Tom Burkill, Mattishall. 1st Open Dunbar Old Hen. Flying time 06:58:47, Distance 271/14, velocity 1142.26: Tom Burkhill, previous winner of this race in 2023, had a superb old hen’s race with the NRCC sending seven and timing all seven in to take 1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th 16th, 17th and 23rd Open. Well done Tom.
Mr and Mrs D Evans, Alford. 1st Section C, 7th Open Dunbar Old Hen. Flying time 06:24:12, Distance 218/17, velocity 1003.15: No strangers to the old hen’s race, Dave and Pat Evans have won the NRCC old hens race an astonishing six times and from 2019 – 2022 they won the title an incredible, consecutive four years on the trot so it is no surprise to see them top the section with their superb loft of pigeons. Over the years their time and effort dedicated to the sport has clearly paid off and their impressive collection of results can only be attributed to the hours put in by both Dave and Pat, from the initial pairing up and breeding of the stock birds, right the way through to the conditioning and preparation of the race team it is a shared journey that both clearly enjoy being a part of and long may it continue.
Pat and Dave Evans, Section C winners
Terry Haley, Watford. 1st Section H, 12th Open Dunbar Old Hens. Flying time 09:25:43, Distance 310/88, velocity 964.59: Chequer pied Hen GB24B52248. She had previously won 4th Federation Thurso 492 miles this season (beaten by loft mates). She had earlier been hawked on her side and wing when coming home from Berwick, but she seemed to have recovered well. She is bred down from my old blue cock, flown 3 times Lerwick in the past and won at all distances in Federation races and bred me and others winners especially at distance races. All of my birds are flown naturally on pot eggs, to a small back garden set up and have been for the last 60 years. No stock birds are kept; they all have to race and at the end of each season I keep 22 of each sex for the next season and this is my entire team. This season they have won the small Thames Valley North Road Federation 11 times. I give a lot of birds to various charity sales each year including one for the North Road Championship Clubs forthcoming sale.
Terry Haley, Section H winner
Teddy Gunn, North Stifford. 1st Section I, 10th Open Dunbar Old Hens. Flying time 10:06:01, Distance 332/1069, velocity 965.96: My 4-year-old hen 6 flights to go and was sent sitting on a 12-day young one. I sent 4 old hens and had one on night and the other three the next day. I sent 7 young birds to the Dunbar NRCC race and had 4 on the night and 1 in morning coming 2nd, 3rd and 4th section I. Good racing!
Teddy Gunn, Section I winner
James Jarvis, Yaxley. 1st Section E, 35th Open Dunbar Old Hen. Flying time 11:02:31, Distance 258/90, velocity 685.52: She raced the channel this year three times then was sent to Dunbar as she was spare and had trained with the young birds. She is a 22 ring which originates from Carl Upsall and which I won at auction from the NRCC Futurity sale.
John Parker, Eastwood. 1st Section A, 3rd Open Dunbar Old Hen. Flying time 06:02:47, Distance 212/646, velocity 1030.234: GB24X04905 is my own breed but down the line blended with birds from H Taylor and Sons Vandenabeele x David Oakes and also has Peter Obertelli in its breeding. She was sent sitting on 10-day eggs and as you can see from the picture, she is still sitting seven days after the Dunbar race. Preparation for this race was six 40-mile Barnsley training tosses and a Hexham race the week before basketing. For the race, the feeding was spillers breed and race supplemented with beans, barley and Versa Larga Gerry Plus before basketing.
John Parkers Section A winner