WELSH SOUTH ROAD NATIONAL FLYING CLUB
TARBES NATIONAL RACE REPORT.
The Tarbes National at more than 600 miles to most Welsh lofts is a real test of both the skill of the competing fanciers and the stamina and mettle of their entrants. The 2015 race proved true to this tradition as the Welsh pigeons were transported and liberated with the NFC at 14.20 pm on Friday 24th July. The time of the liberation effectively made this into two 300 mile races as all birds were forced to have a night out.
Conditions were good en route through France and the Saturday morning the second day of the race dawned bright and breezy with a 15 mph northwest wind blowing here in Wales. This was accompanied by wall to wall sunshine and unlimited visibility in a gin clear sky - ideal conditions for a long distance race you would think.
The NFC pigeons began to be timed at Abingdon in Berkshire with NFC race advisor Eamonn Kelly of the Lloyd& Kelly partnership clocking at 12.54 pm to win 1st Open NFC vel 1132 ypm, a fitting reward for all the hard work involved as race advisor overseeing this King’s Cup race.
Windsor “ace” Mark Gilbert clocked three pigeons close behind at 12.42; 13.03 & 13.07, which will feature at 2nd , 3rd &4th Open on the final NFC result.
With the strong westerly influence in the wind it was anticipated that any Welsh pigeons would do well to get near 1000 ypm in the race and it seems appropriate that the winner of the Welsh National should be a close friend and acolyte of Mark Gilbert the “Windsor Wizard” – none other than Mark Sparey of Abertillery.
Mark clocked a four year old widower on 954 ypm which in fact is bred down from birds obtained from Mark Gilbert, containing the bloodlines of the Gilbert Dax International winner, “Southfield Supreme”. This one was well fancied and pooled right through the card to pick up more than £350 for the Sparey war chest.
Mark clocked another of his star performers, a half brother to the Tarbes winner from the same sire, the great Rhiw Park Tomos at 20.38 pm to record 777 ypm and this great racer takes 4th Open into the bargain. This is what Mark had to tell me about his latest triumph in a long distance National race following on from his 2nd Open National in the recent Saintes race and great win in the Welsh National from Bergerac a couple of years back:-
“The Tarbes National winner is of the same father as Rhiw Parc Tomos, being a son of Southfield Supreme and his dam is from Brian Denney's. Her sire is a son of Tuff Nut when paired to Cilla and her dam is a daughter of Maxi and Dark Jan. This is the third time in three years that this cock has flown Tarbes, being 10th, 3rd and now 1st Welsh South Road National. He has also been 20th Welsh South Road National Saintes twice and in 2012 he flew Tarbes, Saintes and Bordeaux in a four week period, without ever looking like he had been out of the loft.
In these three races he finished at 20th National Saintes 430 miles;10th National Tarbes 605 miles and 30th National Bordeaux at close on 500 miles.
Due to his never say die attitude I have decided to call him Rhiw Park Relentless.”
Rhiw Park Tomos, Mark’s second in the clock taking 4th Open National, is an incredible long distance racer and here are some of his wins in National and International races:-
WSRNFC:
2011: As a yearling being runner up for the RPRA middle distance award.
52nd Open 37th Section Messac
48th Open 26th National Carentan
14th open 8th section Cholet
6th open 2nd section Niort
Returned from Bergerac injured by peregrine hence his split wattle.
2012:
63rd open 45th section Carentan
85th open 44th section Tours, returning once again injured by peregrine, finishing the season for him.
2013:
BICC
164th open 55st section Tours
24th open 16th section Poitiers
15th open 3rd section Agen
2014:
NFC
126th open 17th section Tarbes.
2015 BICC
26th open 2nd section Agen.
Twice winning the GGDC Agen race.
And now 4th National Tarbes at 605 miles. A pretty handy tool to have in your locker! There are countless club and federation results for this pigeon. Not bad eh, a true champion?
The Tarbes National wouldn’t be the same without the name of Padfield high up on the final result and the 2015 race was no different to any of the many that have gone before as Dave and Vince clocked two pigeons on the second afternoon to finish at 2nd & .. Open vels 887 and 774 ypm.
First pigeon in the clock is a two year old Chequer hen which is a half sister to St Vincent Star 1st BICC National St Vincent 2013 both from the same sire.
She is bred in the purple and contains all the original Wim Muller Aardens and bred in the stock loft.
Sire is from a Son of Padfields Perfection 1st , 3rd, 23rd & 39th WSRNFC Pau. He was paired to the T Ring Hen which is the mother of Ffion the brothers’ Barcelona Hen which won the Emerton Trophy with the BICC at 757 miles. The T ring hen was out of old 89 when paired to the grand mother of Padfields Invincible 2nd Barcelona BICC International 1st SB NFC.
Dam is a Daughter of the Famous THE DON 2nd National Palamos and 1st NFC Single bird National. Her Dam was the X ring hen a great stock hen and again from the best of Wim Muller lines.
The preparation this year for both pigeons was as follows:-
This year the hen and cock had a few inland races and then Carentan and Fougeres followed by Tours with the BICC then into Ancensis with the NFC. They have been raced on the roundabout system for all of the season then re paired after their last race and both were sent on 2 day old youngsters.
The Padfield’s second timer which is 5th Open was their all pooler and was bred by Paul McCann of Dublin from two birds purchased from Vince and Dave. This three year old cock now named “Paul” is last year’s 2nd Open winner in the WSR National Tarbes race and also took 8th sec 42nd Open NFC Tarbes 2014 . He is a grand son of Padfield’s Invincible and a Grand Son of Champion Jack. Dam is a Daughter to Champion Jack sire is Son of Padfield’s Invincible.
Rhondda fancier John Gauvain of Maerdy, a small former mining village at the top of the Rhondda Fach, started the season with just 11 old bird racers and with this extremely modest team John has managed to feature on just about every National result. In the Tarbes race he clocked his two year old hen to take 1st Centre West section and 3rd Open vel 871 ypm. John does not belong to any local club now as he has decided to retire from the sport at the end of the season. The old bird race team received just one 35 mile trainer at the start of the season and keep themselves fit having an open loft 24/7 being fed by hopper so everything is geared up to be as simple and labour saving as possible. They were then jumped into the first National of the season at Carentan [190 miles] and then raced fortnightly in all the subsequent channel races with the WSRNFC picking up some handy positions along the way, including 1st Centre West section in the Saintes National with his single entry.
The 3rd Open winner, which incidentally, also wins the magnificent Silver Trophy with the Rhondda 600 mile Social Circle, is bred from an inbred grandson of Invincible Spirit when mated to an inbred granddaughter of John’s Pau National winner which in turn was closely related to Cambrian King and Cambrian Queen the two Lerwick National winners of Bowen Brothers of Porthcawl.
John began in the sport racing pigeons with his uncle on the Channel Island of Guernsey. When the family moved to the Rhondda in 1965, he began the “Welsh leg” of his racing career and has been winning races consistently ever since. In fact his hen won the Pau National just six weeks after John had undergone open heart surgery! Here’s wishing you a long, happy and healthy retirement from the sport John.
One of the sport in Wales’ hardest workers, Colin Neale of Cardiff comes in next with one doing 734 ypm to take 1st Centre East section & 6th Open. Here’s Colin’s take on the race:-
“My 3 year old pencil blue cock is flown on the natural system and was paired up the 2nd week of March. This year he had two inland races then Falaise and Nort-sur-Erdre as his preparation races. He was sent to Tarbes feeding a 4 week old youngster and sitting 8 days at basketing. As I don't train between races (hawk problems) he was exercised with the youngsters.
In his first race as a youngster he took 3 days and came back flown out. After several weeks rest he went to the last come back race and came well. He raced as far a Alencon as a yearling. In last year’s Tarbes race he was clocked around 12 o’clock on the 3rd day.
His breeding is Van Tuyl x Supercrack. His sire is a grandson of Jonge Dax which is sire of 2 national winners when paired to a daughter of Rodico the Barcelona International winner. His dam is a daughter of Robert Venus' Prins when paired to his own daughter. I purchased her at the Robert Venus sale at the Seamen’s Mission in Newport.
It was getting dark on the second day when I clocked him from Tarbes, so I left him alone until the next morning. On inspection I noticed he has a few feathers out behind the right shoulder. So he had a mishap somewhere on his way home probably another peregrine strike?
I would like to congratulate Mark Sparey, Vince and Dai Padfield and John Gauvain on the excellent birds”
The Preece family who race to a loft just a stone’s throw from the Padfields also maintained their excellent record in National races, clocking early on the third morning for what looks likely to be 7th Open. This is what John Preece had to say about their Tarbes pigeon:-
“WE TIMED A 6Y/R OLD BLUE ROUNDABOUT COCK , CALLED GWASTED MAFEKING, HE HAS BEEN A REAL TRYER OVER THE YEARS HAVING FLOWN OVER 560MLS FOUR TIMES .WINNING MANY PRIZES INCLUDING 6TH WSR NAT BORDEAUX,9TH BBC BORDEAUX,23RD WSR NAT BERGERAC, 33RD BICC AGEN, HIS LAST RACE WAS FROM AGEN WITH THE BICC WHEN HE CAME ON THE THIRD DAY ,HE WAS BIT WORSE FOR WEAR BUT RECOVERED WELL ENOUGH TO GO TO TARBES.
HE IS A LEFEBRE/DHAENEN/VERHEYE. HIS SIRE WAS LOANED TO US BY LYNDON OF WILLIAMS BROS, SON + BURGHAM AND CONTAINS JOHN BURGHAMS NATIONAL MAN FAMILY. HIS DAM WAS BRED BY ALAN MAULL AND WAS INBRED TO BOB LEES FAMOUS BLUE FAMILY BEING CLOSE TO OUR BOB LEE STOCK COCK “ONE LEG”. WE WOULD LIKE TO CONGRATULATE OUR GOOD FRIEND MARK SPAREY ON WINNING THE NATIONAL.”
John and Ann Rake have won four firsts in Welsh South Road Nationals and these were from Nantes, La Ferte Bernard, Pau and Tarbes and in the 2015 Tarbes National they clocked one of their team of eight at mid day on the Sunday to finish at 8th Open. This one is a three year old chequer cock which is a grandson of the Rakes’ Tarbes National winner “Steepholme Boy”. His last race before going to Tarbes was from Saintes a month earlier and he was sent sitting four day old eggs. Bloodlines are Andy Gregson Deweerdt x Delbar x Van Bruaene.
As I finish this report I see that Scammell & Peploe have clocked yet again to finish in the top ten of the Open result. The Padfields have now had four birds from their Tarbes entry. John Smale has just phoned to say that he had clocked the hen that I gifted him and she looks likely to finish at 17th section J with the NFC plus in the top dozen or so of the Welsh National. Finally, I’ve just been informed that Dave Smith of Cardiff has also clocked. Unfortunately despite attempting to contact Dave on a number of occasions I was unsuccessful, but well done anyway Dave.
Gareth Watkins
TARBES NATIONAL RACE REPORT.
The Tarbes National at more than 600 miles to most Welsh lofts is a real test of both the skill of the competing fanciers and the stamina and mettle of their entrants. The 2015 race proved true to this tradition as the Welsh pigeons were transported and liberated with the NFC at 14.20 pm on Friday 24th July. The time of the liberation effectively made this into two 300 mile races as all birds were forced to have a night out.
Conditions were good en route through France and the Saturday morning the second day of the race dawned bright and breezy with a 15 mph northwest wind blowing here in Wales. This was accompanied by wall to wall sunshine and unlimited visibility in a gin clear sky - ideal conditions for a long distance race you would think.
The NFC pigeons began to be timed at Abingdon in Berkshire with NFC race advisor Eamonn Kelly of the Lloyd& Kelly partnership clocking at 12.54 pm to win 1st Open NFC vel 1132 ypm, a fitting reward for all the hard work involved as race advisor overseeing this King’s Cup race.
Windsor “ace” Mark Gilbert clocked three pigeons close behind at 12.42; 13.03 & 13.07, which will feature at 2nd , 3rd &4th Open on the final NFC result.
With the strong westerly influence in the wind it was anticipated that any Welsh pigeons would do well to get near 1000 ypm in the race and it seems appropriate that the winner of the Welsh National should be a close friend and acolyte of Mark Gilbert the “Windsor Wizard” – none other than Mark Sparey of Abertillery.
Mark clocked a four year old widower on 954 ypm which in fact is bred down from birds obtained from Mark Gilbert, containing the bloodlines of the Gilbert Dax International winner, “Southfield Supreme”. This one was well fancied and pooled right through the card to pick up more than £350 for the Sparey war chest.
Mark clocked another of his star performers, a half brother to the Tarbes winner from the same sire, the great Rhiw Park Tomos at 20.38 pm to record 777 ypm and this great racer takes 4th Open into the bargain. This is what Mark had to tell me about his latest triumph in a long distance National race following on from his 2nd Open National in the recent Saintes race and great win in the Welsh National from Bergerac a couple of years back:-
“The Tarbes National winner is of the same father as Rhiw Parc Tomos, being a son of Southfield Supreme and his dam is from Brian Denney's. Her sire is a son of Tuff Nut when paired to Cilla and her dam is a daughter of Maxi and Dark Jan. This is the third time in three years that this cock has flown Tarbes, being 10th, 3rd and now 1st Welsh South Road National. He has also been 20th Welsh South Road National Saintes twice and in 2012 he flew Tarbes, Saintes and Bordeaux in a four week period, without ever looking like he had been out of the loft.
In these three races he finished at 20th National Saintes 430 miles;10th National Tarbes 605 miles and 30th National Bordeaux at close on 500 miles.
Due to his never say die attitude I have decided to call him Rhiw Park Relentless.”
Rhiw Park Tomos, Mark’s second in the clock taking 4th Open National, is an incredible long distance racer and here are some of his wins in National and International races:-
WSRNFC:
2011: As a yearling being runner up for the RPRA middle distance award.
52nd Open 37th Section Messac
48th Open 26th National Carentan
14th open 8th section Cholet
6th open 2nd section Niort
Returned from Bergerac injured by peregrine hence his split wattle.
2012:
63rd open 45th section Carentan
85th open 44th section Tours, returning once again injured by peregrine, finishing the season for him.
2013:
BICC
164th open 55st section Tours
24th open 16th section Poitiers
15th open 3rd section Agen
2014:
NFC
126th open 17th section Tarbes.
2015 BICC
26th open 2nd section Agen.
Twice winning the GGDC Agen race.
And now 4th National Tarbes at 605 miles. A pretty handy tool to have in your locker! There are countless club and federation results for this pigeon. Not bad eh, a true champion?
The Tarbes National wouldn’t be the same without the name of Padfield high up on the final result and the 2015 race was no different to any of the many that have gone before as Dave and Vince clocked two pigeons on the second afternoon to finish at 2nd & .. Open vels 887 and 774 ypm.
First pigeon in the clock is a two year old Chequer hen which is a half sister to St Vincent Star 1st BICC National St Vincent 2013 both from the same sire.
She is bred in the purple and contains all the original Wim Muller Aardens and bred in the stock loft.
Sire is from a Son of Padfields Perfection 1st , 3rd, 23rd & 39th WSRNFC Pau. He was paired to the T Ring Hen which is the mother of Ffion the brothers’ Barcelona Hen which won the Emerton Trophy with the BICC at 757 miles. The T ring hen was out of old 89 when paired to the grand mother of Padfields Invincible 2nd Barcelona BICC International 1st SB NFC.
Dam is a Daughter of the Famous THE DON 2nd National Palamos and 1st NFC Single bird National. Her Dam was the X ring hen a great stock hen and again from the best of Wim Muller lines.
The preparation this year for both pigeons was as follows:-
This year the hen and cock had a few inland races and then Carentan and Fougeres followed by Tours with the BICC then into Ancensis with the NFC. They have been raced on the roundabout system for all of the season then re paired after their last race and both were sent on 2 day old youngsters.
The Padfield’s second timer which is 5th Open was their all pooler and was bred by Paul McCann of Dublin from two birds purchased from Vince and Dave. This three year old cock now named “Paul” is last year’s 2nd Open winner in the WSR National Tarbes race and also took 8th sec 42nd Open NFC Tarbes 2014 . He is a grand son of Padfield’s Invincible and a Grand Son of Champion Jack. Dam is a Daughter to Champion Jack sire is Son of Padfield’s Invincible.
Rhondda fancier John Gauvain of Maerdy, a small former mining village at the top of the Rhondda Fach, started the season with just 11 old bird racers and with this extremely modest team John has managed to feature on just about every National result. In the Tarbes race he clocked his two year old hen to take 1st Centre West section and 3rd Open vel 871 ypm. John does not belong to any local club now as he has decided to retire from the sport at the end of the season. The old bird race team received just one 35 mile trainer at the start of the season and keep themselves fit having an open loft 24/7 being fed by hopper so everything is geared up to be as simple and labour saving as possible. They were then jumped into the first National of the season at Carentan [190 miles] and then raced fortnightly in all the subsequent channel races with the WSRNFC picking up some handy positions along the way, including 1st Centre West section in the Saintes National with his single entry.
The 3rd Open winner, which incidentally, also wins the magnificent Silver Trophy with the Rhondda 600 mile Social Circle, is bred from an inbred grandson of Invincible Spirit when mated to an inbred granddaughter of John’s Pau National winner which in turn was closely related to Cambrian King and Cambrian Queen the two Lerwick National winners of Bowen Brothers of Porthcawl.
John began in the sport racing pigeons with his uncle on the Channel Island of Guernsey. When the family moved to the Rhondda in 1965, he began the “Welsh leg” of his racing career and has been winning races consistently ever since. In fact his hen won the Pau National just six weeks after John had undergone open heart surgery! Here’s wishing you a long, happy and healthy retirement from the sport John.
One of the sport in Wales’ hardest workers, Colin Neale of Cardiff comes in next with one doing 734 ypm to take 1st Centre East section & 6th Open. Here’s Colin’s take on the race:-
“My 3 year old pencil blue cock is flown on the natural system and was paired up the 2nd week of March. This year he had two inland races then Falaise and Nort-sur-Erdre as his preparation races. He was sent to Tarbes feeding a 4 week old youngster and sitting 8 days at basketing. As I don't train between races (hawk problems) he was exercised with the youngsters.
In his first race as a youngster he took 3 days and came back flown out. After several weeks rest he went to the last come back race and came well. He raced as far a Alencon as a yearling. In last year’s Tarbes race he was clocked around 12 o’clock on the 3rd day.
His breeding is Van Tuyl x Supercrack. His sire is a grandson of Jonge Dax which is sire of 2 national winners when paired to a daughter of Rodico the Barcelona International winner. His dam is a daughter of Robert Venus' Prins when paired to his own daughter. I purchased her at the Robert Venus sale at the Seamen’s Mission in Newport.
It was getting dark on the second day when I clocked him from Tarbes, so I left him alone until the next morning. On inspection I noticed he has a few feathers out behind the right shoulder. So he had a mishap somewhere on his way home probably another peregrine strike?
I would like to congratulate Mark Sparey, Vince and Dai Padfield and John Gauvain on the excellent birds”
The Preece family who race to a loft just a stone’s throw from the Padfields also maintained their excellent record in National races, clocking early on the third morning for what looks likely to be 7th Open. This is what John Preece had to say about their Tarbes pigeon:-
“WE TIMED A 6Y/R OLD BLUE ROUNDABOUT COCK , CALLED GWASTED MAFEKING, HE HAS BEEN A REAL TRYER OVER THE YEARS HAVING FLOWN OVER 560MLS FOUR TIMES .WINNING MANY PRIZES INCLUDING 6TH WSR NAT BORDEAUX,9TH BBC BORDEAUX,23RD WSR NAT BERGERAC, 33RD BICC AGEN, HIS LAST RACE WAS FROM AGEN WITH THE BICC WHEN HE CAME ON THE THIRD DAY ,HE WAS BIT WORSE FOR WEAR BUT RECOVERED WELL ENOUGH TO GO TO TARBES.
HE IS A LEFEBRE/DHAENEN/VERHEYE. HIS SIRE WAS LOANED TO US BY LYNDON OF WILLIAMS BROS, SON + BURGHAM AND CONTAINS JOHN BURGHAMS NATIONAL MAN FAMILY. HIS DAM WAS BRED BY ALAN MAULL AND WAS INBRED TO BOB LEES FAMOUS BLUE FAMILY BEING CLOSE TO OUR BOB LEE STOCK COCK “ONE LEG”. WE WOULD LIKE TO CONGRATULATE OUR GOOD FRIEND MARK SPAREY ON WINNING THE NATIONAL.”
John and Ann Rake have won four firsts in Welsh South Road Nationals and these were from Nantes, La Ferte Bernard, Pau and Tarbes and in the 2015 Tarbes National they clocked one of their team of eight at mid day on the Sunday to finish at 8th Open. This one is a three year old chequer cock which is a grandson of the Rakes’ Tarbes National winner “Steepholme Boy”. His last race before going to Tarbes was from Saintes a month earlier and he was sent sitting four day old eggs. Bloodlines are Andy Gregson Deweerdt x Delbar x Van Bruaene.
As I finish this report I see that Scammell & Peploe have clocked yet again to finish in the top ten of the Open result. The Padfields have now had four birds from their Tarbes entry. John Smale has just phoned to say that he had clocked the hen that I gifted him and she looks likely to finish at 17th section J with the NFC plus in the top dozen or so of the Welsh National. Finally, I’ve just been informed that Dave Smith of Cardiff has also clocked. Unfortunately despite attempting to contact Dave on a number of occasions I was unsuccessful, but well done anyway Dave.
Gareth Watkins