The Joe Murphy Column

[Ian McKay]

The Joe Murphy Column

 

Today, 10th November while sitting in the kitchen my wife Margaret was drying her hair when she said to me ‘Look at next door’s shed a bird has just landed on it’. When I got up and looked out the window there was the sparrow hawk sitting looking for birds in the woman next doors bird table. She feeds them every day and we have lots of sparrows; a robin and black birds going about the place due to her leaving out food. I managed to take a picture of this ‘pest’ while sitting looking for its prey. The funny thing was my birds were in the aviary and never moved as obviously they never saw the hawk.

 

Hawk on next door shed

SNFC Trophy Winners

 

Remaining on my highlighting the 2016 Scottish national winners this week I’m going to cover the 2 inland nationals from Buckingham and Littlehampton. Starting with the first of these races flown on Monday 6th of June after a 2 day holdover, the convoy of 4328 birds were liberated at Buckingham at 08-15am into a north east wind. The winner was a yearling chequer pied hen named ‘Lady Indi’ and she put up an outstanding performance to win the race flying into the extreme west of Scotland to the town of Ardrossan in Ayrshire, to the loft of Lindsay Cowan & Mark Findlay. ‘Lady Indi’ won The Five Times A Lady Trophy, 1st national Hen and 1st section F Trophy congratulations to Mark & Lindsay. 1st national Cock and 1st section C Trophy is won by my old friend from Leven Ron Stevenson. 1st section A is won by Jimmy Dalgliesh of Ecclefechan; with 1st section B trophy won by another old friend Jimmy P Jackson of Dunbar. 1st section D is won by Peter Keogh of Broxburn, with Davie Allison of Hamilton winning 1st section E trophy. 1st section G (north section) is won by another dear friend of mine Stuart Maskame of Peterhead congratulations to all the above fanciers.

 

We now come to the Littlehampton inland national race flown on Saturday 18th June with the convoy of 4482 birds released at 07-00am into a light north west wind. This was a tough race however a lady fancier Mrs Ally Mitchell of Castlebrae club showed the rest of us how it should be done by winning the race. Creating history by becoming the first individual lady fancier to win a SNFC race, she timed in her 2 year old blue cock now named ‘Castlebrae Henry’ who wins the Maidstone Trophy for winning the race flying 370 miles, he also wins 1st National Cock and 1st section B Trophy. As a matter of interest Ally also won the SNRPC inland race from Billericay on the same day, congratulations to Mrs Mitchell on her fantastic achievement. The 1st National Hen trophy in the SNFC is won by another lady fanciers namely Karen Newcombe of Macmerry. The 1st section A trophy is won by Craig Halbert of Eastriggs. 1st section C trophy by Dave Baldie of St Andrews; 1st section D trophy won by David Jamieson of East Calder; 1st section E trophy won by Callum Walker of Law; 1st section F trophy won by Robert Reid of Beith and 1st section G trophy won by Eric & Nicky Yule of Kintore our congratulations to all the above winners.

 

Happy to be Home

 

I was speaking to my dear friend Billy Bilsland of Ayton who informed me that he had received word from the SHU reporting his chequer cock the winner of the SHU Dewar Trophy ‘Welltower Roman’ (named after Billy’s grandson) The bird was reported in Germany by Hans Werner of Krummhorn, as you can imagine Billy was over the moon an d wanted Scotland’s 2015 Bird of the Year back home. For fanciers who do not know ‘Welltower Roman’ performances he won 12th open SNFC Alencon racing 520 miles and then won 7th open SNFC Clermont flying 487 miles in the Scottish National Flying Club. We both spoke about how we could get the pigeon back to Scotland and I contacted a friend who said he could help out while Billy had also been speaking to fanciers who were going over to the Kessel show in Germany. To cut a long story short Billy spoke to Carl Gunther of Dumfries who was going to the show and Billy gave him Hans’s details and he in turn contacted Hans and made arrangements to meet up at the Kessel show. Carl brought Billy’s pigeon back home to Scotland and he travelled over to Dumfries to collect him and cannot thank Hans and Carl for all there assistance. As a matter of interest ‘‘Welltower Roman’ was entered in this year’s Gold Cup race from Reims were the convoy were liberated on 24th June 2016. Billy has also informed me that since the cock came home he as fell into a moult with all his outside cover feathers falling and it would seem he is happy to be back home in Ayton.

 

More Good News

 

Received some good news from Jamie Toal of Ireland who writes, ‘Hi Joe sorry I have not been in touch regarding the updates on your pigeons that we purchased. We now have a family reared and tested were we had the option of flying the channel with a strong team we flew them in land and trained hard we hadn't much luck until we hit the channel first race we knew we had a chance we got tenth and an open position with a black white flight hen from your black white flight hen 11AF 926 and your young black cock 12 2553 this hen went on to be second the following week from 260 miles and in the first hundred in open the next week she was 3rd open from 296 miles so was put aside for the Kings Cup race and on last toss from 30 miles was reported dead killed by hawk which was a pity but that is pigeon racing for you. All our team flew up to 296 miles with minimum losses and I'm very pleased that some I have bred for friends are also being clocked. One of them in particular is half Jan Theelen that was clocked 2 years running from France flying 440 miles roughly receiving a Bronze Award plus £200 and 2 x 1st clubs. The little chequer white flight hen SU11 3915 bred me a lovely blue pied cock that won us 1st club from 296 miles in the young bird national being the only bird on the day and was 23rd section 34th open. The father was bred for us from a friend called Sean Hughes who also bought pigeons from your good self this cock was bred of a blue pied of yours, I’m sorry but I have not got the details at hand but Sean insists they are winning out of turn for him with pigeons gaining section prizes most weeks. They are all in some way related to the pigeons both he and I have received from you. I have also bought a couple of pigeons from Gene Gormley as he has to cut down and believe it or not the pigeons we bought were also bred in your loft as Gene had some birds from you as well. Which proves that the birds you gave us are producing the goods thanking you once again yours Jamie Toal’. It is good to hear that other fanciers are doing well with birds from us which gives us confidence in knowing that birds we have parted with are still producing winners. I still have to many cocks which I must cut down but have picked out a very special Deweerdt red cock that had it not been for this Charity Sale would not be leaving my stock loft. I will include a picture of this cock who is going to the Show of the Year sale at Blackpool

GB13B 13365 My gift to Blackpool Show

 

Not Good News

 

Noticed in this week’s edition of the Scottish Sunday Mail ‘Probe into Doped Doo’s headline: this states; ‘A team of pigeon racers is under investigation after allegedly feeding their birds cocaine to make them fly faster. The Staffordshire racers’ birds tested positive for the drug’. This is the first I have heard of this maybe the editor can throw some light on the subject??

 

Good SNFC Birds

 

This week I’m highlighting 2 pigeons who have won the SNFC MERITORIOUS BRONZE AWARD for pigeons who have won 5 times from Inland national races. We start of this week with 2013 SNFC Ypres winner Dave Glen of Forfar whose blue bar cock SU12AF 746 named ‘Lowson Lad’ has 9 wins in the Scottish National to his status. He wins a SNFC Meritorious Bronze Award this year for gaining 5 wins from inland national races as an old bird. As a yearling in 2013 he won 4th section C 25th open from Maidstone a distance of 401 miles that same year he competed from Ypres and won 114th open flying 465 miles although he did not win a section prize. In 2014 he again contested from the same 2 race points and won 5th section C 26th open from Maidstone and then gained 3rd section C 15th open from Ypres. The following year 2015 he won 17th section C 83rd open from Portsmouth a distance of 407 miles he was then entered into the Eastbourne race which is 20 miles further and he obtained 14th section C 47th open. In 2016 he won 3 national diplomas being 27th section C 137th open Buckingham flying 330 miles thus accomplishing winning his SNFC Meritorious Bronze Award. Nevertheless Dave then entered him into the Littlehampton race and he responded by successfully gaining 22nd section C 56th open flying 415 miles he was then set up for the channel event from Ypres and triumphed by winning 6th section C 15th open. He now requires ONE more win from the channel to achieve a SNFC Silver Award thus achieving a Double Award in the national. You must agree a truly outstanding pigeon raced by a very accomplished fancier whom we congratulate on ‘Lowson Lad’s’ success well done Dave.

Dave Glen

 

Pat Doherty of Linwood in Renfrewshire has a chequer pied cock SU12R 1382 named ‘Con-Ker’ after his grandchildren this cock also won 5 times from inland races and now wins his SNFC Meritorious Bronze Award As a 2 year old he won 3rd section F from Maidstone flying 382 miles the following year he won 3 times from the national being 6th section F from Billericay a distance of 356 miles. Then he was entered into the Portsmouth race point a distance of 374 miles and won 2nd section F he was then sent to the Eastbourne race a distance of 404 miles and he was again in the prizes to win 16th section F. This year he won 20th section F from Buckingham a distance of 301 miles and was sent back to the Littlehampton race unfortunately he did not win another national diploma. However this pigeon has done exceptionally well as it is not an easy route flying into the far west of Scotland so well done to Pat.

Major Reduction Sale

 

Received the above news of the Padfield Family sale due to ill health with the majority of their stock team to be sold, plus some 2016 stock, this is a lifetime’s work available to long distance enthusiasts. This sale will take place on Comparethepigeon.com commencing on the 24th of November and an advert will appear soon so watch out for it. I’m sorry to hear this sad news as the lads have proven they are without doubt top quality pigeon fanciers who are not afraid to compete against the very best. I hope the sale goes well for them.

 

Joe’s Joke

 

As an airplane is about to crash, a female passenger jumps up frantically and announces, "If I'm going to die, I want to die feeling like a woman." She removes all her clothing and asks, "Is there someone on this plane who is man enough to make me feel like a woman?" A Scotsman stands up, removes his shirt and says, "Here, iron this!â€

 

 

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