Coutances Young Bird & Old Hens Race

Dave & Lisa Waterhouse Kalvin, Sandy & Sunny Legg

From Portsmouth from Portsmouth

With “Tony’s Lad” with “Rosie”

Young Bird Winners Old Hens Winners

The Classic’s racing season has now been put to bed with the last race being the Coutances young

bird and old hens race. Young birds saw 180 members enter 1,384 birds accompanied by 457 old

hens sent by 96 members.

What a weekend this turned out to be with gale force winds, heavy rain and thunderstorms being

thrown at us. After much deliberation between Clive Merrills and Nigel Rigiani the birds finally

managed to get away on Monday 22nd

August at 8.30am into a westerly breeze becoming a moderate

south westerly in the channel.

On behalf of the Clive and Nigel I would like to thank everyone for their patience on a very difficult

weekend trying to make the correct decisions for our birds.

The Committee would like to congratulate all the winners from all races and thank everyone

involved with the Classic who have worked tirelessly this season to ensure everything runs smoothly

from the day of marking right through to the liberation and thank all our sponsors whose kind

generosity is very much appreciated.

Sincere congratulations to our Winners of the Coutances Young Bird and 3rd

Open, 1st & 3

rd

South East Section, Dave & Lisa Waterhouse from Portsmouth. First of all we would like to

congratulate Richard Thomas on coming 2nd

and winning the breeder buyer. Could we also thank

Tony Adams from Fareham who bred my winning pigeon now named “Tonys Lad”, the father to the

winner is a son of my Saintes National Winner “Sonnys Lad” crossed with Tony’s Frans Zwols.

My 2nd

pigeon is a son of my ACE PAIR which are direct Jacob Poortvliet.

Both birds are raced on natural and fed on Van Robaeys corn.

A big well done to Clare and Martin and co for there help at the marking station.

Dave Waterhouse

In a very close 2nd

Open 2nd

South East Section is Richie Thomas from Portsmouth who along

with the breeder Dave Mitchell are our £2,000 breeder/buyer winners.

First I would like to thank the CSCFC for looking after the birds so well and well done to Dave and

Lisa Waterhouse for winning the race.

The pigeon I clocked in was bought at the CSCFC breeder buyer sale and was bred by Dave Mitchell

and was raced on the babyhood system. The corn the birds are raced on is bought from Ian

Crammond and Nigel Langstaff mixed with Kevin Kings corn.

Bridesmaid again after being 2nd

Club, 2nd

Fed, 2nd

Section and 4th

Open Bergerac this year.

I would also like to thank my wonderful wife Jayne for training and all the help I receive from her.

Congratulations to my club mates on winning the Old hens open, 1st, 2

nd and 3

rd Classic Open. 1

st

Solent Fed and the breeder buyer, all in one weekend!

This is Richie Thomas keeping it real living in the Golden Mile.

Richie and Jayne Thomas

4th

Open is Mick Johnson from Portsmouth. We all wonder where our young birds get to and the

sire of my timer is an example of that. Last year I had a phone call from the RPRA asking me to

repatriate a pigeon that had been picked up exhausted and close to death at a local caravan camp. It

turned out to be a Belgian young bird belonging to Ally Norbert which had gone astray the previous

week from La Souterraine and he kindly gifted the bird to me. (Incidentally its first young bird race

took place on the 17th May. We copy the Belgians with the early breeding but still stick to the young

bird racing dates that were in force when I started racing in 1963).

I paired it to a Vandenbeele hen and it bred the little Jan bred Blue Hen, sent sitting 10 days, in her

third race of the season, having flown Newbury & Kingsdown previously.

Mick Johnson

5th

Open is Pip Hughes from Bosham, Chichester. Unfortunately Pip was on his way on holiday

when I phoned for some information regarding his young bird and his old hen. So details are very

brief.

Pip had 10 birds all drop together with a mixture of old hens and young birds which all flew around

for a while before trapping.

His young bird timed was a grizzle cock bird at 10.38 and his old hen was an 8 year old chequer pied

timed at 10.37.

Pip Hughes

1st North East Section we have Roger Lowe from Reading. Sending 15 darkened hen young birds

raced on the sliding door system. The first bird not a pooled bird is a New Laureaat x Daniel Aerens

Sire pied Laureaat from a son of New Laureaat winner of 1st International Barcelona 2013 and

Golden Wing Barcelona when paired to a daughter of Mark Gilbert's “Southfield Melissa” winner of

1st International Agen 11,444 birds. The Dam is a direct Daniel Aerens.

Time of writing this 2.30pm I have only 5 home so it turned out to be a harder race than expected

with the winning velocity being over a mile a minute.

Congratulation to the winner and roll on the next race.

Roger Lowe

2nd

North East Section is Terry Cozens from Long Crendon. My blue hen was bred from my

direct Frans Zwols. Her sire is a son of the Queen of Rekkem and her dam is a granddaughter of

Dutch Prince and De Diamant. This was her fourth race having had 2 races in the BB & O Fed and

one in the Mid-shires Fed.

Terry Cozens

1st & 2

nd North West Section is Graham Clift (loft 2) from Tirley. For the last three years or so I

have not raced young birds from my Tirley address but trained them ready to race as yearlings. My

lifelong friend and best mate George Harding keeps my stock birds at his address and each year we

breed some young birds for him to race on my behalf which he has done very successfully and I

thank him for all his hard work and commitment. The club is a member of the West of England

South Road Combine and we have found that the experience gained by the young birds to break each

week from up to 4,500 pigeons sets them up perfectly for channel racing in the Nationals & Classics.

The first pigeon is from a son of Southfield Dream 2nd

Open NFC Tarbes for Mark Gilbert, the dam

being a gift bird from Steve Bennett of Bristol from the Gerrit Lahuis lines breeding top pigeons for

Bristol fanciers. The second pigeon two minutes later is from a daughter of John Halstead's Nyland

Ashley 2nd

Open BICC Barcelona etc when paired to a grandson of Isla's Rainy Day Boy 1st

International Pau.

George and I would like to thank the convoyer as the birds returned in excellent condition as they

were four days in the crates, we were fortunate to have 5 of the 8 birds we sent given the strong

westerly influence of the winds on the day.

Graham Clift and George Harding

1st South West Section in the Young Bird Race and Old Hens Race is Alfie Harp from Poole.

(thank you to John Gerard for this report) Well Alfie had a super day clocking 1st Section SW Old

hens and 1st Section SW young birds. Total class. Well done Alfie.

1st Section young birds dark cock GB16N40725 “Johnny boy”. This young cock was starting to

show his class when the week before he was 9th Dorset Fed Maidstone. The father is a son of Alfie’s

Dark Wonder NL2004 full brother to 1st International Pau. Dark Wonder is a gift from Alfie’s

mentor John Gerard “Mr Hartog” to Alfie. The dam of “Johnny boy” a hen from John Willis’ long

distance family.

1st Section Old Hens blue hen GB14N49946 “Lady Mary” top Mandelartz hen grandaughter of

Cavendish 1st 14,843 birds for John Gerard raced in Holland dam of Lady Mary Golden Lady 1

st

15,000 birds again from John Gerard.

To everybody well done today and to Dave Waterhouse special well done top loft, top lad.

Alfie Harp and John Gerard

Next in line to Graham in the North West Section is Tomasz Fedyk from Melksham. Firstly, well

done to 1st open and all the Section winners.

I timed my first two pigeons, brothers, with two seconds difference from each other. I got them from

my father-in-law however I don't know the origin of them.

I would like to thank everyone, especially many thanks to the people that looked after the pigeons.

Tomasz Fedyk

2nd

South West Section is Mark & Julie Gower from Fordingbridge. The bird I clocked is a Van

Rijn hen from stock obtained from Brian Hawes. She is a half-sister to one of my best racing hens

who has been 2nd

Open BBC Messac & 6th

Open NFC Ancenis.

I have raced young birds on the darkness system for 18 years however after a particularly bad bout

of young bird sickness last year I chose to try the natural way to see if it made a difference. My birds

have been ok this year with only a very mild version of the virus that just rendered them off colour

for 24hours. I am still not convinced the natural system was the reason or was the virus was just a

weaker strain this year ??

The hen was prepared for this race by having 3 races on the West route and trained from the East. I

had 4 out of 8 home on the day and surprisingly no others returning the next day.

Mark Gower

Old Hens Race

Warmest congratulations to the Winners of the Old Hens Race, Kalvin, Sandy & Sunny Legg

from Portsmouth. I would like to start by saying a big thank you to Kenny Wearn, who sadly

passed away last year.

He started me back into racing pigeons again after being away from the sport for 5 years.

All the birds I have raced with, have come from Kenny. I would also like to say thanks to Eric

Neilson & Jimmy Wearn for helping me come back into the sport I love.

The bird that won the race was sitting a young baby four days old. It was a bird I bred off Kenny's

Staf Van Reets. Jimmy originally bought these Staf Van Reets from Keith Arnold of Leamington

Spa and gave them to Kenny.

In memory of Kenny and all that he did for me I have named the winner “Rosie” as Kenny & Sylvie

Wearn both loved their garden and especially roses.

Once again I like to thank the man who got me back into the sport Kenny Wearn, who raced as

Wearn Brothers.

Kalvin Legg

2nd

Open 2nd

South East Section is Grahame Deacon from Newport, IOW. Pigeon

GB14N44397 is a blue blaze tick eyed Staf Van Reet hen. She was sent sitting 25 days. Her mate

recently recovered from a sparrowhawk attack. I am calling her “Aisha” as my 80th

birthday was on

the marking day and my great granddaughter was born on 16th

August 2016. This bird was on the

North Road work and this was her first channel race this season. She rushed from the East and

trapped quickly. Thought I would be in the first hundred not used to 60mph racing, so well pleased

with this result.

Grahame Deacon

3rd

Open is Chris and John Daniels from Gosport. The pigeon GB14L14701 is a small bodied

Blue Bar hen sent sitting 16days. She is bred down from Busschaert and Demeester stock.

She raced the last Exeter race with the Solent fed, and was kept in training with the young birds. She

flew Guernsey last week.

Chris and John Daniels

4th

Open is Pip Hughes from Bosham, Chichester. See young bird report.

1st, 2

nd & 3

rd North East Section is Steve & Paul Kulpa from Reading. 1

st bird – Yearling

widowhood hen, Heremans Cesuters x De Klak. Her sire is bred from a full brother to Hans

Eijerkamps Heremans Ceusters cock Euro. The dam is a direct daughter of ‘Sophia’ winner of 1st

Open NFC Fougeres, she was bred on the lines of Eijerkamps Bartoli. This was her 19th

race of the

season but her 1st across the channel.

2nd

bird – 2 year old celibate hen, Janssen x De Klak. Full sister to 133 winner of 4 x1st Federations.

Her sire is the last son of “The Old Man” one of the best stock pigeons we ever owned, he was sire,

grand sire and great great grand sire to over 100 x 1st prizes. Dam is another daughter of ‘Sophia’

winner of 1st Open NFC. Again this was the first trip over the channel for this hen.

We sent 51 hens to the race the birds arrived steadily for about 20 minutes then dried up and only a

random few more arriving through the afternoon, but the ones that made it back were in good

condition after there 4 days in the basket just short of a few feathers.

All our birds are fed on Versele Laga corn and Aviform products used in the water.

Congratulations to all the winners in the young bird and old hens race.

Steve and Paul Kulpa

Runners Up to Steve & Paul in the North East Section are Dave & June Newman from

Aylesbury. Blue Chequer Yearling Hen GB15N83061 was bred from a Nigel Bennett Staf Van Reet

Pigeon. Used as a Widowhood Hen. She has had 2 inland races this year from Exeter and Portland

then on to the Classic Old Hens Coutances race.

Dave and June Newman

1st North West Section is Robert & Wendy Hill & Daughter from Bristol. Our section winner

was bred for us by Nigel and Nikki Templar in 2013. This hen has been a consistent pigeon for us

over the last 3 years but won her first, first prize this year from one of the channel races with the

West of England Combine. This year, this hen was raced celibate and not paired up until after the old

bird season had finished and was flying back to her first young bird of the year.

May we take this opportunity to thank the marking team at Frome for all their hard work.

Robert Hill

2nd

North West Section is Chris Templar from Bristol. The hen was one of three hens well

fancied for this race. My method is to use the hens on the widowhood routine for the OB racing and

then to move them over to the YB section, I then train and race with the West of England South Rd

Combine.

12 hens were sent and 11 returned on the day. This 05 bird was bred from two Van Dykes, the sire is

a grandson of Den Bourges and the dam is from the Gigants strain from which two first section

winners were also bred.

I would like to thank my brother Nigel for lending me the sire. The dam of my 05 is the daughter of

Miss Beatrix when paired to "Alonso", (Peter Fox-Syndicate loft).

I would also like to thank Stuart Wilcox for finding this hen for my loft-she is a star in my stock loft.

This 05 hen was also 14th Open, 13

th section in last years Guernsey race.

Finally, I would like to thank Terry Humphries, (club secretary), for all the training he does.

Chris Templar

1st South West Section Alfie Harp from Poole. Please see young bird report for information.

2nd

& 3rd

South West Section is John and Dave Staddon from Evercreech. Clare we were very

pleased to take 2nd

& 3rd

Section as we only sent two old hens to the race. We timed both within 5

minutes of each other, they were both in good condition after the holdover.

First home was our good 3 year old widowhood hen “Gina G”. She is by far the best middle distance

hen we own. She has already won 4th West Section 4

th Open BICC Alencon 4,332b 2016 on top of

1st WOESRC Truro 134 Miles 2,227b, 2

nd WOESRC Newton Abbot 63 Miles 2,933b, 7

th WOESRC

Sennen Cove 158 Miles 1,360b, 1st Section G 4

th NFC Guernsey 115 Miles 948b, 9

th Section 16

th

BICC National Guernsey 115 Miles 891b, 31st Section G 443b 481

st National Saintes 383 Miles

3,726b as well as over £1000 in pool money. She has now won 4th

Open National twice and

hopefully soon she will get her chance to win one.

She is bred from our Miracle Pair and is of middle distance lines from Mark Gilbert we don't keep

many middle distance birds and that is why we only sent 2 to the race. She is paired to our number

one racing cock G Force and has been raced on Widowhood all season out as far as Saintes NFC.

We have re-paired her after G Force returned from Tarbes NFC where he won 3rd

Sec 20th Open and

she was sent to Coutances on chipping eggs. She will now most likely be sent to NFC Coutances

OH.

Our second timer taking 3rd

Section is yearling hen sent sitting two day babies. She has been raced

widowhood all season out to Saintes NFC. She is again bred from the best middle distance birds of

our good pal Mark Gilbert. She has previously won 5th WOESRC Eastbourne 1,737b.

Congratulations to all section winners.

John and Dave Staddon

The Classic Late Bred Sale which was to be held on Tuesday 20th September has been cancelled for

this season.

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