Had a call from Mr Ernie Rigby of Taylor and Rigby of Telford reporting another great performance by Gary Downing winning 2nd Section 3rd Open Midlands Continental Classic Guernsey last Saturday with a sister to his 1st Midlands Continental Classic Guernsey 1 race flown 21st May 2022.

This was a hard working race last Saturday with the birds well strung out. The winner Mr Lockley clear by over 40 ypm.

Gary Downing is of course well known throughout the UK as one of its best fanciers. The proof of this are the results that are very well documented.

Top winning genes in the hands of a top winning fancier can only result in more to results at the very highest level.

It is quite remarkable the winning reports recieved of offspring from our Young Couple. Mainly in classic and national races when conditions get a little tough. We have carefully retained and line bred these original lines and the bloodline is without doubt more potent than ever.

The legendry ‘Young Couple’…

 

Another full sister also won 7th Open in the following MCCC race Guernsey 2 in 2022 for Gary when Price Brothers and Son won the 1st position in the same race with one bred from a daughter of Foxy Lady herself a decendant of Rowen a daughter of The Young Couple.

Dam of the winner is a sister to Gary’s 1st MNFC winner and is of Janssen and Van Loon bloodline.

Sire of the winner was bred by Taylor and Rigby from a special pair  that was originally purchased by Mrs Eileen Whitehead of Durham as a birthday gift for her now late husband Jim Whitehead.   The cock was  an inbred Grandson of ‘The Young Couple’ ( ‘Golan’ x Kannibaal Princess’) and the hen was an inbred Granddaughter of Joop Koch’s ‘Favorite Son’ (‘Favorite 644’ x ‘Lurgan Belle’ bred by Geoffrey Douglas).

Jim Whitehead sold Mr and Mrs Peter Shaw of Wolverhampton a youngster from this pair in 2014 amongst a kit.

This turned out to be a checker pied hen  that in 2015 went on to win:

1st South West sec, 761 bds…17th Open, 8,888 bds… MNFC Carentan also winning  1st SW Sec Yearling Classic, 144 bds…6th Open Yearling Classic, 969 bds

7th SW Sec, 745 bds…21st Open, 5610 bds…MNFC Ancensis  also winning  3rd SW Sec Yearling Classic 78 bds…6th Open Yearling Classic, 479 bds

60th SW sec, 1125 bds…187th Open 8350 bds…MNFC Carentan

For the above, she was ranked 1st Ace Pigeon (Middle distance) in the South West section and 2nd Ace Pigeon (Middle distance) in the open.

She also accumulated 3 x Club wins and a 2nd place being beaten by a loftmate with which she arrived. She was also 17th Wolverhampton Federation Fourgeres against approx 1200 bds.

In 2016, she won 1st Midland Continental Classic race from Carentan against 11 birds beating the entire convoy with the Worcester Fed of 1600 birds (including duplications) totaling approx 2500 by 22 ypm.

Many congratulations indeed to all involved.