Fraserburgh is primarily known as Scotland’s largest fishing port and lies at the far north east corner of Aberdeenshire. It is the biggest shellfish port in Europe and a busy commercial harbour with a rich maritime heritage, stunning coastal scenery and a climate that generally merits the need for an extra layer during its summer months. Known for its cool summers and mild winters with temperatures averaging 44°f in February and 63°f in August the biggest challenge for the NRCC is the rain which is significant throughout the year due to its oceanic climate (no dry season)! In addition to the rain, Fraserburgh is known to experience sea fog, especially during the spring and summer months. This type of fog, also known as coastal fog or “Haar”, forms when warm, moist air moves over the relatively cold waters of the North Sea.
While the weather forecast for Fraserburgh may indicate sunny intervals, sea fog is still a possibility given the time of year and Fraserburgh’s location. With this in mind, Fraserburgh has not earned itself a reputation for being an easy race point to navigate for the fancy and has over the years earned the nickname of ‘The Graveyard’ from some fanciers. With this in mind, Convoyer Dave Pettitt had a tough job on his hands and with two exceptional NRCC liberations already under his belt and some brilliant feedback from all sections within the NRCC, this one would definitely prove to be a test of nerves! The following is a snapshot brief of convoyer Dave’s report: After leaving Calverton on Thursday, June 12th, the transporter made its way to Ecclefechan, arriving at 19:30 hrs. The pigeons were fed and watered and the main water tank was then refilled for the onward journey the next morning. After a restful night the pigeons were checked and the water troughs emptied and by 05:00 hrs the transporter was on its way again to the liberation site in Fraserburgh. On Friday, June 13th, the NRCC transporter arrived at Fraserburgh shortly after 11:30 hrs in the morning where the birds were watered and the shutters were opened. (Ironically, the weather was glorious as the NRCC website photo taken by Dave shows) The birds were then fed the NRCC’s own mix of food, supplied by Bamfords Top Flight at 14:00 hrs and the water was then replaced after feeding. The shutters were closed as Dave retired for the evening. Saturday, June 14th, Pigeons checked and shutters opened upon waking. The Weather was not good on the proposed race day. Ray was in contact throughout the morning with regular updates regarding conditions. Advised that the conditions would not improve in time to have a race, so a holdover was called.
Pigeons were Fed at 14:00. Water replenished following feeding. Shutters were closed when I went to bed. As Saturday approached it was clear that despite the odd break in the Fraserburgh sky early on that could have seen a small window of opportunity for a liberation, it would have been a gamble as sitting just below Stonehaven and down through to Berwick, the weather gods dictated otherwise, the Scottish sky was covered with a stubborn band of dense cloud and rain which refused to break and ease with more of the same throughout the day moving across on the Westerly wind and into Fraserburgh itself. After consulting with weather advisor, Ray Luffman, Dave made the decision to hold over. Disappointing for some maybe but the right decision as Sunday’s race was to prove. After full weather and visibility checks were made, the Fraserburgh skies cleared and Dave was able to release the pigeons at 09:45 hrs in a west wind. After checking the vehicle to ensure there were no stragglers, Dave reported that the birds cleared well and heading in the right direction.
I myself spoke with a Scottish fancier who had travelled up from nearby Peterhead to watch the liberation and he fed-back that it was one of the best liberations he had seen from Fraserburgh and it wasn’t very long until a video of the liberation appeared on social media doing the rounds! The one thing that was of a concern was for the longer flyers as the liberation time was, in some opinions, a little later than they would have liked however, any worry about this was completely eradicated as the Fraserburgh birds began dropping in with Section ‘H’ winner Neil Andrews, timing in five birds in 45 minutes between 19:08 and 19:55, flying a distance of 412 plus miles. This was similarly echoed in Section I with R & P Smith timing in six birds between 19:56 and 21:12 flying just over 433 miles and again in section G, the furthest Section in the NRCC, with Mick Tuck winning his section racing a cool 455 plus miles, his first bird timing in at 20:35 and his fourth and last bird timing in at 21:58 giving him a full house on the day! I have since had a good number of conversations with fanciers have fed back how good their returns were and just how much they enjoyed the race and of the great condition their returning birds were in so without a doubt, credit where it’s due to for the delayed liberation. We would like to congratulate the NRCC Bamfords Top Flight Fraserburgh Open Winner Section F fancier Scott Walker who timed in at 17:25 with a distance of 368/659 and a winning velocity of 1408.9221. Well done! We would also like to congratulate all of our Section Winners and everyone who entered. This Fraserburgh 2025 race will definitely not be remembered as a ‘Graveyard’ race!
Scott Walker – 1st Section F – 1st Open – Norfolk, flying 368/659. Velocity 1408.9: The day started with the hope that the birds would be liberated on Father’s Day as it was only a few months ago that I’d lost my dad, who is the reason I’m writing this today, who has been at the forefront of everything I do and the energy for me to get things right. After the emotions of the day and the news coming through that the birds had been liberated out of Fraserburgh at 9.45 with a west wind, calculations made and a pigeon between 7-8 hours would be up there. 17.25 looking out to the North he came bang on line, with a few punches to the air to get the first one home. It was a few hours later when I received a call from Steve Howells asking for confirmation of my time that the nerves started, could I really have done it on Father’s Day for him………… Moments later the congratulations started filtering through the group page so it was becoming real. The bird itself is a blue grizzle yearling from a hen brought from Ernie Goodyear at the Blackpool show in Jan 24 and the cock a bird from Nick Barron the same month. I only race a few young bird races to get them used to the basket and this year it’s been up the road from the start, only having a weekend off in between the nationals. This cock, now named (TJ) after my dad, was 59th open Perth and now will sit proudly in the shed until we go again next year. I’d like to thank the members at the Horsford Club who have helped me along the way in a very short journey in my pigeon racing.Neil & Jackie Andrews – 1st Section H – 106th Open – Ware, flying 412/1368. Velocity 1290.1: As you know I only joined this year before Dunbar and have been lucky enough to be 3rd and 7th section Dunbar, 1st and 2nd Section Perth, 1st 2nd 4th 5th 6th section Fraserburgh. This year I am racing cocks and hens both go out once a day as with work and the young birds doing the pigeons in my own that’s all I can do. I don’t bother to train once they have had two club races. The hen I timed was first was paired in February for 14/15 days then split. She never bothers to go in the cock’s section on a Saturday where she is allowed. My 2nd pigeon was also a celibacy cock that has not been paired at all. The section winner is a Gaby Vandenabeele based pigeon. I share some stock pigeons with my friend Andy Noon in Warrington and he bred her from a pair from Nathan Hoggard of Bridlington. I had a nice race with five in 45 mins at 412 miles all yearlings and three more after I went to do the clocks. I only planned to send to two or three races with the NRCC this year but will definitely try Thurso next year when I have more of an established team. I would say to any fanciers racing to the long end in the London and Home Counties join and have a go as I never expected three such enjoyable races.
Matthew Mason – 1st Section B – 9th Open – Coningsby flying 326/1434. Velocity 1384: My 2024 yearling cock is raced on the natural system, as all my birds are. The system at my loft is called RARS system (Rough and Ready System as I call it). If I feel they need motivation I always have something in mind to get them going. This may be putting another bird in his box with his hen, usually works most times. The section winner is a direct son of my 2023 Dunbar winner who has now bred 7 x first prize winners and is proving to be a goldmine at stock!!! His dam is from Mick Lilley of Hartlepool and she has also proved to be a good breeder; she is from the good hen Ruby who is a goldmine at breeding winners. I have had a remarkable season to be honest, as my team of birds have been in top form for most of the season which is refreshing as I’m not in a favourable position in my club. The birds have held their line most weeks in different wind conditions. I’d like to thank various fanciers in the Boston area for all their encouragement and my family who’ve said I’m pigeon mad!!!
Neil & Jackie Andrews – 1st Section H – 106th Open – Ware, flying 412/1368. Velocity 1290.1: As you know I only joined this year before Dunbar and have been lucky enough to be 3rd and 7th section Dunbar, 1st and 2nd Section Perth, 1st 2nd 4th 5th 6th section Fraserburgh. This year I am racing cocks and hens both go out once a day as with work and the young birds doing the pigeons in my own that’s all I can do. I don’t bother to train once they have had two club races.
The hen I timed was first was paired in February for 14/15 days then split. She never bothers to go in the cock’s section on a Saturday where she is allowed. My 2nd pigeon was also a celibacy cock that has not been paired at all. The section winner is a Gaby Vandenabeele based pigeon. I share some stock pigeons with my friend Andy Noon in Warrington and he bred her from a pair from Nathan Hoggard of Bridlington. I had a nice race with five in 45 mins at 412 miles all yearlings and three more after I went to do the clocks. I only planned to send to two or three races with the NRCC this year but will definitely try Thurso next year when I have more of an established team. I would say to any fanciers racing to the long end in the London and Home Counties join and have a go as I never expected three such enjoyable races.
Mick Tuck – 1st Section G – 195th Open – Godalming, flying 455/530. Velocity 1232: First of all, I would like to thank the convoyer on the excellent condition of the birds on return. I had all my four entry’s home on the day flying 455 miles. Unfortunately, I missed the arrival of the first two pigeons as I was at my local club doing clocks for the club race which was on the same day. When I got home, I found two pigeons had arrived but my second bird had failed to time in on the ETS so I had to put her across the antenna to record her time and have idea when she actually arrived. My first pigeon is a small black hen raced on the natural system sitting fourteen days. She is from my Southwell family and previously won 1st club, 1st Fed, 1st Combine Perth 382 miles from 789 pigeons. I had three on the day winning 1st, 2nd and 3rd Fed/Combine when there were only seven-day birds. Her sire was my second pigeon on that occasion. My pigeons suit these hard days when few birds get through on the day, her Dam won Bordeaux on a hard day. (Well done Mick on topping your Section for both this race and the NRCC Perth race. Great flying!)
J & T Gateley – 1st Section D/E – 56th Open – Leicester, flying 364/1447. Velocity 1318.6: This is our first-year racing with the NRCC. The section winning cock is our own breed and is raced on the widowhood system. He has won club and fed races and won for us as a young bird. I am now flying North Road after previously racing South and joined the NRCC as most of my club fly with them. (Not just topping the section but also taking 2nd position as well. Well done J & T Gateley)
S O Neal – 1st Section I – 129th Open – Harwich, flying 418/1557. Velocity 1267.8: The pigeon was bred by myself from a cock which I brought from a late bred sale in 2023 bred by S Kaschner and a hen from my old Busschaert lines, this was my first-year racing in the NRCC the cock was raced on widowhood and was my 2nd pigeon from Dunbar 1st from Perth and first from Fraserburgh. Overall, I’m very pleased with his performances this year. I only started racing pigeons 7 years ago as a novice I race in the Saxon valley championship club and decided I wanted to test my pigeons at some distance races I picked out 6 for the NRCC they had 4 shorter races in the Saxon valley to get their fitness and then they all went to Dunbar Perth and Fraserburgh I lost two out of the 6 on the last race.
Perry Bros & Son & Bunton -1st Sec C – 2nd Open – Kings Lynn, Norfolk, flying 354/295. Velocity 1406.4: Malcolm Bunton joined the partnership seven years ago when we were flying South. Due to Brexit and the changes, we decided to turn North. We fly both natural and widowhood pigeons but only fly the cock bird’s widowhood. Our section winning pigeon was a 2-year-old mealy widowhood cock, which has been a very consistent racer as a youngster and as a yearling, taking many cards. The bloodlines of GB23N24386 are Vanden Broucke x Gaskin.
Ireland Brothers -1st Sec A – 4th Open – Nottingham, flying 329/62. Velocity 1398.1: Our section winner is a little Ceuster hen from premier stud. She was sent to Fraserburgh, having put a decent performance up from Perth being 12th section, 37th open, and has been a consistent pigeon for us. It was very pleasing to be 4th and 10th open from Fraserburgh as we were a little disappointed with our previous results from Dunbar and Perth where we sent a strong team and was hoping to do a little better. We have recently turned North in the last couple of years with the NRCC in mind once we had a decent team of national pigeons. Our birds are paired up at the beginning of January where they are allowed to rear a youngster. The hens are usually taken away when the youngsters are around three weeks old, leaving the cock birds to rear the youngster for the last week. The birds are raced in the Nottingham North Road Federation where they are raced every week prior to the NRCC races. Our birds have raced very consistently for us this year. Our team are raced, flying the traditional widowhood system, with the cocks getting to see their hens on return from the race. We like to try and keep things as simple as possible. The feeding is dependent on the distance of the race where the birds are always allowed to eat as food much as they want. We would like to thank the NRCC committee and all the people behind the scenes that’s put a lot of work in. The transport team do a wonderful job taking care of the birds where they always return in fantastic condition which is a credit to the transport team. We recently lost our mum a couple of years ago who was always fully supportive of me with the pigeons from when I was a small child and right up and till when she passed away, doing whatever she could to help. We seem to be getting closer each year and making progress so we will keep trying extremely hard to hopefully, one day get that NRCC national winner and hopefully, it will be a hen so we can call it Lizzie after my mum. That would be one of our dreams come true.
The NRCC would like to thank everyone for sending in their photographs and the information about their section winners. It is always is a pleasure and interesting reading about what motivates and encourages fanciers and the different ways of preparing for the longer races.
Christina
