David & Kirk Bullen - 1st Open International Pau

[willie reynolds]

David and Kirk won 1st. International, 1st. Open BICC and 1st Central Section Pau.

Their winning pigeon is a grandson of their 2005, 1st. National 5th. International pigeon Reggie’s Boy. It was 3rd. Narbonne last year and 27th. Tarbes. With the BICC They do not have any special breeds in there loft but over the years they have put winner to winner and come up with this family of winners. This year he has been raced on widow hood, and David told me that last year he was paired up to a tippler hen. Just before it went to the race, they decided to give him this Tippler hen, which he was delighted to see. Now we know why he came home through rain and thunderstorms to be with the love of his life. He should now be named “Milk Tray Man” after the famous Cadbury advert. He was in such a sorry state when he arrived home, that David took a picture of him about ten minutes after he had arrived, this was to send to Kirk who had not arrived home from work. Let us hope his tippler mate recognized him. This year David and Kirk, have not used beans, but have kept to a light corn feed, with a few peanuts.

This is David Bullen and Son Kirk’s account of there road to success.

Still on cloud nine and not really wishing to write about personal achievements. I remember when racing with my dad as a schoolboy and dreaming of such days. I always had an eye for the distance and with Kirk around any racing was keenly competed for with a strong will to win club/ fed/ combine/ open races. As the old saying goes, 'you need to be in it to win it'. Going back apart from strong inland competition, I find it hard to remember everything, so apologies if the years are a year or two out. It seems that over the years things have gradually built up to a fantastic climax with many disappointments along the way. Not wishing to bore; the fancy, a brief insight on the road to Pau goes as follows:
- 1975 6th Open Rennes BBC
- 1977 5th Open Rennes BBC
- A spell on the North Road followed winning 1st section Perth with the NRCC. Winning centre section fed averages with Young Birds in the London North Road Fed.
-1986 3rd and 6th Open London North Road Combine Lerwick.
-1990 started South Road racing again and winning the combine in 1995 from Bergerac with a yearling hen.
-1996 4th Open BICC Perpignan with Grizzle hen.
-The bug beginning to bite harder and the following year sending to Pau with the London and South East Classic Club, we were 3rd and 5th open on a rain Laden day to confirm our position as fanciers of the year!
- 1997 11th Open LSECC Pau on the day.
-2000 LSECC 2nd open LSECC Alencon.
-2002 Young birds 1st, 2nd, 3rd Combine Falaise.
-2003 2nd Kent Valley Fed, 5th Amal Bergerac with Reggie’s Boy; the dark cock who goes on to be the most outstanding pigeon we have had the privilege to race.
-2004 2nd open old hens with the national flying club.
-2005 Reggie’s boy sent to Dax International with the National Flying Club and following a 10am lib he won 1st National and 5th International and whilst we were immensely proud we were disappointed in such a late lib.
2005 2nd SMT Combine Bergerac with kirks choice, a red cock purchased at the spring exchange and went on to win 41st open Bordeaux National Flying Club the following year.
-2006 4th SMT Combine Bergerac or Bordeaux.
- We joined the BICC and were fortunate enough to win the section on two occasions.
-2008 again sending to Tarbes with the LSECC we were 2nd open with a daughter of Reggie’s boy.
-2009 all club racing was topped to try to concentrate and eventually target Barcelona. A team was sent to Falaise with the BICC we timed in to win 7th open and had 12 arrivals in 90 seconds. Poitiers BICC 1st section 2nd open with red cock GB08J01481 (A grandson of Reggie’s Boy).
-2010 1st section BICC Barcelona. 1st section Narbonne with the 2011 Pau International winner.

-2010 sending two to Tarbes with the BICC and failing to time in was dent to our pride and a major rethink was in order.
We restructured our system not knowing what the future would hold.

-2011 only sending to four races in all with the BICC. Falaise we managed to win 1st section 5th open with our good red cock GB08J01481. So on to Pau International and oh what a day sending four birds, its easy to say now but we did not regret the lib on such a fowl day as it was the only day the wind was in the O.K. favour.

To win it is unbelievable the whole family is in a daze.

To all Friends and Fanciers who have called to pay tribute may we say a big thank you. We would like to pay tribute to all the UK fanciers who were brave enough to send and acknowledge the pigeons have managed to make it home we salute you all.
To Harry Kennett and Tommy Firmanger and all marking and checking committee at the Bromley Club A BIG thank you.

Many thanks to Pam Gladwin PO who supplied the text.