J Hemmings (photo courtesy of Chris Sutton)
John Hemmings of Rochford in Essex timed first open and first section E with a yearling blue hen on 1052mpm after 247 miles. John started the season racing on the natural system but having lost some of the cocks, he then switched to racing the hens celibate. As motivation, John allowed some older stock cocks into the corridor of the hen's section. The Le Mans winner was a latebred in 2013 and rung with an old ring. It had been trained throughout the winter and was still carrying some nest flights. Being later in the season, this hen was ready to pair to one of the cocks and so was suitable motivated to return home quickly. John's winning pigeon contains Soontjen bloodlines which he obtained from local fancier, John Buckfield. Having lost all his young birds a few season ago, John Buckfield offered him the loan of five pairs to set himself up again and these very quickly proved to be winning pigeons.
The Le Mans winner (photo courtesy of Chris Sutton) 
D Wilton & Son
Second east section and second open went to D Wilton and Son of Chadwell St Mary and was a yearling cock on 1047mpm after 239 miles. Raced on the widowhood system, this is this cock's fourth channel race of the season. The dam was bred by Mr and Mrs Corkett of Leighton Buzzard and is out of their first section, second open winning pigeon from Tarbes when paired to a double grandson of Red Barcelona. The sire was bred for stock from a direct Robert Venus cock of Super Crack Crusson lines when paired to a granddaughter of Eric Limbourg's Vale Cahors. The is the Wilton partnership's third section card this season with the British International Championship Club.
Roger Lowe (photo courtesy of Chris Sutton)
Roger Lowe of Reading clocked first centre section and third open with a yearling cock on 1137mpm over 244 miles. On its fourth channel race of this season, this cock had already won first club, fifth fed from Carentan with 1,580 birds competing. A pure Freddy Vandenheede, its sire is New Kid on the Block, a grandson of Trigger Finger which won three times first national. The dam is a granddaughter of Limoges, the best De Raw Sablon breeding cock. Roger had ten of his sixteen entries home on the day and three more the following morning.
J & J Brady
J & J Brady of Benfleet recorded third east section and fourth open with yearling cock on 1022mpm after 244 miles. On the sire's side this pigeon is a direct Jos Thone paired to an Eric Cannon hen purchased from the late Ken Hine. The dam is Apache Dawn which won the British International Championship Club old hens national for the partners in 2011. Raced on a celibate form of the widowhood system, this cock had been to Fougeres two weeks previously.
J Clark (photo courtesy of Terry Peart)
J Clark and Son of Swanley were fourth east section and fifth open with an NWHU rung, two year old hen on 1017.7mpm over 233 miles. Flown on a form of the widowhood system, this pigeon was bred by Steve and Robert Fenech and contains Cooreman and Sapin bloodlines. This hen has previously topped the fed from Exeter as a youngster and then was eighth club, eighth combine from Messac as a yearling. This year it has flown all the shorter channel races with both the club and the BICC.
B Dowsett
Fifth east section and sixth open went to Bryan Dowsett of Eastbourne and was a yearling hen on 1017.4mpm over 191 miles. It was the first ever channel race for this hen, as she has previously only been raced inland. Containing Peter Van der Merwe and Marika Vink bloodlines, she was sent sitting chipping eggs.
Vic Shaw & grandson
Vic Shaw and Son of Harlow clocked another NWHU rung two year old cock to take sixth east section and seventh open on 1017.1mpm after 258 miles. Vic and grandson Andrew, timed a widowhood cock, the sire of which was gifted to Andrew by Daniel Pirez of Belgium. The dam is a Soontjen purchased at the late Brian Baxter's sale.
G Treharne & Son
Eighth open and first west section went to the Nantyglo loft of G Treharne and Son and was a WHU rung yearling hen on 1016mpm over 300 miles. Racing against a north-west wind, this hen had to pull out all the stops to top the section for Gareth and Stuart, beaten into eighth open only by seven birds flying to lofts more than one hundred miles further east. The section winner was sent flying to the perch, having not been paired up this year. This hen is a half-sister to the BICC Falaise winner being bred from the same dam, a direct Eijerkamp out of Jonge Polly. The sire is out of Abel, one of Eijerkamps best stock birds. Gareth and Stuart clocked two more pigeons to provisionally take the first three section positions. The Treharne partnership have won two races with the BICC this season and topped the section with the National Flying Club - excellent flying.
J & B Donovan & P McHugh
Second centre section and ninth open was a yearling clocked on 1014mpm over 228 miles to the Wallingford loft of John and Bradley Donovan and P McHugh.
D Coward-Talbot
Completing the top ten we have David Coward-Talbott of Chelmsford with a two year old on 1012mpm after 254 miles and which also took seventh section E. David's pigeon was bred by Lee Fribbins from two direct Brian Hawes' Leo Van Rijns, the sire being Rossi x More Than and the dam, Snowman x Zanta. David and Lee have also acquired these bloodlines direct from Leo Van Rijns and maintain a stock section where they breed them together.
Around the sections
J Poole
J Poole of Kings Langley in Hertfordshire was third centre section with a yearling hen on 1000mpm over 256 miles. Jeff's pigeon is bred from two Koopmans that he purchased from Premier Lofts at the Blackpool pigeon show. Having been paired up for a Poitiers race in late June where she was second club, beaten only by a loftmate that topped the combine, for Le Mans she was sent sitting eggs so tightly that she had to be prised from the nest.
E & C Oxborough
The north east section was won by E & C Oxborough of Gorleston with a two year old han on 1006mpm after 322 miles. The section winner for Eddie and Clayton is three quarter The Boss, Busschaert blooldines and one quarter Soontjen of Tanner lines. Raced on the roundabout system she has been a consistent in both inland and channel races this season. This is Eddie and Clayton's sixth section win overall. Second north east section went to A & T Wright of Poringland. D Osborne and Son of Ipswich were third section with a hen raced on the roundabout system.
T Brown
The north central section was won by T Brown of Marston Morimer and was a two year old cock flying 282 miles on 908mpm. Sent sitting seven day eggs this cock is of Soontjen and Busschaert blooldines and had been to Falaise and Poitiers prior to Le Mans. Second north central section was a two year old cock flown on the natural system by Mel and Julie Errington of Rushden. Russell Bradford of Farndish was third section with a three year old Deweerdt hen.
John Rodway
The north west section was won by John Rodway of Rushwick with a three year old hen raced on the natural system and recording 868mpm over 307 miles. Sent to Le Mans sitting fourteen days, she has already flown Falaise, Tours and Poitiers this season, taking two weeks to return from Poitiers. Bred from John's old distance family this hen was then rested and given her performance from Le Mans, the two weeks away from the loft didn't have that much of a detrimental effect. Booth and Roper were second north west section with a five year old hen on her fifth channel race of the season. Des Jeavons of Willenhall was third section.
That concludes the report of the provisional result of the British International Championship Club race from Le Mans.