Blue Riband Pau Race 1 st Open 1 st SE Section Paul Ayling from Gosport with Tony s Tribute

Transcription

1 Blue Riband Pau Race 1 st Open 1 st SE Section Paul Ayling from Gosport with Tony s Tribute The Classic s Blue Riband race saw 136 members sending 604 birds. With the heat so very hot through France Nigel made sure the birds had a good drink then cut the strings and got the birds away at the earliest possible moment, liberating at 5.30am in to a South wind turning South Westerly up through France. Richard Green paid a visit to Nigel and Bill on site and very kindly filmed the liberation. If you would like to see it, visit and enter CSCFC Pau Racing Pigeon Liberation June Thank you Richard. Out of the 5 gallant birds who were timed on the winning day, 3 of these members were previous winners of Pau/Tarbes Classic. Winner of the 40 th Blue Riband race is top long distance fancier Paul Ayling from Gosport 1 st Open 1 st South East Section. Firstly I would like to congratulate all the section winners and the CSCFC for the condition of the birds on their return from the race, getting two of my three entries home. The winning pigeon now named "Tony's Tribute", is named in memory of my father in law, who sadly passed away in the early hours of Saturday morning and who always took a keen interest in my pigeons. The winning pigeon was bred for the job. The sire being a son of Joe Raeburn's Gwen, 1 st NFC San Sabastian. The dam being a sister to Home Alone, 1 st NFC Pau only bird on the day. He is a very consistent pigeon, his most notable performances being 43 rd Open NFC Tarbes and 36 th Open BICC Perpigan. He was flown on roundabout all season. His last race was Tours with the BICC, then a few 50 mile tosses and a 50 mile single up five days before basketing. His hen went to the Pau International and on her return Saturday evening they were left together until basketing Tuesday afternoon. A special mention for the other day birds and the ones early next morning that hadn't quite made it home on the night, but had been given the opportunity to fly 500+ miles on the day. Finally, a big thank you to Clare for keeping me updated and to everyone who has contacted me to offer their congratulations.

2 Paul Ayling In 2 nd Open 2 nd South East Section we have Steve Benham from Portsmouth timing a pigeon that has now won a Blue Riband Certificate. Firstly, I would like to congratulate Paul Ayling the winner of the race. My history is as follows: It all started when I was about 8 years old and kept pigeons at my aunties house in Hilsea. I was born and raised in a flat with no garden at Crasswell Street Portsmouth. The birds I had caught or given to me from Hilsea flyers. I have Raced Pigeons for 43 years now but distance racing has been my passion for the last 35years. I have bred and won with many strains including: Southwells (E.Deacon), Jimmy Shepherd and the last 8 years Mr Tony Cripps. I have timed in on the day from 9am Lib times from Pau, Tarbes and Dax on various years which I am very proud of. I have raced widowhood in the past and won the The Sholing Open, but it did not give me the thrill of distance racing!!!!!! The hen that I timed which I have named EllieJack after my grandchildren in the past has been 132 nd Tarbes, 13 th Tarbes, 19 th Pau and now 2 nd Pau. She is 3/4 Southwell, 1/4 tony Cripps. She was sitting 12 days and hopper fed mostly beans with an open loft with no training and natural... nice and simple. I spend hours in my garden studying my birds and pooled her for the car and all pools. Good Luck to all Distance flyers.

3 Steve Benham 3 rd Open is the 2007 Pau Winner Tony Hounsell from Portsmouth. Firstly, I would like to congratulate all that timed in on the day and all those the next day. Also a special well done to Steve Benham, he's timed his bird in 3 times to be in the the top 20 in this Blue Riband race. Also, thank you to Gordon Lawrence, Lee Patterson & Mike Moon for taking my birds to marking for me and a well done to all the race team. My birds came back in excellent condition. My first bird is a Van Wanroy Black Giant lines the parents I purchased from Ponderosa UK Stud for stock in 2010.

4 Tony Hounsell with Grandchildren Evie and Austin 4 th Open is John Tyerman from Bracklesham Bay our 2011 Tarbes Classic. My provisional 4 th Open pigeon GB 13P is a blue white flight hen flown on a celibacy system. This year due to ongoing health issues I parted all my birds and have been racing them on a celibacy type system was not raced as a young bird but as a yearling flew north road to Stratford and then south to Messac. This year as a 2 year old she flew BICC Alencon, NFC Fougeres and Messac with the South Coast Fed, she has always been fairly consistent but not won anything previously. She is bred from my old distance family of well tried and tested, Carmichael/Kirkpatrick/Cannon blood lines and is a grand daughter of my 4 th and 7 th Open BICC Barcelona cock, so she contains all my best distance lines going back to Dorking Supreme and Decimal Lady, all birds that previously won top prizes in distance racing. She is closely related to "Brackbay Star" my 2011 CSCFC Tarbes winner and strangely enough she arrived around 8.25pm which was the same time as my previous winner, when again there were very few day birds also carries similar blood lines to my 'Barcelona Challenge' one-loft race winner. She was quite wet on arrival and seemed 'stunned' by her 515 miles fly and 15 hours on the wing, so I had to put a couple of cocks out to move her from the top of the loft. She had lost a fair bit of body weight but the following morning she was fine. As most members will know the channel closed in from around 7pm and it was very overcast

5 with storm clouds and poor visibility along this part of the Solent which no doubt prevented more day pigeons. Well done to the winner Paul Ayling and the other 3 owners who clocked birds on the winning day. John Tyerman 5 th Open 1 st North East Section is someone with a great character Peter Entwistle from Aylesbury timing his 3 year old chequer cock at 5.41 am on the Saturday morning flying 587 miles. This saga starts in 2012 when an American mink got into my lofts and killed 22 birds of my original Wegge family. Naturally I was devastated and went into shock. Only 8 birds were left to try to rebuild my shattered family. Offers of help came from all sides but I have very high opinions of the quality of birds I was looking for. Whilst talking to Eamon Kelly of Steventon, who runs the NFC marking station at the Fox Inn, he said bring your basket round and I will let you have a few YB s to get restarted with. I turned up with my 40 bird basket and said fill her up Eamon. Cutting a long story short I came away with 7 birds which was much appreciated. Relentless training was given to these birds so that in the end I finished up with one that came up to my high standard. I trained to late November and restarted in April. In 2013 I decided to send him to Tarbes with the CSCFC on fitness as part of the team. 3 rd NE Section 37 th Open yearling flying 594 miles. No mention or write up about this magnificent performance, turned down by the Southern Region for an outstanding performance. At the end of that year he smashed his legs, opening cuts that exposed the sinews. In addition his chest was cut deep right across so that water gushed out of him at the drinker. I decided to give him a full year off resisting all

6 urges to train or basket the bird. Patience has its own reward and in 2015 I resumed training. He was sent to Poole, West Bay and CSCFC Guernsey 180 miles and trained lightly to the coast. Owing to his hen being barren I only just got him to sit on eggs 12 days. The night before marking I slipped him an 8 day old YB. The hen wouldn t let him sit and kept turning him off. I penned the hen for an hour in a spare box, the cock sat ok. I let the hen loose when she soon turfed him off again. At least he knew that a YB was there. This was only the second YB that he had seen in his life. I am confident that he could have won the race if he were in a more favourable condition. I have renamed the pigeon Steventon Rocket after Eamon Kelly for his outstanding generosity in presenting me with some of his YBs. Wonderful that a top class fancier can be so sporting, it certainly helps to lift one s spirits in times of uncertainty. Thank you. I would also like to thank the Long Crendon Pigeon Club for inspiring me to make the effort to take part in this truly remarkable performance. As long as your membership remains static you will always stay a third rate club. Exceptional members are John and Terry Mauger and, of course, Dave Newman.

7 Peter Entwistle 6 th Open is Alan Holdaway from Emsworth who won Tarbes Classic in First of all I would like to congratulate, Paul Aying and the rest of the day birds in which turned out a very testing day. My chequer hen "Dinx" due to her size is from a long line of Pau / Tarbes winners. Her dam was 4 th Open Pau Classic for me at my old address, being of my old Southwick based family. She only just made it on the day as it was so dark when she dropped in, I had to push her through the trap. My birds are all feed on Gem corn comprising of two mixes put together as much as they require plus fresh water twice a day. She was on her 4 th race of the season, having had Alencon, Tours & Carentan and then Pau. This was her 4 th time at Pau/Tarbes.

8 Alan Holdaway with Grand daughter Harper 7 th Open 2 nd North East Section is Dave Hawthorne from Tadley. Dave is a great worker for the Classic normally being the last one at Southampton marking station helping to load the lorry. Firstly, I would like to congratulate Paul Ayling on winning Pau and the four other fanciers who clocked birds on the same day. Also well done to Peter Entwistle on winning the North East Section timing early Saturday morning. I have now named the dark chequer hen Pamber Sunrise as she was obviously up bright and early. She was sent to the race sitting a four day old baby. So far this year she has had two inland races, a Guernsey with the CSCFC, Fougeres and Messac with the Southampton & District Fed. As a young bird she went missing in July 2012 and returned the following May. Her breeding is Southwell x George Burgess blood lines with the Southwells originating from Ray Fossey and Tony Leggatt. My birds are raced natural and have an open loft during the day and are fed a mixture of farm tic beans, maple peas, green peas and popcorn maize from SSS.

9 Dave Hawthorne Pamber Sunrise 8 th & 11 th Open 1 st & 2 nd North West Section is Steve Slade from Calne. Steve has gone from strength to strength over the last few seasons. Out of the 5 races so far with the CSCFC and BBC he has 2 Sections wins under his belt. My 1 st pigeon is a cock flown on the roundabout system. It is bred from a John Halstead distance family cross with a Van Lint also purchased from John Halstead cross Janssen hen responsible for at least 4 section winners. My 2 nd pigeon is a hen flown on the roundabout system bred from Patrick brothers stock. I would like to congratulate the winner and also to Nigel and Bill for a good race.

10 Steve Slade 9 th, 10 th & 12 th Open 1 st, 2 nd & 3 rd South West Section is one man who times pigeons from the distance like you would a sprint race the Japanese Sniper himself Andy Parsons from Salisbury. First of all I would like to congratulate Mr Ayling and the fanciers who had day birds, also Nigel and Bill giving us the opportunity to clock on the day. My 1 st Section winner is a daughter of Dancer she was 12 th Classic as a 2 year old from Tarbes and she was also in the first 150 National Tarbes last year. My 2 nd Section winner is again from the Dancer but with my good Keith Bush hen as dam. My 3 rd Section winner is from my 2 nd Open winner from Tarbes CSCFC in 2010, when paired to a daughter of my 5 th Palamos BBC and to my 1 st Section 7 th Open Tarbes CSCFC 2010.

11 Andy Parsons Runners up to Andy in the South West Section is Dave Newman and Chris Sevier from Salisbury who were 2 nd Open from Tarbes Classic in Our 1 st bird was a Mealy cock and is the same way bred as the Palamos bird clocked, he is from a Mealy gift bird from Andy Parsons crossed with a good Jan Aarden from Dave's brother Paul, he was sent on 7 day eggs. Our second bird was also a gift from Andy Parsons being a full sister of Monty and his 1 st Section 3 rd Open Pau Classic She was sent on 7 day eggs both had 2 short channel races as preparation. We would like to congratulate all winners and the convoyers for looking after the birds so well.

12 Dave Newman and Chris Sevier Next to Steve Slade in the North West Section is one of my favourite ladies in the sport Janet Wilcox from Midsomer Norton. This is the 4 th season this 6 year chequer hen has flown the Classic s longest race: , 124 th Open Tarbes, then 3 weeks later 1 st NW Section 3 rd Open Bergerac. 2013, 13 th NW Section 57 th Open. 2014, 4 th NW Section 34 th Open. 2015, 3rd NW Section 21 st Open ( provisional). Sent sitting 14 days she had 6 inland races a Guernsey and Messac previously. For several years no old bird training has been given just sent to races every week if possible. The reason being a hawk strike is almost impossible to avoid with as many as 30 nesting pairs in the Mendip Hills between Frome and Cheddar recorded by alocal twitcher. Her breeding is 100% Geoff Kirkland the sire bred by him from the late Roy Harding of Tarporley stock. The dam is Alfons Bauwen from birds obtained from Geoff over the last 30 years. These have bred many prize winners including "Thermal King" 3 times Pau classic on the day, We have always kept the family together and selecting just certain ones for stock. Very few new introduction are made because we have the saying you don t only bring to pigeon but other thing it may carry with it and we find far more satisfaction from our own family of birds, many that can be traced back 40 or 50 years. No medication other than compulsory vaccination is used unless absolutely nessesary. Feeding is kept very simple "Gems" breeding mixture, evenings diet mix with Carrs oil added in the morning and after races, only additives used are twice weekly cider vinegar with crushed garlic in water on Sundays. Congratulations to the 5 gallant day birds, on a day that looked on the morning of liberation an easier race with southerly winds most of the way home. Some hazard on route forcing the convoy to take a more easterly route.

13 Janet and Ken Wilcox Janet and Ken s hen.

14 Convoyers report At Dawn we went. Tuesday 23 rd June Having loaded the 604 classic birds we made our way to the docks arriving at 16.30, once booked in I then fed and watered the birds before the sailing. Wednesday 24 th June Arrived at Quistreham docks after disembarkation the birds were watered for one hour before we made our way to Pau. Left the docks at heading for our first stop at Bain- de- Bretagne near Messac, the birds were watered and rested for one hour before moving on to our final stop for the day at the Bordeaux lib site, the journey down saw clear skies with very good visibility all the way and temperatures rising to the high 20 s. Thursday 25 th June Having spent a very uncomfortable night with the temperature not dropping below 24 degrees all night we got up early and with the water off and everything packed away we were on the road by 06.30, this leg of the journey was only 140 miles and with only one quick stop for a cup of tea we were at the International Pau lib site by The site was easy to find as it was the over flow car park for the Hameau Rugby stadium, the site for liberations is very good but for the convoyers not so good with no toilets, shower facilities or water. Once we were set up and the water on we had a few hours rest before feeding the birds at 3 o'clock. With the water back on I began making the calls to the UK for the weather update in conjunction with a very good French paper that I use which has a very detailed three day forecast including wind direction and strength which I have always found to be accurate. The information received was that the rain in the north of France should clear by late afternoon as the birds were reaching the channel helped along with a southerly wind for the first leg of the journey turning south westerly after Nantes. At six o'clock my good friend Richard Green arrived on site after a twelve hour drive up from his new home in Portugal to see us and to watch the lib on the following day, having spent the evening discussing pigeon politics and putting the world to rights Richard and his friend headed of the their hotel and we both got are heads down as an early morning lib was on the cards.

15 Friday 26 th June I got up at and with it still being dark I put the lights on in the transporter so that they had an hour and a half to drink before liberation at 05.30, Richard arrived at just as it was beginning to get light, having positioned the lorry the previous day with the tail end facing north no more needed to be done than cut the strings and wait for the sun to rise. With the sun casting a shadow the birds were up at and away to the north without any hesitation and could be seen for at least 3 to 4 miles with the clear skies and perfect visibility and the temperature at 19 degrees already with a light southerly wind. With everything packed away and having said our goodbyes to Richard and Kevin we got under-way at the temp had climbed to 24 by this time. By the time we reached Bordeaux the temp was now 29 perfect visibility and a moderate southerly wind. At Saintes it was now 34 degrees with a south wind all the way up to Nantes where the wind now turned westerly, with driving hours running out we stopped just short of Messac for the night the time was now 5.30 in the afternoon and the temp was still 31 so I knew this would take a lot out of the birds and the numbers making it on the day would be reduced. During the night we had rain and at dawn it was miserable to say the least with fine rain and very low cloud from Messac all the way to Vire some 100 miles with very poor visibility even the tops of the wind turbines could not be seen it was that bad. But after the St-Lo turning it began to clear with bright patches and a northerly wind and the channel crossing was lumpy to say the least but visibility was good. Nigel Rigiani Telephone and website verifications which may be subject to change. Open Mem No Flying Name Town Ring Number A-A-T Velocity 1 SE343 P Ayling Gosport GB09N SE975 S A Benham Portsmouth GB09N SE50 A J Hounsell Portsmouth GB11V SE447 J Tyerman Bracklesham GB13P NE502 P J Entwistle Aylesbury GB12N SE522 A Holdaway Emsworth GB10N NE497 D Hawthorne Tadley GB12S NW350 S Slade Calne GB13N SW938 A Parsons Salisbury GB11N SW938 A Parsons Salisbury GB13S NW350 S Slade Calne GB12C SW938 A Parsons Salisbury GB13N SE334 L F Kidd New Milton GB12S SE432 T Leggatt Havant GB10V SE26 S & L Harris Havant GB11A SE874 Mr & Mrs Bunney Paulsgrove GB13Z

16 17 SE315 K & J Zerafa Portsmouth GB13J SW166 Newman & Sevier Salisbury GB13S SE784 Wearn Brothers 1 & Ramsdean GB12N SE108 Wilson & Gee Portsmouth GB12N NW489 Janet Wilcox Bath GB09N SE50 A J Hounsell Portsmouth GB13N SE334 L F Kidd New Milton GB12S SE1275 P J Nightingale Portsmouth GB13N SE334 L F Kidd New Milton GB13B SE686 J & T Austin Portsmouth GB10N NE573 Lloyd & Kelly Steventon GB13D SE162 R Harbour Newport GB11E SE53 Mr & Mrs B Wall Havant GB14N SE42 Mr & Mrs J B Langbridge Chichester GB10N SE159 G Wood Ventnor GB13R NE573 Lloyd & Kelly Steventon GB13D SE50 A J Hounsell Portsmouth GB11N SE26 S & L Harris Havant GB13N SW90 Cottrell Richmond & Son Wimborne GB12N SE26 S & L Harris Havant GB13N SE42 Mr & Mrs J B Langbridge Chichester GB13P SE1012 B Hayles & Son Calbourne GB12J SW938 A Parsons Salisbury GB13N SE686 J & T Austin Portsmouth GB12P NE115 Mr & Mrs C Merrills Swindon GB12N SE1540 D Human Petersfield GB14N SE37 F Smith Portchester GB13P SW938 A Parsons Salisbury GB13N SE236 R K Goble Waterlooville GB12N SW166 Newman & Sevier Salisbury GB10N NW148 P Newton Weston-Super GB13V SW938 A Parsons Salisbury GB13N SE1267 D Wells Bordon GB14N SE1734 L Patterson Portsmouth GB11N SE425 R Duffield Lymington GB12B SE777 Peter Fyfield Borden GB09N SE176 P A Woods Gosport GB13N SE937 R Thomas Portsmouth GB13N SE686 J & T Austin Portsmouth GB13N SE312 C Lakeman New Milton GB10B SW90 Cottrell Richmond & Son Wimborne GB12N SE1643 T J Adams Fareham GB09N SW90 Cottrell Richmond & Son Wimborne GB12N SW90 Cottrell Richmond & Son Wimborne GB13N NW350 S Slade Calne GB13N NW887 K E Haines Frome GB12N SE53 Mr & Mrs B Wall Havant GB14N SE53 Mr & Mrs B Wall Havant GB14N SE447 J Tyerman Bracklesham GB13N SW110 K Land Bournemouth GB12S SE432 T Leggatt Havant GB13V SE255 G Matthews Fareham GB12N SW173 M Ayles Weymouth GB08N

17 70 SE50 A J Hounsell Portsmouth GB12V NW278 A Hofton & Son Gloucester GB10N SW653 B Woods Shaftesbury GB10N SE272 G Rann & Daughters Ventnor GB13N NE115 Mr & Mrs C Merrills Swindon GB12V NW275 G Bridges Radstock GB09T SE1276 G C Kingswood Cox Southampton GB11J NW139 B & S Price Hereford GB10H SW138 I Mills Winterborne GB12N SE52 D Staddon Southampton GB11T SE432 T Leggatt Havant GB10V SE50 A J Hounsell Portsmouth GB12N NW148 Padfield Family Abertillery GB13N NW294 A Smith & Son Wotton Under GB10N SE1276 G C Kingswood Cox Southampton GB11S SE324 B & M Wiggins Portsmouth GB13P SE507 J Bowen Waterlooville GB13L SW537 J Fisher & Son Poole GB12N SW154 Harrison & Fournier Dorchester GB13N SW165 Corey & Roger Owers Crewkerne GB12C SW516 A Stephens Parkstone GB14N SW516 A Stephens Parkstone GB14N SE2 B Bate Lovedean GB13N NW129 B Simmons Bristol GB10N NW581 M Rakes Paulton GB13X NE183 M/M J F Mauger Aylesbury GB11N SE496 L Staddon & Family Southampton GB10S NE157 A Davis Marlborough GB11J SW782 C A J Riley Blandford GB11N Award Winners from the Messac Race flown Saturday 30 th May S & L Harris (SE26) The Nantes Cup, Reg & Rene Heynes Memorial Trophy, SE Section Trophy, a replica and a framed photograph of the winning pigeon. Mr & Mrs M Gower (SW1071) The Runners Up Trophy, SW Section Trophy and replica. S Slade (NW350) NW Section Trophy and replica. E Ilsley (NE240) NE Section Trophy and replica. Messac Yearling Derby winner S & L Harris (SE26) Wins the Yearling Rose Bowl. Charity Cup Winners. 1. T Cooke (NW142) Charity Cup. 2. D Johnson (SE1363) Charity Cup. 3. W Woods (SW590) Charity Cup. Dinner & Prize Presentation 2015 to be held at The Days Hotel now back to its original name of (The Marsham Court Hotel), Russell Coates Road, East Cliff,

18 Bournemouth, BH1 3AB on Saturday 24 th October. Tickets are 35 per person. Please book your accommodation direct with the Hotel on Mention the CSCFC as there are special rates. Bergerac Bergerac is just around the corner on Friday 17 th July with marking on Tuesday 14 th July. Your last posting date is Saturday 11 th July. Clare Norman. Tel: