UkPigeonRacing

We have now had 6 races this year, all have been won by our top sprint man, Mr Alan Still, some of you may have read the article he was asked to write in this years Squills book. As well as taking the majority of cards available in our club so far Alan has also topped the Sussex North road Federation in 3 of those 6 races.
When I get the chance I will post our club and Fed results so far in the Race results section.

Today we have the first of our 5 Combine Races, this Combine consists of four Federations, we have us, The Sussex North Road Federation, The Solent Federation, The Southampton North Road Federation and the Dorset Federation. The Combine has a span along the South Coast of around 150miles from Hastings in East Sussex to Dorset in the West, we are racing today from Wetherby, which is 219miles for me.
Our club sent around 150 birds, the Federation has sent 496 birds, the Combine has sent 1,900 birds. They are hoping for an early liberation as it is supposed to get very warm, at the moment though they are waiting for fog to clear along the coast.
With the conditions as they are it should be a good and steady race, good luck all.

Our birds were liberated at 6.30am into a light South West wind, I reckon they could be here in 4 to 4.5hrs, good luck all.

Good luck Trev - conditions look very good for racing all over the country today.

Thank you for that update Trev.
We know you cannot compete with the speed specialists, but later on I reckon you will get a win, like you usually do.

Remember Trev, you have to be in it. To win it. Good luck mate.

Good luck Trev

Well that wasn't as straightforward as I'd have liked. Personally I think they went too early as the birds didn't arrive on site until half past 1 so in my opinion didn't get the chance to settle after a nights travelling, and many probably didn't get to the drinkers.
However, we all moan when things don't go as we hoped. I was very optimistically hoping for something around the 4 to 4.5hr mark, sadly that wasn't to be. After 5 hrs I was starting to get a little down hearted, then all of a sudden from over the house came a blue cock with his wings tucked up ready to land. Unfortunately he did one circle before landing on the house, he wasn't there long and soon dropped down onto the trap and through the wires recording a time of 5hrs 10mins 22secs. I was hopefull that the others would soon follow but it was another 10 minutes before my 2nd arrived, then an hour before I got another, that was how it went for the rest of day, just the odd bird or two turning up all through the afternoon. By the time I went to the club I still only had 16/28 home, on arrival at the club it soon became apparent that many others were in the same boat. Some did have the majority back while others had plenty of empty perches, I heard of one of the Solent fanciers who only had 20/49 back.
Well true to form our top man Alan took the honours for his 7th straight win of the season, he also had 16/18 home, he certainly does have his birds firing on all cylinders this year and he obviously has them on a good line. It looks like he'll miss out on the top spot in the Federation this week though, the winning bird is in Brighton doing the distance 100ypm faster than Alan's bird which will take the 2nd spot. As it stands my bird wasn't too shabby, he was 4th club and probable 8th Federation. This bird is out of a cock bird that Alan gifted me last season crossed with a Dave Bridger hen, so thanks to them both.
When I got home from the club I found another two birds in the loft bringing my total for the day to 18/28, as it was almost dark I shut the trap up as didn't expect anything else that late in the day, wrong !! At about 10.30, as we were getting sorted to turn in for the night my wife took the dogs up the garden, she called me and asked what was this pigeon doing sat on the loft. I went to look thinking it was probably one of our local feral birds but was surprised to see my 3 year old cock bird of Busters sitting there wondering why he wasn't allowed in. He had had obviously worked hard as he had lost quite a bit of weight, other than that he is fine. I had another one this morning at 5.45 so currently have 20/28, I am 5 nice yearlings out still which I'd like to see home, the other 3 do have question Mark's against them so these I'm not so concerned about, although it's still nice when they do turn up.
Anyway enough waffle, this is how my birds arrived and our club result, I'll post the Federation and Combine results when I have them.
Well done again to Alan on another brilliant performance and well done to Lee & Kieran Norris on winning the Federation.

Well done Trev.

T. Hodges, look at you go!
You've obviously got them going well, look out once they get up the road a bit.

T. Hodges, look at you go!
You've obviously got them going well, look out once they get up the road a bit.