Hardy & Wilson - Yaxley King George V Cup Winner Lerwick

Fanciers sending to Lerwick are aware that it can be an arduous and testing race, those that compete do so with confidence and this race point is most definitely not for the feint hearted however that that do take it on are all chasing their dream that they will get their name emblazoned of the King George V Cup. This year the event was sponsored by Aviform and Northlink Ferries and the fanciers who have will have their name alongside many of the greats will be non-other than Arthur Hardy and George Wilson who fly under the banner of ‘Hardy & Wilson’ of Yaxley in Peterborough. The partnership was formed some 24 years ago although George is no longer active with the pigeons, he and Arthur are still in touch with how the birds are doing but today its Arthur and his 13-year-old grandson Nathan racing them.

The origin of the birds housed are from Geoff and Catherine Cooper, Arthur told me that while he could get them from 600 miles, but I just couldn’t get them from Barcelona, so it was decided to try the Jelle Jellema birds which are really making an impact for him at the longer races, however after their introduction came the problems with Brexit and the EU, but he does hope to get Barcelona in 2023!

With Barcelona being an aim of Arthurs and channel racing under threat the lofts attentions were turned to North Road Racing and has the Huntingdon club had ceased to function where Arthur had been the secretary for 15 years. They joined the Peterborough City Flying Club and the NRCC and I think it fair to say that lifting the Kings Cup in his first season back with the club didn’t really cross his mind.

There are two garden lofts that are situated at the back of Arthurs home and are built of a timber construction. The main loft has four 8ft sections and a 3ft corridor running the full length with the birds flying to open doors, the doors are covered with a louvre and clear polycarbonate on the adjoining door.

There is an apex roof and central to each section there is a wooden chimney to help with the air exchange. The second loft has two 8ft sections for youngsters and a 6ft section for stock birds with flights on all sections, again trapping to open doors.

Deep litter is used through-out the lofts, no dressing, just dried droppings and this appears to have broken the cycle of coccidiosis and even worms this can be confirmed by testing which is done during the wintertime towards the end of the moult, after which the birds are given. Blanket

North Road Championship Club | 2023 treatment for Paratyphoid and other than the compulsory Paramyxovirus vaccination, it’s as straight forward as that!

Around a hundred birds, are housed and these comprise of of 8 pair of breeders and comprise approximately half yearlings and half older birds, after they have moulted through the birds are allowed out twice a week to exercise, Arthur said ‘Olympic athletes don’t just sit in the chair when not competing, so they are kept exercising but just not as frequent, it helps when it comes to pairing up. Both the breeders and the flyers are coupled around Christmas time and because the birds are tested, no routine treatments are given at all and no there has been no sign of worms or cocci. The coupling of the breeders coincides with the flyers as the first round of eggs are moved under the yearling racers. When youngsters are weaned, they are not subjected to the darkness system, but they are trained and raced with the federation to give them an education for their later life on the road. Feeding from weaning and through their flying season they are given the Bamford’s Premier Gold, ‘results are not important it’s just about having them properly schooled for their later life!’ said Arthur.

After the rearing the old birds are separated and total widowhood is practiced, the birds are exercised in the morning and afternoon, the hens have their exercise first for a good forty minutes, when in, the cocks are given their fly and these too will give another forty minutes, when they drop should others still be flying the doors are not opened until all the cocks are down. Prior to the first race they will have three fifteen-mile training tosses with the car. Prior to the race the birds are not run together they are taken directly from their loft to the basket.

Feeding is as straight forward as it can be, Arthur lets the birds have food in front of them all the time, the cocks have a galley pot, and the hens is in a hopper on the floor, his food of choice is ‘Bamford’s Premier Gold’, as the distance increases more fats will be added, but not oils but in the form of sunflower hearts, peanuts, and hemp.

There is no coming together of the sexes prior to the race, they will only see each other on the return when the bowls will be turned upright. The time the cocks and hens are left together will be increase as the season progresses and when flying the distance of the race increases so will the length of the time birds are left with their partners.

I asked Arthur, did it not matter that the birds were given a mixture and the food was ad lib? The reply ‘no not at all, we have noticed that the beginning of the week after the flight the birds take the peas and the heavier grains and as the week progress you can see that as the bird’s fitness level starts to increase, they are taking the maize and lighter grains and by basketing day if they are not taking much, you know they are right!’

And the question, any thing special for Lerwick? No not at all, just as I have explained, they were rested two weeks before the race. I selected three birds for the race, the second arrival went back to Thurso two weeks later and the third arrival stayed at home as she was the mother to the winner!

I asked Arthur if he had any advice to give for novice or old hand and was spot on and here it is ‘don’t lose track of what the sport is all about, enjoy all aspects of it!’

101 Members sent 762 Birds were liberated after a one day hold over at 06:45hrs in a SW Wind

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Previous Winners

2009 W Hall & Son of Boston 412 2743 LSW 1147

2010 & S Rich of Isleham 459 2639 SW 1061

2011 F & T Salt Bros & Son of Kimberley 396 2069 N 1367

2012 Mr & Mrs R Skinner of Boston 412 2518 SW 1337

2013 Mr & Mrs R Boulton of Skegness 402 1732 NW 1663

2014 Upsall & Frost of Boston 412 1850 None 1053

2015 Rouse & Webster Kimberly 396 1618 SW 873

2016 Mr & Mrs D Evans Alford 396 1066 WNW 1539

2017 Mr & Mrs P & T Rodgers Wainfleet 403 1488 SE 967

2018 R Hallsworth Selston 391 1322 SW 1111

2019 A & K Kirkman Freiston 412 1184 SW 1052

2020 T Winterton Holbeach 425 1028 SE 1134

2021 A &J Pinner & Jasmin Wainfleet 407 71 NE 1383 Past Winners Banff - Fraserburgh

Year Name Miles Birds Wind Vel

1940 North & Son of Skegness 327 912 NW 1786

1941 His Majesty The King of Sandringham 356 770 NW 1199

1942 W J Smith of Leicester 352 1031 794

1943 W L Thackray of Malton 253 1289 1601

1944 A Bush of Tibshelf 317 1408 867

1999 Jones & Coleman of Northampton 378 3998 W 1070

2000 D & J & A Robinson of Norwich 372 3326 LW 1227

2001 D J Brackenbury of Boston 335 5331 N 1981

2002 Mr & Mrs F Widdison of West Bridgford 331 5088 LWSW 1134

2003 Sweeney & Grandson of S’ Cockerington 309 3656 LWSW 1389

2004 Mr & Mrs K Sterland of Newark 313 3627 NNW 1977

2005 D Barrett of Lincoln 315 3861 NNW 1923

2006 K Lawson of Boughton 312 3612 S 1268

2007 H Walker of Newark 324 3331 WNW 1223

2008 Dolby & Son of Chatteris 370 2954 WSW 1330

2009 K Lawson of Boughton 312 2876 LSE 1212

2010 Dales & Sayers of Louth 309 3189 N 2146

2011 M Sharpe of Hogsthorpe 396 2069 N 1367

2012 W Bearder & Sons of Nottingham 327 2286 NE 1495

EH Gregory of Eastwood 324 2247 NE 1184 2014 2015 K Crotch Norwich 372 1804 None 1407 2016 Not Raced

2017 W Bearder & Sons Bilborough 327 1283 SW 1015

2018

2019 Mr Mrs Guilford Sandiacre 331 1184 SW 1033

2021 Mr Mrs Royal Kings Lynn 354 627 SW 1544

Past Winner Arendal Race (Norway)

Year Name Miles Birds Wind Vel

1937 Banks of Folkestone 192 NE 12th Day

Past Winners Faroe Race

Year Name Miles Birds Wind Vel

1912 T Long of Harrow 762 51 NW 22nd Day

1929 G F Baker of Peterborough 695 232 N 1262

1930 J S Hartridge of Leicester 684 155 SW 7th Day

1931 A H Quibell of Newark-on-Trent 657 165 N 653

Past Winners Perth & Arbroath

Year Name Miles Birds Wind Vel

1962 Ince Son & Pollard of IIkeston 250 1122 LN 1344

1963 Glover & Son of Ravenstone 266 1101 LNE 1198

1964 W Darwood of-Mansfield 241 1343 LSE 1173

1965 R Morris of Chelmsford 366 1565 NE 1520

1966 F W Boyles of Dartford 374 1740 V 1393

1967 F C Hudson of Lincoln 248 1278 LW 1119

1968 W Darwood of Mansfield 241 1765 LV 1185

1969 R W Carter of Feltwell (Arbroath) 308 1768 NW 1162

1970 S Warner & Son of Sutton Bridge 89 2145 LW 1417

1971 G H Dobb of Sutton-in-Ashfield

North Road Championship Club | 2022