Tough start to the young birds season…

The original team of 96 youngsters was severely tested five weeks ago on a short training toss from 15km.  Only 30 made home on the day with only a few returning the next day. Over the following weeks a few more returned or were collected from all points of  the compass. Never the less a team of 37 birds were selected as fit and ready to go for the first young bird race of the 2012 season on Saturday 30th June.

This first race from Grimbergen a distance of only 103 km to Nieuwendijk again turned out the be a tough contest with many losses for all club members. We had 10 missing on the day (yesterday) with 3 returning this morning.

We were lucky to have a few early birds in the clock, taking 6 prizes in the first 11 positions in the club.

First bird winning 1st club against 587 birds was GB12R22402 bred from ‘Bandit’ a son of ‘Outlaw’ x ‘Rowen’ (dtr.Young Couple) and ‘Moonglow’ a daughter of ‘Drum’ x ‘Joy’ (dtr. Kannibaal Van Dyke). Also winning 3rd Altenna & Raamsdonksveer against 1930 birds and 33rd Combine Union de Baronie against 6160 birds.

This is only the second youngster raced from ‘Bandit’ x ‘Moonglow’. The first one was raced last year and he won the 1st Ace Pigeon Award in the Emerald Classic One Loft Race.

Second in the clock was NL12-1737183 winning 2nd club, 5th Altenna & Raamsdonksveer, 39th Union de Baronie, and was bred from ‘Hurricane Run’ a son of the ‘Young Couple’ when he was paired to ‘Penny’ a hen with a fantastic bloodline. She was bred by Paul and Jelle Roziers from ‘Little 500’ the sire of ‘Perfect Light’ winner of 1st Zone against 13,049 birds and 2nd Natinonal Bourges against 31,824 birds.

‘Little 500’ was bred by Johan de Belser from ‘Den 500’ one of the best performance birds ever winning 21st Nat. Bourges 15,716 b ~ 28th Nat. Argenton 4,955 b ~  35th Chateroux 6,494 b ~ 38th Nat. Bourges 36,506 b ~ 39th Nat. Limoges 23,661 b ~ 45th Nat. Bourges 11,089 b ~ 56th La Soutteraine 5,551 b.  Dam of  ‘Penny’ was bred from ‘Shinji San’ of Van Hove Uytterhoeven winner of 1st National Bourges  against 16,950 birds and 1st overall Old birds and Yearlings against 40,902 birds when he was paired to ‘Queen L’ winner of 1st National La Souterraine 16,297 birds.

‘Penny’ is proving a great prospect as a breeder. One of her sons bred the Vierzon Provincial winner for Comb.Vervloesem this year. Her nest brother ‘Paul’ has also bred two South Lancs Combine winners for the ‘Wincham Wizard’  Derek Woodward.