Guernsey OB Race

Pete Abrook of Cowes IOW

1st Open 1

st SE Section

With “Homer”

The first Classic old bird race of the season was from the beautiful Island of Guernsey.

For those of you that have never visited it is a wonderful place to relax and enjoy a

break and you will never meet such genuinely kind and lovely people who make you

feel so welcome. I must begin with a round of applause for Nigel Rigiani, Anner Smith and everyone who

helped with the weather forecasting for this race. You all got it spot on. That small

window of opportunity at 11am on Saturday 10th

May to liberate the 3,172 birds sent by

331 members was perfect. We knew that once they hit the coastline they had a chance

of meeting some rain on the way but at least they were closer to home. Even with the

strong south-south west winds everyone appears to have great returns.

The weather predictions all week were showing a possible no go for Saturday and it was

starting to look iffy for the Sunday and Monday too with F6 – 7 strong westerly winds

given for these two days.

It was only 72 minutes after the birds left the race point that one descended on R G

Cobb & Son of Langton Matravers, Swanage, the first members to time in and after that

the verifications were coming thick and fast from all Sections.

Marking for this race was hectic at all marking stations. With so many pigeons being

entered each station didn’t stop from start to finish. Thank you very much to everyone

concerned and also to all of the members who helped whilst their birds were being

marked.

I have one very special thank you and that is to my right hand man Jack Norman who

sat for 3 hours on Thursday evening matching all the Classic paperwork up for me. He

is a Godsend to me.

1st Open 1

st SE section winner Pete Abrook from Cowes, IOW. Most people on the

South Coast know or have heard of Pete as he is a great ambassador for the sport. Pete

is 77 years young and has been happily married to Shirley for 56 years who also does

her bit around the lofts when the time comes. They have 2 daughters, 5 grand children

and 2 great grand children who all live local to them.

Pete’s interest in pigeons started in 1975 after friend of his use to race and he has now

been the Secretary of Cowes & District Pigeon Club for 25 – 26 years competing in the

Solent Federation, Classic, BBC and NFC.

Approximately 30 old birds are raced and 40 youngsters are bred each year and this

season Pete is only racing his hens as he lost a lot of cock birds during 2013.

All birds are fed on the best corn afforded but always Gem Pellets are mixed in.

Nothing is added to the drinking water and the birds are only treated against

paratyphoid.

Living on the Island, training is at a minimum due to the cost of ferrying the birds on to

the mainland but Pete’s brother Ray comes across to the mainland about once every

three weeks to train the birds.

This is Pete’s second Classic win, the first being Guernsey young bird in 2000. He has

also taken the runners up spot twice once from the young bird race in 1987 and again in

2010 from the young bird race. His winning hen named “Homer” after their dog is a 3

year old blue chequer whose Sire is a Luc Van Coppenolle and the Dam being a

Bricoux hen. This is the first time that “Homer” has been a winner but she is normally

there or there abouts and always gives a good race time. Pete had to wait 33 minutes for

his next two arrivals at 12.49pm and he had all 10 of his entries home.

Pete Abrook.

1st, 2

nd, 3

rd & 4

th NE Section, 2

nd, 3

rd, 4

th & 7

th Open is Roger Lowe from Reading.

After a heavy night celebrating as you can see by the photo this is the information on

Roger’s pigeons as sent to me by Lady Di.

1st bird a 3 year old Lou Woulters Janssen widowhood hen, her wins to date include 1

st

Club 24th

Fed 1,906 birds, 5th

Section 37th

Open BBC Fourgeres, 14th

Section 47th

Open

NFC Fourgeres, 9th

Section 37th

Open BICC Guernsey. She is a nest mate to “Fast as

Lightening”.

2nd

bird a yearling widowhood cock having his 2nd

channel race. He is a Janssen DeKlak

grandson of “My Little Diamond” winner of 1st NFC National in her only race.

Next bird is a direct daughter of “My Little Diamond” and is all ready a winner of 8th

Section 28th

Open BICC Guernsey, 10th

Fed 1,647 birds Carentan, 17th

Section 47th

Open 2,182 birds Le Mans BICC, 3rd

Section 150th

Open BICC Guernsey, full sister to

“Nemesis” winner of the NFC young bird National 2012.

My 4th

bird is another 2 year old hen being bred from “Going For Gold” winner of

CSCFC young bird race 2011. Wins include 34th

Section 221st Open CSCFC Messac

2,740 birds, 21st Section 44

th Open BICC Alencon .

I would like to thank Mark Gilbert for all his help in training my cock birds, that's

probably why I have three hens in the first four.

Roger Lowe.

2nd

SE Section 5th

Open is Dave Wells from Borden. First of all, I would like to

congratulate the winner of the C.S.C.F.C Guernsey P Abrook.

I would also like to thank Clare and Martin for all your hard work that they do.

The bird is a Busschaert hen and she was sent feeding an 8 day old youngster. She

wasn't my choice to send but when I went to pick a bird up next to her she went to peck

my leg so that’s why I chose her. She was earmarked to go to the BBC Messac.

My daughter gave birth to her second daughter on Friday 9th May so I am going to call

the bird “Lacey” after the new grand daughter.

Dave Wells’ hen “Lacey”

Dave & Jackie Wells.

6th

Open 3rd

SE Section are two very nice gentleman of the sport Jimmy Wearn and

Erik Neilson of Ramsdean with two equally lovely wives.

The pigeon that was provisionally 3rd

Section 6th

Open is of John Gerrard blood lines,

this yearling hen was having her 4th

race of the season and has been parted from her

cock bird 3 weeks prior to the season starting.

We would like to congratulate the winner and the Reading Wizard Roger Lowe.

Erik Neilson.

Another partnership that has stood out over the last few seasons is that of Dave & Lisa

Waterhouse from Portsmouth taking 8th

Open. We would first like to congratulate

the winner of today’s old bird Guernsey Classic race.

We race our pigeons on roundabout and they are fed on Vanrobaeys corn Super Power.

We do not train our pigeons after the first race.

The first bird was a yearling Bosua cock and he is paired to my grand daughter’s fantail

called Milky Way.

My self and Lisa would like to thank Clare and her team for a great race.

Dave Waterhouse.

Runner Up to Roger’s great performance in the NE Section and 9th

Open is Dave and

Louise Lee from Reading.

Dave timed a full brother to his 2nd

Section 17th

Open Young Bird Classic winner from

last season. He is also a winner from Exeter.

All Dave’s pigeons come from Brian Murray of Cheshire. They are Janssen Koopman

bloodlines and really well bred.

Dave would like to thank Brian for breeding him the best pigeons that he has ever

owned and that says something as Dave has raced for some 40 years.

Dave Lee.

In the top 10 position is Tony Barrett from Portsmouth. I have recently moved

home, so I have broken off birds to play with, but I do have an advantage. I have moved

in to the golden mile.

This year I am only racing natural as I have only got a 4ft by10ft loft but it is going

well. I have had 4 races and have taken 1st Club 5

th Fed 1,652 birds and 3

rd Club 31

st

Fed 1,842 birds and now 10th

Open 5th

Section CSCFC 3,172 birds with a Soontjen

yearling hen sitting 16 days feeding on Gem Corn.

Tony Barrett’s hen.

Topping the SW Section is R G Cobb & Son from Langton Matravers. Jack & Steve

timed a 3 year old Janssen x Busschaert spare hen who was having her third race of the

season, having previously been to Littlehampton wth the Upton Working Mens SRFC

and last week timed first from BBC Carentan.

Mervyn Waters from Salisbury is 2nd

SW Section with a 2 year old Grandson of his

successful pigeon “Cloud Nine”, who took many National, Classic and British

Barcelona Club positions. “Cloud Nine” came from the Johnson Egglestone strain. He

was also Versa –Laga Champion young bird in the National Flying Club young bird

race in 2002.

Mervyn started racing pigeons in 1962, in Salisbury & District Flying Club and later

joined NFC, Classic and British Barcelona clubs.

His main aim behind pigeon racing is to have a healthy loft of birds by only using

natural products. He currently keeps 40 birds with an average of 5 birds sent to big

races.

Mervyn Waters.

Guernsey must be a favourable race point for our NW Section winner and runner up,

Steve Slade from Calne as this is the 3rd

Guernsey Section win in a row for him.

Topping the Guernsey old bird and young bird races in the NW Section in 2013.

Steve’s 1st bird timed is a 2 year old blue Janssen hen, previously 1

st Club, 11

th West of

England South Road Combine Messac in 2013 against 2,190 birds. His next arrival 7

seconds later was a Janssen x Jan Aarden who is a half sister to 2 Section Winners in

Central Southern Classic in 2011 and 2013.

Steve Slade and Paul Weems.

3rd

NW Section is Robert J Rome from Cheltenham.

The 3rd

NW section winner for Robert is "34600", a two year old blue hen, raced on

total widowhood. This was her second race of the year. The week previously she won

12th

Club Purbeck from 88 miles and 224 birds. In 2013 as a yearling this hen won 1st

Club (261 birds when the loft won the first nine positions) 4th

Fed Wincanton 60 miles

and 2,919 birds competing. She also scored from every race she was entered in 2013,

including 11th

Section 284th

Open NFC Messac 282 miles 6,495 birds, 6th

Portland 95

miles 129 birds, 8th

Poole 82 miles 261 birds and 16th

Purbeck 88 miles 243 birds.

Her bloodlines are 75% Houfflijn and 25% Carteus and she was bred in the racing loft.

Her sire is "7854" from 2010, winner of the Federation Yearling trophy in the Severn

valley Fed in 2011 and 4th

Fed Cholet 330 miles 750 birds. He is a brother of a dynasty

of winners and even more breeders of winners for the Rome lofts and many others,

including Fishock Brothers. His sire is "Fideel 186" a direct son of Houfflijn's super

breeder "Zoon Blauwe Fideel" when paired with the mother of "Geronimo", winner of

winner of 4x1st, 2x2

nd, 2x3

rd long distance plus 10 positions in the top 100 National and

International races from 267 miles to 534 miles and up to 23,694 birds competing. His

dam is "Geronimo 182", a direct daughter of "Geronimo" when paired with "Fideelke

538", a direct daughter of "Zoon Blauwe Fideel" and mother of Houfflijn's 1st National

Cahors 484 miles 8,622 birds 2010. So as you can see, very inbred Fideel and

Geronimo lines. These lines earned the Houfflijn loft 2nd

National Champions of

Belgium Long Distance (KBDB National organisation) in 2013 and the same blood won

in 2013 2x1st National and 2nd National for other Belgian lofts, including 1st National

Tulle 7,350 birds 401 miles for Ivan Vuchelen (grandson of "Geronimo"), 1st National

Souillac 5,272 birds 420 miles for Norbert Sierens (g-grandson "Zoon Blauwe Fideel")

and 2nd National 9,548 birds 337 miles for Joel Verschoot (granddaughter "Grote

Fideel").

The dam of "34600" is a very good racing hen "7839" from 2010 who typifies the all-

round nature of the Rome pigeons, 60 to 600 miles. She is a multi-winner in 2011 and

2012 and in 2013 she scored from the first race to the last. From her first race she won

7th

Club (261 birds) 16th

Fed Wincanton 60 miles 2,919 birds and from the last she won

5th Section 101st Open NFC Tarbes 606 miles. "7839" is a daughter of "Fideel 878",

another son of Houfflin's "Zoon Blauwe Fideel" when paired with a home-bred Carteus

hen, a double grand-daughter of "Perle", the fantastic breedng hen and direct daughter

of "Millenium Perpignan" of Carteus, a winner from 100km to 1000km including 1st

National 2nd

International Perpignan 2000.

In 2013 the loft had a great season, sending to seven National races and winning the

following top ten Section prizes: 1 x 1st, 5 x 2

nd, 3

rd, 4

th, 2 x 5

th, 6

th, 8

th, 9

th and 10

th.

Robert Junior started at Cheltenham in 2010 with late youngsters. In 2012, he entered

his first English National race from NFC Fougeres and won 1st, 3

rd, 5

th, 8

th, 12

th, 15

th

Section, followed by other prominent positions from Messac, Cholet with the NFC and

from Agen with the BICC.

With my father, Robert SR Rome, previous winners in Scotland of:

4 x 1st, 4 x 2

nd, 3 x 3

rd, 4 x 4

th, 2 x 5

th, 4 x 6

th, 4 x 7

th, 8

th, 2 x 9

th, 10

th, 2 x 11

th, 2 x 12

th, 2

x 13th

, 14th

, 15th

in Scottish National races. The Scottish Rome lofts have also won 13 x

1st Section with the SNFC plus the South Section Averages and Open National

Averages on different occasions.

The loft today is based on three main bloodlines:

Our Champion Reimus line (1st Open Kings Cup SNFC Reims 505 miles, 3,168 birds

2003 by 26 ypm); Patrick & Dimitri Houfflijn of East Flanders, Belgium (Willequet and

Vandenabeele base) plus Georges Carteus ("Mister Perpignan" and base blood of the

Brockamp pigeons, Eurodiamond). Over the last few years these three lines straight or

crossed have won from 60 miles to 600 miles in many different racing conditions.

However, Robert always searches for blood that can win in headwinds at around

1000ypm.

Robert Junior started at Cheltenham in 2010 with late youngsters. In 2012, he entered

his first English National race from NFC Fougeres and won 1st, 3

rd, 5

th, 8

th, 12

th, 15

th

Section, followed by other prominent positions from Messac, Cholet with the NFC and

from Agen with the BICC.

Robert Rome.

Robert Rome’s hen.

Convoyers Report

Thursday saw the marking of the first Classic race for this season and another first was

the use of the BBC transporter for this year.

A lot of interest was shown in the transporter with Bill and myself answering any

questions as to the workings of the unit but as always the proof is in the returns and the

condition of the bird upon their return.

With the 800+ birds marked at Frome we made our way to Southampton, marking was

brisk especially with the 500+ extra birds entered.

With the 3,172 birds loaded we made our way to the docks for what proved to be a very

lumpy crossing arriving in Guernsey at 03.00 AM and with the Police escort not due to

arrive until 07.00 AM we tried to get some sleep at the docks but with all the vehicle

movement that was fruitless.

We arrived on site at 07.15 and after setting up, the birds were watered and left to rest,

the weather was awful, cold, wet and very windy which lasted all day.

The birds were fed and watered at 3.00 PM and at 6.00 PM calls were made to the

mainland telling me that the weather overnight would be very wet with strong winds but

there was a possibility of a three hour window at lunchtime, so we settled down for

another wet and windy night.

Saturday dawned cold, wet and very windy with visibility of about one mile, but with

the information received things were looking good for a midday lib. As the morning

progressed the skies brightened the rain stopped and visibility increased to about 10

miles.

At about 10.00 AM the weather improved dramatically so after some more calls and

talking to Albert the Guernsey weather Guru I made the decision to liberate at 11.00

AM into broken cloud with full sun to the north and a very strong SSW wind, by the

time all the baskets had been checked the birds could only be seen with binoculars

heading north, and with the strong wind this was going to be a very fast race.

My thanks to all the race markers, Bill our driver, Anner and Albert for the weather

forecasts and of course all the Guernsey lads who made us so welcome and for their

help in clearing up when we were caught out when the police Escort turned up early.

My congratulations to the race and section winners and all who competed, last but by no

means least the "Little Whirlwind" herself Clare without her none of this would have

happened so smoothly, you’re one in a million.

Nigel Rigiani

Telephone and website verifications only which may be subject to change. Open Mem No Flying Name Town Ring Number A-A-T Velocity

1 SE94 P Abrook Cowes 12 16 31 2338.35 2 NE621 R J Lowe Reading 13 0 45 2259.01 3 NE621 R J Lowe Reading 13 2 36 2224.92

4 NE621 R J Lowe Reading 13 2 38 2224.32 5 SE1267 D Wells Bordon 12 47 15 2223.98 6 SE784 Wearn Brothers 1 & Neilson Ramsdean 12 39 55 2213.16 7 NE621 R J Lowe Reading 13 3 29 2209.01 8 SE310 M/M D Waterhouse Portsmouth 12 31 56 2203.96 9 NE9 Mr and Mrs H D Lee Reading 13 2 20 2191.30 10 SE414 T Barrett Portsmouth 12 32 26 2189.79 11 SE430 K & L Cleife Portsmouth 12 32 35 2186.33 12 SE19 M/M Moody Portsmouth 12 33 2 2174.84 13 SE615 J Ross Portsmouth 12 32 13 2171.78 14 NE410 S & P Kulpa Reading 13 3 54 2170.18 15 SE1012 B Hayles & Son Calbourne 12 19 9 2163.17 16 SE325 M Whitcombe Southampton 12 32 2 2160.05 17 NE669 A Hesketh Farnborough 12 1 11 2150.61 18 SE167 F Bartlett & R Jones Southampton 13 32 14 2144.11 19 SE56 M Johnson Portsmouth 12 33 1 2130.44 20 SE1246 I & S Smith Eastleigh 12 36 18 2126.81 21 SE302 J M Edwards Southampton 12 33 23 2123.84 22 SE118 D Spencer Nr Fareham 12 32 7 2123.35 23 SE53 Mr & Mrs B Wall Havant 12 38 28 2098.08 24 SE234 D & K Jones Havant 12 39 28 2095.28 25 NE238 Carden Garrod Whitchurch 12 51 23 2095.08 26 SE27 L & M Dyer Nettlestone 12 30 36 2065.21 27 SE937 R Thomas Portsmouth 12 38 22 2059.16 28 SE89 T Powers Whitehill 12 55 22 2055.03 29 SE360 R Pegler and Son Salisbury 12 34 21 2054.26 30 SE1363 D Johnson Southampton 12 36 23 2036.31 31 NE352 M/M D Seery Reading 13 11 41 2033.55 32 SE1267 D Wells Bordon 12 57 21 2032.56 33 NE171 L Hall Oxford 13 27 9 2023.05 34 SE26 S & L Harris Havant 12 43 36 2012.67 35 SE544 W Edwards Gosport 12 37 14 2008.88 36 SE204 Tony Wareham Southampton 12 38 19 2004.72 37 SE14 Pawel Reszka Stockbridge 12 51 0 2002.45 38 NE134 P Kenny Wantage 13 17 14 2001.81 39 SE18 P A Priddle Southampton 12 37 55 1999.06 40 NE285 A D Crook Thatcham 13 7 17 1998.09 41 SE368 K & S Legg & Son Portsmouth 12 41 23 1990.09 42 SW503 R G Cobb & Son Swanage 12 12 20 1988.76 43 NE559 G R Seeney Harwell 13 18 14 1988.50 44 NE240 E Ilsley Wantage 13 17 52 1987.94 45 SW123 M Waters Salisbury 12 42 33 1985.98 46 NE384 T Cozens Long Crendon 13 33 21 1983.95 47 SE129 M/M S Harris & Dtr Portchester 12 41 13 1980.85 48 NE133 J Derbyshire Whitchurch 12 58 4 1980.69 49 SE1254 C Edwards Romsey 12 42 41 1976.31 50 SE496 L Staddon & Family Southampton 12 37 25 1975.98 51 SE301 T & L Austin Portsmouth 12 39 23 1975.19 52 SW206 S Jack Tisbury 12 39 52 1969.98 53 SE1275 P J Nightingale Portsmouth 12 41 18 1963.52 54 NE573 Lloyd & Kelly Steventon 13 21 19 1963.15 55 SW107 Mr & Mrs M Gower Fordingbridge 12 36 57 1963.01 56 SE1615 D & T Hughes Paulsgrove 12 43 19 1959.02

57 SE929 Barrie Smith Winchester 12 49 42 1958.62 58 SE70 E Harris Portsmouth 12 43 29 1953.99 59 SE202 B McIntosh Southampton 12 41 41 1951.51 60 SE743 Mannor Lofts Southampton 12 41 2 1950.35 61 SE1276 G C Kingswood Cox Southampton 12 39 36 1950.33 62 SE86 S & G Attwood Gosport 12 40 50 1948.28 63 SE931 M Collins Southampton 12 42 11 1947.73 64 NE205 F J Hambidge Chipping 13 43 6 1943.59 65 NE603 N Charlton Andover 13 3 49 1932.92 66 NE192 B Taylor & Sons Abingdon 13 28 20 1931.31 67 NE149 A Docherty Swindon 13 17 13 1909.78 68 SW398 R J Smith Salisbury 12 46 27 1909.73 69 NE317 E Smith & D Baker loft2 Swindon 13 17 48 1908.96 70 NE378 B Chupka Reading 13 20 18 1907.36 71 NE411 I S Turner Swindon 13 18 44 1902.64 72 SE1255 M/M B Norman Southampton 12 43 29 1900.59 73 SE913 Mr & Mrs C Harvey Waterlooville 12 49 4 1884.21 74 SE265 M/M V Venables Havant 12 49 50 1883.29 75 SE220 M Skidmore Havant 12 49 53 1882.56 76 SE77 Mr & Mrs Cross & Son Gosport 12 44 25 1877.92 77 NE113 E Smith & D Baker Swindon 13 18 58 1867.85 78 NW350 S Slade Calne 13 12 34 1867.39 79 NW350 S Slade Calne 13 12 41 1865.75 80 SW727 G Glaze Shaftesbury 13 41 8 1863.28 81 NE140 S Thorpe Swindon 13 21 48 1862.14 82 NE348 S Hughes Swindon 13 21 29 1860.79 83 NE145 P Baker Swindon 13 21 14 1857.97 84 NW426 R J Rome Cheltenham 13 40 53 1856.19 85 NE497 D Hawthorne Tadley 13 15 32 1854.15 86 SE344 A King & G Johnson Havant 12 51 48 1852.87 87 SE162 R Harbour Newport 12 38 16 1847.59 88 SW90 Cottrell Richmond & Son Wimborne 12 31 28 1845.04 89 NE115 Mr & Mrs C Merrills Swindon 13 23 21 1844.94 90 SE252 M/M M E Brick Southampton 12 45 7 1843.02 91 NE203 N B Finch Wantage 13 27 27 1841.91 92 NW350 S Slade Calne 13 14 26 1841.46 93 NE183 M/M J F Mauger Aylesbury 13 46 29 1841.15 94 SW450 C Bartlett Salisbury 12 50 50 1838.77 95 SE423 M/M T Welch Chichester 12 57 55 1836.78 96 NE328 Mr & Mrs E Kulpa Reading 13 25 59 1836.21 97 NE418 K Godfrey Chipping 13 48 50 1834.12 98 SE392 G Smith Gosport 12 46 42 1832.78 99 SE893 B Basham & Son Southampton 12 50 7 1831.00 100 SW144 G Owers Wareham 12 25 49 1825.72

Messac

We are off to Messac for our 2nd

Old Bird race on Saturday 31st May with marking

taking place on Thursday 29th

May. This race is the Yearling Derby Race and is kindly

sponsored every year by Brian Wall of Gem Supplements. All marking times and

addresses are in your handbook. Your last posting date for this race is Saturday 24th

May.

Breeder/Buyer

The breeder/buyer this season has had great support from the three auctions with 174

birds being entered in the Young Bird breeder/buyer race from Guernsey on Saturday

23rd

August. The £4,200 prize money will be paid out as follows: -

Breeder/Buyer Breeder/Buyer

1st £1000/£1000 9

th £50/£50

2nd

£250/£250 10th

£50/£50

3rd

£175/£175 11th

£50/£50

4th

£100/£100 12th

£50/£50

5th

£75/£75 13th

£50/£50

6th

£50/£50 14th

£50/£50

7th

£50/£50 15th

£50/£50

8th

£50/£50

Clare Norman. Tel: 023 8057 3919 Email: secretary@cscfc.com