| Author: Les.J.Parkinson | Title: BICC - Pau International 2004 |
| Date: 2004-08-09 09:47:57 | Uploaded by: webmaster |
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All fanciers have their own goal in life, the goal for they’re chosen hobby, in pigeon racing we have club flyers, National flyers and for a select number the International scene is their one remaining objective in the life of their hobby. Fulfilment is what drives many fanciers forward; they have come up through the ranks and reached the pinnacle, the International scene. It is always great when you take on the challenge of your next aim in pigeon racing and you know that you have a good pigeon. Kevin Hitchcock was telling me how he felt when they clocked in the Pau International race this season and were good winners of the British section with the winner also gaining an additional top performance in the International. Yet again this proves the theory by many that the UK pigeons can compete at international level with the continental fanciers. A combination of good pigeons, good management by a good fancier can achieve anything given the chance. Fanciers achieve their goal by not being a defeatist and getting on with the job.
Mr & Mrs Hitchcock & Sons of Windsor are one of those lofts where anything is achievable and they had the combination right for the Pau International as “Lady Helen” proved so successfully and named after Kevin’s wife Helen. The family reside in the grounds of Windsor Castle so it is a good combination of the International scene and our Royal heritage. “Lady Helen” is from the Hudson De Klak/Cooper pigeons; I have seen this cross work well before for the longer races where the Janssen based pigeons have put that little bit of speed into the distance based family. There is no doubt that this 2y Blue hen who was the only UK bird on the day has once again raised the profile of racing pigeons into the UK at International level. The Cooper pigeons come via Geoff Gilbert a family friend who loaned a hen who had bred the famous “Narrow Cock” winner of 1st open L&SECC Pau, 10th Open NFC Pau and 2nd BICC Dax, what a friend because she has bred the Hitchcock family some real good birds. Many lofts have a favoured weekend of the year and this was the weekend for this family and after their hard work that achieved a fantastic result. Their ambition now achieved, will they set another goal or continue to see their pigeons perform at such a high level. We did report at length on this excellent performance in the initial report on the race so everything has been covered. Given time we shall be going down to Windsor later in the year for further info on this BICC Pau National performance pigeon.
Dave & Joshua Posey are another loft who have set their sights on the longer races and this race saw them almost achieve their goal when finishing 2nd Open with a blue Dordin cock “Poseys Pride” The same pigeon flew Dax last year and was also at Gellainville this year so is always going to be a good prospect in this type of competition. Dave was telling me that he was up at 4am and with it being misty decided to go and do a job and when he returned the pigeon was there waiting to be clocked. Dave is one of the growing army of fanciers who is showing an increased preference to distance racing but like everyone else when building such a team has found it is not done overnight. It has taken him a while to get to where he has and is always looking to improve. One thing that Dave admitted to and that was when he saw the pigeon it brought tears to his eyes, I know how you felt Dave. The birds are raced on the natural and only 12 birds are kept so it is easier to look after them and time can be spent on the little things that matter. The birds are not even trained and they are just left on the open hole and all birds are kept in the same loft. The young and old mix together and are only separated for the winter months.
One of the more prominent fanciers in the longer races is Jimmy Roy who was 3rd open after taking the rubber off a blue chequer hen that was 16th open Dax and has also been on trips to Pau twice and San Sebastian, must add that she also won Chichester as a young bird. The dam of this hen is the very good breeding Belgium stock hen who has already produced 16 winners. The breeding is also top class on the sire’s side being breed from a brother to The Rockabill the 4th open Kings cup winner in Ireland for Noel Wiles who saw his pigeon home on the day when they were finding it hard going. The nest mate to Jimmy’s latest performer is “Gentle Annie” the Pau winner of 2yrs ago. I had heard and Jimmy confirmed that the hens are actually paired to him and do not see the cocks, everyone has their own methods and this one works for Jimmy, the pigeons are also known to frequent the house where their favourite place is the coffee table.
Many lofts only have one top performance pigeon Crowley and Green are fortunate to have several. Their best long distance pigeon at the present is a 4y chequer cock called “Minute Man”. This cock has won : Provisional 28th Open NFC Dax. 4th Open BICC Pau. 2nd Open CSCFC San Sebastian. 36th Open CSCFC Bergerac. 41st Open CSCFC Dax. 93rd Open NFC Saintes 2. Richard and Anna are very grateful to their friends John and Sue Leeming of South Normanton who gifted them this pigeon. The bird is full of winning long distance blood with Venus and Biss pigeons on the Sires side and the Dam is a daughter of the Leadbeaters Immortal 48. Flown on widowhood this year “Minute Man” was given two races from Portland and Thorness (65 miles) then across the channel to Picauville (145 miles) BBC Nantes and NFC Nantes (291 miles) and then into his main target this year the Pau International (568 miles). Because he came well from Pau and looked to be on his toes two days before the Dax International marking he was a late substitute for Dax where he replaced one of their other good pigeons “Hellfire” who was sent to the CSCFC Bergerac race. In hindsight even though good positions were obtained in both races Richard considers this to have been a mistake.
Crathorne & Parrott continue to influence the race results and in this race see “Kiln Dark Duchess " was bred for the partnership by their good friend Albert Barker (Jnr) of Laindon, Essex, who is a Top class distance flyer and they used to fly in the same club together on the North Road, (Pitsea Flying Club) and he was the man to beat. He has won Thurso 25 plus times, which is 510 miles. The Sire & Dam to Kiln Dark Duchess have bred 5 x Combine winners for A Barker & Son, and many Federation and Club winners. The Sire a Went/Steptoe strain is the sire of many winners. The Dam was bred from the Went Cock and a Hen from Mickey Parish, of Essex. The main bloodline goes back to the Alf Barker Strain. The Dam has won 2 x 1st Thurso, 1 x 1st Stonehaven and was 2nd Essex Combine, Thurso. Budgie was saying that they knew they had the goods for the distance when Albert bred Kiln Dark Duchess for them. She only had four races as a young bird and two were from Falaise, 189 miles, she was in the clock both times from these Falaise races. As a yearling she was raced hard but she did perform very well. She was fancied for Pau International and she did not let the lofts down and they did add that thanks must go to Albert Barker Snr & Jnr for this top class hen.
Brian Littlewood wins the Western section with “Chip Off The Block” whose breeding goes back to the old English Barker strain that have produced many good pigeons into the North West. Brian is a traditionalist and sticks to the old strains for the purpose of competing in the distance races. This cock has done very well for Brian having won 2002 Pau NFC 3rd sec 62nd open 697mls. 2003 BICC Gellainville 2nd sec 78th open 378mls. Pau/Saintes NFC 38th sec 802nd Open. Then 1st sec 12th Open Pau BICC racing with the International 701mls.
Remember I am still looking for further information on the BICC winners and performance pigeons.
Les.J.Parkinson. Elimar, 11 Rushton Drive, Middlewich, Cheshire, CW10 ONJ. Tel/Fax; 01606 836036. elimar.pigeons@btinternet.com
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