Solent South Road Federation Press Report

It was one of those when you knew it was going to be a fast race, but the question was just how quick were they going to be? 215 members sent the 2022 Birds that were liberated into a South West Wind. This wind freshened in the channel. We eagerly anticipated what was at last an easier race, possible the best of the season so far.

My face must have been a picture! Each Wednesday I ring the Solent Fed Lib line for the results of the previous Saturday's race. When I heard 'J Wheeler, East Cowes', it came as quite of shock. I have always been determined to treat all winners of the federation equally, from which ever area they come. Whether to the east or west, each receives a visit from yours truly, to have their pics taken, and have to suffer an interrogation from which I compile my report.

Ever the intrepid, I duly made my arrangements through the Isle of Wight liaison officer, Ray (the islanders answer to Postman Pat in his van) to make my visit. The subtitle of my report this week was to be 'SOLENT PRESS REPORTER FACE HIGH SEAS'. Okay, perhaps that's a slight exaggeration.

I would just to take this opportunity to relate to you that my ancestry is rife with sea farers. Many elder members of the Solent fed will remember my grandfather Algie Hoare. The 'Mauritania', The Queen Mary, The Queen Elizabeth, the cream of the great ocean going liners saw Algie spending much of his working life as a 1st class steward, (and the rest in the 'Pig 'n Whistle'). Among the passengers he served were Clarke Gable, Rita Hayworth, Audrey Hepburn, and Charlton Heston. Those were the days of glamour. Dad also served at sea as a young man, but his was not such a salubrious route. He was in the bakery. He would tell hilarious tales of the head baker, a liverpuddlian , who used Dad as target practice for his' party piece' knife throwing act.'Working with the liverpuddlians was okay', he said. 'They had a great sense of humour, but terrible tempers!'. He also told of when he was on 'The Aquitania', and the head chef told him to go on the aft deck to get some potatoes.When he did, at first thought it was a joke, but found that the vegetable locker, including all the vegetables had been swept overboard during the previous night's gale.

Back to my ferry crossing. I am not a very tolerant person I freely admit, but two of my worst irritations are unruly dogs, and children who misbehave. Just my luck then to be aboard the Isle of Wight ferry with 100 school kids rampaging around the decks. I found a quiet spot - or what I thought would be a haven to read a mag and sip a coffee. I was joined by a couple, who were determined to disrupt my peace by barking orders to their office staff on the mobile phone. 'You must tell her to change page 13 with page 37! , and ring Mr ................ and tell him, if we don't receive his copy in the next ten minutes, he will miss the printers deadline'. Ear wigging as I was, I resisted the devilment in me that was bursting to start a conversation with them, sarcastically sympathising with their position. After all, once I was just a shop keeper who kept pigeons. Now of course I am a regular correspondent with a publication which is read all over the World??? I too have deadlines to meet! The pressure! The wife sweetly apologised for the disturbance, and said how she envied me being able to relax on such a journey. I was so tempted to berate her with my 'work to live, don't live to work' ethic, or tell her that with her stress levels, she probably wouldn't live to be old enough to spend all the money she was making. I didn't. I smiled, it was easy, 'cos I was gloating that I had got it right, and she had got it oh so wrong!

My trusty (and some what rusty) steed
for my venture across the Solent to the Isle of Wight.jpg

I thought 'gosh, aren't there a lot of yachts in Cowes
The next day 1300 were in the 'Round the island Race'.jpg

This boat was just leaving for a cruise. I wasn't jealous, honest!.jpg

I really have to be diplomatic here. I don't want to upset or belittle any other Federation winner I have visited, but I have to say that the pigeon I saw, bred and raced by J Wheeler of East Cowes, was probably the best bird I have had the pleasure of seeing all season.

Jim Wheeler with his 1st Solent Fed winner
a truly outstanding pigeon !

Jim Wheeler's Lofts

Yet again I have to report that it was a raider from the north road that got the better of us all this week. Jim Wheeler is the most committed widowhood flier I have ever met. He normally starts each season with just 10 widowhood cocks, this year it was 9, and he has still got 8 left! He pairs up mid January, trying to arrange a night with a new moon which he fully accepts is nothing more than an old fashioned fad that he sticks to. He does pair the birds, but is the first to change partnerships if the cock does not immediately take to his hen. His team are only flown round the loft before the first north road race and sent untrained. It was from this race that he suffered his only loss this year. The cocks are flown every evening for between 1hr and 1½ hrs only. Jim reckons that although they are not locked out of the loft, they spent between 80% & 90% in the air. By not training, he feels that the cocks get very used to the routine, that when they have been shown their hens, they know that the hens will always be waiting for them after the race. If he trained them during the week, and the hens are not there when they return, the incentive is lost. Jim believes that both the condition and personality of the hens is vital in creating a strong team of widowhood birds. They must be rampant when the cocks arrive from a race. The birds are kept to this regime right through the season. He does not pair up, as so many do towards the end of the season, yet is confident that his team retain their form consistently. After the racing season is over the cocks are allowed to sit two rounds of eggs before being split around October. All the team is sent every week on the north road up to 250 miles. This is the longest distance Jim likes to fly. It was because the Southampton North Road fed had ventured to over 350 miles, that Jim decided to send his team south. He was well aware that his birds were on tip top form, as he had taken 1st, 3rd & 4th the previous week, the winner being his fed topper. Now I come to his winning pigeon. How many pigeons, are taking such honours as a seven year old? This bird was nearly stopped and put to stock last year. It must have been a difficult decision. He has to date won 20 x 1st prizes and this is his 8th Fed win. His breeding is Jim's own family, developed from some birds purchased ten years ago, Braspennings from Louella lofts, and Jannsens from J Corney of Galaxy Lofts. Jim breeds 20 young birds each year. He only trains the youngsters around the Island, no more than 11 miles about 20 times. It is a risky business and he does accept that the only time he can really have a knock with his system, is if the two first young birds races are hard. As long as they are fair, he can expect a good percentage of returns. The young hens are sent to every race (again remember, we are talking north road), but he will happily stop two or three cocks after 3 or 4 races if they are showing form. With Jim's system he is never usually looking for 2 or 3 birds to fill the empty boxes made during the previous old bird system! It's just as well actually, because he complains that his family of birds are prolific breeder of hens, usually a 2/3rds to 1/3 ratio hens to cocks.

I have great admiration for the island fliers. It is a lot more expensive for them to compete in the same races as us on the mainland. For example, in the early well supported races, we flew from Lessay for just 51p per bird, incredibly cheap for channel racing with having to cover ferry charges etc. Jim tells me however, that no race is less than £1.00 per bird for them, even a 100 mile north road race. While Jim has developed a system which doesn't entail training from the mainland, I know a lot do, and have to pay ferry charges etc, just for training. It is not for the faint hearted, that's for sure.
I must finish with sending my congratulations to Jim for a great performance in this race. In the past he has had terrific successes with turning his pigeons south. He was 1st Central Southern Classic FC Rennes with a cock bird that 2 weeks later won the North Road fed. He took 1st Club, 1st Fed, 2nd Club, 5th Fed, 3rd Club, 13th Fed and 4th Club, 14th Fed in this race in the East Cowes club where 9 members sent 102 birds. Not a bad day at the office!


2nd club, 2nd Solent South Road Federation this week was won by Ray McIlroy of Bitterne Park.

Ray Mcilroy, 2nd Solent Federation

The Loft of Ray Mcilroy

Ray kept pigeons in the 1980's and after having a break, restarted again about six years ago at his Manchester home. It was an enforced move south to live nearer his family due to his wife's illness that saw Ray start racing with the Solent. He decided that the man to contact in this area to advise him was the famous pigeon expert Tony Cowan. (Did I say famous, I meant infamous!). His aim is to develop a team of pigeons for any distance including over 500 miles, and his choice of strains was Jan Aardens, and Jos Thones, bred by Ian Stafford. It is one of the Jos Thones that scored the 2nd fed. I hate to repeat myself, but yet again I visit a recently established loft, a flier with experience of flying in other areas of the country, and yet again they are amazed just how difficult, and different flying across the channel every week is. Ray is shocked at the percentage of losses that he and other fed members endure. He has been disappointed that birds that are away on the race day do not seem to appear the next morning, as they would have been expected to when he was flying in the Altrincham & District fed around Manchester. Ray is not a novice flyer having taken top positions in both the Eccles 2 Bird Club, and the North West Classic, yet admits that it will take time for him to establish the team he would like. As well as the young birds he breeds himself, he buys in two kits of six young birds each year to try against his own birds. His young bird team will be tried across the channel, with perhaps the two fed Guernsey YB races, with one or two taking part in the NFC/classic YB races. It is difficult to get 'in among 'em' with only a team of yearlings, and Ray should be proud, that this is not his only top performance this year, as he was also 10th section in the Central Southern Classic FC Lessay race. Congratulations Ray for a wonderful performance! 2nd club, 12th fed Bitterne Park where 10members sent 75 birds, was Ken & Sue Francis with a yearling widowhood hen from their Jannsen family on 1805 ypm. This bird won 1st Guernsey as a young bird. Graham Matthews was 3rd club, 15th fed with a yearling naturally flown cock. This is a Deschacht Denduyver who won a 2nd card as a young bird. Some top performances were achieved this week by the members of Portsmouth Manor Park.8 members sent 72 birds, and first home, taking 1st club, 3rd Fed was Patrick Harris with a yearling cheq cock on 1833 ypm. 2nd Club, 6th fed was Mark Drackett with a yearling blue pied hen on 1815 ypm. Mark also won 3rd club, 7th fed with a two year old mealy hen on 1813 ypm. Parade saw 13 members send 95 birds. Harry Butcher was well in the lead with his blue bar hen on 1830 ypm to take 1st club, 4th Fed. This Herman hen was bred by P Tenner, and sent sitting 10 day old eggs. Jason Ross was 2nd club, 50th fed with a 2yr old blue Van De Bill cock on 1679 ypm. He is flown naturally and was sent to the race unpaired. This bird is the nest mate to Jason's 2nd Open Central Southern Classic Truro winner.3rd and 4th club was Kevin Hookey. 3rd with a yearling blue cheq Buschaert hen on 1665 ypm, raced naturally and sent to the race unpaired, and 4th with 2 yr old cheq pied cock flying home to 3 week old pot eggs on 1630 ypm. The club £5 noms were won by Jason Ross. 16 members sent 112 birds with the Milton HS. Albie Webb & Son are having a scorcher of a season this year. 1st Club, 8th fed is the seventh time from 10 races that they have scored federation loft points. Great going! This time their winner was a yearling blue Vandenabeele hen on 1811 ypm. She is paired to another hen, as both their cocks have been lost. George Tribble & Tony Male took 2nd, club, 16th fed with their yearling blue cheq Vandenabeele hen on 1770 ypm. George & Tony are the youngest members at Milton, only 17yrs old. This hen was a gift yb from Richard Thomas from his M & D Evans family, and was sent 10 days sitting. Ahh, so the plot thickens. This is Albie Webb & Son's contender that is doing all the damage. 3rd club, 19th fed, and a previous Truro winner, this is the 5th time this Vandenbeele cock has been in the top 20 positions of the Solent fed. Richard Horton had to beat the 132 pigeons sent by 13 members at Bognor & Chichester SRFC to take 1st club, 11th fed. His 4 yr old silver pied hen was doing 1807 ypm. This is the first card for this pigeon as a four year old. It is the nest mate to the Solent Fed winner from Fougeres in 2007, and was bred from birds from Richard Withall. It is a Kwyper x old German family. Mr & Mrs Joe Langbridge secured 2nd club, 22nd Fed with a yearling blue cheq cock from his own family on 1749 ypm. this bird is the grandson of 'Vialli Winne', winner of a gold RPRA medal, crossed with a Gold Cup Winner. Mr & Mrs Langbridge also took 3rd club, 23rd fed with a yearling mealy cock from their own family again on the same yardage. This pigeon is the same way bred as Joe's 2nd Open St Nazaire CSCFC winner in 2007. There was an article in the local Southern Evening Echo last week about the Eastleigh & District Irish Club. All the members were dressed as Teddy boys and teddy girls ( drain pipe trousers and flouncy skirts). I scoured the page but I couldn't see a single member of the pigeon club. Such a shame, Sean, you'd look lovely in a skirt!! Steve Waldock took 1st club, 25th fed with a yearling blue Champion Major cock on 1739 ypm. Steve also took 2nd club, 35th fed with a yearling red cheq Buscheart hen on 1705 ypm. 3rd club, 44th fed was B Watson and his yearling cheq pied Jock Reid cock on 1688 ypm. Racecourse HS saw 3 members send 42 birds to Lessay. 1st club, was L Pitney, Cronin & Freshney with their 3 yr old blue pied Dordins hen on 1623 ypm. M Ellins was 2nd club on 1541 ypm. His yearling blue cock is now being flown on widowhood, after securing several prizes as a young bird. L Pitney, Cronin & Freshney were also 3rd club with a yearling blue cheq Dordins cock on 1523 ypm. Conveyers Report.All birds loaded by 2125hrs. Arrived on site at Lessay at 0830hrs. Weather in the channel nice and clear with good visibility, but by the time we arrived on site there was a full grey cloud cover. Tony called to say the weather should break by later in the morning. Even by 1230hrs it was still overcast, but the sun was trying to shine through. Tony called and I said I didn't think we would get the blue sky we'd hoped for. With the cloud cover being high, and a helping wind he agrees that I should go when I was ready. We had I little break in the cloud with a sight of the sun, so I released at 1250hrs into a south west wind. The birds cleared well. As we go to print, the early times of the BBC Palamos race are available. Danny Staddon of Totton looks to have secured 1st Section A, 2nd Open. Dave Farr is the press officer who makes a great job of e mailing me with the results from Bognor & Chichester SRFC each week. This is his pigeon's 3rd time in the Palamos results, so is up for a Spanish Diploma. Both are great examples of top quality distance flying, well done to you both from all at the Solent Fed!

Many Thanks to the Press Reporters from the Clubs.