Mark Gilbert (photo courtesy of Chris Sutton)
First open and first centre section was won by Mark Gilbert of Windsor with a two year old blue hen on 1027mpm. Flying 350 miles to his lofts in Winkfield, this brave little hen was 84 ypm (77 mpm) ahead of the next bird. The sire is a son of New Laureaat 1st international Barcelona and her dam is a daughter of Starlight who was 2nd international Tarbes for Etienne Meirlaen. Last year as a yearling this hen was 18th section 87th national from Tarbes national a distance of 568 miles. She is flown on the widowhood system.
Mr and Mrs S Howard of Guildford were second open and sencond centre section with a two year old on 950mpm over 337 miles.
Ken McGowan
K McGowan of Chatham clocked a four year old on 934mpm over 343 miles to take third open and first east section. Ken's timer was a Gaby Vandenabeele pigeons, the sire and dam of which were bred by Penge Lofts.
Booth & Roper
Booth and Roper of Tewkesbury were fourth open and first north-west section with a three year old on 885mpm over 402 miles.
Treetops Lofts
Clive and Jill Rogers and Neil Sales from Radstock clocked a two year old on 835mpm over 359 miles to take fifth open and first west section. The two year old mealy hen that the partners in Treetops Lofts timed is called Little Em and was bred out of a cock bird that was gifted to them by their good friend Rob Brooks (Brooks Bros of High Littleton) and a Crowley & Green Missiles hen. The sire came from the Brooks Bros fantastic Pau and Tarbes winning family and had both Chuckles and The Knocker in his pedigree. The dam was a grand-daughter of Young Boris from Crowley & Green. So this mealy hen has true long distance pedigree blood from winning lines on both sides. This year she has raced from Lyndhurst (43 miles) and Bedhampton (68 miles) and then straight into the Coutances race with the Central Southern Classic, followed by BICC Alençon and then BICC Cholet (300 miles) before tackling the Poitiers race which turned out to be a real grueller due to terrible weather both in northern France and in the Channel.
Gosling & Jarvis
Sixth open and second east section was a three year old on 833mpm over 363 miles for Gosling and Jarvis of Mountnessing.
Strawbridge and Williams of Newport were seventh open and second west section with a two year old on 826mpm over a distance of 389 miles.
Brooks Brothers & Wilcox
Brooks Brothers and Wilcox of Bristol timed a yearling on 819.4mpm over 362 miles to take eighthopen and third west section. The partners timed a hen that was bred by Peter Fox of Syndicate Lofts containing the best Dutch long distance bloodlines of Cor De Heidje, Kuijpers and Jan Theelen. The sire is direct from Crazy Horse bred by Cor De Heidje, sire of forth north section KinzWeiller Welsh South East Combine 2016, the only bird on the day after fifteen hours on the wing over 470 miles. The dam is a daughter of Morgan, sire of first north section Weslh South East Combine Ypes 2016, 350 miles. Morgan is a top breeder direct from two national winners.
Dave Anderson of Bexley Heath was ninth open and third east section with a two year old on 819.4 over 349 miles.
R Taylor & Sons
Completing the top ten and in fourth west section are R Taylor and Sons from Bristol with a three year old on 819.3mpm over a distance of 370 miles.
Around the sections
Wearn Brothers and Neilson of Ramsdean were third centre section with a two year old on 776mpm over 351 miles.
John Rumney
John Rumney of Houghton le Spring was first north-centre section and forty-ninth open with a five year old on 624mpm over 589 miles. John's timer from Poitiers was flying natural and sent sitting 14 day eggs, despite this turning out to be a difficult race he arrived in very good condition. His sire was bred through birds off great friends of John's, Hughie and Colin Jackson’s main lines, such as Fence Houses Lad, Fence House Jet and Double Diamond, top draw combine winning pigeons. The dam was a Brian Denny (Tuff Nut lines) x Eric Cannon hen (Misty lady lines) and a prolific breeder of marathon birds. It is a brother and/or half brother to 4 pigeons to have excelled up to 743 miles.
Pieter Oberholster
Pieter Oberholster of Keysoe was second north-centre section with a three year old on 621mpm over 405 miles. On the sire's side this pigeon goes back to Pieter's old family that has bred plenty of winners. On the dam's side it is bred from a daughter of Southfield Karen and Son Euro Diamond bred by Mark Gilbert.
John Black
John Black of Hitchin was third north-centre section with a two year old on 420mpm over 388 miles.
Colin Manly of Swaffham was first north-east section and fifty-eighth open with a four year old on 408mpm over 432 miles.
A and T Wright of Norwich was second north-east section with a four year old on 404mpm over 429 miles.
Steve Kaschner of Diss was third north-east section.
Mr/s Lloyd
Mr and Mrs Lloyd of Moreton in the Marsh were second north-west section and eighteenth open with a three year old blue cock on 760mpm over 416 miles. It's breeding is Jan Aarden x Vandenabeele with the dam being a Leo Pronk Jan Aarden from Louella pigeon stud. The sire is a Vandenabeele, the grand-dam being bred by Mel and Sue King of Blandford and bought at a breeder buyer. After fourteen hours and thirty-nine minutes of flying it arrived back at the loft in perfect condition and was the furthest flying bird on the day.
John Crehan
Crehan and O'Connor of Salford were third north-west section.
Fanciers in the top ten of the provisional result or in the top three of the sections can contact me at pigeonkaren@gmail.com with details and photographs of their winners for inclusion in these reports.
That concludes the report on the provisional result of the British International Championship Club race from Poitiers.