was sent across the channel twice with the BICC before being sent to Pau with them, from where she was the partnerships' second bird home. They then prepared her for St Vincent with an hours exercise morning and evening with the rest of the roundabout hens which are kept in a loft with plastic balls on the floor to stop them from pairing up. Their winner is the nest sister to their first bird out of Tarbes with the NFC.
Bill Knox's pigeon
Fourth open and first east section went to SR and WH Knox of Tyler Hill in Kent with a two year old clocked on 706ypm. Bill is the brains behind this partnership which flies to a loft near Canterbury. He clocked one of his Kirkpatricks, a red chequer cock that has flown Vire as a young bird. The bloodlines are mainly Kirkpatrick from Stranraer Simon and the dam was bred by J Murray of Coxhoe with a cross of Paul Woolliss' Van Wanroys on the sire's side. Bill clocked another two birds to be 37th and 47th open.
Kevin and Lee Buddle
No strangers to international success and fifth open from St Vincent were Lee and Kevin Buddle of Dover. The partnership clocked a second bird to be provisionally ninth open and third east section and then a third to be provisionally eleventh east section and twenty eighth open. That just confirms what this partnership are capable of in international racing. Their first bird in the clock was a 2010 cock that had previously flown BICC Pau and was the partnership's first bird home winning sixteenth east section and thirtieth open. This pigeon has been called Tom, in memory of Lee's wife's grandather, who sadly passed away on the day of the St Vincent race.
Geoff Cooper with grandson Sol
Geoff and Catherine Cooper from Peasedown St John timed in for third west section and sixth open with a three year old on 702ypm. The Coopers clocked Wriggleson, a three year old widowhood cock that had previously won sixth national from BICC Alençon and sixty ninth open from Saintes with the West of England South Road Combine earlier in the season. Wriggleson's dam is a daughter of the Cooper's top breeder George and as his name suggests, his sire is Wriggler.
John Tyerman and grandson
John Tyerman from Bracklesham Bay in West Sussex, led the leader board for a while, but was eventually seventh open and second centre section, no mean feat after all! John clocked an seven year old blue chequer hen from his old Carmichael/Kirkpatrick family on 699ypm. John had been planning on sending her to Barcelona but she had not laid in time so she went to St Vincent instead, sitting twelve day old eggs. A granddaughter of Dorking Supreme which won twentieth open National Flying Club Pau and twenty second open London and South East Classic Club Pau, she also contains the bloodlines of John's Barcelona cock.
Mr and Mrs Newman's eighth open winner
Eighth open and third centre section went to the Petersfield loft of Mr and Mrs Newman in Hampshire with a two year old on 607 ypm. The partnership also clocked a second bird to be provisionally thirteenth open. Both of their cocks are raced on the natural system and were sent sitting eggs. They are kept in an open loft and allowed are to come and go as they please, being fed on a GEM Irish mixture. Morrie and Jean's main bloodlines are Jimmy Shepherd's Southwells, George Stubbs' Barcelona family, Jock Reid's Scottish racers and Spangles.
Geoff Cooper with Rob Brooks and Fleur
Tenth open and fourth west section was clocked by the Brooks Brothers of High Littleton with a four year old on 685ypm. The partnership was originally brothers Trosky and Harry but when Harry died, Trosky's son Rob became a partner. Since Trosky's death Rob has carried on with the pigeons in the partnership name. Rob clocked Journey Man which is bred down from the Cooper's bloodlines, as Geoff gifted Rob a half-brother to Farm Boy and which has gone on to breed many winners.
Alan Turner and Bill Knox
Alan Turner of Dover clocked in to take eleventh open and in twelfth place we have Mark Gilbert of Windsor. Mark clocked five birds in total his others being twenty second, twenty third, twenty seventh and thirty first open, another terrific performance for his loft. First in the clock was a one hundred percent Brockamp, a granddaughter of Euro Diamond and second was a granddaughter of Euro Diamond and Southfield Supreme.
Dicky Pearmain
Pearmain and Son were fourteenth open and clocked three more to be provisionally twenty ninth, forty seventh and fifty second open. Mike Mitchell of Dover timed a blue hen to be fifteenth open. This hen was first open from Narbonne in 2010 amongst many other good performances from across the channel. Finally, in sixteenth open Geoff and Clayton Preece clocked a three year old widowhood cock.
That concludes the report of the British International Championship Club race from St Vincent.