WELSH SOUTH ROAD NATIONAL FLYING CLUB CARENTAN YB 2015 REPORT By Gareth Watkins The final race of the WSRNFC race programme took place on Saturday 12th September from the French town of Carentan situated at the base of the Cherbourg peninsular. The weather in the week leading up to the race was far from ideal here in South Wales and indeed throughout the south of England and the forecast for the weekend seemed to offer little hope of a liberation on the appointed day. Liberations taking place at Carentan in ideal conditions. However, such are the vagaries of the British weather, that a window of opportunity arose late morning on the Saturday and at 12.15 pm the convoy took to the air to race the 180-200 miles to their home lofts in South Wales. Here s convoyer, Phil Fishlock s, report on preparations for the liberation: Arrived on site 15.00 Friday, birds fed and watered by 16.00, left to rest, 19.00 topped water up, left to rest for the night. At 07.00 Saturday phoned my contact on Guernsey - very windy there and on the channel advised to leave it till later. 07.30 phoned Neville on Portland howling wind there and on the channel advised to hold on. 09.15 topped water up again weather on site ok. Trevor from the BICC on Guernsey phoned about 09.30 to say things had improved on Guernsey and he was going at 10.00, he phoned back later to say the birds had gone well. The wind decreased through the morning on site birds from the north-west started to lib at 10.45 birds cleared well as did the other liberations. I liberated at 12.15 into to a brisk westerly wind and broken cloud birds cleared well, The wind in the channel was blowing strongly from a south westerly direction and here in the Welsh valleys it was fine
and bright with a brisk wind blowing from the west. After a hard season s racing the youngsters had a difficult task to face but face it they did with many finding their home lofts on the day of toss. Red Ruby, 1st WSRNFC Carentan (photo courtesy of Martin Meredith). Leading the way with a velocity of 1182 ypm was one to the Llanhilleth loft of Mr & Mrs Steve Roach. This is a loft in super form this young bird season as they seem to have dominated the young bird race results at club level while competing against some of the top fanciers in Wales. This is what Steve and Michelle had to say about their National win in the first season back in the sport: Our Red Pied Hen or Princess Ruby as my wife likes to call her / 1st National Carentan is a Jan Theelen x Busschaert. The Sire is Jan Theelen that came from David and Roy Douglas who no longer fly and they had the bird off Wilf Higgins who has also helped me along the way. The Dam is a Busschaert that was very kindly given to us off Martin and Graham Clayton. The hen was reared in March and put on the darkness system in April, not knowing what to expect having never done it before, glad we did. She flew every race from the 2nd Salisbury to Carentan taking a 4th Bedhampton along the way. She was sent sitting a 3 day old you young one on basketing night for Carentan and was in real good feather. Hope you can give the above guys a mention as none of this would have happened without them. What a first season we have had, hope we can keep it up. Steve and Michelle Roach, 1st WSRNFC Carentan (photo courtesy of Martin Meredith). Steve Roach with Red Ruby, 1st National Carentan and Michelle holding 1st Fed Open Eastbourne (photo courtesy of Martin Meredith).
Taking 2nd East section and 2nd Open National was a young one to the Roaches club mate A Webber on 1170 ypm. Alan is a shy and retiring type apparently and so details of his pigeon are unavailable. Nevertheless Alan, congratulations on your pigeon s top class performance in coming runner up to your near neighbours Steve and Michelle in this young bird National race. the start of racing just home exercise, forced if necessary, twice each day. He is bred from a Ponderosa Janssen cock and a Staf Van Reet hen which was purchased from L & S Goodlife of Nicosia Lofts. Elwyn Styling, 1st section 3rd Open National Carentan. 1st Centre East section 3rd Open goes to one of Elwyn Styling s young bird team on 1159 ypm. Elwyn s timer is a young darkness cock sent sitting - wait for it a GOLF BALL!!! This was due to the fact that he had mislaid his pot eggs. The cock has had every race and very little training since Paul Peploe, Dellan Scammell and Ron Scammell, pictured outside the racing loft The phenomenally successful Garndiffaith partnership of Ron Scammell and Paul Peploe got one on 1158 ypm to finish at 3rd East section and 4th Open in the fifth race of its career. This one is an exchange young bird bred by Davies & Coombs and is bred from a direct Dr Frans Zwols stock pair. These contain the bloodlines of Euro 2, Peter, Den Euro, King of Rekkem and Gracia, and have been responsible for some outstanding performers in a very short time. The full sister to Ron and Paul s timer, a 2014 bred youngster won 2nd club 2nd Fed 2nd National Maidstone in 2014 for Davies & Coombs beaten by a loft mate. Another brother has won two club races for the Davies &Coombs partnership.
Next we have the Pontypool partnership of Mr & Mrs Jennings on 1148.6 ypm to take 4th East section 6th Open. The Jennings had this to say about their time in the sport: Powell & Price, 5th Open Carentan. Powell & Price come in next at 2nd Centre East section and 5th Open vel 1156 ypm. The active fancier here is John Price as his partner died 11 years ago but John keeps the name out of respect. John clocked a young hen whose sire took 2nd Open National in the corresponding race in 2014. He is of Vandenabeele x Herbots bloodlines. The dam of the hen is JanAarden x Soontjen. The Carentan timer was on the darkness system for just 6 weeks just long enough for her to moult her head and body feathers. Preparatory races leading up to Carentan were two Salisburys, Lyndhurst and Bedhampton and then into Carentan. John had four birds of his six bird entry in pretty quick time on the day. We have been flying pigeons for many years, but never entered into the Nationals. This meant that many of our results were never recognised, including topping the combine from Maidstone 10,500 birds - Young birds on the South East; 2nd Combine from Crieff 7,000 birds - old birds north road & winning Breeder buyer with 1 of the highest prize money of 1,500 from Ramsgate. In the last couple of years we have entered the Nationals and have had many Fed & National results last year being the Top Federation point winners of Young Birds. Flying with a small team in the past, we have never had over 35 pigeons but had great results. Recently we have bred 50 youngsters which are based around Jos Thorne pigeons of which the Blue cock we had out of Carentan was bred. Both the Sire & the Dam were obtained from Brownley & Spence. The young birds are flown on the dark system. Mr & Mrs Jennings, 6th Open Carentan National. Theophilus & son, 7th Open Carentan National. A hair s breadth behind on 1148.1 ypm taking 3rd Centre East section 7th Open is one to Theophilus & son of Abertysswg. Neil and Matthew clocked a blue pied hen flown
on the darkness system. She is a cross between birds obtained from Mark Tantrum and Williams, Brothers, son & Burgham. Her preparation for Carentan entailed races from Saisbury, Lyndhurst, Battle, Maidstone and Eastbourne so she has had plenty of miles under her wings in the build up to her first Channel crossing. She also wins 1st Open Rhymney Valley 2 Bird club into the bargain. John Rawlings son and partner come in at 5th East section 8th Open with one on 1142 ypm. The partners clocked a chequer hen racing to the perch. She has had most races through to Eastbourne and is bred from a gift pigeon from Scammell & Peploe of Jan Aarden x Karel Herman on the sire s side and another gift pigeon on the dam s side a Vandenabeele from Keith Bevan. The New Tredegar partnership of Ireland & Hynam clocked one of their team on 1141 ypm to take 4th Centre East section 9th Open. The partners clocked a blue pied hen on darkness which has had all except the first two races of the young bird programme. She is bred from a pair of Ceuleman pigeons obtained from Mr & Mrs Wolsey of Spalding. The top ten Open positions are topped off by one to the Tredegar loft of Williams Brothers, son & Burgham recording 1137 ypm. Paul Ireland of Ireland & Hynam, 9th Open National Carentan. Williams Brothers, son & Burgham. This is what the partners told me about their timer: The young bird we clocked was a chequer hen racing to the perch. She had 4 club races prior to the National including, Swindon, Maidstone and Battle. Her sire is inbred to Brockamp's Hannah (full sister to Euro Diamond). His dam is off sire to Marseille King x Hannah whilst his sire is a son of the daughter of Hannah. The Dam of our timer is Rutz x Deweerdt (Mark Gilbert and Mark Sparey) and is a full sister to 5th Open WNRF Maidstone and 14th National Messac, 8th National Saintes, 11th National Saintes, 18th National Bergerac all in 2015. Around the sections now and the first three in each of the East and Centre East sections
have been covered in the top ten Open prize winners. In the Centre West section the Maerdy partnership of Silver, Mabey & Lewis take top honours with a youngster doing 926 ypm. This was a Breeder Buyer pigeon bred by Mike Parker of Maesteg and she also won the Upper Rhondda B/ B and the 2Bird club. A natural youngster flying to the perch, she has been a very consistent performer all season for the partners. Maerdy club mates Owen & R. T. Evans & son come in next at 2nd Centre West section vel 899 ypm. This one is another breeder /buyer pigeon as she was bred by Glyncorrwg fancier George Thomas. She has had every race and was just racing to the perch with no other form of motivayion. 2015 section winner of Geoff Cooper x Huysken Van Riel bloodlines through Dai Smith of Bristol. He has had every young bird race to date and was 2nd club 2nd 2 Bird club from Eastbourne the week before Carentan. He went one better at Carentan winning 1st club 1st 2 Bird club and 1st section National, sent feeding a 10 day old young bird after being on darkness at the start of the season. Ray Watts and Mike Williams, 1st West section Carentan OB and YB. Finally, moving over to the west section here we find the Maesteg partnership of Watts & Williams taking top honours yet again with a young bird on 1031 ypm. When I phoned the mobile number given me I got through to one of the partners who was would you believe it on holidays in LANZAROTE!! He then gave me his partner s phone number in Maesteg which proved to be the wrong number. However, common sense prevailed and I m glad to say that Ray Williams phoned me later to give some information on their section winner. This is a chequer cock closely related to their other Gary Williams of thewilliams & Wellington partnership with their 2nd west section Carentan. Williams & Wellington of Neath come in with one on 975 ypm for 2nd West section. The partners clocked a blue pied hen that was on darkness early in the year. Her grand sire, a Lefebre Dhaenen, was a bit of racing machine winning 16 x 1sts at club level plus numerous 1st Fed and 3 x 1st Amal. Her sire was purchased from Bob Lee and is also of Lefebre Dhaenen bloodlines. The hen has been raced east to west up to Epsom and her nest mate won 1st club Lydden Hill the week before Carentan. The hen also wins 1st Ystalyfera Gold Ring and 1st Swansea Valley 2 Bird Club. R Davies & daughter finish off the top three here with a bird on 970 ypm. This one is blue cock bred in December and raced on the darkness system. He has had every race on the south east route through to Eastbourne in preparation for Carentan. He
is bred from the partners No1 stock pair that has already bred two yearling widowhood cocks to top the Fed this year. Well that s the end of a very trying season and all that s left for me to do is congratulate all the race winners and I hope to see you all at The Grove Country Club, Porthcawl in November for the Annual Presentation. Gareth Watkins Morgan Lewis (L) Charlie Silver (secy) and Brian Davies at the WSRNFC stall at the Welsh Spring Fayre. Charlie Silver our secretary would like to thank all the marking station organisers for all their hard work and help in running the club throughout the year.