Algarve Great Derby and Golden Race Finals 2023…

DRUM finished breeding in 2011 but his offspring continues to score very early in Classic, National and One Loft Races twenty years after his prime. Without any question his offspring are even more succesful right now. Despite changing trends and current fashions his legendary super winning genes continues to be a testament to the great KANNIBAAL and KLEINE DIRK. 

 

Last weekend was the final races of the Algarve Great Derby and Algarve Golden Race. To be honest we could have done better and also to be honest both races were terrible contests in difficult weather conditions of extreme heat and the most dissapointing thing was in my opinion the birds for both races were quite simply not prepared well enough. A big let down.

However we managed a 52nd place in the Great Derby from 420 km against 1560 birds, with one from Blue Rosie a daughter of Witpen Mike and Whole Lot Of Rosie. Very pleased that the Portugal Pair offspring continue to add to their winning C.V.

 

The Algarve Golden Race was a complete horror with a distance of 505 km and an entry of 3175 birds from an initial entry of 7307 birds entred by 1453 fanciers. No birds on the day of liberation, one gallant bird at 6.15 am the second morning winning by over one hour then in one’s and two’s through the day with almost 2000 birds still missing after two days!

We are very pleased indeed that despite our own poor performance we contributed to the first two early U.K. birds.

Recieved a message from Mr Dean Coleman entred as the BARVAE Team winning 1st UK,4th International and 30,000 Euro with Barvae 506 bred from a direct Jan Hooymans cock inbred to the famous Harry with a daughter of SKYFALL x MISS AMIGO purchased at our Blackpool auction.

Winning 11th Final and 2nd UK was Rob Pugh with Silsa entered in the Caspers Rockets Team collecting 5000 Euro. (Tidy).  Dam was Via Tim Atkin from Ocean 7 RPRA Award winner with his super breeding daughter of WAR DRUM and FOXY LADY , so Drum in both.

This hen owned by Rob Pugh and bred by Tim Atkin also bred the 10th Ace Pigeon in the Algarve Golden Race two years ago and she is still only three years old, so has a real bright future ahead.

 

Regarding our own performance, it was not our finest hour, however we must mention TULIP entred by Ferguson Fox clocked on the winning day but just out of the prizes. She was a previous 1st UK,8th International 115km training race against 5971 birds.

We also had COMRADE YURI home on the THIRD DAY! in the Hermans Fox Syndicate and although over a day after the winner and two and a half days racing he was still good enough to win 4th UK Ace Pigeon against 620 entries and 70th International Ace Pigeon against 7307 birds.

Not sure this was due to being a good pigeon or just the type of race it was but as he was also 13th in the tough 300km semi final against 4738 birds I would like to think he is a decent pigeon.