Geoff & Catherine Cooper (photo courtesy of Chris Sutton)
In first west section and first open are Geoff and Catherine Cooper from Peasdown St John. The Coopers clocked three pigeons to also take third west section and third open and sixth west section, eleventh open. First on the clock was a yearling on 1069mpm over five hundred and thirty miles. Next up was a three year old on 1054mpm, followed by another yearling on 771mpm. The Coopers also win first international hens and third international open, taking their tally of international wins to four so far. On the provisional result they also recorded fifty-fifth, fifty-seventh and sixty-third open. The winner is Farm Ivy, named after their youngest granddaughter, who had her birthday during the weekend of the race. All the Cooper hens are raced on the widowhood system and prior to St Vincent, Farm Ivy had four channel races, taking a third prize from Messac. The grandsires of Farm Ivy are Farm Boy and Starlight. The sire is a son of Farm Boy when paired to its daughter and the dam is a son of Starlight when paired to its half sister. Second on the clock was another widowhood hen, Farm Evie, the sire of which is a son of Legend, first international Dax for Brian Sheppard. The dam of Farm Evie is a daughter of Farm Boy. The Cooper's third pigeon is a nest-sister to Farm Ivy, so all three hens clocked are granddaughters of Farm Boy.
Farm Ivy
John Smale
Second west section and second open was timed at the Llanvihangel loft of J Smale and was a yearling on 1060mpm over a distance of five hundred and seventy-two miles. This cock was sent feeding its first youngster of the season, having previously been raced on the roundabout system. The pedigree for this cock has three national winners in its recent history, being a cross between Dutch pigeons from Jan Polder and the Bruggeman Brothers on the sire's side and on the dam's there is Andrew McFenton's Pont y Mousson national winner plus John's own Thurso national winner, Westra Eddie. Also in the mix is a little of Lambert and Davies' famous number one pair. The St Vincent national was its fifth channel crossing of the season, its last being Tours with the British International Championship Club where it was fourteenth west section.
Gordon & June Mears
Mr and Mrs G Mears of Newport clocked fourth west section and fourth open with a yearling on 1043mpm over five hundred and fifty-four miles. This blue cock was bred from birds from the Mears' clubmate, Terry Gardener and it was sent feeding a large youngster. The partnership timed a second bird, a latebred from stock they obtained from W Thomas and Terry Gardner. This chequer pied hen was not trained or raced as a youngster, which makes it all the more remarkable that it should now be well up on the open result from over five hundred miles as a yearling. This hen had four channel races as far as Niort-sur-Edre before St Vincent, where it was sent sitting fourteen day old eggs.
John Tyerman
John Tyerman of Bracklesham Bay clocked a five year old on 1022mpm over five hundred miles to take first centre section and fifth open. John timed his blue cock, 84685, just after 6.35pm. John was also racing with the club from Bordeaux that day and when the cock came it initially landed on the wrong loft, fooling him into thinking he was another arrival from Bordeaux. It quickly flew to the correct loft however and was clocked shortly afterwards. This cock flew St Vincent in 2014 and has been a consistent pigeon over its racing career. The St Vincent cock contains John's Carmichael x Kirkpatrick x Cannon bloodlines from all John's best distance birds.
D Bullen and Son of Croydon was second centre section and sixth open with a three year old on 992mpm over five hundred and thirty-four miles. The partners' first timer from St Vincent was a widowhood hen bred from their good racing cock 88, which won the two bird ace pigeon award from Pau with the BICC. 88 is a son of Reggy's Boy which won first open National Flying Club from Dax and fifth open international. Reggy's Boy is in turn the grandsire of Isla's Rainy Day Boy, the winner of first Pau international. The dam of this hen comes from the Bullen's good friend Jan Robles of Holland. Second on the clock for the Bullens was a gay pied hen sent sitting four eggs when paired to another hen in the loft.
M & A Watson
M and A Watson and Son from Cornwall were fifth west section and seventh open with a six year old on 988mpm over a distance of four hundred and eighty-eight miles. Shaun timed a Krauth x Dordin, mealy widowhood cock named Sir Malc, after his late father. This cock and others of the same family have been performing well for the loft over many years, taking club, federation and combine positions flying back to their small back garden loft.
Robert Loft's pigeon
The Tenterden loft ofthe ptly names Robert Loft clocked a five year old on 921mpm over five hundred and nineteen miles to take first east section and eighth open. Robert's timer is a blue widowhood cock which was also thirteenth open, twenty-eighth open from Agen earlier this season. Its bloodlines contain quality pigeons acquired from good friends and it is closely related to Robert's 2010 National Flying Club young bird open winner.
Jim Connolley
Mr and Mrs Connolley from Marden were second east section and ninth open with a two year old on 778mpm over five hundred and twenty-four miles. The Connolley's first bird was bred bred from a Batenburg x Van De Merwe cock when paired to a daughter of Legend, first international from Dax. It was sent sitting a five day old youngster. Their second on the clock was also their second pigeon from Agen two weeks ago and was also a Batenburg x Legend hen. The partners clocked a total of four pigeons to take ninth, fourteenth, thirty-fourth and fifty-sixth open.
Mr & Mrs Reis
Completing the top ten and in third east section are Mr and Mrs Derek Reis with a three year old on 773mpm over five hundred and seventy-five miles. Both the sire and the dam of this pigeon were bred by Schofield and Greetham of Stanford le Hope and this hen has now been named Tinkerbelle by Derek's granddaughter Ella. This was Tinkerbelle's first international race and her pedigree is full of top long distance bloodlines with Tarbes, Barcelona and Palamos performers. The sire is a grandson of Mick Parrish's John's Boy, first open BBC Palamos.
Around the sections
Mark Gilbert (photo courtesy of Chris Sutton)
Mark Gilbert of Windsor was three centre section with a two year old on 759mpm over five hundred and thirty-seven miles.
John Haverley
First north centre section and twenty-first open went to J M Haverley from Milton Keynes and was a four year old on 714mpm over five hundred and seventy-five miles. The section winner is a Supercrack x Southwell which has had a number of club wins to its credit presious to St Vincent. Raced on the widowhood system earlier in the season, it was re-mated and sent to the race feeding two small youngsters.
Russell Bradford
Mr and Mrs Russell Bradford clocked two to take second and third north centre section. The first was a three year old on 649mpm over five hundred and ninety-four miles. Second on the clock was a four year old on 571mpm. Russell's first bird was a cock with distance in its bloodlines, being a double grandson of Invincible Spirit when paired to a daughter of Champion Emiel, first international Dax for Bernard Deweerdt. The second on the clock was a cock with all four grandparents direct from Bernard Deweerdt's loft.
Bernie Wallman
First north east section and fifty-fourth open went to Bernie Wallman from Cambridge with a six year old on 560mpm over five hundred and ninety miles. Bernie clocked 38, bred from two birds he had from the late George and Maureen Bates and Son from Gravesend. The dam was purchased as a squeaker for stock and was direct from George's first section and twenty-sixth open 2007 cock from Tarbes. Both the sire and the dam of the section winner were Ken Hine x Jan Aarden x Van Bruanne bloodlines.
That concludes the report on the provisional result on the British International Championship Club race from St Vincent, in conjunction with the international.