Dave & Sheila Quantrill
In first north-east section and first open is the Lowestoft loft of Mr and Mrs David Quantrill who clocked a two year old on 1244mpm over 316 miles. The winning pigeon was purchased at a breeder/buyer sale at Diss and was bred by Andrew Daniels from his channel family. As a young bird it won £84 each for breeder and buyer in the race from Salisbury. This widowhood cock has had five channel races prior to Le Mans, the longest being Poitiers where it was sixth club. Raced on a semi widowhood system the Le Mans winner was shown its hen for two hours prior to basketing.
Mark Bulled
First east section and second open went to Mark Bulled from Harlow with a yearling on 1232mpm over 258 miles. Mark timed two pigeons in quick succession, both yearling hens which had been flown on thw widowhood system earlier in the season but had been re-paired and sent feeding small squeakers. First on the clock is a previous winner of ninth open, British Barcelona Club Fougères, the sire of which was bred by his good friend Robbie Wilton, direct from Robbie's London and South East Classic winner from Tours when paired to one of Mark's top Red Bull stock hens. This stock hen is already the dam to a second open British Barcelona Club winner. Second on the clock for Mark was a daughter of his Red Widower, a winner of seven x firsts with the M11 club with birdages of between five and eight hundred birds. This hen is a half sister to Eastbourne, first open BBC Fougères.
Tony & Alex Mackenzie
Alex Mackenzie of Chelmsford timed a two year old on 1231mpm over 256 miles to take second east section and third open. Alex's first pigeon came from his old Kellens x Van Den Bosch family which he obtained from Albert Babington in the 1980s when crossed with the late Stuart Elvin's Busschaert x Van Loon bloodlines. This pigeon was steady as a yearling and two year old and Le Mans is its first top open position.
Dane Hacon
R Hacon and Son from Norfolk took second north-east section and fourth open with a yearling on 1227mpm over a distance of 323 miles. Rocco and Dane timed a Busschaert x Jan Aarden hen which had a handful of inland races before le Mans, which was its first channel race.
Kevin Foster
Kevin Foster of Longfield Hill clocked a yearling on 1216mpm over 233 miles to take third east section and fifth open. Kevin's pigeon was a blue hen sent sitting after previously being raced on the roundabout system. In preparation for Le Mans, this hen had four channel races with the national and specialist clubs. The sire is a double grandson of Kannibal, which previously bred a seventh national BICC winner and also the first UK, fifth open winner in Sun City. The dam of this yearling is from Geoff and Catherine Cooper, a direct daughter of Wriggler, first open BICC when paired to a duaghter of George, the first NFC Tarbes and King's Cup winner.
Terry Bentham
Fourth east section and sixth open was a yearling on 1216mpm over 252 miles for Terry Bentham of Stock Ingates. Terry's hen was raced on the widowhood system and was bred from a slatey blue Van den Bosch hen picked out from Mickey Watts stock by Mickey Harvey. Its sire was a Brian Denham cock known as Somerset Lad, as it won the Somerset one loft race for Micky Watts. This hen was previously sixteen open, Essex and Kent Amalgamation from Le Mans.
Tony & Pat Mahoney (photo courtesy of Chris Sutton)
Mahoney Brothers of Basildon took fifth east section and seventh open with a yearling on 1215.6mpm over a distance of 246 miles. Terry and Pat clocked a blue pied widowhood cock named Alfie, a full brother to their fourth open BICC Alençon winner earlier this season. Its bloodlines are Soontjen x Planet Van Loon x Ronnie Williamson. The sire and dam of Alfie are responsible for a number of top class racers and are the partners' golden pair.
Jackson & Son's pigeon
Sixth east section and eighth open was a three year old on 1215.1mpm over 236 miles for P Jackson and Son from Bromley. The partners' timer is a granddaughter of Jos Thoné's Sumo x Sars when paired to the Jackson's original Pretty Boy lines from Planet Brothers. This hen was on her fifth race of the season, the others being twice times Exeter, once x Messac and a Truro.
Ted Robinson
Ted Robinson of Orpington timed a two year old on 1213mpm over 231 miles to take seventh east section and ninth open. Ted clocked a hen that was raced on the widowhood earlier this season and then placed in the young bird section where she was very taken with a young cock. She was sent to Le Mans sitting twelve day eggs and her bloodlines contain Van Loon x Staf Van Reet.
David Coward Talbot (photo courtesy of Chris Sutton)
Completing the top ten and in eighth east section we have David Coward Talbot from Chelmsford with a yearling on 1210mpm over 255 miles. Bred down from the best of the Planet Brother's De Loons, Le Mans was its first channel race. The pedigree of this pigeon contains Scrumpy and also Amal, also from the Planet Bloodlines. This cock is also bred down from Emperor.
Around the sections
Ken Abbott
First centre section and eleventh open was a two year old on 1207mpm over 197 miles for K Abbott from Brighton. This is Ken's second section win of 2015 and this time he clocked a widowhood cock of Reynaert Figo bloodlines. The sire was bred by Premier Lofts and the dam came from Crammond and Langstaff of Fontwell.
G T Burgess of Wraysbury clocked a yearling on 1203mpm to take second centre section. George is an octogenarian and has been in the pigeon sport for decades. He timed a chequer hen flown on the roundabout system and containing Soontjen bloodlines crossed with other mixes.
Mr and Mrs Chaplin of Woking were third centre section with a two year old on 1201mpm. The Chaplins timed a cock containing Burgher x Wildemeerch bloodlines. This was its fifth race across the water this year and it was sent sitting eight day eggs after having been flown on the widowhood system earlier in the season.
John Halstead
John Halstead of Kington Magna clocked a three year old on 1192mpm over 236 miles to take first west section and twentieth open. This was a chequer, white flight widowhood cock named Nyland Vulcan and which has now won three section wins with three different organisations over a six week period. That is a very special pigeon. It is bred from a half-brother x half-sister mating and its bloodlines are Reynaert Figo through Beverdam and Kees Boshua through Crammond and Langstaff. Derek Flowers of Pontypool clocked a two year old on 1132mpm to take second west section. Howse and Parson of Devizes were third west section with a yearling on 1126mpm.
Glen Spiller
Mr and Mrs Spiller of clocked a two year old on 1207mpm over 328 miles to take first north-centre section and twelfth open. Glen and Wendy timed a widowhood cock containing Jos Thoné bloodlines and also a strong influence of birds from Ian Stafford.
John Rumney
John Rumney from Houghton-le-Spring timed a two year old on 1205mpm to take second north-centre section. John timed a chequer pied cock which was a grandson of Parel Voske, the father of his loft. Third north-centre section was a three year old on 1160mpm for Leonard Manning of Boston West. Leonard's timer was a blue Vandenabeele cock flown on the widowhood system. Eddie and Clayton Oxborough from Norfolk clocked a two year old on 1161mpm to take third north-east section.
Eric Watkins
Eric Watkins of Shrewsbury timed a two year old on 1082mpm over 342 miles to take first north-west section and one hundred and twenty-ninth open. This was Eric's first ever race with the BICC and he clocked a widowhood cock of mixed Bertie Bassett bloodlines to top the section. This section winner was a bit of a slow starter when it was a youngster and as yearling it showed no promise. Eric's faith in it has now been repaid. I reckon he should call it his liquorice allsort! C Preece of Bridgnorth was second north-west section with a two year old on 1031mpm. Chris timed a Cattrysse x Janssen that nighted out three times last year. John Rodway of Rushwick took third north-west section with a two year old on 1020mpm. This pigeon was unraced until this year and Le Mans was its second channel race. It was sent sitting four day eggs.
That concludes the report on the provisional result of the British International Championship Club race from Le Mans.