Solent South Road Federation Press Report

The end of the old bird season is celebrated at the Solent Fed by the most prestigious and longest race, Bergerac.120 members sent 795 birds. The points for the Buckingham Cup standings after this race are : A Webb & Son, Milton - 125 points. A Sutton, Romsey - 94 points. Bull & Vincent, Romsey - 87 points. Mr & Mrs Betteridge, Milton - 79 points. H Laakland, Parade - 76 points. D Brain, Purbrook Park - 72 points. K & S Francis, Bitterne Park - 70 points. Ashley & Perkins, Sholing - 70 points. M Collins, Sholing - 68 points. R Thomas - 68 points. The Red Barrell Trophy club points table is now led by Parade HS........But only JUST. As the young bird specialists savour the prospect of the oncoming season, just who should be investing 'Silvo'?

My visit to the lofts of Albie Webb & Son of Milton, 1st Club, 1st Solent South Road Federation Bergerac marked for him the culmination of a super old bird season.

Albie Webb with his Tours winner & 'the best Willett ever to fly a pigeon'
Uncle Fred and the 1st Bergerac Solent South Road Federation Winner

Albie Webb's top of the range Petron Loft

He is now in the lead of the points list for the Buckingham Trophy, having amassed 125 points. Albie has won 8 x 1st prizes in one of the strongest clubs of the fed, having 25 members. He has taken the the Old Bird Averages in that club, and won the Old Birds Knock Out Cup. All this silverware and we are only just over half way through the season! Like many other flyers in the Solent, Albie started his pigeon career racing on the north road about 25 yrs ago. He recalls one of his best performances when he had three birds together after a particularly hard Sedgefield race and 7 ¾ hrs on the wing. He was 1st, 2nd and 3rd club, and 1st, 2nd and 4th Fed on a day when many fanciers never got a pigeon. And who split his positions? None other than his present day hard working Milton club secretary and fed committee member Mick Johnson! Not, of course that he holds it against him after all these years! When the north road federation went through a decline in numbers he then decided to turn south. Only five years ago he told me he rarely won a card yet alone a red one, which spurred him into investing in pigeons from top fanciers. Hollywood Janssens from B Keegan of Sandhurst, Vandenbeeles from M & D Evans, Marcelles from B Long, Van Den Plas from the clearance sale of T Carter and purchasing the CSCFC Bergerac winner of D Woolner made a huge difference to the fire power of the Webb loft and ensured that this season he has been 6 times out of the thirteen races in the top ten lofts of the fed results, three times in the top five. His Federation winner is a blue pied yearling Janssen cock. Albie is particularly pleased with the performances he has had with this family this year. This pigeon has already been 3rd Club, 11th Fed Saintes, and a pigeon of the same strain was 1st club Kingsdown, proving that he has a family of birds that can win from 80 miles right up to 400. Many of Albie and his wife Ellen's family fly pigeons with the federation. It was after some encouragement from his wife's cousin 'Bomber' Mellis (well, I suppose 'you're wasting your time with natural pigeons' does count as encouragement doesn't it??), that Albie two years ago decided to change the way in which he kept his birds. He now flies both cocks and hens on a full widowhood system. He freely admits that he knew nothing of widowhood until he visited the lofts of Alan Blake who kindly showed him what he did, and armed with this knowledge he has developed the system he uses today. The 24prs that he starts each season with of cocks and hens are flown twice a day for one hour. They are kept apart right until the end of the season, the only variation in the preparation for the longer races is that the pairs are allowed to stay with each other for 24 hours before the Saintes and Bergerac races. The birds are broken down on their return from racing dependent on the length and severity of the racing. A lighter feed, Albie feels, is easier for their digestion after the exertion of racing. I did ask whether his 50 young birds could take the pressure of his loft being in such a strong position for the federation's top honours? Albie looked very confident. He has been training every day and only the day before my visit clocked 21 birds on his ets in one minute from a 25 mile toss. His YB team have been on darkness, and they look tremendous, with many on eggs. They are primed and ready for forthcoming YB season. Now the other side of the Webb family that race pigeons are the Willetts. It was my great pleasure to meet 'The best Willett ever to fly a pigeon', his Uncle Fred Willett. Albie invited him to accompany him in his photograph, where he is proudly holding the 1st Solent South Road Federation Bergerac Winner. Albie did ask whether he would like to do this or perhaps he wanted to wait until one of his sons won a similar race. The reply was direct and candid. 'I've not got long enough to live for that!!' Mmmmm I detect healthy family rivalry here!


Kala and Jason Ross of Parade HS were rightly delighted to be 1st club, 2nd Solent South Road Federation from Bergerac

Jason Ross, 2nd Bergerac Solent Federation

Jason's third Blake loft in four years!

These are Kala's latebred youngster team
'Unruly' according to Jason
But they look angelic!

For Jason it was a breath of fresh air after his controversial win of the BICC Alencon race, as well as being a reward for loyally sticking with his birds, having moved them three times in the past four years. For Kala it was her favourite hen that scored and the glee that only a partner of a fancier would know the of taking a fiver from Jason after predicting that she would arrive home before 6.00pm, with the more pessimistic Jason guessing later. What time did she clock? 5.00pm. A woman knows......... Jason first raced pigeons as a lad of 12 yrs old, but then stopped when he and Kala concentrated on both their young family, and establishing his own business. They have been hard at work buying and renovating houses over the last few years to a base now that they are both happy with and where they hope to remain. Kala could give Pickfords a run for their money on the removals game. Their previous houses have not been far, on about a mile triangle from where they are now. This is the third loft that their 2nd fed prize winner has called' home'. She is a Vandenabeele from a team of stock birds that Jason purchased at the clearance sale of Tony Carter, which also included Andrew Clements and Louis Coorman pigeons. He sees this investment as one of the best he has ever made. He is renowned locally for having a team of pigeons that are always dangerous in sprint races. He pays close attention detail including health having their droppings tested regularly and thanks Lee Fribbons for invaluable advice on health issues. Jason had never sent to this distance before, having only previously sent to Saintes, when he failed to time in! Clocking in a good bird from a longer race has very much inspired him to set more universal aims and objectives for future seasons. Birds from Jimmy Wearn and Earnie Deacon will be the backbone of his long distance assault team. Because of the moves, he has this year had to race all the team naturally. He has found that to separate the hens from the cocks causes them to go off back to their previous homes looking for their partners. Next season will see him with both a team of widowhood yearling cocks as well as his older natural birds. Those that race both widowhood and natural pigeons will know that it takes a lot of time and dedication to do both well. Jason acknowledges that it is Kala who does all the cleaning out, exercising, training and day to day care of the birds. She is particularly responsible for the later bred youngster team which Jason complains are 'out of control'. Don't worry Kala. Men hold the same principles with their pigeons as with their children. When they win (or are well behaved) they are theirs, when they are behind (or play up) they are most definitely YOURS!

2nd Club,10th fed at Milton HS was Barry Dagnell with a yearling blue cock on 1083 ypm. John Good took the third spot, 16th fed with a 5 yr old blue Wal Zootjens widowhood hen on 1067 ypm. This hen has won many club cards before.

2nd club, 8th fed for Parade FC is S & K Brimecome & Son with a yearling blue cheq pied KO Nipius cock on 1100 ypm. Raced naturally, this bird was sent to the race sitting ten day old eggs. A 2 yr old blue cheq Cattysse hen of Tony Hounsell took third club, 26th fed on 1045 ypm. She was sent being driven to the nest.

Robin Hampton took 1st club, 12th fed in the Bognor & Chichester SRFC with a very experienced 5yr old dark cheq Luc Van Coponac cock on 1078 ypm. He is called' Bruce Almighty' and was given to him by George Bartel. He has won 8 x 1st prizes. In 2005 he was 1st Sect, 15th Open BBC Bordeaux and 6th Sect, 17th Open NFC Messac, 2006 12th Sect 56th Open BBC Bordeaux. 'Tricky Dicky' Nash was 2nd club, 14th fed with a yearling slatey Janssen cross hen on 1072 ypm. She was given to Dicky by his mate Peter Worley from Stanmore. Last year was given just two trainers. This year after two more trainers, she was sent to Lulworth with the South Coast Fed when she took 6 hrs to return. She was then sent to this race after being started on a roundabout system after the Tarbes race. Just to prove that 'Bruce Almighty' can breed 'em as well, taking third club, 31st fed was his yearling son on 1041 ypm. He was 1st Club Guernsey, 31st Fed last yea.

F Smith of Portchester took all three places in this race. His three year old blue bar hen took the top spot, 21st fed on 1056 ypm, with another three year old cheq hen 2nd Club, on 932ypm. His third pigeon was a four year old blue cheq cock on 974 ypm. The Channel SRFC saw Club Press Officers K & L Cleife win 1st club, 229th fed with a four year old red Hartog/Van Reet hen on 1042 ypm. Obviously a family favourite, named 'Ella', she has won many cards for them including 1st Fed from Saintes as a yearling in 2005. She was the only bird home in the club on the day in this race. Well done to them! 2nd Club were Moody & King with a two year old blue pied hen on 717 ypm. S Harris was 3rd club with a two year old blue bar cock on 575 ypm.

Romsey SRFC had 7 members send 20 birds to this race. Taking 1st club, 43rd fed was Colin Edwards with a 4 yr old blue Van Loon hen on 1025 ypm. From his winning Van Loon family, this is the first time she has been sent to this distance. Sent sitting 10 days. Cyril & Jean Leaver were 2nd club. Their 5 yr old blue Janssen cock has previously been flown on widowhood , but was paired for this race and sent on chipping eggs. Colin Edwards also won third club with a 2 yr old blue cheq Janssen/Van Loon hen on 828 ypm. She is a daughter of his very good Van Loon racing cock now retired 'Rooney', 3rd Open CSCFC, 1st Hants Two Bird, crossed with Derek Pedley Camphuis Janssen Stock. There were only three birds home on the day in this club.

Portsmouth Manor Park had 5 members send 43 birds to this race. Mrs & Mrs D Tolfrey won 1st club with a five year old blue bar pied cock, flown on roundabout on 981 ypm. B & M Wiggins were both 2nd and 3rd club. Winning 2nd club was a blue cheq yearling cock on 949 ypm. Flown naturally, he was sent to this race sitting a 20 day old young bird. Earlier in the season he was 2nd club, 40th fed Saintes. 3rd club was their two year old blue cheq cock sent sitting 12 day old eggs on 934ypm.

Conveyers Report.
Our esteemed conyoyer is now enjoying a well earned holiday, so apologies that there is no report.

Here endeth the reports for the old bird season. A break for me next week. I look forward to meeting the young bird federation winners soon.