Around Almond Valley

[Rooster J. Cogburn]

Around Almond Valley

With FLJ

The third race of the Almond Valley Federation’s season tookthe birds down into Yorkshire; land of the Dales, whippets and Harry Ramsden.Like the master fryer and restauranteur’s largest fish supper, our Catterickrace was somewhat of a challenge.

 

The winners made good time, but some of the gaps betweenarrivals left many a bit disappointed considering the fashion in which theywere dropping in from our opening couple of races. I’ve yet to speak to afancier reporting 100% returns from the race. It was looking grim for many atclock checking, although a lot more worked back later in the day-leaving itnowhere near as bad as it first seemed.

 

It’s hard to come up with an explanation for the erraticracing on Saturday, given that Catterick is usually a very successful racepoint. I’ve heard people mention the sort of thing about the sun and moon you’dexpect to come from a few witches sitting round a cauldron, and who knows?There may be something in it?

 

Strange race or not, this week’s worthy winner is from theform loft of Andy Ritchie of the Armadale & District club. Andy is off to agreat start with this being his second fed topper from the three races so farand as a matter of interest he was also 3^rd Federation from hisother race on the same day with the North West federation at Appleby. Greatflying.

 

This Week’s Top 20

 

1. A. Ritchie, ARM 1242

 

2. S. Fleming, ARM 1238

 

3. A. McCalley & Son, ARM 1234

 

4. A. McCalley & Son, ARM 1233

 

5. I. Jamieson, BAL 1233

 

6. A. McCalley & Son, ARM 1232

 

7. D. McBeath, ARM 1228

 

8. S. Fleming, ARM 1227

 

9. D. McBeath ARM 1227

 

10. J. Bird W/C 1225

 

11. A. Ritchie, ARM 1225

 

12. J. Bird, W/C 1225

 

13. J. Hendry, ARM 1224

 

14. F. Jamieson & Son, E/C 1216

 

15. J. Hadfield, ARM 1214

 

16. J. Bird,W/C 1213

 

17. J. Bird, W/C 1213

 

18. J. Bird, W/C 1211

 

19. A. Ritchie. ARM 1188

 

20. S. Fleming ARM 1188

 

 

 

Armadale &District

 

There were 664 birds entered by the Armadale members andthey included Andy Ritchie’s fed topper, which has been a phenomenal pigeon sofar this season-from three races he has now been 7^th,9^thand 1^st Federation. This is much to Andy’s surprise and delight asthe cock is a four year old that was unraced up until three weeks ago. Andy’sapproach to pigeon racing is unique and perhaps a little unusual, but he is tobe admired as a fancier that does his own thing. An observant and thinkingfancier that tries things few would even consider, what’s more is- they oftenwork. Andy’s winner is off a pair of his Eijerkamp pigeons, with the sire beingthrough Veenstra’s ‘Mr Blue’ and the dam being a direct daughter of Eijerkamp’sfamous Van Loon cock, ‘Don Leo’. He was sent to the race chasing his hen and isactually driving her to nest in a closed in pipo perch more commonly used foryoungsters.

 

Congratulations Andy on your second fed win of the season.

 

 

Second club and fed is one of the fed’s finest fanciers, SamFleming. Sam had a good race with six on the federation result. His secondplaced pigeon is a yearling chequer cock raced on the widowhood system, whichSam is rather good at. The bird’s sire is one of Sam’s best pigeons in recenttimes, the old chequer cock-who along with his red and blue pied cocks of thesame age ran riot in the club and fed. They were all retired at the same timeand this yearling and his nest mate are the first of the good chequer’soffspring when paired to Alan Bridges old No.1 Stock hen- the nest mate of the2^nd fed was Sam’s second bird in the clock being 8^th fed.A promising pair.

 

Well done to the basket convenor extraordinaire, SamFleming.

 

3^rd,4^th and 5^th this weekare A. McCalley & Son. The 3^rd placed bird was 12^thin the fed from the opening race and her nest mate was 1^st Club,4^thFed from the second race. These birds are off a Walter Masson cock and the 19^thOpen SNFC Alencon hen. The 4^th and 5^th placed birds areyearling blue hens that both scored from the 2015 SNFC young bird national. Thefirst of which is off a Brian Donnelly cock and a T & M Paterson hen, thesecond was bred by the Woodroffe Brothers of Cornhill, Sunderland and as wellas being the first fed bird in the YB national, won numerous prizes as ayoungster including 1^st Fed Otterburn.

 

 

Balerno

 

Taking 1^st,2^nd and 5^th inBalerno this week is the fancier I said to watch out for last week, IanJamieson-who is helped greatly by his loft manageress (and mother), Ann. WithIan working long hours all over the country, he tells me it wouldn’t bepossible for him to keep pigeons without Ann’s help. It must be said she isdoing a smashing job, working the pigeons on roundabout their 1^stclub,5^th Fed has been a cracker to date as this is now her fifthfederation prize. The sire of this hen is a Leo Heremans pigeon through ‘Jackpot’, with the dam being of Ian’s late father’s old line of pigeons, basedaround the old Bricoux and Kirkpatrick pigeons. Ian’s father swapped pigeonsfrequently with Alex Geddes and these birds also played a part. It’s nice tosee bloodlines like this are still around and more importantly still winningtoday.

 

Ian’s 2^nd and 5^th placed birds areboth again through his father’s pigeons. The 2^nd placed bird is astriking resemblance to the old 4^th Open Rennes hen that gave hisfather a lot of pleasure, let’s hope this wee red hen can do the same for Ian.

 

Well done to Ian and Anne, keep up the good work.

 

Dougie Bald takes 3^rd and 4^th Balernothis week with a cracking pair of yearling nest mates off a Porter &Richardson cock when paired to his daughter. These are of Wildermeersch originand the cock was a smashing racer in his day, winning many prizes including 2^ndOpen in the N.R.C.C. the 3^rd placed cock flew very well as ayoungster winning 3^rd,4^th and 13^th in the fed,whilst the nestmate managed a 13^th prize. This could be a pair wehear more about in the coming weeks as Dougie can certainly get the best out ofhis pigeons. Watch this space.

 

 

Carnwath

 

Scott McArdle made it three in a row in the Carnwath clubthis week, what a fantastic start to the season he has had. Scott also took 4^thposition and the Dave Atkin bloodlines seem to making a big impact in his loftjust now. His winner this week is a yearling chequer white flight cock with aDave Atkin dam when she was paired to one of his Leo Pronk cocks. The 4^thplaced pigeon is a blue yearling cock whose sire came from Mr & MrsGeunther of Dumfries, whilst the dam is another Dave Atkin pigeon. She isproving to be a smashing breeder as the cock that won 1^st and 3^rdfor Scott from the opening two races is another of her sons. Both these pigeonswere raced on roundabout, although Scott was intending on repairing themshortly when I spoke with him last.

 

Congratulations on the treble Scott. Well done.

 

Taking 2^nd and 3^rd are the ThomsonBros, they were 4^th last week, so are edging closer as the races aregoing on. Their first bird is a homebred Soontjens cock, with the bird in 3^rd place being the same pigeonthat was 4^th for them in last week’s Otterburn race. He was a giftfrom Willie Collins and is the product of the brothers’ first attempt at racingwidowhood, this cock seems to be getting the hang of it now.

 

Well done the Thomson Brothers.

 

 

East Calder

 

Freddie Jamieson is on top for the second week running inEast Calder taking the first four, with all of them on the fed result. GoodGoing.

 

This week’ 1^st Club and 14^th fedpigeon is a direct daughter off the pigeon that was 2^nd in the clublast week. He has been a real super pigeon for Freddie,winning five firstprizes. He bred this winning pigeon when paired to a hen with 2 x 1^st,a 2^nd and 3^rd in the fed. A perfect example of winnersbreeding winners.

 

Freddie’s 2^nd pigeon is a yearling late breddirect off Freddie’s great breeding cock ‘Dante’

 

In 3^rd place is another smashing pigeon thatactually won back to back firsts from the opening two races last season. She isbred from Freddie’s Koopman and Marijke Vink pigeons.

 

The 4^th placed pigeon is the hen that was 3^rdlast week, another multiple performance bird as she also won 1^stclub,1^stSection from the fed’s YB open race last year. She is againoff ‘Dante’ and as a matter of interest a pigeon the same way bred topped theTeeside Federation in the Northeast on Saturday. Great stuff.

 

Congratulations Freddie on another fine win.

 

Forth & Clyde

 

Vic Couper is at number one in the Forth & Clyde clubthis week. This comes as no surprise to me, as I’ve been to the last few Forth& Clyde presentation nights and he always has a table full of trophies bythe end of the night. Although Vic races birds on the roundabout system hislatest winner was in fact one of his natural pigeons and went to the racesitting 10 day eggs. She is from a son of his old no.1 pair that areresponsible for dozens of winners including section winners with the SNFC. She isactually the only youngster bred from this son on the No.1 pair. He injured hiswing in 2014 and was stopped for the season, the following year he was lookinggreat, coming well from training tosses and acting like his old self, but whenVic decided to put him back in the race basket he failed to return, a decisionhe still regrets. He sired this week’s winner when he was paired to a hen Vicobtained from the Combe family of Elphinstone through their ‘Midnight Son’ and ‘Layla’bloodlines.

 

Well done on your latest win Vic.

 

In 2^nd place is last week’s fed topper, Geordie Harris-with the ‘288 Hen’. This hen has now been 2^nd in the club threeweeks in a row as well as being 9^th and 3^rd fed. All in, shenow has a first and three second prizes, could she be the new black henGeordie?

 

Taking 3^rd and 5^th this week is IanMcLelland with his Jock Traill Based pigeons. Ian was also 6^th andhad a good race.

 

In 4^th place is Jimmy Urquhart with one of hiswidowhood cocks. This two year old red pied cock has been a smasher for Jimmyhaving now won 3 x 1^st, 4^th and 5^th. Three ofhis grandparents are through Dr Lynch’s Vixen family with the other being apigeon Jimmy obtained from Brian May’s Hainsworth pigeons.

 

Well done the Forth & Clyde men.

 

 

West Calder

 

John Bird continues his unbeaten start in West Calder with awin in fine fashion. He had a super race with 5 in the first 18 of the fed,cracking flying on a testing day.

 

John’s winner this week and 10^th in the fed isthe Willie Dunsmore yearling cock that he bought at the federation young birdsale last year.

 

His second pigeon and 12^th fed is one downthrough his Woodroffe Brothers pigeons that have served him so well over theyears.

 

The 3^rd placed pigeon and 16^th fed is ayearling cock gifted to John by Dougie Bald through his ChainbridgeVandenabeele pigeons.

 

John’s 4^th club,17^th Fed was actually5^th in the club last week and is off the Royal Loft cock when pairedto a Jan Aarden.

 

5^th club, 18^th fed is the cock thatwon the first race for John and is another he bought at the fed sale last year,this time being bred by Tam Henderson.

 

Well done John,great flying.

 

 

It’s onto Thirsk for the Almond Valley pigeons this week,good luck to all competing.

 

 

[Kyleakin Lofts]

Good report Lewis.

[paddymac]

Another cracking report Lewis, well done to all winners :emoticon-0137-clapping:

[Buff]

Superb well done ðŸ‘ðŸ‘

[greenbar]

Again another great report.well done.lewis.

[avante]

thats a really in depth report you have compiled there, makes for a nice read ,thankyou

[scott mca]

Great read Lewis well done

[aye ready]

Good read Lewis

[walterboswell59]

well done good read and good flying lewis

[Rooster J. Cogburn]

Cheers all

[eastcoaster]

That's how all Feds should be reported with info about the birds and fanciers , well done good report .