Lynx - the Marseille winner - photo courtesy of Chris Sutton
Lee & Kevin Buddle - photo courtesy of Chris Sutton
First open and first east section was a six year old on 861mpm over 952km for Lee and Kevin Buddle of Dover. The Buddles timed Lynx, a hen raced on the widowhood system. Preperatgion for Marseille was a couple of inland races followed by four channel races, three weeks rest and then a couple of twenty mile training tosses in the week prior to basketing. The sire of Lynx is a double grandson of Geoff and Catherine Cooper's Farm Boy. The dam is a daughter of Mike Mitchell's Dutch Hen.
Alan Annis (l) & Simon Knowles (r)
A Annis and Son from Wingham clocked a three year old on 772mpm over 968km to take second open and second east section. Alan's timer is a Jan Aarden flown on the natural system and sent sitting eggs.
Calum Edmiston
Calum Edmiston of Horley was third open and first centre section with a seven year old on 743mpm over 1,000km. Calum timed a second pigeon, a five year old on 604mpm to also take tenth open and fifth centre section. First on the clock was Sergeant Major, the loft favourite, as Calum says he is the most honest pigeon that he has owned, never failing to time in any of his eight races over 500 miles. Sergeant Major was bred by Doug Gatland of Reigate and contains the joint lines of his San Sebastian cock crossed with his Van der Wegen hen when crossed with Calum's own Nico Volkens pigeons. Calum's second pigeon clocked was a hen named Red Rain. Red Rain contains Detlef Devers bloodlines when paired with a direct Anton Van der Wegen.
Geoff & Clayton Preece
G M Preece and Son from Dover were fourth open and third east section with a six year old on 740mpm over 954km. Geoff and Clayton timed a blue. widowhood cock bred from their Stoffel 270 Golden Barcelona bloodlines. The sire of this pigeon is The Big Feller, which scored three times from Marseille. Five of the partners' Marseille timers have been down from The Big Fella and its offspring.
F Knowles and Son of Wingham clocked a four year old on 703mpm over 968km to take fifth open and fourth east section. Thye sire of Simon's winner is a Cyril Wells cock, a full brother to the Marseille cock, whilst the dam is a Southwell hen that has also scored from Marseille.
Mr/s Rhodes
Mr and Mrs Rhodes of Aylesham were sixth open and fifth east section with a four year old on 665.9mpm over 963km. The partners timed a second pigeon, a four year old on 590mpm to also take eleventh open and sixth east section. A third pigeon for the loft, a five year old, was timed on 405mpm to take fifteenth open and eighth east section. First on the clock was a hen that has previously won 3rd open from Pithivers and has also flown Agen and Marseille twice. Second to time was another hen bred from Dennis Dall x A E Shepherd Seven Up bloodlines when crossed with the Rhodes' Joost family of pigeons. Third to time was a daughter of Joost x Euro Diva that was sent sitting ten day eggs.
Mark Gilbert - photo courtesy of Chris Sutton
Mark Gilbert of Windsor timed three pigeons. His first was a two year old on 665.5mpm over 1045km which took seventh open and second centyre section. Nex to time was a two year old on 616mpm taking ninth open and fourth centre section. Third was a three year old on 469mpm and which was thirteenth open and seventh centre section. First on the clock was a grandson of Mark's Marseille winner, the sire of which was a son of Rutz and Son's Evo. Second was a grand-daughter of Laureat the international winner from Barcelona and the dam of this pigeon is a daughter of Euro Diamond.
Jan & Albi Deacon
A and T Deacon of Waterlooville were eighth open and third centre section with a four year old on 638mpm over 1,006km. The partners clocked a second pigeon, a three year old on 476mpm to also take twelfth open and sixth centre section. First on the clock was a Southwell cock that is a grandson of Ernie Deacon's Millenium Supremo.
SR and WH Knox of Tyler Hill were fourteenth open and seventh east section with a six year old on 429mpm over a distance of 976km.
That concludes the report on the provisional result of the British International Championship Club race from Marseille, held in conjunction with the international.