Penzance - 19/06/11

[willie reynolds]

Classic Cleland – James Cleland wins Penzance OB Classic

The East Down Combine pigeons were in Penzance in Cornwall for their final race before the French races. The channel racing has proved to be most difficult this year and racing has been somewhat erratic with many empty perches. This week’s race followed the same pattern with the early birds being very much on time and then there were big gaps between birds returning from the race. At the end of the day there were still a lot of empty perches, with a few birds turning up on the Monday.

The pigeons were released at 6.45am on Sunday 19 June following a one-day holdover. Wind at the race point was light westerly, which was to turn west northwesterly on the way home. This race also incorporated the East Down Combines Channel Classic.
The winner of the South Down Fed this week is Annsborough’s James Cleland and what a race he had here taking the top three positions in the Annsborough club, 1st, 2nd, 6th Fed, 1st, 2nd, 10th section, 2nd, 3rd 12th Open and 1st, 2nd, 9th, 22nd and 24th Classic.

James’ birds have been in tremendous form in recent weeks with lots of Fed and Open positions but this has been his best performance of the season especially on a day when many others were struggling.
The winning pigeon is a yearling Pros Roosen cock, which was to win the Classic for the Newcastle Road fancier. These Pros Roosens have been a great acquisition for James and feature very regularly in the result. Quite often James has them crossed but this one was a pure Pros Roosen.

The pigeon at 2nd Fed, was 2nd in the Classic and was also the winner of the 3 Bird Channel Championship Club. The sire of this one is another Pros Roosen while the dam is a Benny Steveninck. This bird was 4th Fed, 10th section from 1st Fermoy.
James’ third pigeon is another yearling cock. This one was 9th Fed, 10th section, 17th Open last week from Bude and was 2nd club, 5th Open from the Derek Wishart race from Fermoy. Its nest mate was 4th Fed, 8th section 22nd Open from Talbenny as a young bird. The breeding is Pros Roosen x Freddie Vandenheede.

Annalong’s Bobby McConnell is another loft in form at the moment. Bobby had timed three out of three entries in a difficult Yearling National and is 3rd Fed, 6th section, 7th Open and 5th Classic here, with another bird taking 38th in the Classic.
The pigeon timed at 3rd Fed is a yearling hen that has been 3rd club, 33rd Open from 2nd Fermoy after a bad trap when she could have been pushing for top honours. She was also 2nd club from 2nd Talbenny. The sire was bred by K Rooney & Son for the club’s Breeder Exchange while the dam was bred by Arnie Tonks, West Midlands from his top Maurice Matthews bloodlines.

K Rooney & Son Annalong who bred the sire of the pigeon above for Bobby are 4th Fed themselves. The pigeon timed here is a two-year-old Gust Janssen hen. This bird was 2nd club in last year’s Yearling National and the Gust Janssens are among Kevin and Kristopher’s best lines. The Rooneys are 7th section, 9th Open, 6th Classic with this bird.

Newcastle’s N King & Son are 5th Fed this week to complete an excellent channel programme for them. They are 8th section, 10th Open and 7th Classic. This is the same pigeon that was 2nd Fed, 4th section, 6th Open from 1st Talbenny. The pigeon timed is a yearling hen, although she carries a 2009 ring. The breeding is Grondelaars from G & P Brown, Annsborough and Soontjens from the late Eric Carlisle

D Croskery & Son Annsborough are 7th Fed, 17th section, 21st Open, 12th Classic. The pigeon timed here is a yearling hen. She is a daughter of the ‘Bolden’ cock, one of their best stock birds, and one of the own De Klak pigeons. This bird has won a few minor prizes racing.

Annsborough’s G & P Brown are 8th Fed, 18th section, 24th Open here to keep their superb season going. The pigeon timed here is the yearling cock that was 1st Open from 2nd Fermoy. This pigeon is another from K Rooney & Son Annalong .The sire is a Busschaert from Davy Shields and Dtr of the Cragshead club in Durham while the dam is a Janssen and is a full sister of Geraldine and Patrick’s Skibbereen Classic winner.

S Halpin & Sons Tyrella are 9th Fed this week having had two in the result last week so another loft in form. This one is a yearling hen from distance stock obtained from Tony Smith, Downpatrick. This bird was their first one from the Skibbereen national this tear and was then sent to the Yearling National when it arrived at 1.15pm on the second day.
Pritchard Bros Annsborough complete the result at 10th Fed. This bird was 7th Fed, 8th section, 14th Open last week from Bude. It is a two-year-old Jan Arden from stock obtained from Louella. The Pritchards have a great record on the channel particularly when the going is tough.

Full Result; 1, 2, J Cleland Annsborough 1308, 1306; 3, B McConnell Annalong 1257; 4, K Rooney & Son Annalong 1249; 5, N King & Son Newcastle 1246 Nom £40; 6, J Cleland 1236; 7, D Croskery & Son 1215; 8, G & P Brown Annsborough 1201; 9, S Halpin & Sons Tyrella 1174; 10, Pritchard Bros 1168;

• The Kings Cup and Friendship National will have a £2 Nom in the Fed.
• The DTW will resume from 1st Navan. Only those in the DTW in the Old Birds can join until it has been won.