Rossi (photo courtesy of Chris Sutton)
Underhill & Prettejohn (photo courtesy of Chris Sutton)
Underhill and Prettejohn of Plymouth were first open and first section D with a yearling on 1804ypm over 191 miles. With Tarbes in mind the partners' long distance loft is populated with some of the very best long distance breeding in the UK today, with an emphasis on two day racing. Wingdown, Little Gem, True Grit, Legacy, Rainy Day Boy and Incredible all feature very strongly in the race team, as only direct children will suffice in the select breeding loft. But the partners felt that they also needed 500-mile day birds if the weather conditions were favourable for a faster Tarbes race, so they approached Bruce McAlistair from Pelham to obtain a cock from his Brockamp/Emperor lines. Then, with a view to buying a hen, they attended a Premier Stud auction in Blackpool. There they saw Derek Nichols and asked which hen he thought they should buy. Lot one was decided on as it was a full sister to a combine winner from 400 miles and in Derek's opinion would breed good pigeons. Derek wasn't wrong. The National Flying Club winner from Fougères has now been named Rossi.
Neil Smith
Second open and second section D was a two year old on 1791ypm over 230 miles for Smith and Percival from Barnstaple. The partners timed a dark chequer Busschaert cock, the sire and dam of which came from Louella Pigeon World, containing the Corbett Nusschaert bloodlines. This cock is a direct son of Dark Dan when paired to a daughter of Skater. It was raced on the roundabout system.
I Barnbrook of Bridgnorth timed a three year old on 1790ypm over 290 miles to take third open and first section J. Ian's winner is a Janssen x Jan Aarden.
Mr & Mrs Stone
Mr and Mrs Stone of Portishead were fourth open and first section G with a yearling on 1789ypm over a distance of 228 miles. The Stones timed a chequer hen sent sitting chipping eggs. A brother to this hen has alrwady topped the combine this season from 4,070 pigeons. This hen contains Nigel Templar and Brian Milkins bloodlines on the sire's side and those of Les Nichols and Gary Summers on the dam's.
Neville & Diana Spracklen
Neville and Diana Spracklen of Dorchester were fifth open and first section C with a yearling on 1788ypm over 174 miles. Husband and wife clocked their cock, Tony-Sam, bred from their Mark Gilbert Southfield Supreme x Southfield Treble bloodlines. These pigeons have proved their worth in national racing for the Spracklens.
Nigel Templar of Bristol timed a four year old on 177ypm over 221 miles to take sixth open and second section G.
D Jones of Wrexham was seventh open and first section W with a two year old on 1776ypm over 336 miles. Dave clocked a widowhood cock containing Janssen bloodlines. He had two more drop shortly afterwards and these should take second and third section in the final result.
Holme Star (photo courtesy of Peter Bennett)
R and B Smith of Warrington timed a three year old on 1774.9ypm over 358 miles to take eighth open and first section L. This chequer hen, Holme Star, already has numerous wins to its credit. The sire is is a son of the partner's Hilson cock, bred by George Hilson from Kees Boshua bloodlines that he obtained through Crammond and Langstaff. The dam of Holme Star is one of three stock sisters that are responsible for many winners.
Paul Hart of Heywood was ninth open and second section L with a two year old on 1774.7ypm over 367 miles.
Completing the top ten and in third section G is Chris Nelmes from Bristol with a two year old on 1772ypm over 222 miles.
Around the sections
Albert Shepherd
Albert Shepherd of Emsworth was first section A with a two year old on 1509ypm over 175 miles. Bertie's pigeon already had two club wins to its credit and its sire was bred for the stock loft from a half brother to Seven Up, first section, first open and 404th international from Barcelona. This sire was also the winner of a BBC Spanish Diploma and has bred some excellent racers. Albert races all his pigeons on the widowhood system.
J May and Son of Hambrook clocked a two year old on 1505ypm over 174 miles to take second section A.
David Wells of Liphook was third section A.
Nick Smith
Mr and Mrs N Smith of Salisbury were first section B with a yearling on 1686ypm over 192 miles. This hen was flown on the widowhood system and the dam came from Andy Parsons from his Bush bloodlines. The sire is Nick's old Fred Bloor lines crossed with those of Andy.
P Priddle of Southampton timed a two year old on 1684ypm over 177 miles to take second section B.
D E Johnson of Salisbury was third section B.
B Woods of Shaftsbury clocked a two year old on 1748ypm over 190 miles to take second section C.
Mr and Mrs Cowley of Dorchester were third section C.
Mark Beer of Watchet was third section D.
Mr and Mrs Corkett and Sons from Leighton Buzzard clocked a two year old on 1648ypm over 249 miles to take first section E. In fact the partners timed five pigeons in ninety second and which should take the final top five section positions. First on the clock was a blue widowhood cock of the Kees Boshua strain, which was their first pigeon from Coutances a week earlier. Second was a two year old, blue Gust Janssen hen, the sire and dam of which came from Dean Bullock and Lofty from Ripon
D Pembroke of Reading was second section E with a three year old on 1635ypm over 218 miles.
Roger Lower of Reading was third section E.
Steve Slade
Steve Slade of Calne timed a two year old on 1727ypm over 220 miles to take first section F. Steve's blue hen contains the sprint to middle distance bloodlines of his old family and the sire has several section wins to its credit.
Steve Hughes
S Hughes of Swindon was second section F with a three year old on 1680ypm over 226 miles. Steve clocked a Janssen x Boshua cock raced on the widowhood system. The sire was a 2005 pigeon which topped the federation on the north road, whilst the dam is his good Boshua hen, Twenty-Six.
P Kenny of Wantage was third section F.
Richard Holmes
Richard Holmes of Spalding was first section H with a two year old on 1542ypm over 311 miles. Richard's cock has been to every club race this season and was then sent to Alençon as a widowhood cock and where it scored eleventh section. On return from Alençon it was allowed its hen and was then sent to Fougères driving to nest.
C Crick and Son from Stotfold were second section H with a two year old on 1524ypm over 257 miles.
P Chamberlain of Burton Latimer was third section H.
M Brindley of Cheadle was first section I with a two year old on 1713ypm over 324 miles.
H Winstanley and Sons of Sutton Coldfield were second section I with a two year old on 1698ypm over 291 miles.
Cliff Sanders from Atherstone was third section I.
J A Hamplett of Stafford timed a two year old on 1759ypm over 290 miles to take second section J.
R Stokes and Son from Kidderminster were third section J.
J Haigh and Sons from Huddersfield were first section K with a four year old on 1697ypm over 368 miles. The section winner is a Hardy Kruger from Premier Stud which has also topped the federation from Messacand was sixteenth federation from Fougères. The partners also timed a second pigeon, a Heremans-causters hen that, should take fifth section.
Second section K was a yearling on 1684ypm over 367 miles for A and A Senior of Huddersfield.
Mr and Mrs Jones of Barnsley were third section K.
D McCartney of Carnforth was third section L.
M Anderson and Sons from Washington were first section N with a two year old on 1623ypm over 455 miles. Ray timed a cock containing Brian Denny bloodlines, being a grandson of Brian's Blue when paired to a son of Emiel Denys' cock Wittebek. It was flown on the widowhood system and the partners had twelve back from eighteen within an hour.
J Walton and Son from Coxhoe clocked a three year old on 1607ypm over 442 miles to take second section N.
McSween and Sexton were third section N.
Krzyctof Czaplinski of Kendal was first section O with a two year old on 1721ypm over 413 miles.
R Lilleby of Barrow in Furness timed a three year old on 1686ypm over 409 miles to take second section O.
Peter Robinson of Kendal was third section O.
Bruce McAllister
Bruce McAllister of Buntingford was first section P with a yearling on 1511ypm over 255 miles. Bruce actually bred the sire of the race winner from his very good Euro Diamond cock. First on the clock at his own loft was a blue Frans Zwol cock, a son of Amor when paired to a Van Dorp hen through David Parsons. Brian timed two more pigeons in quick succession and should take the top three in the section in the final result.
Mark Bulled of Harlow clocked a four year old on 1387ypm over 243 miles to take second section P.
Steve Coxell of Ongar was third section P.
Thorne Brothers of Bude were first section Q with a three year old on 1673ypm over 228 miles. Roger clocked a blue chequer, white flight hen sent sitting ten day eggs and on its second race of the season. The sire came from Andrew McFenton of Swansea via his Joy hen, whilst the dam is a grandaughter of Chris Gordon's Snydale Prince and Mike Fishlock's Channel King.
Frost and Downs of St Austell were second section Q with a five year old on 1614ypm over 214 miles. The partners timed a Heremans-Ceusters x Gaby Vandenabeele widowhood cock known and Joe 90.
V and D Harvey of Penzance were third section Q. Duncans first on the clock was a blue chequer, natural cock flying to seven day eggs. Its bloodlines include a cock obtained from Doug Gatland via his D and D McFadden family of pigeons and on the dam's side is a double grandaughter of Van Lint's Adam.
G Treharne and Son from Nantyglo clocked a four year old on 1747ypm over 254 miles to take second section W.
J Williams and Son from Pontypool were third section W.
That concludes the report on the provisional result of the National Flying Club race from Fougères.