"The Cobbler"
Northamptonshire
Ramblings
April 2011
Ramblings
April 2011
"The Cobbler"
Any views on Pigeon Racing in Northamptonshire to
Tel: 01933 410322 or
Email: russellbradford@talktalk.net
Copyright, all rights reserved, Russell Bradford 2010
Ramblers Itinerary Racing Pigeon Post RPP Index to Articles
Any views on Pigeon Racing in Northamptonshire to
Tel: 01933 410322 or
Email: russellbradford@talktalk.net
Copyright, all rights reserved, Russell Bradford 2010
Ramblers Itinerary Racing Pigeon Post RPP Index to Articles
It was hardly ever likely to be otherwise, but the Chapel at Kettering Crematorium was full to overflowing; and that must mean in excess of one hundred people who attended the Funeral of Barry Hobbs on the Thursday afternoon before Easter. It clearly demonstrated the stature in which Barry was held in the pigeon fraternity that so many people wished to pay their last respects to such a very genuine and well liked fancier and human being. He will be sadly missed by a lot of people, but hopefully his memory will live on within the pigeon world, as his Son Troy is going to continue to race the birds, despite the long and unsociable hours that he works.
Northamptonshire Championship Club
The club has always been able to show flexibility, so when the weather had the potential to be a little ‘Iffy’ for the first mid week race, it was decided to take the birds to the Ridgeway on the Downs, and hold a decent trainer, rather than hang on and risk rain later in the day as forecast. Needless to say the rain never arrived, but this early in the season far better to be safe than sorry. The second outing and the first race proper saw the club at Newbury with a very full trailer and not far short of five hundred birds on board. Many of the club members prefer to basket early on Wednesday morning and just send as trainers but 480 odd birds in the release still makes for a respectable competition for those actually in this 75/85 mile race. Rodney Oakes had two birds on the same second to share the top spot on 1294, with Peter Chamberlain third also on 1294 and a fourth bird only half a yard behind them. Messrs Chamberlain & Oakes cleaned up the top seven between them pushing new member Jack Power from Corby down into 8th, & 9th, for his first race with the NCC.
BICC
By the time this is printed the first BICC Basketing for Falaise will probably have taken place. Colin Wright who owns Graham Pet Foods in Rushden is currently under the weather and I am sure everyone wishes him a speedy recovery. He has kindly allowed the BICC to use part of his (pigeon-food) warehouse for marking the National birds, and hopefully this will prove a “Win-Win” situation with visiting fanciers able to purchase their pigeon needs and food whilst there.
Harrowden Federation
The Fed held their annual Breeder Buyer a few weeks before racing started, at The Britannia Club in Burton Latimer. The entries were well down on last year with only thirty birds in the pens, and a fair proportion of these turned out to be pieces of paper with ring numbers and statements along the lines of “ready in two weeks”. The income generated was obviously also down, although every bird sold and all the ring numbers are now in. The first prize split between breeder and race winner is £277; Second is £166 and Third, again split the same way accounts for £110. To make up for the apparent downturn in breeder buyer interest, the Federation members turned out with a vengeance for the first race from Basingstoke on April 16th, with a record 1,403 birds on the lorry
Five different clubs were in the top six positions, with Barry Graham the secretary of Milton Keynes out in front with a four year old Walter Docx pigeon on 1470 that is no stranger to being ‘Right-Up-There’ having twice previously been second Fed and was also 7th section NFC from Messac. Peter Chamberlain racing with Harrowden club took 2nd, & 3rd, his first bird some 13 yards behind the Fed winner, being by himself but out of a sire bred by Cameron Stansfield, and his second pigeon was a Cattryse bred by Steve Gubbins. Fourth Fed was over at Burton Latimer with birdage of 345; the largest send in the Fed and Graham Groom won despite his earnest assurances that he wasn’t really quite ready to go racing. Chris Lee at Huntingdon club was next in the frame on 1445 and taking 6th, Fed to show positions can be won by the smaller clubs was Dave Ibbitson at Wellingborough where just five members sent eighty eight birds This bird was a Bricosion silver hen, 2yr old, bred by John Owen from Crewe.
The club has always been able to show flexibility, so when the weather had the potential to be a little ‘Iffy’ for the first mid week race, it was decided to take the birds to the Ridgeway on the Downs, and hold a decent trainer, rather than hang on and risk rain later in the day as forecast. Needless to say the rain never arrived, but this early in the season far better to be safe than sorry. The second outing and the first race proper saw the club at Newbury with a very full trailer and not far short of five hundred birds on board. Many of the club members prefer to basket early on Wednesday morning and just send as trainers but 480 odd birds in the release still makes for a respectable competition for those actually in this 75/85 mile race. Rodney Oakes had two birds on the same second to share the top spot on 1294, with Peter Chamberlain third also on 1294 and a fourth bird only half a yard behind them. Messrs Chamberlain & Oakes cleaned up the top seven between them pushing new member Jack Power from Corby down into 8th, & 9th, for his first race with the NCC.
BICC
By the time this is printed the first BICC Basketing for Falaise will probably have taken place. Colin Wright who owns Graham Pet Foods in Rushden is currently under the weather and I am sure everyone wishes him a speedy recovery. He has kindly allowed the BICC to use part of his (pigeon-food) warehouse for marking the National birds, and hopefully this will prove a “Win-Win” situation with visiting fanciers able to purchase their pigeon needs and food whilst there.
Harrowden Federation
The Fed held their annual Breeder Buyer a few weeks before racing started, at The Britannia Club in Burton Latimer. The entries were well down on last year with only thirty birds in the pens, and a fair proportion of these turned out to be pieces of paper with ring numbers and statements along the lines of “ready in two weeks”. The income generated was obviously also down, although every bird sold and all the ring numbers are now in. The first prize split between breeder and race winner is £277; Second is £166 and Third, again split the same way accounts for £110. To make up for the apparent downturn in breeder buyer interest, the Federation members turned out with a vengeance for the first race from Basingstoke on April 16th, with a record 1,403 birds on the lorry
Five different clubs were in the top six positions, with Barry Graham the secretary of Milton Keynes out in front with a four year old Walter Docx pigeon on 1470 that is no stranger to being ‘Right-Up-There’ having twice previously been second Fed and was also 7th section NFC from Messac. Peter Chamberlain racing with Harrowden club took 2nd, & 3rd, his first bird some 13 yards behind the Fed winner, being by himself but out of a sire bred by Cameron Stansfield, and his second pigeon was a Cattryse bred by Steve Gubbins. Fourth Fed was over at Burton Latimer with birdage of 345; the largest send in the Fed and Graham Groom won despite his earnest assurances that he wasn’t really quite ready to go racing. Chris Lee at Huntingdon club was next in the frame on 1445 and taking 6th, Fed to show positions can be won by the smaller clubs was Dave Ibbitson at Wellingborough where just five members sent eighty eight birds This bird was a Bricosion silver hen, 2yr old, bred by John Owen from Crewe.