Geoff Kirkland RIP

[Trev]

pest.JPG

The Pest, on the other hand, was always beautiful. He never won a prize as a youngster, nor as a yearling until he got to Angoulême with the MNFC where he was 9th Open.
Then, as a 2y, he won from everywhere, going on to be 1st BBC Nantes and 1st MNFC Angoulême.

Great pigeon. I wonder how many fanciers would have doubts about it with no cards won in it's first 2 years?

Times have certainly changed and people expect more from their yearlings today than they ever used to, I have always been set up for distance racing and never worried too much about what my birds had done up to until they were 2 year olds, still don't really but I have pushed my yearlings harder this year than I ever have before.

[George and Morgan]

i thought i had posted RIP Geoff

[Trev]

pest.JPG

The Pest, on the other hand, was always beautiful. He never won a prize as a youngster, nor as a yearling until he got to Angoulême with the MNFC where he was 9th Open.
Then, as a 2y, he won from everywhere, going on to be 1st BBC Nantes and 1st MNFC Angoulême.

I had a Chequer hen back in the 90s who barely even managed to get home in race time as a youngster or yearling, but as 2 year old she scored from Berwick (348mls) and as a 3 year she was 4th club from Berwick, 2nd club from Stonehaven (431mls) and 1st club from Banff (495mls), sadly I lost her in a smash from Elgin the following year.

[MIL]

Dad always loved to get his yearling Van Hee's to Saintes (488 mls)

He reckoned a yearling was more dangerous than anything in the basket, cos they never knew where their limits were

Given the success he had with yearlings at 488 and beyond it's hard to argue

[Steve Howells]

Dad always loved to get his yearling Van Hee's to Saintes (488 mls)

He reckoned a yearling was more dangerous than anything in the basket, cos they never knew where their limits were

Given the success he had with yearlings at 488 and beyond it's hard to argue

Spot on!! As Geoff once said to me " problem is once they've flown 500mls once they know it hurts"

[Murray]

Dad always loved to get his yearling Van Hee's to Saintes (488 mls)

He reckoned a yearling was more dangerous than anything in the basket, cos they never knew where their limits were

Given the success he had with yearlings at 488 and beyond it's hard to argue

And I think your Dad was spot on, Mike. I honestly think a pigeon is as good as it will ever be when it is about 12 months old.
Young, strong, vigorous and unafraid.
They don't get better, they just get older.

[Albert]

R.I.P. Geoff.

[Trev]

Dad always loved to get his yearling Van Hee's to Saintes (488 mls)

He reckoned a yearling was more dangerous than anything in the basket, cos they never knew where their limits were

Given the success he had with yearlings at 488 and beyond it's hard to argue

When you look at last weekends results in difficult conditions from the NFC Tarbes race and our race from Kelso there were a lot of yearlings coming through while the older, more experienced birds were down the sheet a bit !!

[MIL]

Dad always loved to get his yearling Van Hee's to Saintes (488 mls)

He reckoned a yearling was more dangerous than anything in the basket, cos they never knew where their limits were

Given the success he had with yearlings at 488 and beyond it's hard to argue

And I think your Dad was spot on, Mike. I honestly think a pigeon is as good as it will ever be when it is about 12 months old.
Young, strong, vigorous and unafraid.
They don't get better, they just get older.

I have to agree Murray

"Mad Yearlings" he called em