Joe Murphy Article 25th November 2024

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The Joe Murphy Column

 

The Fife and Tayside fanciers have done very well in the national races this season; which is not unusual for fanciers north of Forth as they have obtained excellent records from long distance races for many a year. However as hard as I have tried to obtain information on the present-day winning pigeons it is like drawing blood from a stone. I don’t know if they have been warned off not to give me information; So, to be honest it is their loss. My article will still appear in the BHW and I will always find something interesting to add to it. Recently my column has not appeared every week, however after speaking to the editor; he explained to me that the paper has to match a capacity of 56 pages on a weekly basis; which will include adverts. When you see an advert that takes up 8 pages of the magazine, (remember these people are paying for the privilege of advertising in the paper). Any business cannot afford to turn these down so therefore scribes’ articles can only take up so much more of the paper. Richard has informed not just me but others that we may have to go on a two-weekly issue, so that everyone article will be included. To all the fanciers who have contacted me regarding why I’m not in the BHW every week, I hope this clarifies this situation; and I thank Richard for his explanation.   

Robert Strachan

 

So much so that I came across an article on one of the most famous fanciers from this area; the late and great Robert Strachan of Invergowrie who won the Tayside Fancier of the Year in 1965 written by ‘Taysider’ whom I’m assuming was the late Jim George (Round O) from Arbroath; who wrote. ‘After what has been regarded as the most arduous racing season for some years, the title of Fancier of the Year in this part of the country must inevitably go to Robert Strachan, the Invergowrie ACE. Robert’s birds flew consistently well all season and finished with a great flourish by taking 1^st and 3^rd positions from the Federations 550 miles Dol race under very trying conditions. This grand-slam finish gave him the bulk of silverware, including the R J Blair and Whitbread Trophies, for 1^st bird Dol, The Melrose Drover for best average Christchurch 400 miles, and Dol and the much sought after Fyfe-Jamieson Trophy for the best average in the three longest federation races. However, his proudest moment ever, came when he won his own father’s Memorial Trophy-The Strachan Memorial for best average in ALL Federation races. Since Bob started racing in the Dundee Club in 1947 (the year I was born Joe M) he has been to the fore on more than one occasion, winning club and federation averages frequently, the fact that his confined to a wheel-chair makes his triumphs all the more remarkable. Although he is a very successful club flyer it is his national performances that made the name of Strachan of Invergowrie a household word throughout the country.

His finest hour was recorded by the great-hearted Blue Pied Hen ‘Tayside Princess’, who was 4^th open Rennes 580 miles in 1955 and went one better the following year taking 3^rd open, surely one of the greatest ever double triumphs at the distance in this part of the country. ‘Princesses lived to a good old age and left some excellent stock to carry on her line, then one day she just disappeared and Robert never knew the fate of his fabulous hen. (It would have more probably been a hawk attack Joe M). Another of the birds which helped make the name of Strachan famous was the courageous Red Cock ‘Starlight Special’, which was clocked at the unbelievable time of nine minutes to midnight on the day from Rennes to take 72^nd open, two great efforts in this neck of the woods where day birds are rare indeed. He owes a lot of his success to his great friend and ex-partner Willie Wilson of Larkhall, another great name in the Fancy, they exchanged birds from time to time, and this no doubt keeps each other in the forefront of the racing fraternity. A recent introduction is a son of J & P Dora’s National winner ‘The Fifer’ which was a surprise birthday present from his wife.

This year’s Dol winner was a long cast racy-looking red hen SU59T4866, who was timed in at 11-06am on the second morning, recording a velocity of 769 ypm and collected a nice cheque for £62. Known as ‘Leading Lady’, this grand hen is a grand-daughter of the legendary ‘Tayside Princess’. Next bird home was his more fancied contender Blue Chequer 62T5715, one which can be considered to be a Channel veteran with several 500 -mile jaunts behind her. She was timed at 11-26am and registered a velocity of 741 ypm and took the lion’s share of the pools with a fine total of £92. So much for the joys of pigeon racing on to the hard knocks one h as to take in his stride. Bob lost the bulk of his young bird team at the Riccarton smash, however, those that were left pressed on to the bitter end, in the true tradition of the Strachan pigeons, and no doubt next season they’ll be doing their best to make their master once again the Tayside Fancier of the Year.

 

Tayside Highlights

 

It was rather a barren year for Tayside fanciers in the National races and highlights were conspicuous by their absence. However, amidst the gloom one star shone brightly. That star was the Mealy Hen ‘Wellbank Pride’ owned by Jock Ellis, who earned the admiration of the fancy for her courageous performance in the Rennes race. While 6000 other birds faltered, this game hen plodded her lonely but resolute way northwards through the dusk, to be clocked in at 10-32pm on the first night into a north-west wind. This performance worthy of winning a National but ‘Pride’ had to be content with 8^th open and 1^st East section, and the thought, ‘Well, there’s always next year’. Jock had 4 other morning starts who came trickling in to give him a full house while most of us were still waiting for the first bird. Another performance worthy, of note was that of David Ree, of Broughty Ferry, in the tough Nantes race where velocities were once again very low. Dave’s Blue Chequer hen 60T4603, was clocked at 06-16 to take 31^st open 9^th east section with a velocity of 657. A really excellent performance from a distance of 645 miles with only 121 birds on the result sheet out of 2000 sent. I believed Dave’s birds come down from the old Ed Harrow strain, ‘Nuff said!!’

 

Scottish Central Fed trophy winners 2024

 

My thanks to Bernie Britton and Peter Keogh who have forwarded the list of successful trophy winners within the federation this year; these are as follows.

Old Birds; Race Point; Otterburn winner H Borthwick Winchburgh Trophy (1); Hexham G MacKenzie Broxburn; Trophy (2) Thirsk M Noble Newbridge Trophy (3) Ackworth C W Job Winchburgh Trophy (4) Newark C Heeps Bo’ness Trophy (5) Kettering P Keogh Winchburgh Trophy {6) Thirsk G MacKenzie Broxburn Trophy (7) Maidstone J Ferguson Broxburn Trophy (8) Thirsk G MacKenzie Broxburn Trophy (9)

Young Birds

Otterburn M Brown Bo’ness Trophy (10) Otterburn J Boyd Bo’ness Trophy (11) Hexham P Keogh Winchburgh Trophy (12) Thirsk J Boyd Bo’ness Trophy (13) Harrogate C McReight Newbridge Trophy (14) Ackworth T&G Weir Winchburgh Trophy (15)

Trophy Winners;

Victory Cup Newark O/B C Heeps Bo’ness

Stanley Cup Ackworth T & G Weir Winchburgh

P Barrett Trophy Maidstone J Ferguson Broxburn

G Duff Trophy Kettering P Keogh Winchburgh

Scottish Central Fed Billericay Nat P Keogh Winchburgh

Owen Sweeney Kettering P Keogh Winchburgh

T Muirhead Cup Y/B open No winner

T Manger Trophy Y/B National Kettering Mr Mrs Forrest Newbridge

Nantes Cup Alencon G/Cup J Strang Bo’ness

J Ferguson Trophy B/A open races No winner

Mr & Mrs McKinnon Norte-sur-erde No winner

T Muirhead Trophy 3 Longest o/braces Mr &Mrs Forrest Newbridge

Avranches Trophy Brighton National P Keogh Winchburgh

Ypres Trophy Billericay P Keogh Winchburgh

Haliburton Trophy Lowest winning velocity G MacKenzie Broxburn

Victory Trophy Highest winning velocity M Noble Newbridge

Most points Trophy won by Broxburn

Fancier of The year most points trophy G MacKenzie Broxburn

Dickie Graham Trophy most points channel races P Keogh Winchburgh

 

 

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 log onto www.elimarpigeons.com www.fancierchat.co.uk www.pigeon-chat.co.uk who wish my weekly contribution portfolio on pigeon topics from Scotland

© Compiled by Joe Murphy