Mark Gilbert (Windsor, UK) takes the top three in the first national race from Falaise
by James Karen on 18/05/2016
Starting the 2016 national racing season with a bang, Mark Gilbert took the top three section and open positions from Falaise with the British International Championship Club. Mark left the opposition in no doubt as to the power of his pigeons and what a talented fancier he is.
by James Karen on 18/05/2016
Starting the 2016 national racing season with a bang, Mark Gilbert took the top three section and open positions from Falaise with the British International Championship Club. Mark left the opposition in no doubt as to the power of his pigeons and what a talented fancier he is.
The 2016 season started on 9th April for Mark, with the commencement of club and federation racing. Mark flies in the federation serving the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxford shire English counties commonly known amongst UK fanciers as the BB&O. This is a very competitive federation as weekly birdage is on a par with some of the national races.
Mark won the first three races of the season and featured prominently in the result of the fourth, as follows:
09/04/16 Yeovil 93 miles 124 / 2,400 b. 1
16/04/16 Honiton 115 miles 140 / 2,816 b. 1,2,10,12,13,14,15,16
23/04/16 Exeter 137 miles 130 / 2,583 b. 1,2,4,5,6,7,8,10,13,14,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28
30/04/16 Carentan 150 miles 108 / 1,494 b. 9,25,26,28,29,30
Mark won the first three races of the season and featured prominently in the result of the fourth, as follows:
09/04/16 Yeovil 93 miles 124 / 2,400 b. 1
16/04/16 Honiton 115 miles 140 / 2,816 b. 1,2,10,12,13,14,15,16
23/04/16 Exeter 137 miles 130 / 2,583 b. 1,2,4,5,6,7,8,10,13,14,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28
30/04/16 Carentan 150 miles 108 / 1,494 b. 9,25,26,28,29,30
Therefore, when the first national race of the year came around Mark and his pigeons were in an excellent position to score well from across the channel having been beautifully prepared. This certainly proved to be the case with Mark timing three pigeons in quick succession to take the top three places. First on the clock was GB13J11314 Southfields Sabastian, the winner of the section from Alençon last season. The sire of Southfields Sabastian is a half-brother to birds that won second, third, fifth, seventh and twelfth open from Tarbes with the National Flying Club. He is also a grandson of a Perpignan national winner. The dam is from a Koopman hen that contains Kleine Gerard and Elsie bloodlines.
Second on the clock was a blue hen, GB14J06230 Southfields Sheba, bred from a son of Etienne Meirlaen's Golden Vleugel. The dam of Southfields Sheba was the winner of third international from Pau in 2013, plus thirty-ninth open Perpignan and seventy-second open Tarbes for Mark. This dam contains Smaragd 2 and Deweerdt bloodlines.
Finally, third to be timed was Southfields Saxon GB13J11115, a chequer cock bred from a Gaby Vandenabeele sire of Blacky, Kolonel and Bonte Florke bloodlines. This sire was mated to one of Mark's top racing hens, Southfields Karen, the winner of third international hens from Agen and fourth open international overall against over 22,000 pigeons. Southfields Karen contains Drum, Gerrie and Southfield Supreme lines.
So, there we have it, an excellent and well deserved start to national racing for Mark Gilbert and his talented family of pigeons. The rest of the season lies ahead, and no doubt Mark will be aiming to build on his achievements thus far, especially in the international races where his pigeons have excelled for many years.
Second on the clock was a blue hen, GB14J06230 Southfields Sheba, bred from a son of Etienne Meirlaen's Golden Vleugel. The dam of Southfields Sheba was the winner of third international from Pau in 2013, plus thirty-ninth open Perpignan and seventy-second open Tarbes for Mark. This dam contains Smaragd 2 and Deweerdt bloodlines.
Finally, third to be timed was Southfields Saxon GB13J11115, a chequer cock bred from a Gaby Vandenabeele sire of Blacky, Kolonel and Bonte Florke bloodlines. This sire was mated to one of Mark's top racing hens, Southfields Karen, the winner of third international hens from Agen and fourth open international overall against over 22,000 pigeons. Southfields Karen contains Drum, Gerrie and Southfield Supreme lines.
So, there we have it, an excellent and well deserved start to national racing for Mark Gilbert and his talented family of pigeons. The rest of the season lies ahead, and no doubt Mark will be aiming to build on his achievements thus far, especially in the international races where his pigeons have excelled for many years.
