THE
GWENT GREATER DISTANCE CLUB 2014 RACE WINNERS.
The 2014 race season has proved to be yet another great success story for the 50 or so member strong Gwent Greater Distance Club. Formed in 2007 and firmly allied with the BICC, the members of the GGDC have always more than held their own with the greats of the English long distance racing fraternity. However, the 2014 season must rank as the most successful ever as members have won 2 x 1st Open, 3 x 2nd Open plus a 3rd Open and scores of other top prizes competing in cross border competition with the BICC, against some of the best fanciers in the UK and Europe.
The season started off with a bang when the Nantyglo father and son partnership of Gareth and Stuart Treharne clocked to take 1st section 1st Open against a field of 3,229birds in the Falaise race. This is what I wrote about the partner's win at the time:-
"The winner of the Falaise race recording 1437 ypm to take 1st West section and 1st Open, was racing home to his loft situated at the top of the Welsh Valleys at Nantyglo near the World Heritage site of Blaenavon. The winning fanciers being the father and son partnership of Gareth and Stuart Treharne. The Treharne's are no strangers to success as they have won a number of National races here in Wales and in one Young Bird National from Carentan a couple of years ago took the first SIXTEEN positions on the National result!!!!! The Falaise National winner is a 3 year old light chequer cock which has previously won 9th Open Welsh South Road National Eastbourne and 4th Open Welsh South Road National Carentan as a young bird. He was hawked as a yearling and as a result was just sent to a few inland races to allow him to recover. He raced steadily as a two year old without anything exceptional but was still very nervous . This year he had one race to 76 miles and straight into Falaise at 238 miles, having had just 4 short training flights before the start of the season.
In the runner up spot in the GGDC and also taking 3rd section 3rd Open BICC was Abergavenny long distance "nut" John Smale with the Port Talbot partnership of Selwyn Ashton and family 3rd GGDC and 4th section 4th Open BICC. Ken Caldwell of Llanhilleth clocked a good'un for 4th GGDC and 6th Open BICC to round off a great start to the season for GGDC members.
Next race up was the BICC race from Alencon and this one was one by the super Garndiffaith partnership of Ron Scammell and Paul Peploe. In fact the partners clocked two good pigeons from their round about taem to take 1st & 2nd GGDC 4th & 11 th Open BICC against a record entry of 6,823 birds. The winner is bred from Ron's father's old Karel Herman pigeons crossed with the National winning bloodlines of Bernard Clarke of Rhymney and Edwards Brothers.
The Treharnes come in once again for 3rd GGDC 11th section 16th Open.
The medicine was repeated in the next race from Tours where the Scammell & Peploe partnership clocked their super racing hen to win 1st GGDC and 2nd Open BICC against 3,655 birds. This is what I wrote about this marvellous hen at the time:-
" To say that the loft has been on form in the past couple of weeks would be a massive understatement as they have notched up the following list of performances in successive weeks:-
1st & 2nd Welsh National Carentan followed the next week by 1st Welsh South Road NFC Carentan plus1st Welsh SR Fed Carentan.
Then 4th Open BICC Alencon and now 2nd Open BICC Tours.
The hen taking 2nd National at Tours must be ranked as one of the best racing pigeons in the UK today. Just look at her NATIONAL positions over the past few seasons racing on the round about system:-
In 2011 as a yearling she took 61st National Messac;55th National Tours;50th National Saintes.
In 2012 she won 17th National Carentan;2nd National Cholet[came with National winner & clocked second];8th National Niort;5th National Bergerac, winning the Gold Cup with the Welsh SRNFC for best series of Performances in a season plus the RPRA Welsh Region Award for most Meritorious Performances.
This season she has 28th National Maidstone and now 2nd National Tours to her credit. Some pigeon!!
She is also bred in the purple as her sire is "The Nearly Cock" a winner of three times 2nd Open in National races and sire ,gsire, ggsire of scores of winners at all levels for many fanciers throughout the UK.
On the dam's side is the "Bernard Clarke Hen" a National winner and top stock hen for the partners."
The Treharnes come in once again with two good birds at 2nd & 3rd GGDC 10th & 13th section ,28th & 38th Open BICC.
The Poitiers race on the 14th June saw a BICC entry of 1,938 birds and this proved to be yet another triumph for the Treharne combo as their first in the clock was good enough for 1st GGDC 1st section 1st Open BICC. The tables were reversed here as the Scammell & Peploe team came in for 2nd Open GGDC and 2nd Open BICC and the partners had a further two birds on the BICC Open result at 6th & 8th Open. Sandwiched between these two birds was one to the Preece partnership of Cwmtillery which took 3rd GGDC and 4th Open BICC. GGDC members recorded seven birds in the first ten open positions with the BICC in this race.
The Pau International race is competed with a limited number of hand picked pigeons from the top lofts in Europe and this year's International race saw the Preece Brothers & sons partnership take 1st GGDC 2nd section 5th Open BICC.
This is what John had to say about their latest success:-
"THE HEN WE TIMED TODAY WAS A FOUR YEAR OLD ROUNDABOUT HEN CALLED GWASTED BRIANS GIRL. IT IS THE SAME HEN WE TIMED LAST YEAR FROM BICC PAU AND BICC ST VINCENT WHEN SHE WAS 3RD BICC ST VINCENT.
SHE IS A DIRECT DAUGHTER OF OUR GOLD CUP WINNER GWASTED BENONI , 1ST WELSH SR NATIONAL BERGERAC COCK BEING THE ONLY BIRD HOME ON THE DAY IN THE NATIONAL; HE IS A PODEROSA MULLER AARDEN CROSSED WITH A COCK WE BORROWED OFF ALAN MAULL BEING A KO NIPIUS JAN ARDEN.
THE DAM WAS LOANED TO US BY OUR GOOD FRIENDS B,W+,P HYATT , SHE WAS A TOP RACER FOR THE HYATT FAMILY WINNING 4TH C S CLASSIC FROM PAU, SHE CONTAINS THE BLOOD OF PADFIELD FAMILY AND K HINE.
THIS YEAR OUR HEN HAD THREE SHORT RACES THEN ALL THE BICC RACES TO DATE . IN HER LAST RACE FROM TOURS SHE HAD 10 HOURS ON THE WING WHICH PUT HER PERFECT FOR PAU. SHE LANDED FRESH AS A DAISY.
SHE HAS HAD TWO TOSSES AT THE START OF THE SEASON AND HAS EXERCISED 1 HOUR MORNING AND NIGHT WITH THE REST OF THE HENS. FOR THE LAST TWO WEEKS SHE HAS BEEN BOXED UP AS SHE IS THE WRONKIEST HEN WE HAVE AND IF LEFT WILL DRAG ALL THE HENS INTO THE BALLS WHICH WE KEEP ON THE FLOOR SUPPOSEDLY TO STOP THEM PAIRING ,BUT NOT HER. "
The Padfield family come in at 2nd GGDC 3rd section 10th Open BICC and John Ludlam in at 3rd GGDC 4th sect 23rd Open BICC.
In this , the first of the International races, the GGDC members recorded 16 birds on the BICC section result.
Next race up was yet another International race and here we had the Scammell & Peploe partnership maintaining their excellent form to take 1st GGDC 4th section 28th Open BICC. The Padfield family's team started to move up the gears here with 2nd Open GGDC and 9th sect 67th Open BICC with close neighbours the Preeces in at 3rd GGDC 72nd Open BICC.
The 700 + mile slog into South Wales from the Catalan capital Barcelona takes some doing and the past masters of achieving this are the Padfield family i.e. Vince and Dave from Cwmtillery. Over the years they have developed an ultra reliable extreme distance family of pigeons and rarely if ever fail to clock from this, one of the most difficult of race points. The 2014 race was no exception and their first in the clock was good enough for 1st GGDC 2nd section 4th Open BICC at a distance credited at 757 miles but is in reality closer to 1,000 miles as the pigeon flies. Their first in the clock had also been badly hawked on its 757 mile journey. Dave Padfield had this to say about their latest long distance hero:-
"She is the result of the first cross between our successful Wim Muller lines and Dale Newcombe bloodlines via Andrew Loveday. The sire is a son of Vince 1st National Pau when mated to a daughter of The Don 2nd National Palamos. The dam is bred from a son of Jock Traill's 1st SNFC Niort winner when paired to a daughter of Jim Donaldson's 1st SNFC Sartilly winner.
Last year as a two year old she flew Tarbes 608 miles and then had a 15 hour fly from Saintes a few weeks later.
This year she has been flown on round about and has had 3 inland races then Carentan and Cholet with the NFC. The hen arrived hawked with all the secondaries missing in one wing".
At the time of writing this report the Padfields have clocked a further three pigeons at 757 miles to finish at 24th,25th & 28th Open. Some flying that!! Mr & Mrs Jim Hooper of Cardiff take 2nd GGDC 3rd section 10th Open BICC.
John Ludlam clocked his good Van Wanroy hen on her second trip from Spain to take 9th section 44th Open BICC.
The International races were coming thick and fast in the months of June and July and the next race on the International calendar took place from St Vincent in the far south west of France. The Padfields enjoyed another good pay day here with 1st GGDC 1st section 2nd Open BICC. Given the conditions of a strong north west wind and the mist and rain that enveloped the Valleys from late afternoon on the first day of the race this was a truly outstanding performance. The brothers clocked the same blue pied cock that took 10th Open BICC in the Pau International race a couple of weeks earlier. The six year old has the following National positions to his credit:-
As a 3year old in 2012 he was 5th Open Welsh South Road National Tarbes also taking 26th Sect 205th Open NFC Tarbes 607 miles.
He had previously won as a 2 year old 76th Open CSCFC Tarbes Also 1 month later AGEN BICC International 4th Open 1st West Sect in a very strong West wind. His breeding is as follows.
Sire GB2002J59190
His father is Brian Leadbeater's No 1 Cock "The Favourite" when paired back to a daughter of the immortal "48" - 5 times in first ten in Midland Nationals.
Dam GB2002N61181
This hen always stock is a full sister to VINCE 1st PAU WSRN 2000 Gold cup winner.Her sire 8th WELSH SRN FC Pau and Dam responsible for 4th WSRN Pau. This year the cock had a few inland races and then Carentan with the NFC followed by Tours with BICC then into Pau where as I say he finished at 10th Open. He was raced on the round about system for most of the season but on his return from Pau this year he was allowed to run with a new hen and was basketted for St Vincent sitting newly laid eggs.
Ray Strawbridge ably assisted now by good friend Johnny " One Punch" Williams came in with one for 2nd GGDC 4th section 9th Open followed by the second of the Padfields' timers at 3rd GGDC 6th section 53rd Open BICC.
The Le Mans race proved to be a good day for the all conquering Treharnes of Nantyglo, as not only did they do a 1-2-3 demolition job with the GGDC, they went on to repeat the feat at section level with the BICC with 1st, 2nd & 3rd section 8th, 36th & 43rd Open BICC against 1,936 pigeons on a day when the wind was blowing strongly from the north west and as a result the seven birds beating the Treharne timer on the BICC result were all situated more than 100 miles to the east of their Nantyglo loft. A truly outstanding performance given the weather conditions.
This is what Stuart had to say about their triumphant day:-
"I have included the details of the first three birds as I think we have the first four in the section with our other birds doing more than 1000 ypm.
First bird is a yearling blue white flight hen some may call her pied as she has white ticks around her head. She was a third round natural youngster and just had two 76 mile races as a youngster. She has not been paired up this year and was one of the spare hens I had in with the roundabout hens, as I had more hens than cocks. She has raced steadily and has had a few channel races. She is generally flying to her perch and hasn't shown any interest in either hens in the section or cocks when she gets home from a race. She is a half sister to the BICC Falaise winner being bred from the same dam which is a direct Eijerkamp out of Jonge Polly. The hen's sire is a fairly new introduction and is bred directly out of Abel who is one of Eijerkamps best stock birds when he was paired to Carly also a big winner at Eijerkamps.
Our second bird was also a half brother of the BICC Falaise winner but is bred out of the same sire - a direct Eijerkamp out of Hamburg and Lady Martine. The dam is a direct Eijerkamp being a grandaughter of both don Leo and Fabio .
Our third bird is a full sister of the hen that topped the section in NFC Messac earlier this season, being out of two direct Eijerkamps , a son of Kain and an inbred granddaughter of Miss Saigon".
Narbonne International was the next race in the GGDC race programme and here the Padfields clocked the only two birds to be recorded taking 1st & 2nd section 9th & 16th Open BICC.
The Padfield's timer which had to battle relentlessly against the north west wind for two days to reach its home loft at Cwmtillery at around 8 pm on the second evening to record 569 mpm and take the red rosette in the West section plus 9th Open position. Vince and Dave clocked a second pigeon on the third morning to take 2nd section also and the following are the details of the Padfield pigeons. First in the clock taking 1st sect 9th Open is a chequer hen was raced on the round about after rearing a pair of youngster she had 3 or 4 inland races followed by a couple of races from France i.e.: Carentan and Cholet.
She was then sent to the Pau International with the BICC she came to be 65th open 18th Section in this race.
She was then left on the round about but repaired when the Tarbes birds were basketted in early July.
She was sent to Narbonne on hatching eggs and came back to a small youngster. She has put up a number of good performances:- 2011 2nd Open 1st Sect WSRNFC Tarbes winning £200 607 miles, also 34th Open 6th Sect Tarbes NFC. Her breeding shows Dale Newcombe and Jan Arden bloodlines via Andrew Loveday.
The second timer at 2nd sect 16th Open was also raced on the round about system. After rearing a pair of youngsters she had 3 or 4 inland races followed by a couple of races from France i.e.: Carentan and Cholet.
She was then sent to the Pau International with the BICC she came to be 47th open 14th Section in this race.
She was then left on the round about but repaired when the Tarbes birds were basketted and sent to Narbonne on hatching eggs returning to a small youngster. Two top class hens bred in the purple with long distance performances to match. Well done Vince and Dave.
The final race in the GGDC and BICC old bird programme was flown from Perpignan in early August and the winners here are one of the hardest working members of the club, none other than Gordon and June Mears. The partners are double National winners with a 1st National Lerwick and 1st National San Sebastian to their credit . At Perpignan they clocked the same black chequer Braakhuis cock that came well from the 2013 Perpignan race taking 56th Open. This season he wins 1st GGDC 2nd section 31st Open BICC. He was at the Pau International in June and was away for 6 days but soon recovered. He was sent to Perpignan feeding a three day old young bird.
Vince and Dave Padfield clocked two a little later to take 2nd & 3rd GGDC and 3rd & 4th section 34th & 49th Open BICC to round off another excellent old bird campaign.
The final race of the season for GGDC members took place from Falaise in mid September and the winner here was none other than the "old rum rat", "sea dog" call him what you will but don't dare call him late for dinner - John Ludlam of Nelson. John clocked a dark pied hen to take 1st GGDC 2nd section 2nd Open BICC. This is what John told me at the time:-
" My young birds this year were all flown on the widowhood system no training after the first race. Feeding the same V/L and Beyers mixed, fed at the rate of one handful to 3 birds until they leave the barley.
In the breeding of the hen is Patrick Bros, Paul Woolliss, Paul Stowell, Louella, and Steve Wright, and a touch of Brian Wall. My Barcelona Hen is her Grand dam".
The Preeces of Cwmtillery came in for 2nd GGDC 4th section 5th Open BICC with Gareth and Stuart Treharne 3rd GGDC 6th section 7th Open BICC on the provisional result.
That then is a report on the season's racing with probably Wales' most prestigious club. A club that can boast amongst ints membership fanciers who have won more than 80 x 1st National and included amongst these are a number of BICC Open race winners.
The club's presentation evening will take place at the Green Meadow Golf & Country Club on Saturday 25th October when we will have as our guests the ultra successful long distance partnership of Kevin and Lee Buddle from Dover. It should, as always, be a good night spent in good company.
Gareth Watkins
The 2014 race season has proved to be yet another great success story for the 50 or so member strong Gwent Greater Distance Club. Formed in 2007 and firmly allied with the BICC, the members of the GGDC have always more than held their own with the greats of the English long distance racing fraternity. However, the 2014 season must rank as the most successful ever as members have won 2 x 1st Open, 3 x 2nd Open plus a 3rd Open and scores of other top prizes competing in cross border competition with the BICC, against some of the best fanciers in the UK and Europe.
The season started off with a bang when the Nantyglo father and son partnership of Gareth and Stuart Treharne clocked to take 1st section 1st Open against a field of 3,229birds in the Falaise race. This is what I wrote about the partner's win at the time:-
"The winner of the Falaise race recording 1437 ypm to take 1st West section and 1st Open, was racing home to his loft situated at the top of the Welsh Valleys at Nantyglo near the World Heritage site of Blaenavon. The winning fanciers being the father and son partnership of Gareth and Stuart Treharne. The Treharne's are no strangers to success as they have won a number of National races here in Wales and in one Young Bird National from Carentan a couple of years ago took the first SIXTEEN positions on the National result!!!!! The Falaise National winner is a 3 year old light chequer cock which has previously won 9th Open Welsh South Road National Eastbourne and 4th Open Welsh South Road National Carentan as a young bird. He was hawked as a yearling and as a result was just sent to a few inland races to allow him to recover. He raced steadily as a two year old without anything exceptional but was still very nervous . This year he had one race to 76 miles and straight into Falaise at 238 miles, having had just 4 short training flights before the start of the season.
In the runner up spot in the GGDC and also taking 3rd section 3rd Open BICC was Abergavenny long distance "nut" John Smale with the Port Talbot partnership of Selwyn Ashton and family 3rd GGDC and 4th section 4th Open BICC. Ken Caldwell of Llanhilleth clocked a good'un for 4th GGDC and 6th Open BICC to round off a great start to the season for GGDC members.
Next race up was the BICC race from Alencon and this one was one by the super Garndiffaith partnership of Ron Scammell and Paul Peploe. In fact the partners clocked two good pigeons from their round about taem to take 1st & 2nd GGDC 4th & 11 th Open BICC against a record entry of 6,823 birds. The winner is bred from Ron's father's old Karel Herman pigeons crossed with the National winning bloodlines of Bernard Clarke of Rhymney and Edwards Brothers.
The Treharnes come in once again for 3rd GGDC 11th section 16th Open.
The medicine was repeated in the next race from Tours where the Scammell & Peploe partnership clocked their super racing hen to win 1st GGDC and 2nd Open BICC against 3,655 birds. This is what I wrote about this marvellous hen at the time:-
" To say that the loft has been on form in the past couple of weeks would be a massive understatement as they have notched up the following list of performances in successive weeks:-
1st & 2nd Welsh National Carentan followed the next week by 1st Welsh South Road NFC Carentan plus1st Welsh SR Fed Carentan.
Then 4th Open BICC Alencon and now 2nd Open BICC Tours.
The hen taking 2nd National at Tours must be ranked as one of the best racing pigeons in the UK today. Just look at her NATIONAL positions over the past few seasons racing on the round about system:-
In 2011 as a yearling she took 61st National Messac;55th National Tours;50th National Saintes.
In 2012 she won 17th National Carentan;2nd National Cholet[came with National winner & clocked second];8th National Niort;5th National Bergerac, winning the Gold Cup with the Welsh SRNFC for best series of Performances in a season plus the RPRA Welsh Region Award for most Meritorious Performances.
This season she has 28th National Maidstone and now 2nd National Tours to her credit. Some pigeon!!
She is also bred in the purple as her sire is "The Nearly Cock" a winner of three times 2nd Open in National races and sire ,gsire, ggsire of scores of winners at all levels for many fanciers throughout the UK.
On the dam's side is the "Bernard Clarke Hen" a National winner and top stock hen for the partners."
The Treharnes come in once again with two good birds at 2nd & 3rd GGDC 10th & 13th section ,28th & 38th Open BICC.
The Poitiers race on the 14th June saw a BICC entry of 1,938 birds and this proved to be yet another triumph for the Treharne combo as their first in the clock was good enough for 1st GGDC 1st section 1st Open BICC. The tables were reversed here as the Scammell & Peploe team came in for 2nd Open GGDC and 2nd Open BICC and the partners had a further two birds on the BICC Open result at 6th & 8th Open. Sandwiched between these two birds was one to the Preece partnership of Cwmtillery which took 3rd GGDC and 4th Open BICC. GGDC members recorded seven birds in the first ten open positions with the BICC in this race.
The Pau International race is competed with a limited number of hand picked pigeons from the top lofts in Europe and this year's International race saw the Preece Brothers & sons partnership take 1st GGDC 2nd section 5th Open BICC.
This is what John had to say about their latest success:-
"THE HEN WE TIMED TODAY WAS A FOUR YEAR OLD ROUNDABOUT HEN CALLED GWASTED BRIANS GIRL. IT IS THE SAME HEN WE TIMED LAST YEAR FROM BICC PAU AND BICC ST VINCENT WHEN SHE WAS 3RD BICC ST VINCENT.
SHE IS A DIRECT DAUGHTER OF OUR GOLD CUP WINNER GWASTED BENONI , 1ST WELSH SR NATIONAL BERGERAC COCK BEING THE ONLY BIRD HOME ON THE DAY IN THE NATIONAL; HE IS A PODEROSA MULLER AARDEN CROSSED WITH A COCK WE BORROWED OFF ALAN MAULL BEING A KO NIPIUS JAN ARDEN.
THE DAM WAS LOANED TO US BY OUR GOOD FRIENDS B,W+,P HYATT , SHE WAS A TOP RACER FOR THE HYATT FAMILY WINNING 4TH C S CLASSIC FROM PAU, SHE CONTAINS THE BLOOD OF PADFIELD FAMILY AND K HINE.
THIS YEAR OUR HEN HAD THREE SHORT RACES THEN ALL THE BICC RACES TO DATE . IN HER LAST RACE FROM TOURS SHE HAD 10 HOURS ON THE WING WHICH PUT HER PERFECT FOR PAU. SHE LANDED FRESH AS A DAISY.
SHE HAS HAD TWO TOSSES AT THE START OF THE SEASON AND HAS EXERCISED 1 HOUR MORNING AND NIGHT WITH THE REST OF THE HENS. FOR THE LAST TWO WEEKS SHE HAS BEEN BOXED UP AS SHE IS THE WRONKIEST HEN WE HAVE AND IF LEFT WILL DRAG ALL THE HENS INTO THE BALLS WHICH WE KEEP ON THE FLOOR SUPPOSEDLY TO STOP THEM PAIRING ,BUT NOT HER. "
The Padfield family come in at 2nd GGDC 3rd section 10th Open BICC and John Ludlam in at 3rd GGDC 4th sect 23rd Open BICC.
In this , the first of the International races, the GGDC members recorded 16 birds on the BICC section result.
Next race up was yet another International race and here we had the Scammell & Peploe partnership maintaining their excellent form to take 1st GGDC 4th section 28th Open BICC. The Padfield family's team started to move up the gears here with 2nd Open GGDC and 9th sect 67th Open BICC with close neighbours the Preeces in at 3rd GGDC 72nd Open BICC.
The 700 + mile slog into South Wales from the Catalan capital Barcelona takes some doing and the past masters of achieving this are the Padfield family i.e. Vince and Dave from Cwmtillery. Over the years they have developed an ultra reliable extreme distance family of pigeons and rarely if ever fail to clock from this, one of the most difficult of race points. The 2014 race was no exception and their first in the clock was good enough for 1st GGDC 2nd section 4th Open BICC at a distance credited at 757 miles but is in reality closer to 1,000 miles as the pigeon flies. Their first in the clock had also been badly hawked on its 757 mile journey. Dave Padfield had this to say about their latest long distance hero:-
"She is the result of the first cross between our successful Wim Muller lines and Dale Newcombe bloodlines via Andrew Loveday. The sire is a son of Vince 1st National Pau when mated to a daughter of The Don 2nd National Palamos. The dam is bred from a son of Jock Traill's 1st SNFC Niort winner when paired to a daughter of Jim Donaldson's 1st SNFC Sartilly winner.
Last year as a two year old she flew Tarbes 608 miles and then had a 15 hour fly from Saintes a few weeks later.
This year she has been flown on round about and has had 3 inland races then Carentan and Cholet with the NFC. The hen arrived hawked with all the secondaries missing in one wing".
At the time of writing this report the Padfields have clocked a further three pigeons at 757 miles to finish at 24th,25th & 28th Open. Some flying that!! Mr & Mrs Jim Hooper of Cardiff take 2nd GGDC 3rd section 10th Open BICC.
John Ludlam clocked his good Van Wanroy hen on her second trip from Spain to take 9th section 44th Open BICC.
The International races were coming thick and fast in the months of June and July and the next race on the International calendar took place from St Vincent in the far south west of France. The Padfields enjoyed another good pay day here with 1st GGDC 1st section 2nd Open BICC. Given the conditions of a strong north west wind and the mist and rain that enveloped the Valleys from late afternoon on the first day of the race this was a truly outstanding performance. The brothers clocked the same blue pied cock that took 10th Open BICC in the Pau International race a couple of weeks earlier. The six year old has the following National positions to his credit:-
As a 3year old in 2012 he was 5th Open Welsh South Road National Tarbes also taking 26th Sect 205th Open NFC Tarbes 607 miles.
He had previously won as a 2 year old 76th Open CSCFC Tarbes Also 1 month later AGEN BICC International 4th Open 1st West Sect in a very strong West wind. His breeding is as follows.
Sire GB2002J59190
His father is Brian Leadbeater's No 1 Cock "The Favourite" when paired back to a daughter of the immortal "48" - 5 times in first ten in Midland Nationals.
Dam GB2002N61181
This hen always stock is a full sister to VINCE 1st PAU WSRN 2000 Gold cup winner.Her sire 8th WELSH SRN FC Pau and Dam responsible for 4th WSRN Pau. This year the cock had a few inland races and then Carentan with the NFC followed by Tours with BICC then into Pau where as I say he finished at 10th Open. He was raced on the round about system for most of the season but on his return from Pau this year he was allowed to run with a new hen and was basketted for St Vincent sitting newly laid eggs.
Ray Strawbridge ably assisted now by good friend Johnny " One Punch" Williams came in with one for 2nd GGDC 4th section 9th Open followed by the second of the Padfields' timers at 3rd GGDC 6th section 53rd Open BICC.
The Le Mans race proved to be a good day for the all conquering Treharnes of Nantyglo, as not only did they do a 1-2-3 demolition job with the GGDC, they went on to repeat the feat at section level with the BICC with 1st, 2nd & 3rd section 8th, 36th & 43rd Open BICC against 1,936 pigeons on a day when the wind was blowing strongly from the north west and as a result the seven birds beating the Treharne timer on the BICC result were all situated more than 100 miles to the east of their Nantyglo loft. A truly outstanding performance given the weather conditions.
This is what Stuart had to say about their triumphant day:-
"I have included the details of the first three birds as I think we have the first four in the section with our other birds doing more than 1000 ypm.
First bird is a yearling blue white flight hen some may call her pied as she has white ticks around her head. She was a third round natural youngster and just had two 76 mile races as a youngster. She has not been paired up this year and was one of the spare hens I had in with the roundabout hens, as I had more hens than cocks. She has raced steadily and has had a few channel races. She is generally flying to her perch and hasn't shown any interest in either hens in the section or cocks when she gets home from a race. She is a half sister to the BICC Falaise winner being bred from the same dam which is a direct Eijerkamp out of Jonge Polly. The hen's sire is a fairly new introduction and is bred directly out of Abel who is one of Eijerkamps best stock birds when he was paired to Carly also a big winner at Eijerkamps.
Our second bird was also a half brother of the BICC Falaise winner but is bred out of the same sire - a direct Eijerkamp out of Hamburg and Lady Martine. The dam is a direct Eijerkamp being a grandaughter of both don Leo and Fabio .
Our third bird is a full sister of the hen that topped the section in NFC Messac earlier this season, being out of two direct Eijerkamps , a son of Kain and an inbred granddaughter of Miss Saigon".
Narbonne International was the next race in the GGDC race programme and here the Padfields clocked the only two birds to be recorded taking 1st & 2nd section 9th & 16th Open BICC.
The Padfield's timer which had to battle relentlessly against the north west wind for two days to reach its home loft at Cwmtillery at around 8 pm on the second evening to record 569 mpm and take the red rosette in the West section plus 9th Open position. Vince and Dave clocked a second pigeon on the third morning to take 2nd section also and the following are the details of the Padfield pigeons. First in the clock taking 1st sect 9th Open is a chequer hen was raced on the round about after rearing a pair of youngster she had 3 or 4 inland races followed by a couple of races from France i.e.: Carentan and Cholet.
She was then sent to the Pau International with the BICC she came to be 65th open 18th Section in this race.
She was then left on the round about but repaired when the Tarbes birds were basketted in early July.
She was sent to Narbonne on hatching eggs and came back to a small youngster. She has put up a number of good performances:- 2011 2nd Open 1st Sect WSRNFC Tarbes winning £200 607 miles, also 34th Open 6th Sect Tarbes NFC. Her breeding shows Dale Newcombe and Jan Arden bloodlines via Andrew Loveday.
The second timer at 2nd sect 16th Open was also raced on the round about system. After rearing a pair of youngsters she had 3 or 4 inland races followed by a couple of races from France i.e.: Carentan and Cholet.
She was then sent to the Pau International with the BICC she came to be 47th open 14th Section in this race.
She was then left on the round about but repaired when the Tarbes birds were basketted and sent to Narbonne on hatching eggs returning to a small youngster. Two top class hens bred in the purple with long distance performances to match. Well done Vince and Dave.
The final race in the GGDC and BICC old bird programme was flown from Perpignan in early August and the winners here are one of the hardest working members of the club, none other than Gordon and June Mears. The partners are double National winners with a 1st National Lerwick and 1st National San Sebastian to their credit . At Perpignan they clocked the same black chequer Braakhuis cock that came well from the 2013 Perpignan race taking 56th Open. This season he wins 1st GGDC 2nd section 31st Open BICC. He was at the Pau International in June and was away for 6 days but soon recovered. He was sent to Perpignan feeding a three day old young bird.
Vince and Dave Padfield clocked two a little later to take 2nd & 3rd GGDC and 3rd & 4th section 34th & 49th Open BICC to round off another excellent old bird campaign.
The final race of the season for GGDC members took place from Falaise in mid September and the winner here was none other than the "old rum rat", "sea dog" call him what you will but don't dare call him late for dinner - John Ludlam of Nelson. John clocked a dark pied hen to take 1st GGDC 2nd section 2nd Open BICC. This is what John told me at the time:-
" My young birds this year were all flown on the widowhood system no training after the first race. Feeding the same V/L and Beyers mixed, fed at the rate of one handful to 3 birds until they leave the barley.
In the breeding of the hen is Patrick Bros, Paul Woolliss, Paul Stowell, Louella, and Steve Wright, and a touch of Brian Wall. My Barcelona Hen is her Grand dam".
The Preeces of Cwmtillery came in for 2nd GGDC 4th section 5th Open BICC with Gareth and Stuart Treharne 3rd GGDC 6th section 7th Open BICC on the provisional result.
That then is a report on the season's racing with probably Wales' most prestigious club. A club that can boast amongst ints membership fanciers who have won more than 80 x 1st National and included amongst these are a number of BICC Open race winners.
The club's presentation evening will take place at the Green Meadow Golf & Country Club on Saturday 25th October when we will have as our guests the ultra successful long distance partnership of Kevin and Lee Buddle from Dover. It should, as always, be a good night spent in good company.
Gareth Watkins