THE RACING PIGEON 19 APRIL 2024
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Bunny, Terry Webster & Son Terry performing hits from the past 70 years and compering with good tribute acts to funnymen, Norman Wisdom, George Formby and more recently Billy Connolly. It was Terry’s fourth appearance on pres- entation night for the club and even at the ripe old age of 82 still proves ever popular. I was lucky enough to be invited to Bowers and Pitsea Football Club and my other half Kenny present the trophies, cards and amazing prize money on offer to the Federation’s largest senders. Sixteen individual members came to the rostrum beginning with Sellwyn Abrahams, picking up £20 in prize money and a card for his yearling blue cock’s well-earned 3rd Club, 14th Fed from Berwick. Farmer Frankie White steps up next with two cards including 3rd Club Retford back in April for his yearling blue pied cock pocketing £50. Darlington winner and family man Anvi Januzi takes a red card and £50 for his Albert Babbington Derricotte Janssen. Mickey Harvey is £70 richer with 1x2nd and 2x3rd Clubs, his chequer cock youngster a gallant 19th Fed in a hard fought Wetherby. Berwick Champions Mark & Jordan Lewis receive 2x3rd place cards
winning in August with one of his own progressive grizzle prodigy. With a 2nd and a 3rd to add to the tally Gary goes home with £220. Alan Scarborough’s versatility is prevalent, striking early on from Retford in April with a yearling Soontjen cock, twice in the Fed from Perth and his tough four Thurso pigeons from only seven Fed arrivals put him right up there in 2nd in the club Championship. Seven cards, the Scottish Averages and £240 for Alan which brings us to the Club Champion for 2023 and someone I enjoyed writing about earlier in the year after his magnificent, Fed victory from Wetherby in July. That day belonged to a lovely blue yearling hen with origins from Secretary Steve via Dave Atkin. Mick racing since 1958 keeps going from strength to strength winning an impres- sive five red cards this term, kicking off with all three Heremans-Ceusters on the podium in the second Retford in May, the Gary Cox blood appears in front again at our first Wetherby before our famous under age drinker tastes double success
a masterstroke and the club was packed. Treble figure bids were commonplace amongst the eager crowd and the prize money generated has already exceeded last year’s impressive £6,100 on offer. A fourth sale was held Sunday before our racing begins, with fanciers taking advan- tage of a final chance to get involved. Another well attended auction accumu- lated an additional 63 entries in this exciting contest totalling an applaudable 220 pigeons racing for £8,000. And we don’t stop there, an equally lucrative gold ring race with a prize pot of £2,600 after 346 rings were snapped up by 71 hopeful competitors, all this together with an open race that attracted over 300 entries the Farmer Frankie White, two top three cards and £50 later.
success in my early years in the sport and only racing young birds this season, the maestro still won both tough races in the Federation Wetherby Ace pigeon, collecting the substantial nomination in the process. Club i/c Marcin Grzedowicz has had a great season to reward his hard work for the club beginning with a bronze in the season opener from Grantham, 2nd Club the week after from the same race- point. Our highly skilled Gas Fitter 2nd & 3rd Club, Darlington in May, 11th Fed from Perth before an equally fine run with the youngsters including a nice win from Retford adds a tidy £170 to his sales buying power. Eddy Butcher and wife Sara get a nice round £200 for their winners in the first and last young bird races. The Central Lofts proprietors cleaned up in both races. Eleven in the Fed from Huntingdon and 2nd to 6th and a 7th in the finale from Retford. Best Young Cock Through the Wires for Mark Cooper.
from Grantham and Wetherby with the youngsters. It was my pleasure to hand over 18 cards, a lovely trophy and the princely sum of £590 to the veteran East London fancier . Steve told me there are other good members that keep the club running. Darius Dumitrascu, who when not up the club concentrates on long distance South Road racing, winning none other than 3rd Open BICC Barcelona last term but a great lad and BBQ chef adds Steve who finishes by telling me that he hopes to see more of Steve Maughan racing this year and the lads from Hutton, now Laindon members continue to enjoy their racing. I thank Steve and all the members for their excellent hospitality as my family and I felt most welcome. Great stuff, well done all. Sober again now but before we embark on another five months of agony and ecstasy, Laindon have two more Breeder/Buyer sales to get through and the third event would be one of the very best around. With premier birds sent over from the best of Northern Ireland, kindly organised by Russell Mcalary to go with some of the mainland’s finest we were all set for the amazing 84 entries on offer. The decision to host the event on Good Friday with evening penning from six was Any Age Hens Through the Wires winner Ray Cole from Leigh on Sea.
and £90 to go with their trophy winning Fenech Cooremans 2yo red hen. Auctioneer and scribe Bernie McDermott is on the other side of the mic tonight with a very well-bred youngbird winner from Grantham. The product of a breeding programme with good friend Pete McFarlane this lovely blue hen contributes half of the £100 seasons takings. The same reward for Steve Wright next for his first three youngsters from Retford in August led by his mealy hen an impres- sive 50 yards in front. Rambo Jason Reeve is equally happy with his successful season on his devel- oping system. His 3yo Heremans- Ceusters chequer coming out on top in the second race from Grantham, with the friendly fancier also 3rd that day to go with his runner up in the opener, £100 for Rambo. Distance legend Pat Newell takes a silver from Berwick, over 300 miles and comes into his own at Perth, 1st & 2nd Club, 4th & 5th Fed with his Braspenning cock flying for nearly ten hours from the Tayside racepoint. David Coward-Talbot, a name synonymous with 1st in show Old Hens Through the Wires and 3rd Club Berwick, Sellwyn Abrahams.
previous year it promises to be another spectacular bank holiday special. Open to any North Road fancier flying 195 miles or more from Darlington and libbed separate to the Breeder/Buyer and Gold Ring contests these pigeons will cost £2.50 per bird with substantial expected prize money subject to entries. Marking for all three races is 18:00 – 20:00hrs, Sunday 25th August at Chase Bungalow, Church Road, Ramsden Heath, near Wickford, Essex CM11 1PJ. Finally, good luck to everyone this coming weekend and I wish the club and our new Fed Secretary all the best for 2024. Lets get the wagon full. C L Elmes Grantham victor Jason Reeve has had another good season.
Chris Whiteside’s Sayers Brothers year- ling chequer cock was responsible for two of his three club wins and £200 prize money. Victorious from both Retford and Wetherby this fantastic pigeon made the Fed for a third time in the last outing to Grantham. Another treble winner follows on with Gary Watts laden with cards and prize money for taking top honours in the season opener from Grantham, again in June with his Alex Mackenzie Van Den Bosche beating 229 rivals from Retford before doubling up from Grantham, Any Age Cocks and Young Hens Best in Show, Neal Martin.
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