| Author: Les.J.Parkinson | Title: BICC - Falaise II 2005 |
| Date: 2005-05-23 20:42:49 | Uploaded by: webmaster |
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Good old British weather certainly put a damper on the second race of the season for the BICC with many fanciers looking at the weather forecast and deciding to leave their birds at home. It’s a rare occasion that I have reported a backward step over the last couple of years with the BICC but as with the good points we always make them known, no point in hiding anything. However this is no reflection on the club but more a case of the weather dictated the weekend’s events and a downturn in fortunes. The weather forecast for the weekend was not too brilliant with there being a lot of rain on the channel and strong winds coming form the North East and we all know how that turns fanciers off sending their birds. As it turned out race controller Brian Long who always has the best interest of the club at heart held the birds until Sunday and with the leading vels being in the 1500’s we could not complain. Now onto the figures for each of the stations, Ash 13/168. Basildon 38/523. Grove 33/241. Higham 21/210. Horndean 38/414. Horsham 14/136. Rugleley 13/128. Stowmarket 26/244. That’s a total of 213/2158 approx, as all figures need to be clarified. By the way our secretary has requested that fanciers put their ring numbers of the verification sheet, some are not doing this and it does take extra time to check them out. Anyway Brian Long gave the go ahead for the pigeons to be liberated at 10.15am on the Sunday morning, the cloud cover took a while to burn off and when the strings were cut the skies were turning blue. The birds cleared well in the light North East wind that was turning to East South East on the channel and in fact in the Midlands and North West the wind did turn to North West so it was a real mixed day.
The BICC is certainly a good club for the partnership of Legge & Legge of Bowerchalk, John & Jaqui have had a good run with the few races that they have competed in. From the four races last year they won 3 x 1sts section then this year 6th 9th 10th 14th open at Falaise 1 and in this race 1st open plus two more very close behind that will figure near the top on the final result but as always with these reports I must stress that we are only concerned with 1st bird verifications. The two main cocks that this family are built on are “The Grandee” who bred “Grandees Boy” 1st sec 12th open Falaise 2 in 04 and is the sire of this year’s winner. The dam is a daughter of “Maverick Mission” 1st sec 4th open BBC Bordeaux and out of the other main cock from this family “The Maverick”. The loft is built around those two cocks that are from the Verheye family. John was saying that the family are very much underrated when it comes to the specialist races. The other benefit here is that the stock loft contains winners that are breeding winners and keeping this loft in the hunt wherever they go. Another point that John made and not the first to do so is that he was pleased to see the pigeons out on the Sunday and not held for a further day as was the case other organisations. He also pointed out that he has noticed that the BICC will go for lib’s when other’s hold. We all change our minds and we win some and lose some, in this case John had earmarked two pigeons for the Central Southern but decided at the last minute to send them to the BICC and they are the first two birds in the clock.
2nd on first bird times is Scott Storie the Scotsman who moved south to Pool some 14 years ago where the weather is much kinder. Prior to moving from Scotland Scott sold all his birds but kept the clocks so at the back of his mind he must have known that he would re-join the sport at some time. However it was 10yrs later before he got back into racing pigeons so has now had 4yrs, just enough time to get a good team together to compete in his chosen specialist races. He ahs only had three races with the club to date collecting 5th 6th 7th 8th west section Gellainville. 4th 7th sec Tours and is now 2nd on first bird times with 6 in the clock in 20mins. The pigeons are based on the Robert Venus/Jim Biss Supercrack lines that he ahs stuck to and added birds from Jim during the last 4yrs. Scott selected these birds because his aim was always going to be the specialist races as was the case with the late great Jim Biss. The team is now strong and ready to take on the top tough races with a team of 50 w/h cocks and a small team of 12 w/h hens.
1st Centre section 3rd are Maplesden & Shipp and I had a good conversation with Malcolm Shipp who sounds like a very confident and competitive fancier. Malcolm races just a small team of 12 cocks which is listed as loft one while partner Darren Maplesden races at loft two with a team of 18 cocks both racing on the widowhood system. The one thing about them there was not much to separate them in this race as they were just 13 seconds apart. Their first pigeon is a Hollywood Janssen 2y blue cock bred by Brian Keegan. I was impressed with Malcolm’s views on clocking in because he could have put a good team in the clock in a matter of minutes but only chooses to put a couple in and said that clubs are deteriorating enough with fanciers putting numbers in the clock week after week. This is their first race with the club and is looking to compete on a regular basis. They buy all straights and mix their own corn and mix to the races that they intend to compete. I did ask about the general mixes that there are available but he did say that they do like to mix their own and that is what they have always been pleased with after all they know what they want from their birds.
A name that is never too far away in the specialist races is Tony Cowan the first fanciers to win a car in 1968 and again in 1987. The first was in the Nantes National with a 2y late bred that appears to be a speciality for Tony. A question is “Do we know enough about pigeons” we all like a type in fact our own preferences but that does not always work. This late bred was never have supposed to be bred in the first place because Tony shook the eggs and thought that was that but when they hatched out Tony kept them. This turned out to be a good thing because he had a fly away so these two late breds were most welcome. The sire was bigger than the average pigeon with the dam being the opposite and was very small, not an ideal pair to breed winners, still what do we know about breeding winners. Better get back to the BICC race where Tony is 4th on first bird times after taking the rubber off a 2y late bred (late bred again) that was also 18th open in the first BICC Falaise race. Tony started with the present day team of De Klaks when he brought 5prs of youngsters from Brian Long’s loft and they have bred him winner sever since. They are a good team of pigeons that look the part and look like a team of pigeons instead of odd and sods. Tony was saying that he like many other fanciers are pleased with the way the club is going and with the continuing growth sees it as a specialist club to challenge the best on offer.
A well-known name in the world of pigeon racing is Peter Rigiani from Salisbury who has been racing pigeons for 72yrs with the only interruption being the war. Not only is Peter a good fancier his son Nigel is also well known for his expertise in racing and an official capacity within the sport. Some time ago I had quite a lengthy chat with Nigel and a fancier who I expect to be talking to again in the near future. The pigeons that Peter is now racing are based on stock that he has brought back from Australia after visiting the country on many occasions. The main pigeons are known as “Sweeney’s” and race well down under and have now started to show their true value over here, these are mainly via Peter Matthews. I dare say that there are not many of these pigeons in the country, probably next to none after the Regiani stock. This week’s pigeon is a 2y blue cock raced on the natural, a system that suits Peter, as he doesn’t have time for the w/h pigeons. There are 40 old birds that include the stock birds and because he wants to try the Aussi’s more this year he has 40 youngsters. The other two Aussi families that he has brought in may be the subject of a future article, watch this space.
Moody & King are also up amongst the leading pigeons so on request sent me the following info. “My loft name is Moody & King but I do race the pigeons on own and unlike most of todays fanciers I race them on the natural system both cocks and hens. With racing the natural the birds need training so I train them 2 to 3 times each week from about 30 miles which my wife takes for me and is a great help, I basket at 5 in the morning and she takes them. The bird I clocked in this race is a yearling Maurice Mattheuws cock that has been has promise and was second fed as a young bird from Hastings beaten by loft mate 2392 birds in the Solent fed. It is from my number 1 pair of stock birds that have bred me 4 fed winners 2 second open CSCFC with one being beaten by loft mate” Thanks for that Garry, it makes life much easier when I can get info on the e-mail.
Probable 1st East section goes to HAROLD Wright who thought that it was all a bit of a joke when I called him, he thought it was a wind up and it took me a while to persuade him that it was correct and I had the first bird times in front of me. He had a bet with another fancier who told him that he had beaten him and now if everything is correct wants his money back? Anyway the winner is a chequer-pied hen from the Billy Ayers Busschaert raced on the natural and sent sitting 7 days. This one has not done a great deal in the past but it is early days and has prized before. They are fed on Best All Round with a bit of seed. HAROLD also treats them for any disease on a cycle that he finds keeps them in good health at all times.
If you have been missed out for whatever reason please send along your information to be included in a future article, this also includes good loft performances and of course I would always appreciate some good photos.
There have been several technical difficulties for these early races and it is hoped that everything will shortly be sorted. These are not down to the new secretary as they are faults on the systems used including the breakdown on the verification line. The computer has also thrown a wobbly, probably with all the new members being added on a regular basis. As with most of these cases there is generally a simple solution and no doubt everything will be up and running in no time at all.
For those fanciers who are always seeking new information you can send your e-mail address to Pigeonracing@supanet.com or Dennis@iprr.co.uk and receive up to date news. You can also send the same address to the e-mail at the end of these notes for a similar service. There is more and more up to date information becoming available through the internet and the BICC does have good coverage.
News to Les.J.Parkinson. Elimar, 11 Rushton Drive, Middlewich, Cheshire. CW10 ONJ.
Tel; 01606 836036. e-mail elimar.pigeons@btinternet.com
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