They live in the famous golden mile of pigeon racing, Paulsgrove. Their two year old blue pied cock was bred in the racing loft, his sire was a 1st Fed prize winner from Cholet, the grandfather was 5th Fed from Saintes, and the sire's dam was 10th fed from Fougeres. Dam of the 2nd prize winner was herself 3rd Fed from a very hard YB Fougeres race. The Tolfrey's also took 2nd Club, 7th Fed with a yearling blue bar cock on 1119 ypm. This family of birds were bred down from a kit of gift young birds given to Dave in 2002 by Chris Hatton, a lad that he introduced to pigeon racing, and who although not racing at the moment, still keeps a team of stock pigeons. David has always raced a team of widowhood cocks. He finds that this is the only way that he is able to compete successfully while working full time. This year, as with other top fanciers we have met, to abide with DEFRA rules, he decided to race hens one week and cocks the next. Racing hens, he admits has not been a success, as he believes that sometimes it is not possible time wise to exercise two lots of birds twice a day, and does feel that hens would really be better trained rather than only being let out at home. Next year he will revert back to racing only cocks. Dave feeds a widowhood mix and breaks down his birds with depurative early in the week. His birds are exercised both morning and night, locked out for about an hour, but not flagged and Dave relies on his wife Sandra, a daughter of the well known local fancier Charlie Furmedge, herself, to feed the birds in if he has to go to work early. They only have one training toss before the start of the old bird season, and not after racing has started. Again, Dave and Sandra's young birds have only a few training tosses, and are sent to race relying mostly on exercising around the loft. He doesn't worry how many times or whether at all the young birds cross the channel. Historically, he has found that it makes not an ounce of difference to their performances as old birds. Often on my loft visits the conversation often turns to the problems fanciers are experiencing with our ever increasing hawk population. Hawks are not a problem for the Tolfreys. It's wires! Their garden stands below thousands of volts of power lines. They may damage his birds every now and again, but they also must take their toll on the hawk population! So for Dave it's a case of 'been there, done it, got the postcard' with his team of racing hens this year. Next year I think he will definitely sticking to 'Plan A'. Widowhood cocks.
K Wearn won 3rd Club, 28th fed with his two year blue bar hen, flown naturally on 1072 ypm.
Parade saw 12 members sending108 birds. Taking top club honours as well a 8th Fed with a yearling blue pied Sootjen hen, were Horn Bros Loft 1 on 1117 ypm. this hen sent sitting 7 day eggs. Horn Bros loft 1 also took 4th Club, with a yearling on 1093 ypm. Previous Fed winner Hamid Laakvand took 2nd club, 11th fed with a 3 yr old blue cheq Jan Aarden cock on 1104 ypm. This widowhood cock took 58th open NFC Alencon last year. 3RD prize, 16th fed was won by Stuart Woolger with his two year blue bar Jan Aarden x Buscheart hen on 1093 ypm. This bird was bred by Lee Patterson, and won 1st club Cholet last year. The£5 club noms were won by Stan and Kim Brimecome & Son in 5th spot.
Well it had to happen. West in the wind and up near the top are Bognor and Chichester whose 13 members sent 115 birds to this race. Mr & Mrs Marshall led the charge with their red cheq pied yearling to take 1st club, 10th fed on 1105 ypm. This Staff Van Reet widowhood cock has won a few minor cards before this win. His sire has won 15 x 1st prizes and was bred from a direct Dean Pallett stock pair. John Tyerman took 2nd club, 12th fed on 1103 ypm, with a yearling blue cheq cock of Eric Cannon lines. This pigeon had no racing or training as a youngster and had just one Guernsey trainer prior to this race. His dam was 20th open CSCFC Pau last year. 3rd club, 22nd Fed went to Mr & Mrs Roger Hatch. Their two year old blue cheq Janssen hen was on 1079 ypm. Flown naturally, this bird was a gift YB from Robert Hamptons' good winning family.Mr & Mrs Hatch were also 4th with a grizzle hen off their old Stranrar Simon Kirkpatrick family that they have had for many years, clocked on the same velocity.
Romsey SRFC who had 8 members sending 44 members have been on the receiving end of some outstanding performances by Alan Sutton, 'the boy scout' of the club this year. 5th fed, two weeks ago, 2nd fed last week, and yet another 'good 'un' this week with his yearling blue cock from his own family to win 1st Club, 15th fed on 1099 ypm, making this his third club win in a row. His sire is Alan's fed winner from last year. Colin Edwards secured 2nd spot with a blue pied yearling Van Reet cock on 1046 ypm. He was sent sitting 10 day old eggs and this was his first race of the season. Richard Bull and Charlie Vincent took third spot with their three year old blue cheq Southwell hen on 1023 ypm.
Bitterne Park , where 12 members sent 100 birds, saw Michael Bradley take both 1st and 2nd Club. His 2 yr old cheq pied Deshacht Denduyver, on 1091, was bred by G Matthews and this was his first race of the season. Dropping with the first pigeon was his Vander pole blue cock to take 2nd spot. Ken & Sue Francis were third club, 21st fed with a hen from their own family that has previously been a widowhood hen, but had been brought back into racing, on 1079 ypm. This hen was 1st club, two weeks previously. 4th club, 40th fed was Graham Rawlings with a 2 yr old Staf Van Reet on 1058 ypm.
The mighty Milton HS had 14 members send 103 birds to this race. 1st club, 29th fed and 3rd club, 38th fed were won by Albie Webb & Son. Their first prize winning pigeon was a yearling cheq widowhood cock from their own family x Janssen, on 1072 ypm. Mick & Sue Betteridge were 2nd club, 33rd fed with their 4 yr old blue hen on 1069 ypm. She was sent sitting 16 days. A very talented hen that was 1st Sect, 1st Open BBC Messac 2007. Mick and Sue choose not to bet on their pigeons, so John Zerafa pooled this hen to win £51.00 noms. The pigeon that took third club for Albie Webb & Son was a 4 yr old mealy Marcelis Cock, flown on widowhood which has been a very consistent bird for them.
Eastleigh & District Irish Society RPC saw 7 members send 48 birds to this race. The winner, also taking 39th fed was D Hayles & Son with their three yr old blue Rob Jones cock on 1061 ypm. This pigeon is no stranger to the winners' position having won both Picauville and Bergerac last year.2nd club, 42nd fed was S Sollit with his two yr old Buschaert blue cheq hen on 1059 ypm. D Hayles & Son also took third spot with a two yr old blue cock on 1012 ypm. This pigeon was 3rd Picauville last year.
At this point I will share with you an occurrence that happened to me last week. A neighbour rang to say that an elderly woman in our village was very concerned about a racing pigeon that was looking very sorry for itself in her garden and thought that it might become a victim of her Jack Russell dog. Was it one of mine she asked? Off I went to investigate. The lady in question was the very elderly grandmother of Emma Chambers..... Who is Emma Chambers you may ask? 'Alice', the verger in 'The Vicar of Dibley'. All I can say is that Emma must take her acting eccentricities from her grandmother, who greeted me with 'Daaaaarling, how woooonderful you are! You must come and see this dear little might. My nasty 'Spike' (the dog) has been chasing it'. Well, the pigeon was a yearling that had obviously flown itself out and was quite happy to be caught. I was able to reassure my neighbour that the pigeon would be safely reunited with its owner that very evening, 'cos the wing mark was none other than the club stamp of my good friends at the Eastleigh Irish Club! It's a small world......
Wootton & Bashley WMFC saw a win for Ray Hoare & Claire, me. My blue cheq hen came in on 1054 ypm to scrape a fed card in 46th place. She was a 2006 late bred, unraced as a young bird, but was well educated as a yearling with 7 short races up to 212 miles and won 2nd club Picauville. She is a half sister to my good hen that has been 3rd fed Lessay 4006 Birds, and 2nd Sect CSCFC this year. They share the same Janssen dam which originated from Ron Ayres of Highcliffe. She is, at the moment slightly frustrated, having to share her with two other hens.....such is life! Ron Ayres took second slot, with a 2 yr old Janssen blue cheq cock on 1007 ypm. 3rd Club was Les Kidd with a yearling blue cheq hen on 997 ypm. This is out of a hen from Johnny Wills of Camberely. The sire was 19th Open BBC San Sebastian.
Well, I hope Sheila King, club secretary had her calculator fine tuned when she did the result of Camrose this week? Never before have I had such a close result sent to me. Nail biting stuff! 1st Club was Billy Gilbert with his 2 yr old cheq pied hen on 1047.774 ypm (yes, we are definitely down to decimals here folks). This hen has already won a 1st prize from Picauville this year. She is a Rapido Buschaert. Graham Chupka of Reading x Alan Yates of Overton breeding. Billy was also 2nd on 1047.33 ypm with his 2 yr old blue Janssen hen from his 'Belg Blue Janssen' stock cock.the first timing carding for this bird. 3rd Prize was won by M Gilbert & Son, with their yearling blue cock on1047.27 ypm . This was bred by Billy and is the same way bred as the second placed bird. Billy was in the cards again, 4th, with his 3 yr old red Buschaert cock on 1047.21 ypm. This bird has already been 1st Lessay and 2nd Falaise this season. Taking 5th prize was Tony Finn with his 3 yr old blue white flight Buschaert hen on 1047.10 ypm. It never fails to amaze me how the more experienced flyers are able to calculate the winners of races whilst making allowances for whether the race has been quick or slow, overfly etc. All in their head! Just how many would have been near the mark on this one?
Gosport RPC had 4 members send 40 birds to Tours 1. Secretary Pete Woods had the first two arrivals on 1043 ypm & 1023 ypm. His first, a 2yr old Mealy cock Delbar x with his own family, and his second, a dk 4 yr old cock of his own with several previous prize cards to his credit. Both pigeons were flown naturally, and were sent sitting. John Ayling took 3rd prize on 1004 ypm with a 3 yr old naturally flown cock sent sitting and bred from a brother to John's Pau National Winner.
East Cowes FC saw where 9 members sent 101 birds, saw a win for Frank Attrill with his well bred red yearling cock on 1043 ypm. This pigeon is a grandson of a Belgium National winnerand was flown on widowhood. Eric Wiltshire took second place with his 4 yr old blue cheq white flight hen on 993 ypm. 3rd spot was won by Grahame Deacon and his yearling blue celibate Staf Van Reet cock on 991 ypm.
Portchester RPC had 3 members send 40 birds to this race. 1st prize winner was F Smith with a 4 yr old Blue Cheq cock on 1024 ypm. both second and third places were won by M Drain. 2nd with a blue cheq w/flight yearling hen flown naturally on 987 ypm. His 2 yr old dark hen took third on 962 ypm.
Conveyers Report. All birds loaded by 2050hrs. Arrived Caen 0650 hrs. Stopped to water and rest birds for 1¼hrs outside dock. Stopped again for 1 hour to give birds another refill of water. Arrived in Tours at 1415hrs. Birds given a light feed and all waters replenished. Tony called to say the forecast for the morning was not looking good and we had a 50/50 chance. We were up at 0500hrs and the weather was fine. Tony called to say the line of flight was good and the bad weather had not moved. We decided to liberate at 0700hrs into broken cloud and sunshine into a North/north west wind. The birds cleared the site in seconds to the North.
Reminder - Don't forget that the 28th June is our charity race.£1 per pigeon. Sponsored by DAM Builders Ltd, Macro Developments, and Race Night.
NB. As will all be aware, there has been recently a 168 meeting concerning the clock rule 5. It has been the decision of the committee that all members, regardless of whether they seal their pads in their lofts or not will be included in all results subject the matter being resolved by the Southern region or the RPRA council.
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