Gordon & Pat Emm
Mr and Mrs G Emm of Salisbury were first open and first section A with a two year old on 1542ypm. Gordon and Pat are stalwarts of the pigeon sport, helping out with the marking for numberous clubs. They have been racing for over forty years and previously won a car with the National Flying Club. The winner, named Blue Lightning, is a Hereman Ceusters cock raced on the celibate system. The Emm's only have a small team of pigeons and this season are racing eleven cocks on the celibate system.
Ben Fulford & Crazy John and a mealy hen
Second section A and second open went to J Fulford of Salisbury with a yearling on 1523ypm. James moved house two years ago and began building up a new team of pigeons, the foundation cock of which is a Gaby Vandenabeele cock, named Crazy John, that he purchased from John Halstead. James timed a Gaby x Barker x Smith Van Winkel pigeon from his good friend Les Stuckey from Yorkshire. James would like to acknowledge the help he has received from Dave Day.
Katie Fulford & the winning pigeon
Mr & Mrs Cooper
Mr and Mrs J Cooper of Bournemouth were third open and first section B with a four year old on 1504ypm. This blue cock contains Eric Cullerman bloodlines and last year it was second section, third open from Messac with the Central Southern Classic Flying Club. It was raced on the widowhood system.
R & V McConnell
R & V McConnell of Ferndown timed a two year old to take fourth open and second section B on 1503ypm. Their timer contains Mark Gilbert bloodlines and was badly injured as a yearling so was left to mend. The partners sent ten, had seven on the day and another the following morning.
Mick Johnson & Sue Bell
Johnson and Bell of Bournemouth were fifth open and third section B with a two year old pigeon on 1497.6ypm. Mick and Sue clocked a dark chequer, widowhood cock, the parents of which were purchased from a fancier in North Wales. The sire is a Flor Engels x Wildemeersch and the dam is a Vandenabeele.
Next up and in fourth section B is the partnership of Carpenter and Bastable. They clocked a four year old to take sixth open on a velocity of 1497.2ypm.
B & D Young of Bournemouth take seventh open and fifth section B with a yearling on 1490ypm.
S White of Honiton was eighth open and sixth section B, timing a three year old on 1484ypm.
Glen Moon of St Helier took ninth open and first section H with a four year old cock on 1474.9ypm. Glen timed True Grit, a stalwart of his loft and bred from a blue hen gifted to him by Mick De Carteret of Guernsey. This hen contains Reg Venner bloodlines. True Grit scores whatever the distance and is now being prepared for Barcelona later in the season.
Completing the top ten and in seventh section B is W Woods of Shaftsbury with a five year old on 1474.7ypm.
Around the sections
Third section A went to Johnny Attrill of Salisbury with a two year old on 1463ypm.
Peter Quainton
Section C was won by Pete Quainton from Chippenham with a two year old on 1455ypm. Peter timed a blue hen, Little Blue, bred from a Janseen Van Loon on the sire's side whilst the dam is a Vandenabeele. Little Blue was the winner of the race from Coutances two weeks previously.
Mr and Mrs Robinson of Marlborough were second section C on 1438ypm. Steve timed a hen containing Gaby Vandenabeele bloodlines and raced on the roundabout system. This is the same pigeon that was ninth section and thirty-first open from Coutances two weeks previously.
M Bird of Andover was third in section C.
Joe Deville
Section D was won by J Deville of Camberley with a yearling on 1437ypm. Joe clocked a hen, the breeding of which comes down from The Duke, his best Van Dyck stock bird. As a youngster this hen went across the channel four times and this was its third race of this season.
Second section D went to J Haynes of Maidenhead on 1428ypm. John timed a two year old, chequer hen.
C Gadsden of Toddington was third section D.
Dave Harris, Megan, Karen & Kyle
Section E was won by D Harris of Newport with a six year old on 1374ypm. Dave timed Dessie, a blue cock flown on the widowhood system. Dessie contains Soontjen bloodlines and was bred from a cock purchased at Des Phillips' sale and a Soontjen hen. Having won many prizes at national level, Dessie is now being retired to stock.
Chris Whittingham
C Whittingham of Stafford was second section E on 1368ypm. Chris' second section winner came to him by an unsual method. He was asked to remove some ferals from a listed building and amongst them were some rung birds. On contacting the fanciers he was told he could keep them and it is one of these pigeons that he clocked from Messac. This chequer pied cock has now had ten channel races in Chris' hands.
S Brown and Daughter from Telford were third section E.
Mike Armitage with Lexi & Paul
Mike Armitage of Ash won section G with a yearling on 1413ypm. Mike timed a hen, raced on a semi-widowhood system and bred down from his first section, fourth national winner.
Derek Reid
Derek Reid of Weybridge was second section G on 1398ypm. Derek timed a cock, the sire of which was bred from an Adrian Duggins pigeon paired to a full sister of Derek's 2005 national winner. The dam is a De-Rauw Sablon pigeon purchased from M & D Evans. Derek had twelve out of his sixteen entries on the day.
D & D McFadden of Cranleigh were third section G.
Paul Davies
Second section H went to Paul Davies of Jersey on 1455ypm. Paul's six year old Janssen x Jan Aarden cock has now won five x second section from various racepoints. This cock was lost from St Malo as a youngster, arriving home in April of the following year. Since then it has won numerous prizes at both club and national level.
A Coker of Wickford was first section J with a two year old on 1146ypm. Tony timed a Hugo Batenburg cock on its first race of the season. The sire of this cock is the Broken Keel cock that bred George's Girl (18th Open from Tarnes on the day) when on loan to the late George Humphrey, whilst the dam is House of Aarden x Batenburg.
Trevor & Adrian Wilson
Second section J went to Trevor and Adrian Wilson from Manuden on 1133ypm. The partners timed a Leo Van Rijn cock which was a gift bird from clubmate Billy Maples. Trevor and Adrian have only fifteen birds to race, sent them all to various races over the weekend and had them all home by the end of the day.
Gosling and Jarvis of Mountnessing were third section J.
That concludes the report on the provisional result of the British Barcelona Club race from Messac.