The Joe Murphy Column

[Ian McKay]

The Joe Murphy Column

 

Received a phone call from Jim Hannah of Blantyre (Scottish Photographer) informing me that he is going to attend the Fife Federation Kingdom Show held on Saturday 2nd December in Buckhaven Community Centre. So if you wish to have your champion or stock pigeon’s photographs taken then this is a good opportunity to visit Jim’s stand. I also noticed the advert for a SNFC secretary in the paper and I hope the FULL committee pick the right candidate (and not a certain few as has happened in the past and I’ve previous experience of this) as this is a very important appointment as this crucial period within the SNFC.

 

Scottish Homing Union Trophy winners 2017

 

Top award in the SHU is for the Bird of the Year 2017 which is presented with the Dewar Whisky Trophy for the best channel performances by an old bird during the season. This year’s winner is yearling chequer hen who won 2nd section C 27th open from an entry of 1472 birds entered by 403 members. This hen was flying 569 miles and recorded a velocity of 647.44. Eighteen days later she won 3rd section C 17th open from Falaise a distance of 539 miles when only 71 birds made the result in 3 days. A very worthy winner of the Dewar Trophy in such a testing year she also won the Yearling trophy known as the Friendship Cup for the best yearling performances in 2017. She was raced by Gerald MacPherson of Broughty Ferry by Dundee and was the first of Gerald’s two pigeons to make the SNFC Alencon open Gold Cup result as he timed in his 2nd pigeon also a yearling hen to win 6th section 43rd open when only 47 birds made the result in 3 days. The Dewar Trophy winner was bred by Jack Alexander of Monifieth which is not far from Gerald. Her sire was from the late John Ellis of Wellbank fame winning lines mated to a hen who won twice in the SNFC. The yearling hen’s dam was a full sister to Mark Gilbert’s 1st open International Bordeaux winner Melisa so you can see she was bred for the job. As a matter of interest his brother Mike also timed a bird to win 3rd section C 32nd open in the same Alencon race and these were the furthest flying 3 birds in the SNFC race. Another interesting point for readers is that Gerald does not set a clock all year and only trains his pigeons with Fife Federation every week to gain fitness for the longer national events. He then sets a clock for the Scottish National races which he says is the races that matter. There was no runner up for the Dewar Trophy in 2017.

 

The Ogilvie Trophy for the best Individual performance achieved by a bird in 2017 was won by a blue chequer hen ‘Isabella’ the property of J & I Alston of Ravenstruther near Lanark and was named after Jock’s late wife. She won 62nd section E 481st open SNFC Bedhampton this year against 6065 birds. She is bred from the old Scottish distance lines as her sire was a 9 year old cock purchased from Louella pigeon world at that age. He was from a son of Dave Angus mealy cock ‘Townfoot Good Boy’ while Isabella dam also contained the same lines plus some Bricoux via Frank Souness and the Stirling Cock from the J Stirling & son partnership of Burnbank. Isabella won 1st section 1st west region 1st open SNFC Ancenis flying 585 miles and recorded a velocity 772 ypm winning the race by 50 ypm when only18 birds made the result in 3 days. ‘Isabella’ also won the British Homing World Trophy for the lowest winning velocity in Channel races during 2017.

 

The Mr & Mrs Murphy Trophy for the performances champion young bird and the Unikon Trophy for the outstanding performances by a young bird were won by the same young pencil blue cock raced by Dave Baldie of St Andrews in Fife. His performances are as follows; from Sedgefield (1) flown on 19th August he was 2nd Fife Federation flying 127 miles 452 yards against 1438 birds velocity 1221.00 From Sedgefield 2 flown on 26th August he was 2nd Fife Federation flying 127 miles 452 yards against 1027 birds velocity 1330.39. Then on the 9th September he won 19th Fife Federation flying 160 miles 1470 yards against 626 birds with a velocity 1105.30. Then on the 18th of September from the SNFC YB national from Buckingham he won 1st section C 516 birds 2nd open 1833 birds flying 308 miles 1142 yards recording a velocity of 1089.71 Flying a further 77 miles then the winner of the race and was timed 2 hours 9 minutes later.

 

The Celtic Trophy for the performances of any old bird up to 300 miles and the Taffy Bowen (Wales) Cup won by a black hen raced by John McNeil of Broxburn in Central Lothian.

This hen won the following positions Broxburn & Uphall;

 

 

The Duke of Edinburgh Trophy for the best loft performance old and young birds in the season for members/ partnerships who are under 25 years, was Not Claimed in 2017.

The Scotland Own’ Fancier of the Year (Ina Renwick Memorial Trophy) for the best co efficient by a fancier from the 4 SNFC Channel races Was Not Won.

The Annie Ross Bowes Memorial Trophy for the fanciers and sportsman of the year was won by Steven Livet of Bonnyrigg. Linda was going to send me a copy of the letter nominating Steven for this award.

 

Good SNFC Birds

 

This week I highlight two lofts with exceptional pigeons in them the first is to Pat Doherty of Linwood in Renfrewshire his chequer pied cock SU12R 1382 has won 6 times in the SNFC. Starting as a 2 year old he won 3rd section F from Maidstone flying a distance of 382 miles. The following year 2015 he won 3 times in the national being 6th section F from Billericay a distance of 356 miles he then went to Portsmouth a distance of 374 and won 2nd section F. He then competed from the Eastbourne race point a distance of 404 miles to Linwood and he won 16th section F. In 2016 he competed in 2 inland nationals Buckingham he won 20th section F and he also flew Littlehampton without winning a prize. This year he competed from Buckingham but did not win a prize however from the next national from Bedhampton he won 15th section F to win him his 5th section prize and achieve his Meritorious Bronze Award.

 

We now come to one of the top lofts in the east section of the national A Sinclair Thomson & son also named Sinclair of Port Seaton in East Lothian. Their chequer hen SU14P 5619 who won 6 times in the Scottish nationals with 4 of these wins in the same year 2016 were she won 286th open (no section prize) from Buckingham a distance of 286 miles; she then went to the Littlehampton national race and won 18th section B 45th open flying 370 miles. She was then entered into the Ypres national race a distance of 428 miles to her home loft and she won 25th section B 45th open and to crown off a great season she was then entered into the last old bird national from Roye a distance of 494 miles and she won 1st section B 2nd open to triumphantly be hailed ‘Scotland’s Bird of the Year’ in 2016’ by winning the Scottish Homing Union ‘Dewar Trophy’. This year she competed from Bedhampton a distance of 363 miles and won 94th section B 350th open she then went to Ypres and won 2nd section B 6th open and this wins her an SNFC Silver Award which I’m assuming was not claimed as it was not presented at the recent national presentation. Another pigeon who has won 7 times in the SNFC and has also won an award but so far has not received it is a blue bar cock SU14P 5640. In 2015 he won from 3 nationals being 45th section B 71st open Billericay a distance of 332 miles he was then sent to Portsmouth a distance of 363 miles and won 9th section B 9th open he was then sent to the Eastbourne race a distance of 385 miles and won 33rd section B 44th open. In 2016 he won 40th section B 125th open from Buckingham a distance of 286 miles and was then sent to Ypres were he won 8th section B 9th open. This year 2017 he was again sent to Buckingham and won 10th section B 33rd open and was doubled back into the Ypres race and he won 10th section B 16th open. This blue cock has therefore won SNFC Meritorious Bronze Award for 5 inland national section prizes and he requires one more from over the channel to obtain a SNFC Silver Award. We now come to the partnerships next pigeon a chequer cock SU14P 5617: who has won 8 times in the Scottish national. 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. In 2016 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 year 2017 he once again scored from Buckingham winning 179th open but did not win a section prize therefore 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 but once again proves he is a quality pigeon and we wish him luck in accomplishing the above awards. My final pigeon on the Thompson partnership is another bird that has won 5 times 3 of these being during 2017 and has now won himself a SNFC Silver Award for 3 wins from over the channel. This blue bar cock SU14P5646 won 35th section B 67th open from Ypres flying 428 miles in 2016 he was then sent to the last old bird race from Roye and won 15th section B 38th open flying 494 miles. This year 2017 as I said he won 3 times in the Scottish national from the first inland race from Buckingham he won 362nd open but no section prize flying 286 miles. He then went to the Bedhampton race and won 78th section B 288th open flying 363 miles; he was then entered into the SNFC Gold Cup race from Alencon and won 2nd section B 3rd open flying 536 miles thus winning his award. I think readers will agree the above is very impressive and these birds are a credit to both Sinclair’s.

 

This week’s Photos

 

These are of Jock Alston who won the Dewar Trophy in 2013 being presented with it from John Lambie. The next picture is of my dear friend Pat O’Sullivan of Enfield who has given up the birds now but we catch up at Blackpool.

 

John Lambie presents the Dewar Whisky Trophy to Jock Alston

 

Joe M with Pat O'Sullivan

 

Obituary

 

I have just found out from John Tyerman that Dave Padfield passed away in the early hours in hospital at Abergavenny. He was 66 years old and had been suffering from cancer. Vince and Dave were household names in the sport and won from the majority of race points they entered. However it was the long distance they loved and it was fitting that they did so well from Barcelona in 2017. John will of course do an obituary on Dave; nonetheless I would like to send heartfelt condolences to ALL his family and love ones at this sad time.

 

Joe’s Joke

 

I hope you can follow this one........

 

Dear Amber,

I have a very complicated benefits question.

Many years ago, I married a widow out of love who had an 18 year old daughter.

After the wedding, my father, a widower, came to visit a number of times, and he fell in love with my step daughter.

My father eventually married her without my authorisation.

As a result my step-daughter became my step mother and my father became my son in law.

My father's wife (also my step daughter) and my step-mother, gave birth to a son who is my grandchild because I am the husband of my step daughter's mother.

This boy is also my brother, as the son of my father.

As you can see, my wife became a grandmother, because she is the mother of my father's wife. Therefore it appears that I am also my wife's grandchild.

A short time after these events, my wife gave birth to a son, who became my father's brother-in-law, the step-son of my father's wife, and my uncle.

My son is also my step mother’s brother, and through my step-mother, my wife has become a grandmother and I have become my own grandfather.

In light of the above mentioned, I would like to know the following: Does my son, who is also my uncle, my father's son-in-law and my step mother's brother fulfil the requirements for receiving childcare benefits?

Sincerely yours,

Mr Thomas

THE ANSWER:

Of course you qualify Mr Thomas. I have arranged to start mailing the cheques to all of you just as soon as you arrive here in the UK.

Yours faithfully

Amber Rudd (Home Secretary)

 

Or if you are not happy with the above you can use this joke

Joe’s Joke

 

Global Facts about Sex at Any Given Moment:

Fact: 79,000,000 people are engaged in sex- right now!

Fact: 58,000,000 are kissing.

Fact: 37,000,000 are relaxing after having sex.

Fact; 1 elderly person is reading the BHW.

 

You hang in their Sunshine

 

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 Pigeon Racing the Basics who wish my weekly contribution portfolio on pigeon topics from Scotland.

 

© Compiled by Joe Murphy