A finale to the pigeon racing season that is proving increasingly attractive to fanciers from a wide area is the open young bird race from Perth organised by Boston and District Flying Club. This year’s race attracted entries from as far afield as Ipswich and Norwich.

It was won by Geoff and Bridget Clare, of Sloothby, who also had several other birds in the result, to complete an encouraging young bird season after their move last year from Old Leake. They also had a good race from the young bird national from Dunbar with the North Road Championship Club and this suggests that their re-building plans after re-location are on schedule. Young bird specialists Frank and Ann Tasker, from Wainfleet, filled the next three positions. This was the third Perth young bird open race organised by the Boston club and secretaries Brian and Angie Garnham said it was a big success thanks to the good entry and sponsorship from PJ Lofts, Clares Pet Products, Fossitt and Thorne Tyres, Siltside Services and TFM Supplies plus the convoyer Merv Greatrix who gave participants such a good race.

Results: Mr and Mrs PG Clare 1271, F and A Tasker 1268.872, 1268.759 and 1268.199, A and J Pinner 1264.847, F and A Tasker 1264.343, Mr and Mrs PG Clare 1257.825, A and J Pinner 1257.073, Mr and Mrs PG Clare 1251 and 1249, F and A Tasker 1246, Mr and Mrs P Newbold 1245, Mr and Mrs PG Clare 1240 and 1238, Mr and Mrs D Evans 1237, Mr and Mrs PG Clare 1234.718, B Sears 1234.149, A and J Pinner 1228.480, Mr and Mrs Clare 1228.202, P Smith 1225, Bartle and French 1223.779, Mr and Mrs B Garnham 1223.397, P Smith 1223.250, Mr and Mrs B Garnham 1222, Mr and Mrs Clare 1219.269, 1219.058, 1217, 1216, 1213.490 and 1213.385, Mr and Mrs D Evans 1210 and 1206, Hardy and Troops 1202, Mr and Mrs Clare 1200, P Smith 1198, Mr and Mrs Clare 1192, J Burt and Son 1189, A and J Pinner 1187, Mr and Mrs Clare 1186, Jessica Newbold 1183, Mr and Mrs Clare 1180.676, Jessica Newbold 1180.091, Mr and Mrs D Evans 1179, Mr and Mrs P Newbold 1178, Mr and Mrs Clare 1177, Mr and Mrs Newbold 1175, G Watts 1175, Mr and Mrs Garnham 1173, R Quibell 1171.943, M Waller 1171.151, Mr and Mrs R Skinner 1171.121, 1170.603 and 1170.415.

Held in conjunction with this young bird open race was a hens’ race which was won by Mr and Mrs Paul Newbold, of Friskney, on 1167 yards per minute. Brian Sears, of Alford, was second on 1136 and Mr and Mrs Newbold took the next two places on 1135 and 1104.

Boston Area South Road Club raced from West Bay when five members sent 57 birds: Mr and Mrs J Dixon 1445, 1438.775 and 1438.043, T Upex 1423, Lannan and Louth 1382, T Upex 1379, Lannan and Louth 1375 and 1342, LR Manning 1303 and 1287.

Week ending September 16

Another success feat for young Jessica

Thirteen-year-old Jessica Newbold, of Friskney, has set alight the racing pigeon scene by beating many more experienced and senior fanciers to top Peterborough and District Federation's race from Northallerton. Jessica’s birds have been in particularly good form as the young bird season comes to an end, and she has also won, for the second successive year, the Bob Holmes Trophy in Candlesby RPC. This is for the best combined average from the Perth old bird race and Dunbar young bird race. This year she beat Karl Scholz by the narrowest of margins.

Another local loft that has gained Federation honours is that of Mr and Mrs Dave Evans, from Alford, who were top of the list from Dunbar.

Dunbar club results:

Skegness and District RPC (6 members sent 125 birds): Bartle and French 1632, 1631 and 1631, K and B Smith 1630, Mr and Mrs J Boswell 1624, Bartle and French 1621.

Winners of the young bird average in the Skegness club were K and B Smith with an average velocity of 1585, followed by Bartle and French 1575, Mr and Mrs J Boswell 1564 and Mr and Mrs R Boulton 1543.

The club's combined average winners were Mr and Mrs John Boswell on 1291 with Mr and Mrs Bob Boulton (1249) runners-up.

Wainfleet and Skegness (4-189): F and A Tasker 1632(3), Jessica Newbold 1619, Mr and Mrs P Newbold 1618, A and J Pinner 1611.

Candlesby RPC (6-79): Jessica Newbold 1619, Mr and Mrs P Newbold 1618, K Scholz 1604, Jessica Newbold 1589, Mr and Mrs Newbold 1581, Jessica Newbold 1576, M Sharpe 1544, P Whiting 1539, D Page 1065.

Week ending September 9

Successful weekend for county-based fanciers

It has been a great weekend for Lincolnshire pigeon fanciers as they landed three national titles.

The Midlands National Flying Club young bird race, from across the English Channel in Cherbourg, was won by Darren Peters who runs the Fenland Stud at East Heckington. His winning entry had to face a head wind from France and returned a winning velocity of 1194 yards per minute, beating Mr and Mrs E Corkett, Leighton Buzzard (1179ypm) and Fenwick and Howard, Doncaster (1167ypm) into second and third places in the provisional result.

The other two national championships went to Louth, to the loft of the Martin Wilkinson-Albert Sayers partnership, who won the North Road Championship Club’s young bird and old hens' race from Dunbar in front of a host of other local fanciers who led a field of 2,713 birds entered by 235 members. Indeed Wilkinson and Sayers will also take second place in the young bird race after being in partnership only since last season which saw a return to the sport by Albert after a break since 1993. Previously he was a successful competitor with the Horncastle club.

Provisional results, on the verification of first birds only, for the NRCC young bird race were: Sayers and Wilkinson 1664, Mr and Mrs D Evans, Alford, 1661, Wright and Sweeney, Louth, 1660, ME Dales, Louth, 1655, Mr and Mrs PG Clare, Sloothby, 1654, Burtons and Collins, Louth, 1640.8884, R Mamwell, Louth, 1640.7321, Barton and Sons, Lincoln, 1638, F and A Tasker, Wainfleet, 1637, Bartle and French, Skegness, 1633, PW Smith, Skegness, 1631, K and B Smith, Chapel St Leonards, 1628, Mr and Mrs J Boswell, Skegness, 1626, Jessica Newbold, Friskney, 1618, Mr and Mrs P Newbold, Friskney, 1618, R Quibell, Horncastle, 1617, A and J Pinner, Wainfleet, 1615, B Sears, Sloothby, 1613, Mamwell Bros, Louth, 1609, K Scholz, Wainfleet, 1606, R Hayes, Lincoln, 1605, Mr and Mrs B Garnham, Boston, 1600, GE Appleby, Louth, 1596, Mr and Mrs D Thomas, Alford, 1588, Hardy and Troops, Boston, 1586, Upsall and Frost, Boston, 1570, Mr and Mrs F Henry, King's Lynn, 1569.9895, D Henry, Boston, 1569.0769, I Bellamy, Peterborough, 1568.4841, Perry Bros and Son, King's Lynn, 1568.1860, A Kirkman, Boston, 1564, Mr and Mrs R Boulton, Skegness, 1561, Mr and Mrs R Skinner, Boston, 1558, Mr and Mrs EJ Attwater, Boston, 1555, Mr and Mrs Kaschner, Diss, 1554, S and T McCurry, Wisbech, 1549, Barrett and Marshall, Lincoln, 1547, A Willerton, Alford, 1543, M Sharpe, Hogsthorpe, 1542.

Provisional results for the old hens’ race (47-198): Sayers and Wilkinson 1620, Mr and Mrs P Newbold 1612, Bartle and French 1600, D Page, Spilsby, 1561, Upsall and Frost 1552, F and A Tasker 1549, Barrett and Marshall 1540, WA Pell, Peterborough, 1530, Barton and Sons 1511, D Bryant and Son, Lowestoft, 1485.2254, Mr and Mrs PG Clare 1485.0795, I and S Rich, Isleham, 1479, W and HE Attlesey, Ely, 1458, Wright and Sweeney, Louth, 1450.

Club racing results from Northallerton were:

Skegness and District (six members sent 143 birds): K and B Smith 1646, 1644(2), Mr and Mrs R Boulton 1638, Bartle and French 1625 and 1622.

Candlesby (9-127): Jessica Newbold 1612, Mr and Mrs P Newbold 1605, M Sharpe 1594, P Whiting 1586, D Page 1554, K Scholz 1552, G Clements 1485, A Barlow 1466, J Childs 1243.

Skegness and Wainfleet (4-109): Jessica Newbold 1674, F and A Tasker 1665, 1664 and 1663, A and J Pinner 1634, Mr and Mrs P Newbold 1620(2).

Boston Area South Road RPC (9-232) competed from Newbury: Mr and Mrs J Dixon 1321.906, 1321.319 and 1320, Lannan and Louth 1255 and 1252, LR Manning 1211, D Peters and Son 1203 and 1200, J Gore and Son 1193, A Neison 1189.

Week ending September 2

Race double gives insight to ‘form’ lofts

With the last North Road Championship Club national race from Dunbar looming up this Saturday, local pigeon fanciers have been looking which are the in-form lofts. The last two races have been from Whitley Bay and Northallerton and the results may give some indication of who will be in contention for this week's honours, although Lincolnshire fanciers face tough opposition from other parts of the country.

Results from Whitley Bay:

Boston Central RPC (18 members sent 369 birds): Mr and Mrs R Skinner 1412, J Burt and Son 1403.248, Mr and Mrs B Garnham 1403.164, A Kirkman 1401, Upsall and Frost 1400(2), A Kirkman 1397, S Snowden 1396.345, G Watts 1396.345, Upsall and Frost 1396.232, G Watts 1395, W Hall and Son 1391.

Spalding Services FC (9-109): D Duffy 1427, Holmes 1324 and 1323, Rout 1319 and 1311, Moore 1301, Woolsey 1295, 1289 and 1273, Fielding 1267, Redden 1212, Duffy 1196.

Spalding HS (11-213): A Parkinson 1272, J Bellerby 1246, RJ Rout 1231, A Parkinson 1228, MJ Lewis 1227, A Compton 1226, MJ Lewis 1209, A Compton 1177, RJ Rout 1165 and 1155, P Llewellyn 1153, Burton 1149.

Boston and District FC (8-179): Mr and Mrs B Garnham 1422, Mr and Mrs E Attwater 1416, C Collins and Son 1394, H Bell 1384 and 1379, B Parker 1374, A Bell 1365 and 1362, B Parker 1357, A Bell 1349, D Brackenbury 1323 and 1316.

Swineshead and District (4-70): Mr and Mrs S Poulter 1294, D Iles 1278, 1275 and 1251, M Huddlestone 1249.953, D Iles 1249.147, M Huddlestone 1217, G Wheatman 1202.

Skegness and District (5-147): Bartle and French 1505.900 and 1505.687, K and B Smith 1491 and 1481, Mr and Mrs R Boulton 1463, Mr and Mrs J Boswell 1461.

Winners of the Gold Ring race were Mr and Mrs Boulton.

Candlesby (8-123): M Sharpe 1478, Mr and Mrs P Newbold 1430, Jessica Newbold 1415, P Whiting 1412, K Scholz 1398, P Whiting 1381, Jessica Newbold 1366, D Page 1361, A Barlow 1262, J Childs 1230.

Skegness and Wainfleet (4-124): F and A Tasker 1524, Mr and Mrs P Newbold 1465, A and J Pinner 1460, Mr and Mrs Newbold 1433, F and A Tasker 1423 and 1416, Jessica Newbold 1375 and 1337.

Results from Northallerton:

Alford (8-263): F and A Tasker 1665(2) and 1664, Mr and Mrs PG Clare 1619(3), B Sears 1616 and 1602, D Thomas 1587, B Sears 1582.

Swineshead and District RPC (5-119): G Wheatman 1549 and 1544, M Huddleston 1543, G Wheatman 1539, M Huddlestone 1487, Mr and Mrs S Poulter 1476, M Huddlestone 1447, D Iles 1443 and 1433.

Result of Boston Area South Road RPC’s race from West Bay: D Peters and Son 1558, 1557 and 1556, Mr and Mrs J Dixon 1477, A Neison 1465, Mr and Mrs Dixon 1442, A Neison 1407 and 1406, J Gore and Son 1380, G Pugsley 1360.