Wingbeats from … Winnemucca 09-06-2003

by Doug Burnett

The halfway through the YB series station proved to be a much tougher test for the ’03 breds than the previous 3 stops in the Nevada desert. Explanations for the much slower speeds ranged from forest fires, to southerly headwinds, to a Thursday earthquake in the East Bay and included the possible impact of 100+ hot air balloons taking off after sunrise in the Reno area. Whatever the cause, wayward race bird numbers were called in from Marysville to Chico. You ask…whose birds succeeded in spite of all the obstacles noted above??

Auburn RPC

Rookie flyer Brad Thuman picked the “A” race for his 1^st ever victory! Big Kahuna (Bruce Smith) was as proud as Hawaiian punch with his silver medal, Brad Thuman showed that it was no fluke by taking the 3^rd spot and Bob Schneider (Double BS) was 4^th. Thuman’s bird was Jeff McCrary bred down from Bob Schneider stock.

The “B” event was virtually all Double BS as Schneider went 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd. Jeff McCrary (JMack) had a well earned 4^th place. Bob’s winner is a nestmate to this club winner at Imlay and, as regular readers are aware, that means that the sire is “The Bronze Cock” and a Hall of Fame hen (Olde Blue Family) is the mother of the champ.

Fort Sutter RPC

The Rapozo teams continued their stellar performances, humbly referred to as “Shock and Awe”, by winning Club/Concourse and Combine in the 0700 competition. Sherry’s bird was 1^st FSC, Bob was 2^nd and 3^rd while another entry from Sherry took the 4^th position. The winner is off a pair purchased at the Vegas Auction. The sire is off of John Sampson’s (Mass.) best stuff and the dam is from Richard Hersey’s #1 pair. The Rapozos had 3 on the drop, dead out of the north.

Cain Family Loft put it together for a 1^st place finish in the “B” race. Burt Karr was 2^nd, Troy “Big Red” Smith of TKAAA was 3^rd and 4^th place went to Bob Rapozo. Jim Cain, who went from 101 birds to 51 on his first toss the day after returning from a summer trip to Italy, reports that the winner was bred off of the flying team. The sire is an ’01 Mealy that strayed in from Royce “King” Carlock and his mate is a Mike Davis hen down from his “Chico” male that has bred winners for several flyers.

Gold Country Invitational RPC

It must have been Kim Sterchi’s birthday because she celebrated with 2 wins from Winnemucca. Her Sierra Minis team was 1^st and 2^nd in the “A” release, Marel Ryan was 3^rd and new to the area (from Texas) Jon La Freniere was 4^th (5^th and 6^th)! Kim works her birds, knows her birds and pools her choices. Her winner is down from the Sierra family (17 year blend) and the parents are multiple diploma winners on both sides. The birds were raised on the lighting system and are flown to the perch.

Kim’s champ in the 0800 release also captured her first Combine win! Sierra Minis was also 2^nd (and 2^nd Combine), Marel Ryan took 3^rd and Sierra Ranch (Steve Sterchi) earned the 4^th award. It is worth noting that Guillermo Eguiza had his best ever finish with the 5^th spot. Kim Sterchi’s winning hen is a pure Verbruggen of the Bieche persuasion.

Orangevale RPC

Pat Gunning from downtown Dublin showed the tight knit O’Vale crew how it’s done by taking the gold medal in the early race. Leo Van Staveren was a close OVC 2^nd (and 1^st East Concourse), Ronnie Howell was 3^rd and his across the freeway neighbor Mr. Gunning was awarded 4^th place. Pat’s winning BBC was bred by a Vic Miller male purchased at auction in San Francisco 3 years ago mated to a hen from his longtime Janssen based family of racers.

It was hot and heavy again in the later release as Ronnie Howell emerged victorious by 2+ minutes. George Choi was right there in 2^nd place while the often mentioned Pat “Arnie” Gunning” was fast enough for both the 3^rd and 4^th positions. Howell flies on the lighting system and his winner was sired by a Janssen from CBS (Mardis) Sprinter stuff. The Van Loon mate is from Jim Gabler’s “Avenger” and “Missy” bloodlines.

Sacramento RPC

Larry Miller was back to his old tricks with another Club win in the “A” Race. EC Neves just missed and was 2^nd and 3^rd. Rob Spradling returned from his Bambi expedition soon enough to clock 4^th. Miller’s gold medalist was produced by a hen from the old George Stewart lines (Vernazza/Devriendt) mated to a Hofkens which was a gift from that mysterious eyesign guru…Marin…

We have a CHUCK JOCHUMSEN sighting!! Chuck, the grizzled ole veteran, earned both 1^st and 2^nd positions in the 0800 release. EC Neves was 3^rd and the multitalented Jim Williams was 4^th. Chuck reports that he flies his YBs strictly to the perch, neither mated nor separated. The pedigree of the Jochumsen winner shows a (Geo Brown) male that was Club Champ in ’01 OBs but had not previously bred anything of note clicking with a Buschaert hen from Hank Sturrus.

Hangtown RPC

Velocities were down but the 3 team Hans birds took the circuitous route from Winnemucca to the north and finally to the friendly confines of El Dorado County. The “A” race saw Matt Hans go 1^st and 2^nd, Don and Ed (Bozarth-Cancilla) were 3^rd and Jon Hans was 4^th. The DCWF C winner was sired by a Jan/Van Loon yrling who is brother to 5 Combine winners according to Matt. The dam of the pair is GFG banded from Mel Miroth. She was a 2X Combine winner, mother to 3X winners and grandmother to 5X winners.

The victory podium for the “B” race had entrants from each of the 3 Hans teams. Jon Hans was 1^st and 2^nd, Hans Family Loft was 3^rd and Matt Hans 4^th. Jon’s BBH was also equal 1^st from Fernley and had a sister on this 5 bird drop. The sire to the winner is a White Grizzle with 3 national awards inc. Best White racer in ’00. The hen of the pair earned 3 national awards, had 5 HANG wins and once flew 16 consecutive races!

See you up the road… Aloha! Doug