The North Road Championship Club’s opening race took place on Saturday 17th May from Dunbar when 203 members entered 2217 birds. In charge of the convoy would be new chief convoyer David Pettit from Watford. Dave was present at the Cambridge marking station travelling with one of our feeder vehicles through to the hub at Wyberton and then on to Calverton for the last collection before making their way up to Dunbar.
The convoy arrived at Dunbar and at 21:30hrs the shutters were raised, the pigeons checked, drinkers were filled. The lights were on until 22:30hrs when the shutters were lowered and the birds allowed to settle before the lights were turned off.
Dave reported thatupon waking at 05:00hrs the birds were checked and the water was topped up. The weather on the site was fine, with some mist out to sea. At 06:20 Dave contacted the clubs race advisor for an update on the line of flight and the weather conditions. There was some inclement weather below Dunbar, with a view that it would clear, however patience would be the game. Dave was in contact with Ray Luffman along with other federations on our line for regular updates regarding conditions.
On site it was excellent and with an improved line of flight the decision was made to get the show on the road with a proposed liberation for 10:15hrs. The birds would be released in a light westerly wind at the liberation site turning on route.
First Section C – 1st Open Dunbar A Pinner Wainfleet St Mary, Lincolnshire
Now 63, Andy Pinner has been flying pigeons since 1981 when he joined the Alford North Road Pigeon Club to fly young birds. Andy’s first loft was a 12 x 8 converted chicken shed split into two sections one for the old birds and one young birds. Since then, many lofts have been in the garden at Wainfleet but today’s loft is a 20ft x 8ft split into 4 sections, two for old, two for young birds with a full-length wire box along the front. Eight pair of breeders are kept in an 8’ by 6’ loft. This year Andy paired his breeders up in January and bred two rounds of youngsters. The racers were paired in February but did not rear any youngsters but just allowed to sit the eggs out. Training started three weeks before racing and if the weather is ok, normally about eight tosses between five and twenty miles, then twice a week when racing from twenty miles. Exercise is twice daily where they can do what they want for up to an hour. Feed is a light mixture and more sport mix is added for the last four feeds depending on distance of race and wind.
This year Andy is flying the birds on the natural system and was sent sitting 14-day eggs.
She is a two-year-old blue hen, now called ‘Blue Bird’. She is of Leo Hermans origin and was bred by John Coles from Maidstone in Kent. She was entered in the NRCC Futurity auction and was bought by Bob Boulton of Addlethorpe but with Bobs advancing years 91 at time he decided to stop racing as his mobility was not too good so he was transferred to Andy to race. She raced the full programme and was sent to the futurity, she had five top federation positions in the Peterborough and District Federation and as a yearling she was a widow hen so wasn`t flown. Andy brought her back out this year and look what happened……..1st NRCC Dunbar open! This is Andy’s second open win as in 2021 he was first open Thurso.
1st Section A – Darren Oakley South Normanton Derbyshire
From the east to west, while the majority of the leading birds were well over on the coast and dare, I say it, over the wash into Norfolk. Last year’s Dunbar winner Darren Oakley had topped his section into South Normanton in Derbyshire.
Darren only joined the NRCC last year having raced south but opened his NRCC account with first open from this very race point last year and to top is section this year Darren said he was well made up!’
His two-year-old hen he calls ‘Golden Blue.’ She is flown on widowhood and has now won 1st club 1st fed, 2 x 2nd club 2nd fed 6th open NRCC Thurso and now 1st section 21st open Dunbar. Her breeding is a blend of C&C Lambrechts, Franz Zwols and Leo Hermans. Darren says ‘basically just good pigeons to good pigeons’. He uses Beyers mixtures and supplements from ‘Gold Bird’.
1st Section B – Daniel Soanes Brown – Walesby Nottinghamshire
Dan is quickly notching up section wins in the NRCC. Dan is a relative newcomer to the sport and you can watch his exploits with is pigeons on his You-tube channel just click on you tube and search How To Train Your Pigeon you will certainly be in be in for some viewing especially if you click on his interview with former RPRA CEO Ian Evans.
His section winner from Dunbar is a blue yearling cock that he bred himself. The sire is from a bird he bred off one of Dave Evans’ pigeons from Clipstone and the dam is from a bird from NRCC legend Charlie Woof of the infamous Woof Bros in Ollerton.
Dan said ‘I thought we had a chance this time around because the birds were flying well during the week and two or three birds had that buoyant, corky feel to them that so many people talk about. The birds are flown on a semi-widowhood system and both cocks and hens are shown prior to the race and both partners are sent. I sent 14 to the race and all but one have returned up to sending these notes in.
1st Section D/E – 176th Open B Manning Syston Leicester
I am a 76yr old pensioner, says Brian, and have raced pigeons for over 40 years. This bird was sent sitting 10 days and it is his first win but a consistent bird. Although it is nice to win the section, I was only 3rd and 4th club beaten by club champ Mark Smith who was 1st and 2nd with his great team of sprinters. 809 is one of my own bred birds
1st Section F – 2nd & 3rd Open
‘What a day we had, we are over the moon!’ said Dylis King from Dereham in Norfolk, her and partner Chris not only topped section F but finished second and third Open, Dylis went on ‘We enjoy sitting in the garden early to wait for the birds on race day, this Saturday was no exception, we were earlier than usual but thought we would go out anyway. Just as we sat down, we looked up and high in the sky two dots appeared. Chris started to call them down and the two dots began spiralling down towards the loft and we soon realised it was Dilys’ favourite pigeon, a red chequer hen called ‘Lazy Girl’ with a blue pied hen with her. Lazy Girl hit the landing board and was straight in, whilst the blue pied was going so fast she missed the landing board completely, she went round once before dropping in.’
Chris bred Lazy Girl from a pair of Stefaan Lambrechts he got from a Stefaan Lambrechts stock sale. Dilys named the hen ‘Lazy Girl’ as she only flies for about 15 minutes when the hens are out exercising round the house. While the other hens are flying Lazy Girl walks round the garden for 45 minutes. The second pigeon is a Willy Jacobs, again bred by Chris from birds coming from Gerald Delaney at O’Roory Hill Stud NI.
1st Section H – John & Richard Turnell Cheshunt Hertfordshire
This is our first proper season sending with the NRCC, with needing a change from our normal LNRC distance racing, where we’ve achieved what we can and needed to try something different. We did send for the first time last season just to Thurso, with it being a combined liberation with the LNRC, where we were 3rd section H NRCC & 2nd open LNRC.
Our first bird from Dunbar, took 5 hours 14 minutes to do 314 miles. He is a 3-year-old Dark Chequer widowhood cock, own breed. When we saw him coming, we weren’t sure if he was an NRCC bird or a LNRC, with us also sending to the LNRC race where we were 5th open LNRC. Our first bird actually went to Thurso last year and came back the next day with an injury, he had food and water weeping out of his crop, but we managed to save him. This year he’s been coming well, repaying us, being second club, federation and Amalgamation, only beaten by a loft mate. He has now gone on to win 1st section H-NRCC Dunbar for us.
1st Section I Russell Straker from Frinton on Sea Essex
Russell took 1st and 2nd section ‘I’. The winner is a blue chequer yearling cock of Jos Thone x Willem De Bruijn lines. The racers were coupled mid-February. This cock was allowed to rear two youngsters up to around 16, 17 days when one youngster goes with the hen in the hen’s loft and the other remains with the clock. They are left with the cocks until the youngsters last flight comes level to their second to last one and then they are moved to the young bird loft. The birds are trained while on the nest taking hens and cocks on alternate days taking them in stages to a distance of 25 miles before their first race, which is Sleaford.
This cock had all the clubs old bird races through to Whitby, a distance of 199 miles, and then sent to Dunbar with the NRCC. No hens were shown for Dunbar as we didn’t want to disturb the other cocks in the loft that were not going, but was allowed to go into the whole of his boxes. In closing Russell said he was looking forward to the Day of Champions and could not thank the clubs officers enough for all they do, he did say something like ‘I’ll buy you a pint!’