The British Barcelona Club

Ingleton National Report

 

The Ingleton National race marking on the Thursday of the 1090 birds entered went really well with a jovial atmosphere amongst those members competing, considering we are not flying our normal south road programme. Our dedicated team of volunteer race markers soon got to grips with their task and all birds were race marked well inside the allotted time, it was a shame that only a small minority of members were having a go in this the first of the north route races that have been forced upon us by the defra regulations.

 

Our transporter arrived at Ingleton safely and our thanks must go to Jack Pickup up there in Ingleton for all the assistance that he gave to us at this race point.

Our grateful thanks also go to all who assisted at the race marking and to all those who were called upon to verify leading section birds

 

Saturday dawned to the sort of weather that we pigeon fanciers hate at any time, especially on a racing weekend, dull overcast skies with visibility down to just yards but as the morning progressed albeit there was a good downpour at one stage it did start to brighten up and after consulting with our weather guru Steve Appleby and contacting fanciers such as Mr. Duckworth of Millenthorpe, Peter Latham and club member Mr Hamplett for the line of flight conditions who by the way we send our thanks, convoyer Pete Willcox witnessing the fresh northerly wind at the site it was agreed that birds should reach the south coast, the furthest flying members, around the 18.30 mark so it was decided to cut the strings at 13.15pm, the birds making a quick clearance of the site and well on their way.

 

After dealing with south road racing for more than 34 years it was strange to have the furthest flying members on our normal south road route up there in section E timing in first, upside down or wrong way up it certainly seemed to be.  

 

Probable winner of this Ingleton National is Dave Fox of Stroud. Gloucestershire who timed in his 3y/o Red Chequered hen now named

“ Foxy Lady ” which was sent sitting 14 days at basketing at 16.36 flying 167 miles recording an amended vel of 1467 knocking up 50mph to take probable

1^st sec C,  1^st Open.

Short or long distance it all comes the same for this loft as Dave was 1^st sec,

28^th open from Palamos with his grand hen “Jen’s Girl” last season, he has certainly kept the ball rolling so to speak, just marvellous.

Foxy Lady was bred from a pair of stock birds from the lines of Janssen x Rene Nauwelaerts that were loaned to Dave by Steve Bennett of Bristol the G/Dam was 1^st club Fraserburgh winning a television in the federation for Steve.

Foxy Lady flew most of the inland races plus a Picauville 167 miles last year

and this season she has flown Uttoxeter twice, Pontefract and Scotch Corner 189 miles prior to going to Ingleton so you can see she has been well schooled for north road racing hitting the loft like a stone and arriving in excellent condition.

Feeding here is by way of hopper fed beans before the birds at all times with Gerry Plus being given by hand in the mornings and evenings.

On the day of the race Jenny, Dave’s wife was sorting out some old photographs

and wedding bits and pieces and she found a lucky silver gate the they were given on their wedding day 45 years ago, Jenny put this lucky gate in Dave’s trophy case and enscribed on it it said “The Gateway to Happiness” could this have been a lucky omen? It must have been for winning 1^st National it just can not get much better than that.    

Our very own Karen of Garden Cottage who helped with the e-mailing of these notes to me says Dave is a tireless worker for The Stroud Valley Flying Club and for the sport as a whole, this well deserved win could not have happened to a better bloke! She is proud to call Dave her friend and also having a BBC winner in the Stroud Valley and so says all of us.

On behalf of the Officials and membership of The British Barcelona Club we extend our Congratulations to Dave on his wonderful achievement in winning the British Barcelona Club’s Ingleton National.

 

The very successful husband and wife partnership of John and Tania & Daughter Julie Barnett of Telford. Shropshire comes next taking probable 1^st sec E,  2^nd Open with their 3y/o cheq cock timed in at 15.21.05 flying 101 miles for a vel of 1415.

Sent looking to his hen it has raced previously from Wincanton 113 miles and then into this race having had no north road training, in 2005 it took 9^th sec J NFC Saintes/Messac. 

Sire of this one is a G/Son of their 6^th open NFC San Sebastian and the Dam is a half sister to 7^th sec, 79^th open NFC Tarbes 665 miles.

Birds here are fed on their own products and raced on their own system.

With the wife down in Bournemouth and the daughter away in Greece, John has been left to deal with everything on his own, I hope he has done the household chores in readiness for their return.

 

In for  probable 2^nd sec E, 3^rd Open is John’s cousin Alan Barnett also of Telford. Shropshire who timed in his yearling blue cheq cock at 15.22.15 for an amended vel 1412. flying 101 miles.

This yearling cock is bred down from an Albert Bennett van bruanne crossed with a Richard Howey Carmichael hen

Sent feeding a week old youngster this yearling was only given one toss from 35 mile as a baby and it has had six tosses from around the 35mile mark this year and straight in to this race having a rubber on for the very first time.

 

Dave Brown of Bristol times in two nice ones at 17.15.20 and 17.15.50 to lay claim to probable 2^nd and 3^rd sec C, 4^th and 5^th open with amended vels of 1409 and 1406 flying 192 miles.

Dave’s first a schaille 2 y/o Camphius Janssen cock an all pooler, was as a young bird was flown quite successfully by M/M Armstrong in Coventry it was then purchased by Dave settled to the loft and flew six races for Dave in 2005 returning each time to Coventry then flying back down to Bristol on the night or early next morning. This season it has three races taking 30^th W.E. Combine 1^st sec in the Lerwick Club so it seems it has got out of the habit of dropping in to Coventry first?    

Dave’s second bird a yearling blue cock was purchased from the stock loft of Paricia Verhagen of Belgium, it has always come quite steady in it’s previous races.  Dave had his four out of four entered.

 

Partners Tony Cottrell, Ollie Richmond & Son of Wimbourne. Dorset are in to take probable 1^st sec B, 6^th Open with thier 6 y/o dark blue cheq cock in at 18.07.21 flying 232 miles vel 1402. No further information to hand on this one.

 

Another partnership of Crowley & Green, Richard and Anna of Compton Bassett. Wiltshire are there to take probable 4th sec C, 7^th Open clocking in their 2y/o Leo Van Rijn blue hen at 17.14 vel 1391 flying 188 miles.

This hen is proving to be a useful bird having previously taken 67^th open NFC St. Nazaire as a yearling.

They also take probable 5^th sec C, 9^th open with their second bird a 3y/o blue cock named “Hawk Eye” being timed at 17.15 vel 1385. This one was bred by Roy Waters of Salisbury, as a yearling he had taken 38^th open in our own BBC Nantes National after which it was rested last season as she was discovered under a hedge and was found to have serious damage to the pupil of one eye caused by an hawk attack, hence the name, it is believed that he is blind in that eye.

Both of the above birds were flown on a very successful R/About system, a new system to the partnership, with nine cocks being mated to eighteen hens and then flown with jealousy being used as the added incentative, well it definitely worked here! Richard and Anna also timed in other arrivals as well as the two mentioned.

 

Kevin and John Zerafa of Portsmouth. Hampshire come in next to take probable 1st sec A, 8^th Open with their 3 y/o blue hen at 18.19.02 vel 1388 flying 239 miles.  

This one is bred from their own blended family called the Van Zerafas and has been raced on the w/hood system from every race this season, five in all, three club races, the Penkridge with the CSCFC last week and now Ingleton, her sister won 1^st Portsmouth & District N.R. Fed Stonehaven by nearly an hour.

 

 Mervyn Waters of Salisbury. Wiltshire had his 3y/o blue cock in the clock at 17.50 vel 1373 flying 214 miles to take probable 2nd sec B, 10^th Open.

This cock was the first bird for Mervyn in last weeks CSCFC race from Penkridge

And as a yearling it took 6^th sec, 126^th open NFC Nantes.

His sire was purchased from John Gerrard out of the Van Loon lines, his dam is from Frans Burton of Meerhout purchased as a baby in 2001.

 

Mel and Sue King of Blandford Forum. Dorset are in for probable 3rd^th sec B, 11^th Open having their yearling blue cock named “Stourcrest Icarrus” a Gaby Vandenabelle in the clock at 18.11 vel 1372 flying 230 miles.

Flying w/hood this cock has taken 1^st SW sec, 35^th open in the previous weekends Penkridge Classic.

The sire of this one is “Nemesis” winner of a 1^st federation being a full brother to “Eros” 1^st open NFC Nantes, Nemesis is also a full brother to the sire of Stourcrest Helen 1^st BBC Bordeaux National.

Dam “Heleana” is a dam of a 1^st fed winner and a daughter of Agamemnon the sire of 3^rd open BBC Bordeaux National and G/Sire of 1^st open CSCFC Vains.

Winning lines through and through, they certainly keep on coming to the fore for 

Mel and Sue.

 

Janet Wilcox of Radstock. N’E’ Somerset comes in next to take probable 6^th sec C, 12^th open with her 5y/o cheq hen which is flown on the R/About system timed at 17.31 vel 1371 flying 199 miles.

This grand hen has raced all points south to Pau/Marmande winning good positions in the NFC, Combine and the CSCFC. 

Turned north this season she has had four races to Derby 120 miles.

She is bred down from the Busschaert family obtained from Bob Whittock Isle of Wight being a sister to a 1^st sec, 11^th open BBC St. Nazaire last year.

Janet also timed in other birds from this race.

Janet and Ken sends their congratulations to Pete our convoyer for getting them away on what was a very difficult day their returns were good. 

 

Probable 2^nd sec A, probable 13^th open we have Phil Priddle of Southampton. Hampshire who had his one a 2y/o pied cock an all pooler in at 18.18 vel 1338 flying 230 miles.

This one was sent to Lamballe as a young bird and lightly raced as a yearling, this year it has had one club race to 90 mile and previously to this race it went to Penkridge with the Classic 120 miles and having four hours on the wing.

Sent driving to Ingleton as birds here are raced naturally.  The sire of this one was 1^st sec, 5^th open Tours BICC and is bred from De Klack Janssens from Tony Cook of Southampton.    

 

Arthur and Gillian Ind of Swindon. Wiltshire who timed in their yearling blue cock at 17.18 vel 1336 flying 184 miles to take probable 7^th sec C, 14^th open

 

In for probable  8^th sec C, 15^th open are the partnership of Dave Wyatt and Mervyn Gray of Wraxall. Somerset who clocked in their fancied 3y/o pied cock      at 17.24 vel 1333 flying 188 miles

  

Probable 9^th sec C, 16^th open is Vince Davies of Caerwent. Gwent having his   2y/o blue hen at 17.10 vel 1330 flying 177 miles.

It is nice to see Vince well up there as he has had many problems with his health for a while now, so I am sure this performance will lift up his spirit no end.

 

Probable 10^th sec C, 17^th Open is Brian Isaac of Bristol who timed in his 4y/o blue w/f hen at 17.28 vel 1326 flying 190 miles.

 

Probable 3^rd sec E, 18^th open is M/M. Alan Shore of Hankelow. Cheshire who had his 3y/o black cock in the clock at 15.02 vel 1323 flying 80 miles.

 

Probable 4^th sec B, 19^th open are the husband and wife partnership of Jim and Lynne Peters of Weymouth. Dorset clocking in their 3y/o blue cock at 18.44 vel 1321 flying 247 miles

 

Probable11^th sec C, 20^th open we have Bill Scribling of Weston-Super-Mare. Somerset who timed in his one a 2y/o blue cheq hen at 17.36 for a vel of 1319 flying 195 miles.

 

Probable 1^st sec D, 22^nd open are Graham and Teresa Chupka of Reading. Berkshire who timed in their 3y/o blue cheq hen a late bred all pooler at 17.39 vel 1309 flying 196 miles.

This one has flown Picauville, St. Nazaire and Tarbes with the NFC, Exeter with the B.B.Oxon 2005 and this year she has had Exeter and now Ingleton.

The breeding of this one is down from the Chupka’s own family that has been blended together over the past few years.

This is their third section win having previously won his section from our Nantes Nationals in 1996 and 2000, they have also 2^nd sec twice both from our Bordeaux Nationals.

Graham passes on his thanks to his lovely wife Teresa for all the support and help that she has given to him over the past years, it is appreciated Teresa.

 

Probable 1^st sec G, 27^th open is Derek Reid of Weybridge. Surrey who timed in his “Jiggy” a 2y/o cheq pied cock at 18.03 vel 1286 flying 210 miles, this one was bred by Jimmy Connolly of Kent.

The preparation for Ingleton was three races on the inland south road winning 1^st club Wincanton 87 miles, then four training flights from Hemel Hempstead approx 20 miles north.

Always a very consistent pigeon is Jiggy with three 1^sts club to his name already.

Fed on Gerry Plus and Versa Laga w/hood mix on the Thursday and the Friday before the race, electrolyte is put in the water when the birds return from the races with Gem-Thepax put on the corn.

     

IF we get the all clear to get back to our normal racing across the channel our next race will be from Messac with race marking taking place on Thursday June 8^th with the race day on Saturday June 10^th and IF that is the case please use your Yellow Poitiers race sheet for this one, watch out for the advert in this weekly if this comes about, you will no doubt know via the tom toms by the time you are reading this so let us hope this is so and that means hopefully Palamos will be on as well and the date for this our blue riband will be as per the club hand book.

 

There are still a few members out there who have not paid their annual subscription of £12 I just hope you are not competing elsewhere as RPRA rules clearly states that you must be fully paid up in every organization that you are a member before you can compete in any.

Keep smiling as I am sure you will if we are able to return to normality with south road racing. 

Jim Hooper