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How I Won The Fastest Snfc Silver Award


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The first pigeon in Scottish National Flying Club History to win in 3 cross channel races in 21 days all on the day.

 

Now thats a statement but it has been checked out and its true. A couple of good birds have scored in 4 weeks, and 5 weeks, but lady Helen is the only bird that has done this in 21 days .

What a pigeon how it was achieved will surprise some, and shock others!

Have i got your attention lol. Well here we go, as i had said in my previous post. I could see there was something about this hen when getting her ready for the gold cup. With jenna she was the best conditioned pigeon i had ever seen. Her body supple, but tight, light as a feather. Her plumage bright and gleaming and she was keen. She was set to go 3 days overdue with same routine as jenna. Her cock , a son of jamie boy, all three were super but she was just the best ive seen. As a 2 year old and her first time over the water an unknown! All i had to go on was her breeding. Being a daughter of jenna ,when paired to her uncle, who had sired 8th 16th section clermont 14th section alencon and 3 birds to score in maidstone inland national. So with that bloodline and her fantastic condition i just had to gamble her. I filled out the pool sheet on saturday night while flagging them. On the sunday morning when letting them out for there last flagging in noticed her and her cock disappeared? Only wee jenna was flying around, s**t i thought. The cocks clicked these eggs are not going to hatch, and is trying to get her pair up and desert the nest! I remembered that one of the stock pairs was sitting a 4 or 5 day yb . I ran to the stock loft ,got the youngster ,and put it in her nest. When the pair came back the cock went into the loft and into a new box calling on the hen. I watched as she dropped in flew up to where the cock was then back down to the floor. As she was nesting behind a board saw the youngster and straight on it. Thank goodness i thought, or something like that lol. So thats how she scored in the gold cup 3rd section 10th open but it was when i picked up this hen to removed her rubber as a back up incase my ets failed. I could not believe it? It was as if she had just flown a training toss. There was nothing out of her at all. There and then i decided if i can keep you sitting your going back now.

By this time her youngster was 8 or 9 days old to big to sit on and would take to much out of her. So i switched it for another 4 or 5 day old youngster. When i opened the loft the next morning and she went for a fly the switch was done. Again she went straight on to it, that will do me i thought. Plenty peanuts ,gerryplus ,and hempseed were left in the tray so she could take what she wanted. They know better than us what they need. The next night her cock that had been at the race with her turned up 3 out of 3. Good i thought he will feed the youngster to. He was in a bad way, well down and did not go near the nest. It was not until the next morning, i was sitting watching the birds, with the lofts opened that i saw him fly up to the drinker and take a drink . The water poured out from a hole in his crop, poor thing. No wonder he is not interested in his hen or the youngster. When the hen went out each morning i would get the youngster chew up some peanuts and fill its crop i did this every day till basketing for ypres. The hen just got better and better. I might never have a pigeon in this condition again? Shes got to go! This pigeon is something else. I had ten birds going to ypres. Started to basket them about 5 oclock, leaving Helen to last.As i put my hand into lift her my blood ran cold, there was an egg beside the youngster. Disaster i thought i can,t send her now? She will lay the second egg on friday, on the way home. No no no i thought the sheet was made out. The pools paid into the bank what the f k do i do ?? I had hens before that had came home from short races straight into the box and layed. This was a national, across the channel. I sat down with the hen still in my hand. She was outstanding, i let her go and she flew straight up to the loft paused and looked at me. She was shining, your going i said. Even if you dont score with the condition your in you will get home. So thats how she went to ypres.

My hens lay there 2nd egg around 7 at night. If the race is fast, she could do it? I told myself and theres always a chance. They could be held over? Which would let her lay in the basket and give her time to recover. The day of the race came and the birds were up at 6 45. Damn i thought an hour earlier would have helped her. It was done, if i lost her i had only myself to blame. Why did i even take the chance? If this hens alive she will get home. Thats why.At 6 05 bang, a bird hits the loft, but its not her its her big sister.Then 6 55 another one, a mealy cock half brother of jenna. My pal charlie muir had came over to watch the birds come home. Is that her? he said ,no says i but she will come. I would not have sent her charlie said! At 7 o5 bang, she hit the loft. Thank expletive removed* i said ill never do that again. I went into the loft and brought her outside. Her feet were covered in black mud she had stopped and layed her egg. Still 49th west section what a bird, what guts? How long was she down i did not care. She was home and right back onto the youngster, and handled as if she had been libed round the corner. Ive got a machine here i thought?

Pity the last national roye is a week early. That was the friday night, i timed her on saturday morning 6 oclock. I let my youngbirds out, and opened the old bird loft. The hen i had timed at 6 o5 was looking fresh to and had just hatched out. So it had crossed MY mind to send her. I would handle her on tuesday only four days away and make up my mind then. To my surprise helen came out and flew for almost an hour with the youngbirds. your going to i said i cant believe this pigeon. This time i took the cock out the loft and put him in the stock loft. Left the hen with the big yb,which i fed everyday. On the tuesday, basketing day, i handled both hens. They were still handling great, but would 7 days be enough time for them to recover? I did not know? I was sure if they did not score they would get home and he who dares wins as dell boy says. The birds were up on the friday, and ive never been so confident of timing in my life. I,ll get this hen i said to jim infact ill be sick if i dont get both. My guess was birds could get into the central belt between 7 and 8 but i was out from 6 watching just incase. iI,ll get this hen i thought to myself, shes a special pigeon ill get her, sitting waiting away in my own wee world. but I could get her big sister first? i thought My mind wandered, big sister? I had a big sister, but she died at 12 weeks old before i was born. How devastating that must have been for my mother and father to lose a child so young and there first child at that. Her name was mary, which was my mothers name, and my grandmothers. I,ll call her mary if i get her. I had moved my seat to the bottom of the garden which gave me a small view south between my house and my neighbours. It was blue sky as i looked towards hamilton county building 17 stories high i saw a speck in the blue sky. Thats a bird it was very high but was coming down fast thats a pigeon i said to myself as it dropped even closer. expletive removed* thats a pigeon and its coming here!! I watched it all the way down, wings shut dropping like a stone. Which one is it? She came round the house and hit the board. I almost fell off my seat. Its helen for expletive removed* sake its helen thats a f * k *g champion i said to myself. What a pigeon i ran to the house and put her on the lib line. Saw old pal john leggat had timed his great hen before me. But i was delighted to get her never mind to be well in. Helen my wife came down stairs and said whats wrong? I got her, i expletive removed* n got her lol. As you see i get a bit excited. I put out a cup of tea and went back outside.to Fill in my clock label, and phone an old friend to tell him i was in. When i looked at my ets clock there was a different ring no on the clock? Jesus i said , mary must have came when i was phoning the lib line ? 11 minutes between them I could not believe it? Two sisters away, two home ,to be 2nd and 3rd section and a silver award.

Helen had flown 1488 miles in 21 days to get her award. Mary had flown 988 miles in 7 days. and Remember the egg that helen layed on ypres basketing night? I had put the egg in jar and forgot about it for about 10 or twelve days i stuck it under a pair of yearlings that had just layed. It hatched 5 days ago its a true saying if its for ye it will no go by ye . Can it get any better? I think maybe only winning the gold cup could top those three weeks for me. Hope you enjoy the read guys. I enjoyed recalling every minute of it take care and good luck.

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another fantastic read Walter , thank you once again :emoticon-0137-clapping:

a big thankyou to andy burgess for sorting it out for me and to pigeon basics for giving me the chance to tell my story i enjoyed ever minute of it and a thankyou to joe murphy for his information and highlighting my national birds in the British homing world thanks joe and keep up the good work on Scotlands long distance birds and the jokes are great to

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a big thankyou to andy burgess for sorting it out for me and to pigeon basics for giving me the chance to tell my story i enjoyed ever minute of it and a thankyou to joe murphy for his information and highlighting my national birds in the British homing world thanks joe and keep up the good work on Scotlands long distance birds and the jokes are great to

 

you are welcome m8, good for the site and members and fantastic reading, and well done to andy for his getting it on the go smiling-scarecrow-329.png

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also meant to say the reason i put the egg under the yearling pair was not only to get another youngster off her but to find out if the injured cock had been active in treading her or if it was the hens own body clock telling her it was time to lay its now obvious it was her cock which i thought was to banged up to be interested so another lesson learned never underestimate the power of the sex drive but also possible she sat down to another cock

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