NRCC Dunbar old hens – 2011
By George Wheatman
There was a highly praiseworthy performance in the North Road Championship Club old hens race which was won on Sunday, against all the odds, in Nottingham.
The partnership of Graham Rick and Kevin Spiers provided the winner which defied the strong south westerly wind, which was guiding the majority of the convoy towards the east of the country, to plough a lone furrow into Nottingham, well ahead of its rivals.
This race proves that this yearling blue chequer is a good bird, capable of tackling a hard race, but she had already shown her potential by winning a club race from Perth as a youngster, and this year finishing sixth open NRCC Thurso, when the loft turned in a tremendous performance to take 5th, 6th and 7th open on a difficult day.
The partnership started 30 years ago when Graham, now 68 and retired from his job at a power station, was ill and needed some help in looking after his pigeons. He asked Kevin, one of a young group of new members at his club, if he would give him a hand by cleaning out. Kevin was 15 or 16 then and, now working as a builder, is still there at the age of 46.
According to Graham, Kevin is “pigeon mad” and is the one who does all the technical stuff, like motivation.
It is, however, obvious that they have high regard for each other, and Kevin says that Graham pulls out tricks that can prove successful. He is the one who likes to keep his brain active with facts and figures, like working out velocities the old fashioned way, and predicting the velocities rivals need to beat them.
Kevin embraces all aspects of the sport, including representing Section One on the NRCC committee, and cannot resist buying the odd pigeon, or two, when attending sales or shows.
He also has pretty well every video or DVD produced on pigeon racing.
The lofts are at Graham’s home, so that means Kevin spends a lot of time away from his own home.
From the very start there were two sheds and Graham established the philosophy of equality by insisting that Kevin timed in arrivals at one of them, while he timed in at the other.
Graham, a bit self mockingly, insists that he is of the “old Kirkpatrick era”, but Kevin says he has dragged him into the modern world of pigeon racing.
There was, in fact, nothing old fashioned about the manner in which their hen was prepared for this major success.
Flying as a widowhood hen, she was kept on darkness with the young birds and, for the last four or five weeks, the loft lights were left on until 10 or 11pm to keep the moult at bay.
She was sent as a trainer to every young bird race and, the week before Dunbar, she was re-introduced to her cock bird overnight. On return from that race, she was separated from the cock, but again put with him overnight before basketing for Dunbar.
“A lot of people can’t be bothered with the old hens race, but I think it is another challenge to tackle,” said Kevin. “It adds to the interest of the sport, and is a test of your skills.”
Graham is thrilled to enjoy the status of winning a race which has become a speciality for such aces as the late Frank Tasker, and for the Bridget and Geoff Clare partnership whom they beat into second place on this occasion.
It was the 14th time the Clares, of Sloothby, in Lincolnshire, have finished second open in NRCC races (they have also had five wins) and, while they were disappointed not to win the old hens race for the third successive year, Geoff acknowledged what an outstanding performance it was by the winning pigeon on a day when wind conditions were not at all in its favour.
They had hoped that their winner of the previous two years, Treble III, could complete a hat-trick, but, in the event, she was their fourth old hen home.
Rick and Spiers compete in the Beacon and Ruddington clubs – and they compete successfully, although both partners say that they have had a poor young bird season.
However, just to show that Graham has been dragged screaming into the modern age of pigeon racing, he says: “I don’t know why everyone does not use the darkness system for their young birds. It is so simple.”
Either he has never been in the Dark Ages, as he claims, or Kevin has done a great job in re-educating him.
Whatever, here are two good fanciers, a smoothly working partnership, who did a great job in winning a top-class race when the odds were against them.
NRCC Dunbar old hens – 2011
By George Wheatman
There was a highly praiseworthy performance in the North Road Championship Club old hens race which was won on Sunday, against all the odds, in Nottingham.
The partnership of Graham Rick and Kevin Spiers provided the winner which defied the strong south westerly wind, which was guiding the majority of the convoy towards the east of the country, to plough a lone furrow into Nottingham, well ahead of its rivals.
This race proves that this yearling blue chequer is a good bird, capable of tackling a hard race, but she had already shown her potential by winning a club race from Perth as a youngster, and this year finishing sixth open NRCC Thurso, when the loft turned in a tremendous performance to take 5th, 6th and 7th open on a difficult day.
The partnership started 30 years ago when Graham, now 68 and retired from his job at a power station, was ill and needed some help in looking after his pigeons. He asked Kevin, one of a young group of new members at his club, if he would give him a hand by cleaning out. Kevin was 15 or 16 then and, now working as a builder, is still there at the age of 46.
According to Graham, Kevin is “pigeon mad” and is the one who does all the technical stuff, like motivation.
It is, however, obvious that they have high regard for each other, and Kevin says that Graham pulls out tricks that can prove successful. He is the one who likes to keep his brain active with facts and figures, like working out velocities the old fashioned way, and predicting the velocities rivals need to beat them.
Kevin embraces all aspects of the sport, including representing Section One on the NRCC committee, and cannot resist buying the odd pigeon, or two, when attending sales or shows.
He also has pretty well every video or DVD produced on pigeon racing.
The lofts are at Graham’s home, so that means Kevin spends a lot of time away from his own home.
From the very start there were two sheds and Graham established the philosophy of equality by insisting that Kevin timed in arrivals at one of them, while he timed in at the other.
Graham, a bit self mockingly, insists that he is of the “old Kirkpatrick era”, but Kevin says he has dragged him into the modern world of pigeon racing.
There was, in fact, nothing old fashioned about the manner in which their hen was prepared for this major success.
Flying as a widowhood hen, she was kept on darkness with the young birds and, for the last four or five weeks, the loft lights were left on until 10 or 11pm to keep the moult at bay.
She was sent as a trainer to every young bird race and, the week before Dunbar, she was re-introduced to her cock bird overnight. On return from that race, she was separated from the cock, but again put with him overnight before basketing for Dunbar.
“A lot of people can’t be bothered with the old hens race, but I think it is another challenge to tackle,” said Kevin. “It adds to the interest of the sport, and is a test of your skills.”
Graham is thrilled to enjoy the status of winning a race which has become a speciality for such aces as the late Frank Tasker, and for the Bridget and Geoff Clare partnership whom they beat into second place on this occasion.
It was the 14th time the Clares, of Sloothby, in Lincolnshire, have finished second open in NRCC races (they have also had five wins) and, while they were disappointed not to win the old hens race for the third successive year, Geoff acknowledged what an outstanding performance it was by the winning pigeon on a day when wind conditions were not at all in its favour.
They had hoped that their winner of the previous two years, Treble III, could complete a hat-trick, but, in the event, she was their fourth old hen home.
Rick and Spiers compete in the Beacon and Ruddington clubs – and they compete successfully, although both partners say that they have had a poor young bird season.
However, just to show that Graham has been dragged screaming into the modern age of pigeon racing, he says: “I don’t know why everyone does not use the darkness system for their young birds. It is so simple.”
Either he has never been in the Dark Ages, as he claims, or Kevin has done a great job in re-educating him.
Whatever, here are two good fanciers, a smoothly working partnership, who did a great job in winning a top-class race when the odds were against them.