THE RACING PIGEON 29 SEPTEMBER 2023
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The Joe Murphy Column
ated into a light south west wind. Topping the East Section (11/250) and Federation is Peterhead & District’s R H Whyte on 1715. He also wins 9th and 10th East Section and Open. Maskame & Cordiner of the same Club win 2nd, 6th and 7th East Section and Open. Neil Holt of the same Peterhead & District Club win 3rd, 4th and 5th East Section and Open. With clubmate J Holt winning 8th place in both Section and Open. West Section (20/261). Topping the Section and also winning 4th and 8th Section, 18th, 24th and 30th Open are the partnership of Fulton & Ritchie Loft 2 from Devern Valley Club. (A West Section posi- tions were won by Devern Valley members) G McLeod wins 2nd and 3rd Section, 20th and 21st Open. A Hay wins 5th, 6th and 7th Section, 25th, 26th and 27th Open. A Wilson wins 9th and 10th Section, 31st and 32nd Open. Clubs First Bird: Peterhead & District’s winner on 1715; Inverurie S Witherspoon on 1532; Devern Valley Fulton & Ritchie Loft 2 on 1512; Elgin & District J Jack on 1180. Well done to R Whyte on topping the fed, well done to Fulton & Ritchie 2 on winning the West Section. Arbroath Racing Pigeon Club News from Charlie Cameron with the seventh young bird race from Wakefield (3/58), flown on 2nd September, liberated into a light north east wind. Charlie & Glen took the first five places with all these birds dropping together. East of Scotland Federation News from Tom McEwen with the result of the Bubwith race flown on Saturday 2nd September, liberated at 0900hrs into a light north east wind. Topping the Federation and having a great race is John Bird of Prestonpans as he won 1st, 3rd, 5th and 7th Federation. Another fancier who is having a very good season with five birds in the top 10, winning 2nd, 4th, 6th, 9th and 10th places is Keith Howie also from the Pans. Also, in with a nice one in 8th spot are Mr & Mrs March of Prestonpans this competes the top 10. Prestonpans HS Winning 1st and 3rd places is John Bird with both birds being Vandenabeele from original stock from Woodside Lofts. John’s second bird is also a Vandenabeele blue hen, her sire is a half-brother to Champion ‘Flight Leader’ while the dam is a dark chequer hen from Graham Stewart of Whitecraigs. Keith Howie is 3rd with a granddaughter of ‘Shadow’. Thank you Joe for all the publicity the East of Scotland Federation and Prestonpans HS has received this year from you in your weekly column. We in Central Scotland would not receive any publicity if it was not for you. More power to your pen and may I wish both you and Margaret good health and happiness in the future, yours Tom. Fife Federation Of Homing Pigeons News from Geordie Todd who tells us there was an entry 237 birds entered into the Wakefield Federation Open race with the convoy liberated at 0800hrs into a light north east wind on 2nd September. Taking 1st, 2nd and 3rd East Section, 1st, 2nd and 4th Open is John Harcus of St Andrews. Kennoway’s B Chalmers wins 1st and 4th Centre Section, 3rd and 9th Open. Clubmate Brian Kinnear wins 2nd, 3rd and 5th Centre Section, 5th 8th and 11th Open. Davie Jack of St Andrews wins 4th, 5th and 6th East Section, 6th, 7th and 10th Open. Geordie finishes off his report by saying ‘Joe, on behalf of the Federation members I would like to thank you for the service you have done all season in publicising our Federation
better with about 60-70% of the 3,000+ convoy missing. However, there’s always a winner and this week its Freddie & Willie Robertson from Danderhall Club with a Darkness youngster bred by Danny Henderson from Dundee. Danny sent me details, sire was bred from a son of Ian Jamieson of Amble UNC winner ‘Moneyspinner’, the dam of the sire was from Dutch fancier Leo van Rijn from his Champion ‘Dakota’. Dam of the winner was 24th and 64th Open SNRPC. Her sire is a son of ‘Frizsion Boy’ of Franz Zwols when paired to a Wilt Reed hen that was 2nd Section Young Bird National for Gavin Ferguson of Forfar. A Winter of Danderhall is 2nd with A Baillie of the same club in 3rd spot. Andy Miller of Sighthill Club is 4th with Mr & Mrs Lindsay of Danderhall Club in 5th place. Helen Aitken & Sons of Woodburn Club take the next four places. From the Bubwith race flown on Saturday 2nd September 38 lofts sent 500 birds, liberated at 0900hrs into a light north east wind.
the KRPA held their final young bird race of the season from Wakefield on Saturday 2nd September. Our small convoy was trans- ported along with the Fife & Dundee Federations to the racepoint where they were all liberated together. This turned out to be a first-class race with most members reporting full returns by the time the clocks were checked. Taking the honours this week is the consistent loft of Sandy Proctor of St Serfs with the same bird that won last week. A Darkness chequer hen on her second flight, she was a gift bird from Dyke Armour. In six young bird races Sandy has topped the Kingdom on three occasions and 2nd in another. In 2nd place is Bob Blyth also of St Serfs who is another consistent loft with the youngsters. He timed in a Natural chequer cock bred by Steve Wright from Martin Bulck sprinters. Third is Coaltown’s Chic Dinsdale with a dark chequer whose grand sire won 1st Section from SNRPC Arras on one side; while on the other side the grand dam is Chic’s blue pied hen, who was a multiple
By the time this article appears in print the racing season will be over for another year. Some races have gone to plan with others a bit erratic with pigeons taking longer than normal to return home. This could obviously be caused by clashing with other Federations however, you would think in this day and age, communication with other organisations would be much easier. Obviously, the weather plays a big part in our sport but I think clashing is also a major factor. Once it gets a little colder you will hear of birds returning to their home lofts. I have always found that these birds have become ‘streetwise’ and some of them turn out to be good racers in later life. I have always found that these birds have become ‘streetwise’ and some of them turn out to be good racers in later life. Calling it a Day I received a phone call from Tom McLoud from Elphinstone which was as follows; ‘Hi Joe hope you and Margaret are well. I am
Freddie & Willie Robertson from Danderhall Club are 1st, 6th and 7th with A Winter of the same club in 2nd and 3rd positions. A Baillie is 4th and 8th. S & S Tierney are 5th with A Baillie winning 8th spot. J Quinn of Sighthill Club wins 9th, 10th and 11th positions. Danderhall Racing Pigeon Club News from Barry Kinnear regarding the Peterborough Midweek Open young bird race, which had 26 members prepaying 105 birds with the actual entry of 19 members sending birds, liberated on Wednesday 30th August at 0800hrs into a light north wind. Taking top spot is Sinclair Thomson & Son of Traprain Club with 2nd, 3rd and 6th places going to A Winter of Danderhall. S & S Teirney of the same club are 4th with Jimmy McNeil of Traprain in 5th spot. Tarn McLeod is 7th with his Traprain clubmate J Bosworth winning 8th and 10th places with Walker & Brown of Danderhall winning 9th spot. Sinclair Thomson & Son win the Yearling Annual Jocky Brown
going to hold my clearance sale on Sunday 26th November at Danderhall Miners Club with viewing from 11.30am and the sale will start at 1pm. Tom tells me after 60 years with pigeons I contracted pigeon lung a few years ago but now cannot be amongst them without suffering badly. I’m not doing the pigeons justice, or my own health. Many people over the years, even up to this day are still winning with Constellation Lofts Gold line which is as good a family as any in the British Isles. Having won for 40 years and still winning up to the present time like Champion ‘Dolomite’ a Scottish National Gold Award winner. This cock has won prizes from six different racepoints in France. His positions are as follows – 1999 won 11th Open Nantes and 58th Open Sartilly; 2000 won 144th Open Messac; 2002 won 166th Open Reims and 151st Open Clermont and 33rd Open Chenoise in 2003. Incidentally ‘Dolomite’s’ sire was ‘Red Adair’, also an SNFC Gold Award winner. The latest top pigeon of this line is known as ‘Prince Charlie’ Tom’s
‘Dolomite’ SNFC Gold Award Winner.
Memorial Trophy, The Young Birds Sporting Challenge Trophy and the Two Race Average, Joe Murphy Trophy. The support (birds entered) for these races does not make this a viable venture in the current format. Anyone with any suggestions on the format for going forward please contact Club President or Secretary for consideration, need some innovative thinking. Also, two bits of feedback received for consideration on races going forward. Have the race from a shorter distance, earlier in the season with an entry of £10 bird. Continue with prepaid £20 birdage (max 10) but duplicate with SNFC inland National (Yearlings) and Young Bird National (Youngsters). Any further suggestions for consideration to Barry. North of Scotland Federation News from George Duthie who informs us that 31/511 to Strathkinness in Fife, liber-
winner from the Channel. Fourth spot goes to Coaltown’s Gary Hall with a mealy cock, this being an Andy Gregson DeWeerdt x Stuart Davie of Dundee. Next place goes to Alec Brunton also from St Serf’s Club with a chequer hen bred by Dyke Armour. Sixth place goes to Gary Hall with a blue hen that won the club last week flying to a four day old youngster. Well done to all and once again Joe thank you for giving our members a well deserved mention in your weekly column. The publicity we have received is excellent, kindest regards Pete Penman. Pentland Hills Federation News from Andy Miller with the fifth race from Harrowgate flown on Sunday 27th August, a distance of 138 to 152 miles for the members. The convoy was liberated at 1035hrs into a west to north west wind, the least said about this weekend’s race the
SNFC Silver Award winner which will be in the sale. Tom’s line also had a big influence on the winning lines of ‘Midnight Son’, another SNFC Gold Award winner for Richard & Jamie Combe. The original two birds that started this line in 1981 were ‘Chris’, four times SNFC prize winner; crossed with ‘Stella’, four times SNFC prize winner. Plus, she won 1st, 8th and 12th Federation in club racing for Tom and she was the dam of John Bell of Tranent’s 1st Federation winner. I have added a photograph of Tom’s Dolomite and you will see Tom has been a hard taskmaster and he has line bred this Kirkpatrick family for 40 years and is there any better blood anywhere? Watch out for Tom’s advert and I wish him all the best for the future and hope his health improves. Kingdon RPA News from Pete Penman who writes ‘Hi Joe,
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