The Joe Murphy Column

[Ian McKay]

The Joe Murphy Column

 

Received an email from Phil Gardner the director of Respiro San Dry and other produces he wrote ‘Hi Joe hope all is well with you up country as I see that you are having it bitterly cold just now. I attended Epsom Show and this was brilliant with a good friendly bunch of lads organising it and I sold out of almost everything of the small products and 100 buckets of Respiro gone by 13-30 pm. I wasn't expecting this to happen and had a mad rush making more stuff so I had something to sell for Doncaster, this Show was unbelievable, non-stop from 09-15 until 14-30 then it all steadied up, Lee and Carly should be rightly proud of this year’s show. The other great thing was the numbers of people who came on to the stalls at Epsom and Donny to say how good the Trident 3 in 1 had been for them. One fancier had 8 years of misery and was ready to pack in racing if he had another year of the dreaded ‘Young bird sickness’ luckily all went well with Trident for him, he was close to tears telling me about it but it was good to get this positive feedback. I also had a lad saying he couldn't understand how someone who doesn't race pigeons and has no formal qualifications could make the products I do but I told him that I read a lot had good contacts, friends prepared to try things with me and that I listened to other people and their opinions, best regards Phil G’. I’m hoping to catch up with Phil at the SHU Show in Lanark in December.

 

SNFC AVERAGE TROPHY WINNERS

 

This week I’m going to cover the Scottish National average trophy winners these are the hardest trophies to win in the whole country as you are competing against fanciers from the WHOLE of Scotland, from Gretna in the south to Wick in the north; from Eyemouth in the east to Ayrshire in the West. Starting with the Clive Newcombe Memorial Trophy for the best average ALL old bird races 2016; The East Region Average Trophy for the best average ALL races 2016 and the Section B Average Trophy; plus one of the hardest trophies to win in the Scottish National the Robert Telfer Award for the best average ALL races 2016 these were all won by John Baillie of Tranent. An outstanding achievement by John as all the others Regions North, South and West Averages Trophies were NOT WON. As were the Section A, E, F and G Average Trophies NOT WON, which makes John Baillie’s achievement the more exceptional well done John.

 

John Baillie with his trophies and Silver Award winner

 

The memorial trophy in memory of the late president Dr Wm Anderson for the best average Reims; Ancenis and Roye is won by David Jamieson of East Calder

 

The News of the World Trophy for the best average from Reims and Ancenis and the Ellsworth Challenge Trophy for the best combined average from Reims and Ancenis is won by David & Rosemary Osborne of Locharbriggs

 

The Tommy Buck Trophy presented by Tommy in memory of past president Dr and his good lady Mrs Anderson for the best average from Reims and Roye races and was won by John Bosworth of Elphinstone.

 

The section C Average Trophy is won by Jim Doig of Cardenden and the section D Average Trophy won by David Jamieson of East Calder.

 

All Time Greats

 

Received a couple of pictures from Jim Hannah of Blantyre with the first of these consisting of the great Eddie Newcombe of Macmerry who was a Double SNFC Kings Cup winner in 1979 & 1984; then we have the late Jimmy Little of Cockenzie who won the SNFC Nantes race in 1985 with 'Five Times a Lady'. Third fancier is Jimmy Jackson who won the Kings Cup from Rennes in 1985 with ‘Howden Gold’ and then we have Dave Scott who bred Jimmy Jackson’s Gold Cup winner. It is quite interesting to note the Jimmy Jackson attended the SNFC dinner and presentation last month to collect his trophy for 1st section B from the Buckingham inland national race this year. Which proves what a quality pigeon fancier he is to still be winning at the top level in the Scottish National 30 plus years later can’t keep a good fanciers down eh Jimmy well done!!! The other photograph is the good chequer cock of Cowie & Mackie's of Aberdeen that won 1st section 46th open Alencon SNFC flying 611 miles in 2015. Then this year the chequer cock was clocked from SNFC Reims race flying 606 miles and won 3rd section G and 92nd open. As a matter of interest James Cowie brought this bird down to Jim Hannah in May this year to be photographed as he was spending the day in Edinburgh.

 

 

Cowie & Mackie of Aberdeen

 

Scottish Homing Union Trophy Winners 2016

 

Over the next few weeks I’m going to cover the SHU trophy winners these also come into the category of Good SNFC Birds. I start with the performances of the Dewar Whisky Trophy for the best channel performances by an old bird and accordingly crowned Scotland’s Bird of the Year 2016. A S Thomson & son of Port Seaton with their chequer hen SU14P 5619 who won 4 times in 4 Scottish nationals in the same year being 286th open (no section prize) from Buckingham a distance of 286 miles participating against 4328 birds she recorded a velocity of 1272. She then went to the Littlehampton national race and won 18th section B 45th open flying 370 miles with a winning velocity of 1083 ypm participating against 4482 birds. She was then entered into the Ypres national race with a convoy of 2324 birds and had a distance of 428 miles to her home loft in Port Seaton and she won 15th section B 45th open. Then to crown off a great season she was then entered into the last old bird national from Roye contesting against 1135 birds and she won 1st section B 2nd open flying a distance of 494 miles and triumphantly won the Scottish Homing Union ‘Dewar Trophy’ to be hailed ‘Scotland’s Bird of the Year’ in 2016’.

 

The ‘RUNNER-UP’ to the Dewar Whisky Trophy Winner is John Hodgson & son of Annan with his chequer pied hen SU14S 6614 from the SNFC Littlehampton race flying 311 miles she won 6th section A 50th open doing a velocity of 1080 she was then sent to the Ancenis race a distance of 535 miles and she won 19th section A 26th open doing a velocity of 789. Then entered into the last old bird channel race from Roye she won 9th section A 93rd open flying 444 miles and recorded a velocity of 849 she also won 7th section 9th open in the Solway Federation from the same race.

 

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While going through the results of the above pigeons I also came across a couple of very good pigeons belonging to the A S Thomson & son of Port Seaton who also have a chequer cock SU14P 5617 who has also flown very well in 2016 and his history is as follows. As a youngster he won 138th open Buckingham a distance of 286 miles, then as a yearling he won 132nd section B 219th open Portsmouth flying 363 miles a few weeks later he was entered into the Eastbourne race a distance of 385 miles and won 48th section B 70th open. This year he competed in 4 national races and won in all 4 of them being 52nd section B 164th open Buckingham then he won 17th section B 43rd open from Littlehampton a distance of 370 miles. He was then entered from the Belgian race point of Ypres a distance of 428 miles and won 6th section B 7th open and finally he was entered into the last old bird national race from Roye and he won 17th section B 49th open flying 494 miles. This chequer cock requires one more section win from an inland race to attain a Meritorious Bronze award and one more section win from over the channel to achieve his SNFC Silver Award so we wish him luck in accomplishing these awards. The partnership also have another exceptional pigeon who has done very well for them this being chequer cock SU12P 6400. In 2014 he won 45th section B 59th open from Maidstone a distance of 359 miles he was then entered into the Ypres race and won 19th section B 29th open. The following year he won from 3 nationals being 18th section B 24th open Billericay a distance of 332 miles he was then sent to Portsmouth a distance of 363 miles and won 117th section B 197th open he was then sent to the last old bird race from Clermont and won 35th section B 96th open flying 509 miles. In 2016 he won 40th section B 125th open from Buckingham a distance of 286 miles. I don’t know if he was injured or lost after this as he has not appeared on any other national results that I have seen but never the less a very good pigeon you must agree.

 

Our congratulations go to the above fanciers on their wonderful achievements with their outstanding birds during 2016.

 

Joe’s Joke

 

A group of Britons were travelling by tour bus through Holland as they stopped at a cheese farm a young guide led them through the process of cheese making, explaining that goat's milk was used. She showed the group a lovely hillside where many goats were grazing. 'These' she explained, 'Are the older goats put out to pasture when they no longer produce.' She then asked, 'What do you do in Scotland with your old goats?' A sprightly old gentleman answered, 'They send us on bus tours!

 

 

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