Lee & Kevin Buddle (photo courtesy of Chris Sutton)
Lee and Kevin Buddle of Dover took first open and first east section with a three year old on 734mpm over 897kms. The partners timed a hen named Elsa, that has previously been thirty-ninth open from Agen in 2013 with the British International Championship Club. Elsa had a bad start to the 2014 season, having returned from Tours in June with her tail missing which meant four weeks rest until it had partially grown back. She was then sent to Canappeville and Bedhampton in preparation for Narbonne. The sire of Elsa is a son of Dave Hales' 80, which won first and third from Perpignan, when paired to Game, the Buddle's top racing hen. The dam is a daughter of Amoy, first BICC Pau in 2009. Lee and Kevin timed a second bird, a four year old on 659mpm to take third open, third east section. A mealy hen named Saffron, this pigeon had flown Pau earlier in the season. The sire of Saffron was bred by Jim Peters, being a grandson of both his Barcelona winners, Lacoste and Marathon Man. The dam is a daughter of BC, second open BICC Pau and Mike Mitchell's Eve, first open BICC Perpignan. Having only entered three pigeons for Narbonne, the Buddles completed the hat-trick when they clocked their third entry to take tenth open. This hen had also flown Pau earlier in the season when she was one hundred and seventh open. The sire of this hen is a double grandson of Geoff and Catherine Cooper's Farm Boy and the dam is a daughter of Mike Mitchell's Dutch hen. 2014 has been a remarkable season for Lee and Kevin Buddle with four out of five clocked on the result from Barcelona with the international, four from seven on the Agen international result and five from eight from the Pau international race. Now three out of three from Narbonne - fantastic flying from this father and son partnership.
Lee & Kevin Buddle's loft
Alan 'Wally' Turner
A J Turner of Dover took second open and second east section with a four year old cock on 669mpm over 906kms. Wally's first pigeon contains the bloodlines of Brian Denney and Chris Gordon via John Seartle on the one side and Eric Fox blood via Geoff Walsford on the other. A consistent racer, this cock has numerous channel performances to its name including forty-seventh open, twenty-ninth section E from Perpignan with the BICC in 2013. Earlier this season it scored sixty-ninth open with the BICC from the St Vincent international race. It was sent to Narbonne driving its hen to nest. Wally clocked a second bird, a three year old on 577mpm to take eighth open and eighth east section.
Wally Turner's Loft
F Knowles and Son of Canterbury timed a three year old hen on 658mpm after 914kms to take fourth open and fourth east section. Simon Knowles' first on the clock had three inland training races from one hundred miles and then two channel races in preparation for Narbonne. Her sire is Gregory, which was fourth, twenty-second and twenty-fifth open BICC Barcelona. The dam is the 41 hen that has been twelfth and sixty-fifth open BICC Pau. Simon timed a second pigeon, also three year old hen on 596mpm to also take sixth open and sixth east section. This hen contains the bloodlines of Mick Parish and has previously been sixty-second open BICC Perpignan. Both hens were raced on the natural system with an open loft allowing them to come and go as they pleased. The Knowles' further pigeons took eighteenth, twentieth and twenty-first open.
Fifth open Narbonne for Bill Knox
Fifth open and fifth east section was timed at the Tyler Hill loft of SR and WH Knox and was a three year old cock on 599mpm over 919kms. This cock was Bill's second bird from Agen and took fourteenth section and twenty-ninth open. It was sent to Narbonne sitting ten day eggs on the day of basketing. Prior to Agen, this cock had Cannappeville (140 miles), Saran (240 miles) and Pithiviers (220 miles), all with the East of England Continental Club. Bill also timed a second bird, a three year old hen on 554mpm to take twelfth open and tenth east section. This hen was Bill's fourth bird back from Agen, recording seventy-fifth open. Prior to Agen she flew Lilliers and Pithiviers. The sire of this hen was bred by N Barrett and is a grandson of Bill's Barcelona winner. The dam's side contains the bloodlines of Bill's old Kirkpatrick family.
Bill Knox's loft
R Pearmain & Son (photo courtesy of Chris Sutton)
Dickie and Steve Pearmain of Wickford timed a four year old latebred cock on 593mpm over 952kms to take seventh open and seventh east section. The father and son partnership timed the same cock that they clocked on the night from Agen after nearly thirteen hours on the wing. Closely related to Marseille Maur, their merit award winner from Marseille, this cock was sent sitting ten day eggs at the time of basketing.
Vince Padfield outside his loft
The Padfield Family of Abertillery took ninth open and first west section with a five year old hen on 569mpm over 1056kms. A remarkable achievement, this hen had to spend two days struggling in a north-west wind to reach her home loft at around eight in the evening on the second day. Raced on the roundabout system earlier this year, this chequer hen had three or four inland races, followed by a couple from across the channel. She was then sent to the Pau international race where she was clocked to take sixty-fifth open and eighteenth west section. She was re-paired when the Tarbes birds were basketed in early July and then sent to Narbonne sitting chipping eggs and returning to a small squeaker. This hen contains Dale Newcombe and Jan Aarden bloodlines, the former obtained via the family's good friend Andrew Loveday. Vince and Dave clocked a second pigeon the next morning to take sixteenth open and second west section. This chequer hen, Dream Maker, was prepared for Narbonne the same way as the first and was also sent sitting chipping eggs. From the Pau international race, Dream Maker was forty-seventh open and fourteenth section. Dream Maker's sire was bred by The House of Aarden and is a son of Spirit of Dreams, a double grandson of Invincible Spirit, when paired to invincible Joop 84. The dam is a Wim Muller out of a grandson of Adonis, tenth national Pau and itself bred off De Gorrison, the sire of Miss Barcelona, first international Barcelona (26,000p.) in 2000.
K and J Zerafa of Portsmouth clocked a two year old hen on 561mpm over 905kms to take eleventh open and first centre section. Kevin and John's pigeon contains Jan aarden bloodlines.
Geoff & Clayton Preece
GM Preece and Son of Dover clocked the next three on the provisional result for thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth open and eleventh, twelfth and thirteenth east section. Their first was a two year old Stoffel hen on 539mpm over 900kms. previously, this hen has been fifty-third open BICC Agen in 2013. Second was a German rung, two year old purchased direct from the Stoffel loft on 530mpm. This hen contains the best of the Robert Ben bloodlines and previous results have included first section, ninth open from Agen with the BICC in 2013. Geoff and Clayton's third pigeon was three year old on 525mpm containing Stoffel bloodlines on both sides of the pedigree.
Rob Jones
Rob Jones of Southampton, flying as Bartlett and Jones, clocked a six year old, Staf Van Reet hen on 443mpm over 928kms to take second centre section and seventeeth open. Rob's hen has won many prizes at the sprint and middle distance races including first federation, before he moved her on to compete at the distance. In 2013 she flew Tarbes and Bergerac and earlier this season was entered into the Tarbes race with the National Flying Club in early July. Since her return from Tarbes she has not been out of the loft. Having decided to stop racing his old birds, Rob shut the old bird section but at the last minute decided to send the blue hen to Narbonne and she was obviously up for the job.
That concludes the report of the provisional result of the British International Championship Club race from Narbonne in conjunction with the international.