Built on a formidable hill
Ray's racing lofts are on the left and the Young Birds' to the right
Ray has been the subject of many a write ups over the years with many section wins to his name, but he is clear in his own mind that his best result by far is his win in 2005 of the Saintes Race in the National Flying Club. The accolade of 'National Winner' is one of which Ray is rightly proud.
The blue hen that topped the result for Ray was a Van Loon hen, bred down from a batch of the original stock birds bought at the clearance sale of Dave Warner in 2002. He had just restarted his loft during this time and had sought the views of his fellow Sholing members, asking them what their views were of the birds for sale. He was met with a wall of indifference. Some said they were 'alright', other expressed the view that they were 'ordinary'. All who know Ray will know that it doesn't take much for the Murrays to make any excursion a family outing, and with his wife Pauline and a couple of daughters, they loaded up their car for a day out to ......Fleet. (It doesn't sound very exciting does it?). Can you imagine Ray's surprise to walk into the sale room to find that not only was the auction room packed to the rafters, but also among the throng was........you guessed it.........many members of Sholing, crafty lot! Ray quite honestly admits, at that time he had no ability in choosing birds either by pedigrees or in the hand. So what was he to do? Well at this stage I must tell you that Ray is a second hand car dealer.(I don't know how many years he has been trading, but let's face it, he's no spring chicken). He must have used his years of experience in buying cars at auction to formulate a plan. Around the room looked like a convention of the 'who's who' of pigeon fancying, many top names. Ray decided that he would study the bidding, and allow the better flyers to do his picking for him. He waited until the original stock team of Dave Warner were auctioned, and if three or four top flyers bid against each other, then he quite simply would take a gamble that it was a good pigeon...and outbid them! Simple, but effective, as these are the birds that as he states 'Do the business for him'. They are the stock team that have supplied him with his National winner, and now his fed winner.
Ray's loft management he freely admits is quite.....casual. Now don't go getting the wrong idea and jump to conclusions that it means his lofts are not cleaned regularly, nothing could be further from the truth. But an example of his attitude is the way he pairs up. 'Well, what I do is put the hens in with the cocks and tell 'em to get on with it! I can't be doing with pairing up best to best and waiting for them to settle.' He also admits to avidly reading the BHW (he particularly likes Bert Braspenning), and often likes to try the different tips and hints in keeping your birds. However... ' To be honest, I do it for about a fortnight, and then forget!'. But how can anyone criticise a system where the birds quite simply love their home so much that they regularly want to get home quicker than any others!
There has been a revolution in the Murray lofts this year. DARKNESS. This is the first year that Ray has had his young bird team numbering 80 on a darkness system, and he feels his team has been far more competitive as a result. The birds were darkened between 7pm and 9am each day. Why so late in the morning? Ray doesn't 'do' early mornings. They were kept on the system until 5th June. Flying well round the loft, sent to every young bird race possible, and trained twice a week, they looked amazing. When, at the end of the season he took them to the Tours Open YB Race where he was 17th , 31st and 59th Open and had 6/8 on the day, they still had not dropped a flight. He is aware that his darkness system still needs tweaking to perfect, but feels that he knows where improvements can be made, and will continue to develop it next year.
My late father had a very 'Masonic' view concerning the pigeon fancy. If he wanted a job done, he always seemed to know a pigeon fancier that would do it. Now I know how. This year I have visited a Window Salesman, Florist, Ex Dustmen, Ex Carpet Fitter, Ex Bricky, Tattooist, and now.....a second hand car dealer. Variety is the spice of life!
My beloved men of Wootton & Bashley WMPC all had a cracking race. Rod Berry and Eric Matthews had three drop together to take 2nd, 3rd and 4th Fed with Ron Ayres close behind to take 5th, 18th and 19th. Wootton this week won 16 positions in the top 100. Good job Lads!
Bitterne Park saw a win for Graham Matthews who also won 6th Fed with a Delbar x Vander Pole hen, flying naturally on 1243 ypm. Graham was 2nd with a Foxwood Loft cock, son of 'The General' doing a velocity of 1185ypm. Again in the cards was Ray McIroy, 3rd with a Jan Aarden x Jos Thone cock on 116ypm, and 4th club with a Janssen x Jos Thone cock on 1145 ypm.
Parade FC had 11 members send 122 birds to this race. BICC winner Jason Ross proved too quick for the rest, taking 26th Fed, with a Vandenabeele Blue pied cock on 1217ypm. This bird was part of a later bred team that have been the responsibility of his wife, Kala. Stan and Kath Brimecome & Son were 2nd club, 30th fed with a blue cheq Sootjen hen on 1208ypm. Raced on darkness, this bird was bought at the National Breeding Station in Belgium. A Barrett was 3rd club with a blue bar Vandenabeele hen on 1166 ypm. This was a gift bird from Jason Ross, and was raced naturally. He also took 4th club on 1155 ypm. The clubs £5 noms was won by Horn Bros loft 1.
The strong club of Milton HS had a super turn out. 18 members sent 206 birds. What a great win for the club's two youngest members, George Tribble and Tony Male, just 17 yrs old. Their blue bar hen, on 1204 ypm, also won 33rd fed. Their hen was purchased at the Lier Market from M. Dewinter, and was sent feeding a large youngster. She had previously been 6th club Exeter. Albie Webb & Son were 2nd and 3rd club. Their first bird, a cheq cock on 1185 ypm was bred by Tony Cripps off Eric Higginbottom's Classic winning bloodlines. Their 2nd bird, a blue Janssen cock was doing 1179 ypm.
Portsmouth Manor Park saw a win for P Harris. His red hen was on 1182 ypm. Mark Drackett was 2nd club with his red cock on 1175 ypm. P Harris also took 3rd club with a blue hen on 1173 ypm.
In the Gosport RPC Bob Clark again continued his impressive form with the young birds on the separation system taking the first two. His first arrival on 1171 ypm was a blue hen from his C J Wheeler of Leyton Buzzard stock. His 2nd arrival, a blue w/f hen on 1142ypm is a Hartog from Mrs P Johnson of Park View lofts that was 2nd the previous week also from Kingsdown. 3rd & 4th went t Bill Edwards on 1122 and 1119 with two blue De Klak hens.
Romsey SRFC saw 13 members send 101 birds to this race. Colin Edwards clocked his blue w/f Van Reet cock on 1169 to take the first card. Previously on darkness, he is bred from a grandson of Toey, crossed with a granddaughter of Tranquillity Boy. Brian Basham & Son were 2nd club with a blue pied Van Loon x Van Reet on 1165 ypm. this bird has raced most races this year, and Brian clocked him from the Dorset Fed Open race. Cyril and Jean Lever were 3rd with a home bred blue Janssen Cock on 1152 ypm.
D Hayles & Son were the loft they couldn't beat in the Eastleigh Irish RPC . Their F Shaw dark w/f cock, on 1146 ypm was raced on a roundabout system. N Elcock was 2nd and 3rd with his Hartog pigeons, raced naturally, they were on 1123ypm and 1116ypm.
May I thank all club press reporters for their support.
Claire Mills c.mills59@btinternet.com
|
