Keith Mott

Writes about winning fanciers past and present

The best of long distance in Scotland! (Part 6)

MATT JAMIESON

of Annan

This week I have the great pleasure of featuring one of Scotland 's all time 'greats' of long distance National racing, Matt Jamieson of Annan. He started up in the sport in 1937 as a 15-year-old lad and he is brother to John Jamieson and uncle to Billy Jamieson of Annan. The name Jamieson has been at the top of long distance racing in Scotland for many years and must rate as one of the premier families of National racing in Scotland of all time. Matt's uncle raced pigeons in the 1920s, packing up in 1930 and the Jamieson Brothers re-stocked him with gift pigeons in 1946. Matt bred his uncle a blue hen in 1948 and he won the SNFC with her in 1950. Matt's own record in long distance national racing is fantastic with the following open positions: 1st (three times), 2nd, 4th, 5th, 6th (twice), 7 th , 8 th (three times), 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th (twice). A brilliant record! Matt's three national winners were: Champion Border Prince, mealy cock, 1st open Sartilly SNFC; Champion Border Princess, red cheq hen, 1st open Nantes (540 miles) SNFC; Champion Border Star, mealy cock, 1st open Nantes SNFC. This mealy cock is the grandsire of the other two national winners Prince and Princess. The base of Matt's loft are the Logan, Osman and Barkers, which were obtained just after the Second World War and with the odd cross obtained through the years, are the pigeons he races today with outstanding success. Matt says one of the pillars of the present day family is the blue cheq white flight cock 52S641 and he also had a wonderful racing record winning - 1954: 143rd open Rennes SNFC; 1955: 1st sect, 6 th open Nantes SNFC; 1956: flew Nantes smash race; 1957: 49th Open Nantes SNFC; 1958: 47 th open Nantes SNFC; 1959: 29th open Nantes SNFC. The Jamieson set-up has never included a stock loft and Matt says he pairs his several stock birds to racers to give them a safe mate. On my visit to Annan I had a nice chat with Matt's brother John, and he told me he was John Kirkpatrick's milkman and he purchased a youngster from him, which turned out to be a goldmine. John started up in pigeons in 1935 and on joining the Royal Marines in 1938 had a layoff, to re-start again in 1946. His first pigeons were the Putmans, but he could not get them from over the Channel, so he purchased the youngsters from John Kirkpatrick in 1949 and she was the mother of John's loft. He says he is a great believer in racing hens on the long distance and his record in the SNFC is brilliant, winning 1st Section eight times; 1971: 1st open Nantes (540 miles); 1972: 2nd open Nantes; 1973: 6th open Nantes. A brilliant fancier, who is only interested in long distance National racing. Matt races on the natural system and pairs up the first weekend in March, breeding 30 youngsters for him self each season. His 24ft loft is sited in a horse field and it has three sections, with open door trapping. Matt says after a long winter off the racers have cobwebs in their heads and need a few training tosses to clear their brains and get back in the swing of racing again. His old birds 'are given several 40 miles training tosses and about four short races for their preparation for the first national races. He says training is very hard with so many hawks and falcons in the local hills, and he has lost over 30 birds to hawks, including two of his national winners. He feeds a heavy mixture of 35% peas, 35% maize, 15% .beans, 15% wheat, which he says is far too heavy for club racing, but suits him for national long distance racing. On looking in Mat's wonderful old loft I noticed how contented the inmates looked in their nice enclosed nest boxes. Matt showed me one of his best racers, a blue hen, granddaughter of Champion Border Princess, and she had won - 1994: 2nd open Nantes SNFC (by 40 miles); 1995: 11th open Niort (612 miles) SNFC; 1996: 20 th open Niort SNFC, winning the Best 2B Average with her brother for two years on the trot. Her brother, a handsome red cheq cock, had flown the English Channel just three times recording -1994: .62nd open Nantes (only 68 clocked in race time in the SNFC); 1995: 19th open Niort SNFC (612 miles) - brilliant pigeons! Matt is very hard on his young birds and likes them to race the programme' up to 200 miles. They are given 6 training tosses up to 45 miles, then, during the racing season they get a chick mid-week. The youngsters are fed on the same mixture as the old birds and are raced natural to the perch. If they want to pair up he lets them, but maintains that he has never done any good with paired up young birds.

GUNN & CHERRIE

of Roslin

Although most of the lofts that I've visited in - Scotland have raced on the natural, one that wasn't was Gunn & Cherrie of Roslin, as they race the roundabout system with outstanding success. Tom & David formed their partnership 16 years ago and although they like long distance national racing, they went round about 6 seasons ago. Tom has been in the sport 40 years and first became interested when he visited a local fancier's loft as a 5 year old. Gunn & Cherrie have won countless positions in their federation and SNFC, but say their best performance was winning 1st open Rennes (540 miles) SNFC Tom said it was a great day to win the National, it was a hard race being in a heat wave and a light head wind. The 1997 season saw them record 5th, 6th and 7th open Sartilly SNFC and this was another hard day for the 496 mile race. The 5th open Sartilly pigeon is a handsome blue cheq cock bred down from Preece Bras of South Wales, Iron Man bloodlines. This game cock had previously won as a young bird. The race team is paired up early in February and their roundabout system is very basic, racing cocks and hens in the same races. They are fed widowhood mixture, being 'broken' down in the first part of the week, and are never trained after the first race. Birds rear one pair of youngsters before being split three weeks before the first race. They like to compete in all races at any distance, but maintain roundabout is an excellent system for long distance racing. The main old bird racing loft is 30ft long with three sections, one of which is a special trapping section with open doors and has grille floors for easy cleaning. The cocks stay in the nest box section and the hens live on 'V' perches. The family kept is based around the 1st open Rennes winner and a good cross is brought in from time to time. Strains mean nothing to them, all new introductions must be from the very best winning lines. The eight pairs of stock birds are housed in a small stock loft with a wire flight, and are fed mostly on beans. They are paired up at the same time as the race team in February, so their eggs can be floated under the racers. Their 45 young birds are raced right through to 215 miles, with half the team being stopped after four races. The young hens and cocks are housed separately in the racing season, and are put together on marking day to wind them up. They are given lots of training tosses from 15 miles before the first race. On our visit to the Rosin loft we handled most of their premier racers, including the blue hen' Duchess, and she had scored in several national races. She is a granddaughter of the 1st open Rennes winner and bred down from top Welsh bloodlines.