Latest News
Eric Higginbottom wins N.F.C.Saintes
25th July 2010
Congratulations must go to the excellent flier Eric Higginbottom and wife Ruth from Sandhurst on winning 1st Open National Flying Club Saintes on the 24th July. This race was a real tough affair with around 200 birds verified on the winning day. To say Eric was 'Over the moon' was an understatement and we extend the most sincere congratulations to this top class husband and wife team.
The winner is a two year old hen, a previous good prize winner including 1st Section G,12th Open Hens National BBC Lambelle.
She was bred from a son of our old famous breeder 'Blue Diamond' (Wittenbuik x Sissi) when he was paired to 'Blue Spirit' a full sister to Wittenbuik. Dam of the National winner is a daughter of 'Zabel' a son of 'Kannibaal' when paired to 'Lucky Charm'.
Over time 'Lucky Charm' has proven to be a really good breeder with various mates. She was the first youngster bred from our 'Young Couple'. The Young Couple was formed by way of a love match in the aviary between two latebreds. They mated up themselves in the winter of 2001/2002 and 'Lucky Charm' was an egg rescued from the aviary floor and hatched under a foster couple. She was rung with an American ring as she was destined to go to a Florida One Loft Race in our partnership. She was judged as too big for that race so we entered her instead in the Europa Classic One Loft Race where she won 4th place. We bought her back from the auction and she has bred many winners and breeders of winners over the years.
Paired to Drum she bred 'Foxy Pete'. Gifted as an egg to Phil Bates and Son Neil, they raced him to win 2nd Shotton Gold Ring Race from Picauville as a youngster and as a yearling he won 2nd place in the prestigious Chester 2 Bird Club Race from Lessay. He then went on to win 1st Frome 3500 birds,3rd Frome 3312 birds,7th Eastbourne 3112 birds,6th Frome 3300 birds,12th Fourges 1510 birds, 20th Poole 2985 birds.
Paired to Hannibal she bred the sire of 1st Lanarkshire Fed from Kelso against 9151 birds for G.Macaloney and Son.
Paired to Merlin a son of Mascotte x Agent Starling she bred the sire of Alistair Hogg of Sunny Lofts in Scotlands winner of 1st Open in the German International One Loft Race 2009.
Also paired to Merlin she bred the dam of the winner of the very prestigious Shotton Gold Ring Race 2009 for Mr and Mrs Robinson of the Wirral.
Now she has bred the dam of Mr and Mrs Higginbottoms 1st NFC Saintes winner.
She certainly deserves the name 'Lucky Charm'
Strombeek 24th July 2010
25th July 2010
Saturday 24th July saw the second young bird race of the program take place from Strombeek a distance of 170 km from Nieuwendijk.
Club 503 birds.....2nd,3rd,7th,8th,9th,15th,17th,18th,19th
CC A&R 2134 birds....8th,11th,22nd,23rd,25th,44th,46th,47th,48th
Combine 7992 birds..26th,29th,53rd,56th,58th
First bird was NL10-3056739 a son of our very promising young breeding couple Johannesburg (Drum x Doran the daughter of Golden Lady of Koopman) x Star 300 (Galileo the cock of the Young Couple x Emerald 6th International Sun City Million Dollar Race 2006 from Attila x Rianne).
Second bird was NL10-3056757 a son of Young King (Young Couple) winner of 3rd Nat.NPO Orleans 14041 birds and 21st Nat.NPO Orleans 9003 birds x Chanel (Son of Mascotte x Marita paired to g.daughter of Ikon and Patriot) herself a winner of 3rd Nat.NPO Orleans 9800 birds, 5th Nat.NPO Orleans 14041 birds , 8th Combine Creil 14323 birds , 4th Combine Strombeek 8402 birds , 11th Combine Creil 8574 birds, 14th Combine Pithiviers 16,334 birds and much more.
Third bird was NL10-1818108 bred from the old original Ganus/Van De Weijst bloodlines (Hercules, B.M.W., Joep, Limoges, Sissi). These birds have been raced for generations in the Alphen area of Holland where Mike Ganus and Luc Van der Weijst created a phenomenal team in the early ninties. They are even better today than they were 20 years ago and fortunatley the bloodline survives.
Fourth bird was NL10-1818182 again from the old Ganus/Weijst bloodline.
Fifth bird was NL10-1818133 bred from GFL04-1455 a son of the famous Golden Mattens when paired to a sister of Wizard (Favorite Son x Blondie).
Sixth bird was NL10-3056738 bred from Hannibal x Genie (Drum x Gerrie).
Next weeks race will go ahead as normal but the update on this site will be delayed due to Holidays.
Hannibal
19th July 2010
Congratulations to Tony Trattles on winning 1st Up North Combine from Lillers last Saturday against over 12,000 birds. His winner a yearling cock is bred from a son of GB06L27650 (Hannibal x Genie) paired to GB06L27712 (Caliph x Poppy). Dam of his winner is from GB06L277661 (Dali x Schone Blauwe).
Also a very well done to Davey Barron and Son on topping his Fed again with his good blue hen '3061' (From son of Hannibal x Genie) she is a previous winner of 1st Fed Rivenhall,2nd Fed Rivenhall,3rd Fed Bubwith,7th Fed Peterborough and now 1st Fed Lillers.
On the same day on the other side of the Country in the North West, Dave Woods from Rainford won 1st Wigan 2 bird Championship Club from Messac winning by 11 minutes clear and beating the North West Grand National and the South Lancs Combine by 30 y.p.m. with his good checker pied cock bred from a son of Hannibal x Gerrie.
Strombeek Y.B. 17th July 2010
19th July 2010
The first young bird race of the season finally got under way from Strombeek a distance of 105 km to Nieuwendijk. The birds were liberated into a moderate S.W.wind and a very good race developed with the winners in the high 1600 m.p.m. and very good returns that more than justified the Combine officials decision to postpone the last two weeks races. Definately it was in the best interests of the birds.
Club 536 birds.... 1st,2nd,7th,8th,9th,10th,12th
CC A&R 2197 birds.. 6th,9th,20th,21st,22nd,24th,27th
Combine 8071 birds..7th,11th,28th,31st,32nd,34th,37th
First bird was 10-1818157 bred from GFL-848 Old Hofkens bloodline (Young Merckx x Hollywoods Jewel) x GFL-1343 a direct daughter of Golden Mattens x Classic Winner the winner of the Florida State Classic race from 370 miles and she is also the mother of Britannia winner of the Vegas Race.com One Loft Race from 300 miles.
Second bird was 10-1818167. This bird was bred from the original Ganus - Van Der Weijst bloodline that is still very succesful in Southern Holland.
Third bird was 10-1818108 again another Ganus-Van Der Weijst bloodline . This is a very good start with this original bloodline that is probably better now than 20 years ago.
Fourth bird was 10-0040358 original Zoontjen bloodline bred from 'Lisburn' a full brother to 'Pacemaker' the Europa Classic winner for Gibb and Byrne paired to a daughter of Favorite Son x Last Lady (Vechter x Bontje 797)
Fifth bird was 10-1818156 bred from a son of Kannibaal King x daughter of Creator of Wout Spierings.
Sixth bird was 10-3056743 another prizewinner from our promising young breeding cock Golan (Young Couple) this time paired to Sara a full sister to Emerald winner of 6th Sun City Million Dollar Race 2006.
Nat.NPO Chateauroux 11th July 2010
13th July 2010
After a one day hold-over the National Chateauroux birds were liberated , a distance of 598 km to Nieuwendijk.
Club 100 birds...3rd,4th,5th
Combine 1271 birds...4th,7th,8th
Nat.NPO approx 10,000 birds..18th,24th,31st
First bird was NL09-13266348 bred from GFL07-691 'Sun Raider' the old Hofkens bloodlines bred from 'Brother Young Merckx of Frans Verheyen, Merksplas x 'Hofkens Princess'. Mother of '348' is a full sister to the 'Wizard' (Favorite Son x Blondie).
Second bird was NL09-1326335 bred from a son of Wizard (Favorite Son x Blondie) x '635' (Drum x Gerrie). Dam is a daughter Kannibaal King (Young Couple)x daughter Super Champion Orlando.
Third bird was NL09-3951964 a very consistant prizewinner this year winning a 1st,2nd,3rd,4th,5th,5th all as a yearling bred from a direct son of Casanova the 1st Dutch Middle Distance Ace x GFL-1198 a daughter of Blue Le Mans of Wout Speirings.
Due to the extreme heat and the Animal Rights controls in Holland, the young bird race was cancelled again this week. It is hoped that a start can be made next week, however the programme including the National races will be re scheduled.
