BARCELONA NATIONAL FLOWN 3RD JULY

John Halstead's winning pigeon "Untouchable" is a Blue Pied C Van den Bosche previous winner of 1st Sect C, 106th Open NFC Tarbes in 2007, also 38th Sect NFC Fougeres in '08, 17th Sect 65th Open Bordeaux in '08, and 19th Sect Tarbes, 9th Sect 41st Open Poitiers. His dam is sister of John's Ace "Ten EE" winner 13-1sts, 8-2nds and 5th in the Versele Laga World Sprint Championships. The Barcelona winner won his name because he would not be caught in the open loft, literally 'untouchable' if he knew John was after him. I had a look at him an hour after he arrived home, and believe me he was full of fire and ready to go again. Bill and Brian Woods of Shaftesbury arrived to verify him, tossing him to fly round and trap back in, and he had hardly landed inside the trap when a Peregrine cruised overhead. The nestmate of this cock was sold in a Breeder/Buyer sale five years ago, and was purchased by Mr Wickham of Street, Somerset. The bird won 1st WESR Combine, 5,200 birds at 100 miles as a YB, what a family, they win at any distance!

John came down to Dorset from Abbot’s Bromley (just outside Rugeley in Staffs) in the summer of 2002, with the avowed intent of winning at Barcelona, and the Nationals as well. He seems to have succeeded remarkably well.

He was no novice when he made this decision, but a very successful fancier who knew a whole lot about pigeons when nobody was looking. Some might call him ‘finicky’ at the trouble he goes to to ensure that every grain is good and properly treated before it goes into his birds’ crops, but – like the late and great Vic Robinson, who employed exactly the same tactics, he has already taken his modest and unassuming countenance into the realms of most fancier’s dreams.

In the last two years alone he has logged 1^st Open BBC Bordeaux, 2^nd Open BBC Barcelona and now 1^st Open BBC Barcelona, Not a mob flier, he only sent two birds to this event. His books, Video Tapes and DVDs enjoy nationwide sales, and with these results are bound to be even more sought after.

He certainly knows what he is talking about, and there’s no doubt about it, he puts his money where his mouth is! The race winning bird - whose velocity is close to that of the International leaders must surely have left the main drag in Spain or southern France, and homed all the way up western France and over the Channel on his own, the sure mark of a champion.

1^st Sect ‘G’, 2^nd Open is John Nicholson & Sons of Rochester in Kent, timing some two hours after the Dorset race leader. 63-y-o retired Electricity Board Cable Fitter John says that his son Spencer does more than a fair share of the graft, and thus deserves the credit along with the winning bird which is a 3 year old velvet hen. She was first bird from the Tarbes International last year and flew NFC tarbes as a yearling. She had around 500 miles of training before Barcelona and she was sent with a youngster slipped underneath the night before basketing, She is a granddaughter of their 1st National Barcelona in 2003 and her sire is a son of Mighty Mac, who is responsible for the majority of the success in the loft.

Their second arrival is Barkison, who has flown Palamos twice before, Marseille & Perpignan. He is a son of Barkis, one of their Spanish Diploma winners.

The third arrival, and completing his 10th 600 mile race, was Plum. He has flown Barcelona 3 times, Palamos, Marseille 3 times, Perpignan, Pau, Dax and Bordeaux (he has been in the top 26 of a 600 mile National race 6 times).

A confirmed distance fanatic, John sent 16 birds with the BBC and 3 with the BICC to this race, all of which had an impressive list of achievements beforehand. However, the terrible heat – they were liberated in 32C full sunshine – took its toll and despite the hundred mile run-up to the southern entrance to the Rhone valley, which was alongside the Mediterranean Sea, the birds cannot have enjoyed such conditions.

Results into BENELUX GE and north France tell a tale of scant returns, and John’s pigeon probably took the eastern route with our continental cousins. Later birds timed in also showed the signs of dehydration. The courage of these pigeons is incredible.

1^st & 3^rd Sect ‘C’, 3^rd & 5^th Open, Crowley & Green, Wooton Bassett.The partnership of Anna Crowley and Richard Green continued their winning ways for the season timing 3 birds from 5 sent to take 1^st, 3^rd and 4^th Section C, 3^rd, 5^th and 18^thOpen. If you study their previous results this season you will see that they have now won 1^st Section with the NFC, CSCFC and BBC this season, tremendous flying.

The first two birds timed (see photograph) were a brother and sister, two chequers, van de Wegen x Jan Aarden, paired together and flown on the roundabout system. No light preparation for these birds the cock of the pair was participating in his 7^th race of the season (Minstead, Littlehampton, Lessay, Fougeres, Alencon, Messac) and the hen 6th race ( Minstead, Falaise, Messac, Fougeres and St Nazaire) after St Nazaire they were repaired and sent sitting (12 to 14 days).

Richard and Anna although experienced fanciers are relatively new to this long distance flying and only decided to compete because of Richard’s involvement as the new BBC club secretary. Hence this team of five birds were prepared as considered best and after being repaired on the 30^th May were hopper fed on Willsbridge No 1 mix which was supplemented (morning and evening) for the last seven days before basketing with a made up mix consisting of (5 parts VL Superstar Plus, 3 parts VL Energy Plus, 1 part Maize, 1 part Jersey Gold and 1 part peanuts) fed as much as they wanted.

The sire of these pigeons is their top stock cock “Young Boris” (see photograph) a breeder of many winner’s including 2^nd Open National BBC Lamballe and now 3^rd and 5^th Open National BBC Barcelona. This cock was purchased from Joe Raeburn who originally acquired it from the lofts of Martha van Geel (lines of BORIS, SAMPRAS and DE STEFAN).

They would both like to congratulate the winner John Halstead, whose lofts were visited by Richard earlier in the spring. At the time of the visit Richard asked John which pigeon was his main candidate for Barcelona and a photograph was jokingly taken referring to John holding this seasons Barcelona winner. All credit to John for preparing the bird to achieve such a performance.

2^nd Sect ‘C’, 4^th Open, Bill Stribling, Weston-Super-Mare. If you think you don’t know the name, think again. This lad has been in the sport for 45 years, most of which time he was driving buses round the county from Taunton to Bristol and everywhere in between, training his birds.

He logged 9^th Open NFC Nantes in 1970 among his earlier successes, flying the old Reg Venner stock obtained via Dave Vowles of Street. Bill has two sons and a daughter, but none of them shows any sign of taking up the feathers to follow in his footsteps. He used to run around Ilfracombe as a boy, in fact Brian Ridge (George Ridge’s father) was his school headmaster, and he made me smile when he recounted his exploits with a motorbike running up the Capstone in that pretty old holiday resort.

I remember Ilfracombe well, I went to school just a few miles further west at Saunton during the early part of the war.

This unassuming gentleman also timed a decent bird at Tarbes, he may well prove one to watch !

1^st & 2^nd Sect ‘A’, 6^rd & 7^th Open, A E Shepherd of Woodmancote, Hants, were an hour and a half apart, but occupied the same relative status as last year, when they were 7^th and 9^th Open. This pair of widowhood cocks, both 3-y-o, are off Bert’s old Ko Nipius family that he has built up since 1978 when he obtained the original Kippax stock.

He started in the sport though as an 8-y-o boy with pigeons that cost half a crown a pair, so that’s 62 years he’s got under his belt now.

In those early days he used to go down to the docks and sweep up spilled corn from the grain shipments that were a feature in those days, with Dad’s warning in his ear to bring a bit for the chickens too. The same day as Barcelona he timed two other birds to take 2^nd and 4^th Sect ‘A’ and 34^th & 46^th NFC Tarbes, not a bad afternoon’s wait that!

A cheerful “happy-go-lucky” sort (born in Somerset), Bert has served the Fancy well, occupying offices since the age of 17-y-o while building up a formidable business as a Builder employing 62 men at one time. He “retired” at the age of 50, but can’t keep himself still so periodically starts doing something else, for fun!

Although he started out as an ‘anti’ ETS, he now has the system installed and says it is wonderful progress. Bert’s two children are now grown, a pair of business people too, like father. The son is 40-y-o and his sister is 46-y-o, both dynamos by all accounts.

The A E Shepherd reputation is a formidable one, and it isn‘t done with yet. There’s lots more in the bag.