Joe Murphy Article 8th July 2024

sapper756 · August 18, 2024

Fanciers from the Past; Alex McNeill of Winton near Tranent, began to race pigeons at the age of eleven, which was in 1903. He competed monthly against older fanciers in what were called ‘Sweepstakes’. Around 1910 he joined Winton HS. Matthew Inverarity, who with his brother John, had founded the club, as then secretary. Winton HS was a prominent club in the early days with a loft in almost every garden. Every body had to run to the village green when their birds arrived from a race and the times were checked by a man with a stop watch. Alex remembers that the club then purchased a 19 bird Toulet to which all members had to run too. Alex was quite successful in club racing to the pre and post 1914-1918 war years racing as far as Bournemouth. In 1922 he sent a pigeon to Rennes with the SNFC. In those days the birds had no race rubber but had a number stamped on a flight. His red pied hen finished 2^nd open. W Gardner of Glasgow winning, and her flight with the number on it was S.38 has been kept by Alex since it was moulted. Most of the records which he kept have been destroyed by accident, but some of the positions won by him in more recent years were; 70^th open Rennes SNFC 1933. 6^thopen East of Scotland Combine Guernsey 1948 winning £49-3shillings & 11 pence (which was the largest prize) 94^th open Rennes 1955; 286^th open Rennes 1956; 32^nd & 33^rd open East of Scotland DOL and 179^th open Rennes in 1959. 129^th open Nantes 1961 and 63^rd open Dol 1962 and 75^th open Beauvais in 1965. The last two positions with the East of Scotland Championship Club. Last year 1966, he had quite a good club record with his birds and also took 92^nd open Avranches. He again enjoyed a good season this year, winning 10^th east section 14^th open Nantes and a position in the East of Scotland Championship Club Avranches race. In 1963 his loft was broken into and the cream of his loft was stolen. He began almost from scratch and rebuilt a good racing team. His stock is from Jimmy Clydesdale of Ormiston and the late Mrs Bridges of London. He keeps only 8-9 pairs of old birds and each year he rears about sixteen young birds. He believes in giving them a mid-week toss from around 15-20 miles to ‘Keep them on their toes’. His advice to beginners; be observant; Watch you birds as often as possible and be a good listener when old hands are talking about the sport. He believes you can learn most about your birds by just watching their behaviour in and around the loft.

Results

Central Federation

News from Bernie who writes; ‘Hi Joe. Hope you are well, please find the following Thirsk result, with 212 birds liberated at 06-30am with no wind at the race point. Gordon MacKenzie wins 1^st 2^nd 4^th 6^th 7^th 8^th & 9^th with Charlie Job winning 3^rd place. Peter Keogh wins 10^th & 11^th place.

Broxburn and Uphall club:

Hamish Ferguson wins 1^st club 1^st federation 1^st Section D & 44^th open Scottish National Flying Club Maidstone. His winner is flown on roundabout (see photo) he flew the full federation race programme out to Kettering, and is bred from 2 x 10-year-old stock birds. Their breeding goes back to his old family with the granddam his old Niort hen. She was the dam of G Macaloney Gold Award Cock ‘Janefield Paul’ that Hamish bred. The dam is a granddaughter of Hamish’s 1^st open Scottish Central Combine Sartilly winner.

Steven and Gullane: timed their dark chequer Lambrecht cock a gift pigeon from John McNeill. He is flown on roundabout and is a good steady bird. He won 18^th section D 125^th open SNFC Brighton in 2023 and was 7^th section D 80^th open Maidstone & 5^th Scottish Central Federation open. Gordon MacKenzie wins 3^rd club, 8^th federation 11^th section D & 106^th open Maidstone. This dark chequer cock is raced on roundabout, he was bred by his good friend Bobby Logan from Ayr.

Winchburgh pigeon club: sent 65 pigeons with Central federation who had 212 birds entered to the Thirsk race on the 22^nd June which were liberated at 06-30 with no wind at the race point. Taking 1^st club 3^rd federation and the top spot goes to Charlie Job with a celibate hen from Peter Hall Lofts. Sire is an Andre Verbessalt with dam being a daughter of ‘Mr Perfect’. Taking 2^nd, 3^rd & 4^th club, 5^th, 10^th & 11^th federation is Peter Keogh with his homebred Frans Zwols x Cormack x Bosworth bloodlines also flown Celibate.

Broxburn & Uphall Pigeon club: Winner is Gordon MacKenzie whose 1^st & 2^nd pigeons are both from my ‘Old Gaby’s bred from club and federation winners. My 3rd pigeon is also a Gaby bred by Stuart Knowles the 4^th pigeon is also bred by Stuart Knowles its breeding is Herman Custer. Thanks, Joe, for all your help, Bernie.

North of Scotland Federation

News from George Duthie with the Blaydon 2 old bird race flown on 22th June with 42 members sending 538 birds liberated in a light west wind; with the East Section having 21 members sending 301 birds. Winning 1^st section & open us S Witherspoon of Inverurie with his yearling doing a velocity of 1384. Maskame & Cordiner of Peterhead & District are 2^nd & 3^rd with club mate Neil Holt winning 4^th place. Colin McRae of Fraserburgh & District wins 5^th 6^th & 8^th section & open. R Barclay of Fraserburgh West End is 7^th section and open with J S Robertson of Inverurie club is 9^th section and open with R Bain of Fraserburgh & District won 10^th section 11^th open. The West Section had 21 members sending 237 birds; taking top place in the west section is A Hay of Devern Valley club winning 10^th open. J Abel of the same club is 2^nd 5^th & 6^th section also winning 14^th 34^th & 35^th open. R Hay & Family also of the Devern Valley club are 3^rd & 8^th section 15^th & 38^th open. A Flett of Keith club is 4^th section 34^th open. A J Reid of Keith club is 7^th section 37^th open. Duncan & Thomson of Keith club are 9^th section 39^th open. A Fulton of Devern Valley is 10^th section 40^th open. Clubs First Bird; Inverurie is won by S Witherspoon velocity 1384.632; Peterhead & District winners are Maskame & Cordiner velocity 1359.923. Fraserburgh & District winner is C McRae velocity 1345.316; Fraserburgh West End winner is R Barclay velocity 1327.851; Devern Valley winner is A Hay velocity 1295.750; Keith club winner is A Flett velocity 1169.599; Elgin & District winner is P Thomson velocity 1079.650. Well Done to S Witherspoon on topping the federation; also, well done to A Hay on winning the west section.

Arbroath Racing Pigeon Club

News from Charlie Cameron regarding the Wooler race with 6 members sending 38 birds to the 10^th old bird race of the season flown on 22^nd June with the birds liberated at 10-00am, into a south-to-south west wind. Charlie & son Glen take the first 3 places with Paul Cameron is 4^th Grahame McKenzie is 5^th with A & A Shepherd in 6^th place, they are followed by Chic & Ann Carrie in 7^th spot. Les McKay is 8^th place.

Fife Federation of Homing Pigeons Societies

News from Geordie Todd with the Wooler 3 race held on the 22^nd of June, with the convoy of 465 birds liberated at 09-15 in a west south west wind. Birdage; Methilhaven 85 birds; Novar & Leslie 47 birds; Kennoway 84birds; St Andrews 41 birds; Lochgelly 89 birds; Crossgates 34 birds; Dunfermline 85 birds. The federation top 10 are also the first 10 in the East Section. St Andrews club member John Harcus takes the first 6 places. Brian Kinnear is 7^th with Tam Laing in 8^th spot. Brian Chalmers is 9^th with Methilhaven’s Davy Armour is in 10^th place. The West Section & 2^nd place is won by G Williams of Novar & Leslie; with J Hynd & son of Lochgelly club wins 3^rd 4^th 5^th 6^th & 10^th positions. A McCudden wins 7^th section with A Fleming of Crossgates winning 9^th place.

Forfar Racing Pigeon Club

News from David Liddle who tells us Hi Joe, that 12 members sent 152 birds to the Wooler race point on Saturday 22nd June, these were liberated at 10-00am into a west to south west wind. The race was a triumph for Davie Glen who had a trio of widowhood cocks arrive together to take the first three in the Forfar club and Angus Federation and first, second and fourth in the combines Angus/Dundee result. The first two were Vandenabeele breeding, the first a yearling followed by the 2-year-old which won 2^nd club and fed from Grantham last weekend and also won the second race of the season. The third pigeon was Davie`s ‘Number 9’ making the result for the seventh time in ten races including five times in the first three! Davie also won 10^th open position. Ian Scott wins 4^th 6^th & 9^th positions, with Eric Galloway winning 5^th & 7^th Kenny Droog & son are 8^th.

Angus Federation of Racing Pigeon Societies

From the Wooler old bird race flown on the 20^th August 20 members sent 214 birds these were liberated into a west to south west wind. Davie Glen takes the first 3 places with Ian Scott in 4^th place, Charlie & Glen Cameron of Arbroath club are 5^th & 10^th with D & D Hay of Gourdon winning 6^th & 7^th positions. William Dorward of the same club wins 8^th & 9^th places.

Club Winners Members Birds Name Velocity

Arbroath had 6 members sending 38 birds, 1^st are Charlie & Glen Cameron velocity 1367.89. Forfar had 12 members sending 152 birds winner Davie Glen velocity 1399.62; Gourdon had 2 members sending 24 birds winners D & D Hay velocity 1349.68; Montrose club did not send to the race.

SNFC Maidstone

The SNFC liberated their 2004 birds entered by 292 members at 05-15am into a south west wind. (Which to me was far too early) The top fancier Dennis Anderson of Annan wins The Maidstone Trophy & 1^st national cock. (I have written about Dennis in my book on the 50 Years of the Dewar Trophy winners; and I will be looking out for his great cock ‘Bonnyrigg Lionheart’ to see if it appears on the SNFC Alencon result. Gordon Turnbull also from Annan wins 1^st National Hen with his chequer hen winning 2^nd open. D Foster & son of Biggar win 1^st section E 4^th open with Brian Kinnear of Pittlessie in Fife having 2 birds together to win 1^st & 2^nd section C 6^th& 8^th open. His yearling is bred down from his good blue cock ‘Stichy’ who won three times in the top 10 in open national races, these performances are as follows; 1^st section C 3^rd open SNRPC Newbury 1531 birds recording a velocity of 1178. Then in 2006 he won 2^nd section C 8^th open SNFC Falaise 2039 birds recording a velocity of 1136 flying 528 miles. The following year he won 2^nd section C 6^th open SNFC Alencon 558 miles recording a velocity of 1025; with an entry of 1470 birds. I have attached a photograph of this wonderful cock to go with this report) Gordon Turnbull of Chirnside wins 1^st section B 12^th open; with Robert Reid of Beith in Ayrshire winning 1^st section F 13^th open. J Coutts & son of Aberdeen are 1^st section G 36^th open flying 433 miles; with J Ferguson of Broxburn winning 1^st section D 44^th open.

I have known Fife fancier Brian Kinnear since the early 1970’s when he raced his pigeons in Cupar near the loft of George Robertson who won the Beauvais SNFC race away back in 1963. Brian has always been a good racer of pigeons and has won some excellent positions over the years; I remember him doing well in the Fife 3 Bird Championship Club which I was the secretary for many years ago. Brian’s yearling line goes back to his famous pigeon named ‘Stichy’ a winner of …. I have also attached a photograph of Stichy to go along with his 2 winning Maidstone winning pigeons.

Please continue to keep the news flowing; to Joe Murphy Mystical Rose Cottage 2 Flutorum Avenue Thornton by Kirkcaldy KY1 4BD or phone 01592 770331 or Email to joejmurphy1@gmail.com REMEMBER THE J IN THE MIDDLE or you can also view online editions on: www.elimarpigeons.com www.fancierchat.co.uk www.pigeon-chat.co.uk - www.Pigeonbasics.com - Pigeon Racing the Basics! - thecanadianpigeoninternational.com www.internationalracingpigeon.com Who wish my weekly contribution portfolio on pigeon topics from Scotland?