THE RACING PIGEON 27 OCTOBER 2023
14
Essex Central Federation
Six cocks, but we begin with the first of five hens a blue pied connecting with the pad together with a blue male loftmate, another blue cock a single second later, two blue hens behind him, followed by a chequer cock all of these pigeons on the same 1391ypm. That takes us to 16th Fed and a blue hen with a red cock 17th on an identical flying time of 2 hours 9 minutes and 24 seconds. Their 13th pigeon of the day, a blue hen a couple of hundredths after that, a chequer cock and finally wrapping up the amazing day for the current Maldon Champions a chequer hen takes the last spot on the sheet with 1390, the same yard
Grantham YB (1) 29/7/2023
tion for the Westcott hens achievement or 6th Open Lerwick in the respect of a card. As a small back garden hobbyist with no interest in selling pigeons or profiting from our sport it does frustrate me that I have not received so much as a card from the NRCC for what I would deem as outstanding performances from these pigeons. When I started racing it was Burnham clubs Dave Freeman who gifted me excellent pigeons that gave me a great start and I thank Dave together with my long suffering wife, Sandra. I have only 15 babies to race this year with nature behaving badly during the breeding season and the majority of the team produced by racers. Norman loves racing at Maldon club, sending every week where possible and looks forward to his Monday assessment of the weekends action with the Lerwick legend, Lord Goldhanger, Peter Easter, the weekly phone call with Alan Moore and the company of his fellow members for their Friday and Saturday night pint. Great stuff Norman, very well done and I hope you get your cards.
Hi all, the second of our YB outings is too Grantham Lincolnshire, familiar terri- tory to the older generation but all new to the 672
babies on the wagon disembarking at half past eight on a clear Saturday morning with a fresh south west wind to contend with. It would be the northern half of the county celebrating today with first past the post
Bernie McDermott 1st Club Laindon.
club Maldon and began competing in the Essex Central in 2005. It is my father, Jack, affectionately known as Pops, a World War One veteran severely wounded in the Battle of Passchendaele who would be my greatest influence. He died in 1960 when I was only eleven years of age, but I have never forgot the pigeons. On a recent pilgrimage with two of my Ex-servicemen sons to the Ypres salient and Tyne Cot Cemetery to pay my respects to dad and his comrades I was honoured as one of the last surviving chil- dren of a Battle veteran, to be invited to lead
Norman and two of his four sons salute the fallen at Ypres.
as the four loftmates preceding her. Hats off gents, impressive to say the least. Upson & Philips take the top honours at neighbours Burnham. The Silver End part- nership took the strong coastal collective red card with a blue Van Reet/Veenstra hen flying 94 miles to Dave and John earning 5th Fed with 1417, her dam featuring in my earlier articles. The phenomenal Mr & Mrs John Moss, so prominent throughout the season so far collect silver in the club and 6th Fed with their dark chequer cock, leading his 53 other loftmates home racing at 1407. Club winners Upson & Phillips round up the Burnham result with their second pigeon flying a minute shy of two hours for the winning duo who receive bronze to go with the gold and a second one in the top ten,
being the dedicated distance man Norman Holliday. A pleasant surprise for the Colchester fancier considering the breeding of the Federation winner was for later chal- lenges further up the road. The Maldon club treasurer spotted the first of his thirteen entries land on the trap at two minutes past two completing the 99 miles to Highwoods averaging a club and Fed winning 1429. Maldon club itself is a difficult place to win and this would be the fanciers first fed win outside Thurso. I caught up with an elated Norman for a bit of a lowdown. I have been racing for 24 years, firstly with Inworth club and then Myland Flying Club with the Essex and Suffolk Border Fed while living in Tollesbury. I joined my late father’s Fifth generation fancier Tony Brewster from T & K Brewster.
Our next fanciers are a good deal more familiar with Federation success and as well as collecting both runner up and bronze in the Fed register an astonishing 15 of their number in the result. We begin with our silver medallist in both club and Fed, the first of two through the trap at the Wood Road paradise. This Irish blue cock, originating from Coleraine fancier B R Watton collects a UK 2nd Fed completing his 102 miles in 2 hours and 6 minutes. Coming from Steve Smith’s breeder buyer sale there is a bit of anticipation creeping in I am sure with the fantastic specimen only two yards down on 1427. The lads continue a great start with their young ’uns with their second arrival and a second blue cock only 10 seconds adrift of the runner up to take Fed bronze on 1425. The bocking bullets Derek and son Derek Parsons are at it again in the Fed. The part- nership enjoyed a fruitful old bird season and show more is to come with their first arrival a blue cock with their formidable home bred genes landing on the boards at nine minutes to one averaging his 90 miles home at 1420. We head back to Heybridge and the Wood Road wizards Steve, Ian and Sam who pretty much cleaned up what was left taking 7th with a dark chequer cock on 1404 followed by the next eleven entries trapping in just nine seconds, believe it or not and filling 9th spot all the way through to 20th. 1st Club Burnham, 5th Fed for John Upson and David Phillips.
that being 8th, averaging 1401. Catch up again soon Dave, thanks for today’s reply. Down to Laindon club next to catch up with Secretary Steve Smith, custodian of the most anticipated young bird North Road contest in years, the exciting Darlington Open race coming up later in September. Topping the clubs 192 pigeons today completing the 106 miles at 1304 is a blue hen raced by fellow scribe Bernie McDermott who of course is more than capable of providing the necessary informa- tion and will tell you about his winning pigeon in his own words. This lovely blue hen is part of a co-breeding programme I had with my good friend Pete McFarlane of Northamptonshire. The sire is a blue Our proud Fed winner Norman Holliday leads the last post ceremony at the Menin Gate.
the Menin Gate last post ceremony and recite the solemn words of the sacred remembrance poem ‘The Fallen’, something I am immensely proud of. I have achieved some form of success in regard to racing but my most memorable moment was early in my career having three yearling Van Hee mealy brothers drop together from Wetherby. I love my long distance racing and have finished 4th Open in 2013 and 6th later on in 2022 competing in the King’s cup racing almost 600 miles from Lerwick. My last Fed win was from Thurso, where again racing with the NRCC in 2020 I timed the only bird on the day in the two longest Sections, receiving the London Region RPRA long distance award but no recogni- Ian, Steve and Mrs ‘Jack Grealish’ Maisie Wallis 2nd & 3rd Fed.
The star of the City show Moira Bailey still hard at it.
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