"The Cobbler"
Northamptonshire
Ramblings
August 2010
Ramblings
August 2010
"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
No sooner had I detailed the Various National successes of Northamptonshire Championship Club members in my last article, and sent it off to the BHW, then the last couple of Old Bird Nationals took place, and I suppose given the season members have had, it is not too surprising that another handful of excellent results were achieved. The MNFC organised what the BICC said could no longer be done ~ i.e. two major races in the same weekend and deserve praise for what must have required a lot of administration and doubtless a few headaches. The shorter race at around 210/215 miles was from Carentan with Graham Groom and Peter Chamberlain 6th, & 7th, SE section 23rd, & 27th Open respectively. Perhaps the more prestigious of the two MNFC races; (certainly if distance is the criteria), was the race from Bordeaux, although surprisingly for a club the size of the MNFC only 1,131 birds were entered for their Blue Ribbon event. No less than four NCC members took positions in the top ten of the SE section, with Albert Farrow sending just two pigeons and clocking his first; a three year old cock after 13 hours and a couple of minutes for the 514 miles, claiming an excellent 3rd SE section and 15th, Open.. Graham Groom, who clearly had an excellent weekend, was next up clocking a hen just under thirteen and three quarter hours on the wing for 515 miles, to take 7th, section and 27th, Open. Rodney Oakes was only some twenty minutes behind him to notch up 7th SE section and 29th, Open, whilst the ever-present Andy Smith took 10th, SE Section & 31st Open with one of his widowhood hen team.
The following weekend and the last in July saw NCC members enter 47 birds in the last OB Channel race on their program, and convoyed by the British Barcelona Club. Of the 1,065 birds entered by BBC members the bulk would probably be located in the southern counties albeit if one studies the final result you can see in the first forty or so positions, that there are birds as far afield as Dover and the Isle of Wight in the south to Stockport in the north and from Bath in the west to Gillingham in the east, indicating the quality and individuality of birds making their mark at the top of the leader-board. On the Saturday evening of the race the Northamptonshire Championship club members were marking for the first young bird race, albeit earlier than normal as everyone wanted to get home ASAP anticipating arrivals; if there were to be any, around the fourteen hour mark. At around half past six it was noted from the early times shown on the BBC web site that there was a bird into Chesham, (which turned out to be the winner), being timed at around eleven and three quarter hours and “only” some 45 miles south of us. With Barry away on holiday Troy Hobbs had been left to hopefully clock a ‘day-bird’, and it would not be unfair to say that ‘clocking-a-day-bird’, was the partner’s ambition. Consequently when he arrived home at about seven Troy decided to make a cup of tea and change before leisurely sauntering up the garden to have the shock of his life. His three year old cock was quietly sitting on the trap to be let in and of course nobody will ever know for how long the pigeon had been waiting. Clocked at twelve minutes past seven after thirteen hours twelve minutes flying time for the 514 miles and to take 1st NCC, 2nd section ‘D’ and 2nd Open in the BBC. Troy admitted (as if he needed to) when he phoned me around seven thirty to being a trembling wreck and he certainly sounded as though it was an occasion he was not about to forget in a hurry.
As I’ve said before, but it’s worth repeating ‘clocking a National bird that is obviously going to be well-up in the result can wholly make a season’, and I’m sure Barry & Troy will happily jump up on to cloud nine again, every time the words Bordeaux & British Barcelona Club are mentioned. Two birds within four minutes of each other after fourteen and a half hours flying, to take 2nd & 3rd, Championship club and 21st & 22nd BBC Open, by Russell & Clare Bradford suggests two determined pigeons as dusk was fast setting in, and indeed these three pigeons were the only ‘Day-Birds’ in to the county. Now just a question of moving on to next year and another old bird season, and for somebody in Northamptonshire to claim that very elusive and proper first National win. With a second and two fourth National Open positions, claimed by NCC members this year, the future is looking bright
Electronic Timing
Club officials and administrators at all levels from Nationals to the humblest of little clubs are always “expected” (I could use many other words) to assist and comply with the rules, and none less so when as a clock-setter they themselves may be waiting for their own birds, before the hours of darkness arrive on the longer races. These people are to be looked after and appreciated, for without them the requisite paperwork would fall into a big black hole, so I do wonder why the job is made that much harder (and wholly unwarranted) by the insistence that ETS clocks must be read and printed on the day of clocking. Can an RPRA Councillor ~ or anyone with a viable and constructive reason ~ tell me why this rule (239) is obligatory? Rule 237 clearly states that ETS radio clock shall be deemed to correct with TIM, so striking and printing off the pigeon times at 10 pm that evening (and often later) or 10 am the following day is not going to throw any variation, and will not alter the clocking time in any way. Instead of keeping things simple we prefer to drag a clock-setter out, sometimes with miles to travel to print off a clock time from an ETS, sometimes when the poor guy wants to go to bed so he (or she) can be up at daybreak to potentially clock their own pigeon.
Young Bird Sickness
I might as well continue on the political band wagon, whilst carping about RPRA rules. I am not a Veterinarian and never likely to be, but I’m sure in my mind that a lot of pigeon illness these days, and what is topically called YBS could be any number of infections, ~ BUT an infection it absolutely is. Most infections are contagious, (usually either air or water borne), and most infections once in a flock of young pigeons, has potentially contaminated all of them, so I admire and respect those fanciers who are honest and immediately transparent in stating they have a problem, whereas those who knowingly send birds from lofts where illness is (or immediately has been) rife are in my book totally selfish. It’s hardly small wonder that infection spreads at this time of the year in underdeveloped and growing youngsters that are stressed and possibly dehydrated if selfish fanciers continue to send infected YB’s. So where does this sit within RPRA rules? Quite simply it does not, as there is not even a guideline; even alone any rules to cover illness in racing pigeons.
We do of course have a drug testing capability, albeit I (along with the majority of fanciers in the sport I would guess) have never seen a categoric list of banned substances, and yet we have no framework or rules to fall back on, when an individual is suspected of (inadvertently or not) spreading disease. If it is so simple to apply a drug test then equally there should be a simple mandatory test to ascertain if any form of contagion or disease is present in a loft, and every RPRA member should willingly sign a mandate as part of their membership to allow such a test to be applied in order to try and eradicate YBS (or what-ever it might be called) If infection is discovered in a loft, then the last thing required is a witch-hunt, but a temporary ban from racing of (say) three weeks may go a long way to preventing the spread of illness. Most organisations these days have some form of self regulation in place, and yet I would argue that the fancy and its Governing body does not even have basic rules drawn up to try and help itself.
The following weekend and the last in July saw NCC members enter 47 birds in the last OB Channel race on their program, and convoyed by the British Barcelona Club. Of the 1,065 birds entered by BBC members the bulk would probably be located in the southern counties albeit if one studies the final result you can see in the first forty or so positions, that there are birds as far afield as Dover and the Isle of Wight in the south to Stockport in the north and from Bath in the west to Gillingham in the east, indicating the quality and individuality of birds making their mark at the top of the leader-board. On the Saturday evening of the race the Northamptonshire Championship club members were marking for the first young bird race, albeit earlier than normal as everyone wanted to get home ASAP anticipating arrivals; if there were to be any, around the fourteen hour mark. At around half past six it was noted from the early times shown on the BBC web site that there was a bird into Chesham, (which turned out to be the winner), being timed at around eleven and three quarter hours and “only” some 45 miles south of us. With Barry away on holiday Troy Hobbs had been left to hopefully clock a ‘day-bird’, and it would not be unfair to say that ‘clocking-a-day-bird’, was the partner’s ambition. Consequently when he arrived home at about seven Troy decided to make a cup of tea and change before leisurely sauntering up the garden to have the shock of his life. His three year old cock was quietly sitting on the trap to be let in and of course nobody will ever know for how long the pigeon had been waiting. Clocked at twelve minutes past seven after thirteen hours twelve minutes flying time for the 514 miles and to take 1st NCC, 2nd section ‘D’ and 2nd Open in the BBC. Troy admitted (as if he needed to) when he phoned me around seven thirty to being a trembling wreck and he certainly sounded as though it was an occasion he was not about to forget in a hurry.
As I’ve said before, but it’s worth repeating ‘clocking a National bird that is obviously going to be well-up in the result can wholly make a season’, and I’m sure Barry & Troy will happily jump up on to cloud nine again, every time the words Bordeaux & British Barcelona Club are mentioned. Two birds within four minutes of each other after fourteen and a half hours flying, to take 2nd & 3rd, Championship club and 21st & 22nd BBC Open, by Russell & Clare Bradford suggests two determined pigeons as dusk was fast setting in, and indeed these three pigeons were the only ‘Day-Birds’ in to the county. Now just a question of moving on to next year and another old bird season, and for somebody in Northamptonshire to claim that very elusive and proper first National win. With a second and two fourth National Open positions, claimed by NCC members this year, the future is looking bright
Electronic Timing
Club officials and administrators at all levels from Nationals to the humblest of little clubs are always “expected” (I could use many other words) to assist and comply with the rules, and none less so when as a clock-setter they themselves may be waiting for their own birds, before the hours of darkness arrive on the longer races. These people are to be looked after and appreciated, for without them the requisite paperwork would fall into a big black hole, so I do wonder why the job is made that much harder (and wholly unwarranted) by the insistence that ETS clocks must be read and printed on the day of clocking. Can an RPRA Councillor ~ or anyone with a viable and constructive reason ~ tell me why this rule (239) is obligatory? Rule 237 clearly states that ETS radio clock shall be deemed to correct with TIM, so striking and printing off the pigeon times at 10 pm that evening (and often later) or 10 am the following day is not going to throw any variation, and will not alter the clocking time in any way. Instead of keeping things simple we prefer to drag a clock-setter out, sometimes with miles to travel to print off a clock time from an ETS, sometimes when the poor guy wants to go to bed so he (or she) can be up at daybreak to potentially clock their own pigeon.
Young Bird Sickness
I might as well continue on the political band wagon, whilst carping about RPRA rules. I am not a Veterinarian and never likely to be, but I’m sure in my mind that a lot of pigeon illness these days, and what is topically called YBS could be any number of infections, ~ BUT an infection it absolutely is. Most infections are contagious, (usually either air or water borne), and most infections once in a flock of young pigeons, has potentially contaminated all of them, so I admire and respect those fanciers who are honest and immediately transparent in stating they have a problem, whereas those who knowingly send birds from lofts where illness is (or immediately has been) rife are in my book totally selfish. It’s hardly small wonder that infection spreads at this time of the year in underdeveloped and growing youngsters that are stressed and possibly dehydrated if selfish fanciers continue to send infected YB’s. So where does this sit within RPRA rules? Quite simply it does not, as there is not even a guideline; even alone any rules to cover illness in racing pigeons.
We do of course have a drug testing capability, albeit I (along with the majority of fanciers in the sport I would guess) have never seen a categoric list of banned substances, and yet we have no framework or rules to fall back on, when an individual is suspected of (inadvertently or not) spreading disease. If it is so simple to apply a drug test then equally there should be a simple mandatory test to ascertain if any form of contagion or disease is present in a loft, and every RPRA member should willingly sign a mandate as part of their membership to allow such a test to be applied in order to try and eradicate YBS (or what-ever it might be called) If infection is discovered in a loft, then the last thing required is a witch-hunt, but a temporary ban from racing of (say) three weeks may go a long way to preventing the spread of illness. Most organisations these days have some form of self regulation in place, and yet I would argue that the fancy and its Governing body does not even have basic rules drawn up to try and help itself.