Watchfield 07.08.10

Watchfield In The Vale Flying Club with MB
*Remember there are No Secrets from a Bottle, just Hardwork, Dedication & Determination*

Well folks here we are again, this week (7th August) and we are back at Exeter this week with the Wiltshire federation (105mile) to us.

The birds were left in on Sunday morning but were out for a fly on Sunday afternoon, some of the young cocks are paired now and driving hard so exercise didn’t last long.

Tuesday i started to do what i said i would and that was to train them up, more so for the 11 which have not had a race, so i took them training out to Wilton which is approx 12 miles to us, its was 7pm when i liberated and when i got back after stopping at rhe chippy (Clare & Kids were away), they were all back on the garden which was pleasing.

Exercise only Wednesday afternoon and our good mate Tonto Hapgood took them training for us on Thursday morning, i was a little apprehensive of this as he was going to Salisbury which is approx 30mile to us so was a hell of a jump for ours, but hey they were in good hands with Rob. I was a little worried when i pulled up at his home and he came trotting out in his moccasins (he did say they were his loft shoes) and the feathers in his hair he said the old birds were having a good moult but the tippee in the garden had me speechless. I met his lovely wife and had a quick look round the lofts, the quality of birds were exceptional and a credit to the family.

Rob rang to say he had let them go at 10.25 and they cleared well, Well we had a mixed bags of a toss really which was expected and will have done them a power of good, thanks mate appreciated. The six birds which we have raced this year all came ok but the other had to work hard but out of the 11 we had 10 and a phone call from Frome regarding the other, now this little hen was picked up many weeks ago near Frome so must have set up a 2nd home that way so is no good really.

Its Thursday night now as im writing this and im comtemplating taking them again in the morning, as we have to really give these youngsters a chance and get them racing before the season is passed, we have a couple of NFC races and a Wessex combine race which we will be aiming at.

I will be entering the old hens again this week after missing last week with them to keep them in trim for the NFC old hens race, and decided to send all 15 of the youngsters to this one, marking went smoothly as normal with no problems whatsoever and a good laugh at the club as Tonto came down with his family.

Race day now and i was up and about a little later than normal as i am full of cold at th minute, but news soom came through that the birds were away at 0900hrs and weather at the home end was far from ideal. So i was up and about and decided to clean the old bird and young bird loft out (will clean the stock sections later this afternoon), spoke to Tonto and we both agreed that timings around 11am would be about right.

With the lofts made ready and cleaned out, T3 in place we were ready for an arrival, it was still early so i thought i would go put the kettle on and was walking down the path when i spotted 4 birds racing with wings up, quite high and on a good line, so it was back up to the loft to call them in, expected them to be some of the old hens anyhow. So after a couple of laps they landed on the old bird loft and i spotted one was a youngster so it was another couple of attempts to call her in and clocked. This little hen was in the clock at 10.48.24 so was quite happy with that, a few minutes later and our big pied cock came clapping from the front (he was our fed nom) so we called him in and clocked at 10.52.01. then the weather started to close in and the heavens open for over an hour we had thunderous showers, returns were well spread.

At the club that night, it was notable by returns that the birds had obviously run into some of the bad weather on route and there were quite a few missing, we were still 5 down from our big team of 15 some only had 1 from 7 etc, but hey thats yb racing, Onto the result and it was a great result for ourselves with 1st & 2nd club, timing firstly a blue gaby vandenabeel hen to record 1716.7 followed by our pied sraf van reet on 1661.0, taking 3rd & 4th was J & V Draper, John timing a couple of his Bricoux’s family firstly a cheq pd cock on 1651.2, followed by a schallie cock on 1646.8 with Smith & Baker having a good drop to take the next prizes.

Wiltshire Federation, Seaton 1 – 24th July 2010
1st, 2nd was D Day, Salisbury with a fantastic performance timing blue pd cock on 1612.0 followed by a blue pd hen on 1605.5, 3rd & 5th was Newman & Sevier, Salisbury with a cheq cock on 1510.4 followed by a Dk Cheq cock on 1493.5, 4th L Hamlin, Watchfield with a red hen on 1505.8, 6th & 8th was D Vardy, Ferndale with a cheq cock on 1493.2 followed by another cheq cock on 1484.9, 7th & 10th was R&P Habgood, Ferndale with a blue cock on 1485.7 followed by another blue cock on 1449.4, 9th was M/M J Baden, Gorse Hill with a cheq hen on 1456.5


Wiltshire Federation, Seaton 2 - 31st July 2010
Taking 1st 2nd 4th & 5th was S Bunn, Ram Alley (well done sir) with a cheq hen on 1591.1, followed by a cheq cock on 1587.0, then a cheq hen on 1573.2 and a blue cock on 1567.0, 3rd was Newman & Sevier, Salisbury with a mealy cock on 1584.4, taking 6th, 7th & 8th was M/M M Gower, Salisbury who clocked a cheq hen on 1553.8, followed by a red hen on 1553.5 and a blue hen on 1553.1, taking 9th & 10th was D Day, Salisbury who timed a blue cock on 1534.1 followed by a cheq cock on 1530.2

A couple of pictures sent in by Steve Hughes, Ferndale of Stan Webb following his 1st, 2nd & 4th Fed, Steve Hughes holding his fed topping hen from Carentan 2, she also won carentan 1 with the club, and finally Ferndales answer to The Janssen Bros, alias Dastardly & Muttley, Pete Goldfince & Derek Vardy.

Well that’s it for this week, try hard, work harder, be happy and good returns.

Good read and cracking results
Ken

Ditto

Another good read,
Well Done Mark & All

pat & bill ...