The Joe Murphy Column

[Ian McKay]

The Joe Murphy Column

 

Last weekend the weather forecast was to be terrible and there looked no prospect of pigeon racing at all and I heard that Pentland Hills federation informed their members they would basket on Thursday night for a race on the Friday. I have not heard from their press officer Andy Miller this week so far and this must be one of the very few times Andy has not sent in his result. I text him to see if he was OK but alas he has not replied but he could be caught up with work issues. As far as I’m lead to believe quite a number of fanciers did not have good returns which is a pity as we are coming to the end of the young bird season. With no members of his club racing that weekend Kevin decided to call it a day and keep his youngsters till the yearling stage. He has some later bred birds that he has started to train and will continue to do so weather permitting until the end of September. With the stopping of the racing the pigeon season is getting shorter and shorter not only for us but for other fanciers as well. Far too many people have lost their youngsters and this has ‘disgusted’ people so much that they have just stopped altogether. Every year we hear about ‘young bird sickness’ and it fanciers ‘STILL’ send their birds in the federation transporters and this ‘sickness’ spreads like wildfire. It is little wonder are abandoning our sport and ALL our association officials need to do something about this quickly or they too will be out of a full time job.

 

Results

Angus Federation

 

The members sent 433 birds to T ow Law liberated at 07-30am into a North West wind. Topping the federation is the loft in form this year with young birds Bob Baldie who takes top spot as well as 3rd 4th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 13th 15th 16th open with Davie Glen in 2nd place Ian Scott is 5th & 14th with W MacKnight in 19th place and the remaining 12th 17th 18th & 20th positions are won by Macaulay Ferguson & Curran

East section winners are as follows: G Campbell of Montrose is 1st 7th & 8th with B Main of Inchcape in 2nd 5th & 6th spots. K Gourley of the same club is 3rd with Chic & Ann Carrie also from Inchcape in 4th place. B Craig of Gourdon is in 9th place and the final top 10th position goes to Les McKay of Inchcape.

Club Winners are as follows: Forfar 305 birds R Baldie; Gourdon 29 birds B Craig; Montrose 45 birds G Campbell; Inchcape 53 birds B Main.

 

East of Scotland Federation

News from John Baillie of Tranent who tells us East of Scotland Federation race from Ripon had 1st open position won by Graham Wardhaugh of Dirleton. The loft in form of Tom Hunnam of Port Seton takes 2nd, 3rd and 4th positions with John Bird of Prestonpans filling 5th and 7th positions. Tam Waddell also from the Pans is in 6th place then it is up to Tranent for Jim McNeil who wins 8th open we are back down to Prestonpans for the 9th place to Mr & Mrs March and club mates Tom & Scott McEwen of Elphinstone take the 10th position. Returns were not so clever at the time we struck off the ETS at the club. As usual some ended up with reasonable returns while other members suffered. I lost a third of my team, but we should all be our own race controller and keep the birds at home if we think the weather might be a bit dodgy, but we keep pigeons to race and not just look at over the winter months. I have enclosed a photograph of Tom McEwen of Elphinstone, Federation president Dougie Grieve and Bert Nisbet president of Gladsmuir RPC.

Prestonpans HC taking the first 3 places is Tom Hunnam with Corker Thomson phoning me with the breeding of these birds. (Corker is advising Tom on the racing of his young birds). The winning pigeon is bred from an Aiden Minnett Soontjens from birds from Jim Able from Banff. The 2nd bird is another Braspenning and the 3rd is a Braspenning crossed Bricoux all bred in Corker’s loft, I have added a picture of Tom Hunnan, that's it for this week Joe not many races to go before the season ends, yours John Baillie’.

Tom McEwen, Dougie Grieve & Bert Nisbet

 

Tom Hunnam

 

Fife Federation

 

Dunfermline LRPC news from David Kennedy who writes ‘Hi Joe, please find the results for Sedgefield 1 & 2 races, sorry for sending both but last week I just never had a minute and knew your article would be away. From Sedgefield 1 race, 11 members sent 112 birds taking the red card is Frank Mitchell with a velocity of 1063 ypm, he timed a darkness young hen bred by Andrew Langley of Elson from his M & D Evans stock. This pigeon was 2nd club last week from Alnwick. John Skelton takes 2nd & 3rd places with velocities of 965 and 957 ypm he timed a Louella bred natural young bird, with the bloodlines being Boxford Busschaert his 2nd bird is another Louella bred natural young bird containing the same bloodlines. From Sedgefield 2 we had 11 members sending 176 birds with Frank Mitchell taking a clean sweep of the tickets this week. His winner is doing a velocity of 990 ypm and is a darkness cock bred by Andrew Langley of Elson from his M & D Evans bloodlines. Frank’s 2nd bird was doing a velocity of 987 ypm and was a darkness young cock bred from ex club mate Danny McNeely distance bloodlines. The hat-trick was completed with a velocity of 976 ypm by another darkness young cock bred down from Jocky King national winning family of pigeons.

This week’s club nomination was also won by Frank Mitchell and the 2 bird was won by Eddie McWilliams. The 4th young bird race of the season is the chosen race point to fly for the clubs Gold Ring Race. This year the 1st prize went to Frank Mitchell and Eddie McWilliams takes the runner up spot. That’s it for this week Joe you keep up the good work David’.

Glenrothes & Leslie PC news from Rosie Armit who writes: ‘Hi Joe, from the YB race from Sedgefield the first 3 places are won by Brian Kinnear, with a velocity of 1110 with a blue cock on darkness. He has been the 1st bird to loft every young bird race so far, his sire is an inbred grandson of Stitchy while his dam is a Vandenabeele from J Anderson of Anstruther she was 4th & 24th open Billericay for John. Brian’s 2nd bird on 1098 with a blue hen on darkness she is an inbred granddaughter of Stitchy. His 3rd bird on 1098.1 was a blue chequer hen on darkness. Her sire is a Vandenabeele from John Anderson he won 18th open Fontenay and her dam is a granddaughter of Tom & Scott McEwen’s ‘Petite Rose’ winner of 1st open Tours SNFC. The first bird home from Sedgefield 2 was to Brian Kinnear doing a velocity of 1111 with a blue white flight hen on darkness she was just starting to look at a cock. Her sire is a grandson of a dark hen who won 4th open Ancenis and her dam was bred by J Watkins of Wales and bought at Kennoway Breeder/Buyer sale and won 2nd prize in 2015 as a young bird. Brian is also 2nd on 1110 with a blue white flight cock on darkness he is a grandson of Stitchy. In 3rd place is Turpie & McCord on 1107 with a grizzle cock flown natural. His sire is a grandson of Charlie Cameron Belge stray winner of 21 x 1st prizes with a hen from Ian Chalmers of Falkland. His dam was a gift bird from Alan Wright from Lincolnshire breeding Mick Ganus.

 

North of Scotland Federation

 

News from George Duthie with the federation result 50 members entered 1022 birds these were liberated at Arniston into a light west wind (sorry no time Joe M) taking the first 2 places are Jim & Ann Donaldson of Peterhead club with the fed winner doing 1566. George Duthie of Fraserburgh takes the next 3 places with Stuart Maskame of Peterhead is 6th with Ian Gill of Fraserburgh taking the next 3 places and making up the top 10 in the federation is C McCrae of Fraserburgh. West Section had 28 members sending 537 birds, topping this section was George Wilson of Devern Valley who also won 14th federation. Fulton & Ritchie of the same club are 2nd & 6th section 19th & 26th open with club mate A Wilson in 3rd section 20th open. J Abel also of Devern Valley is 4th & 5th section 21st & 25th federation. A Milne of Devern Valley is 7th & 8th section 29th & 30th open with G R Duncan of Keith is 9th & 10th section 31st & 32nd open.

Clubs First Bird

J & A Donaldson of Peterhead & District 1566

G Duthie of Fraserburgh & District 1551

G Wilson of Devern Valley 1486

G R Duncan of Keith 1366

R Barclay of Fraserburgh West End 1333

R McKenzie of Inverurie 1325

J Cumming of Buckie & District 1204

B & N Hadden of Elgin & District 1186

R Murray of Forres, Nairn & Inver 700

 

Joe’s Joke

 

Two brunettes and a blonde are attempting to fix a roof. While they are on the roof, a herd of cattle run by and knock down the ladder and leave a big pile of poop behind. The two brunettes decide to make the blonde check how deep the poop is so they can jump down. So the blonde jumps down and yells, "It's only ankle deep." So the two brunettes jump down and scream, "What are you talking about?! It's up to our heads!" And the blonde replies, "Well, I jumped in head first."

 

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 and www.pigeon-chat.co.uk also www.pigeonbasics.com who wish my weekly contribution portfolio on pigeon topics from Scotland.

 

© Compiled by Joe Murphy