Keith Mott writes about winning fanciers past & present

The Cancer Research South Road Amalgamation Races

The Annual Cancer Research Amalgamation race was the idea of Croydon fancier and RPRA London Region secretary, Vic Farrant. When his wife died of cancer she left £2,000. Instead of giving the money direct to cancer research, Vic decided to start a fund for an annual cancer research race. The Amalgamation was formed from three South Road Combines, the SMT, London & South Coast and Middle Counties with 8,614 birds being entered in the first Nantes race in 1985. The first event received TV coverage with Gil Duncan of Thanet, Kent, winning with a velocity of 1688 y.p.m.

The second event from Nantes in 1986 saw the three Combines send 8,035 birds. Liberated in an east wind they had a hard race, a complete turn around from the 1985 event. The winner on 977 y.p.m. was a Krauth mealy cock, raced on Widowhood by I & D Holt of Chesham. This cock called 'Dave's Pride' had previously won 1st Club Seaton and 2nd Guernsey Open race. Ian and David mainly raced the Krauth strain, with one of the main stock birds being 'Derek's Red' a red chequer, Krauth hen bred by D Care of Chesham. She had bred many winners including the Amalgamation winner.

The 1987 event from Nantes saw 5,420 birds entered. Because of adverse weather on the Channel the convoy was held over until the Monday. In spite of the light SW following wind returns were very patchy with some members not clocking. Winner was the popular Major Honey of Mitcham, with his yearling gay pied hen '45', bred by his good friend Danny Moulton from his Cattrysse bloodlines. The Major had been in the sport 35 years, but said he has won very few races he just enjoys his pigeons. He was loft manager for the late, great, Alf Pays of Mitcham for seven years and Alf won the Nantes National. The Major has won several good races in his time including 1st Surrey Federation Avranches (Young Birds) in 1978. He clocked a bird on the day from the Pau National in 1964, and was very upset when a cat killed the pigeon the following week.

The 1988 Cancer Research Amalgamation event saw 2,821 birds entered for the 280-mile race from Tours. The race was a stiff one after liberation in a NE wind, only two pigeons recording over 1000 ypm. Winning pigeon was a two year old Widowhood blue chequer cock owned by Geoff Snelling of Aldershot and he named his new champion 'Heron Wood Researcher'. Geoff is no stranger to winning, having won the Southern South Road Amalgamation from Saintes with his champion cock 'Magri' in 1980, with 8,687 birds competing. This grizzle cock won the Amalgamation by 31 ypm, winning an RPRA Southern Region Award for his performance. 'Heron Wood Researcher' was bred down from 'Magri' and the sire of 'Researcher' was Geoff's good blue chequer cock 'Heron Wood Hat­trick', the winner of nine times 1st Club for the Snelling loft. The Snelling birds are mainly raced Natural as Geoff likes to send hens to the longer races. However, he says he has had a lot of success with his Widowhood team. Geoff says when he started Widowhood he tended to overfeed them, which was very wrong. The birds are sent every week providing they are sound, and are given a week's rest between the longest races. He takes young bird racing very seriously but his aim is to turn them eventually into Channel winners.

The 1989 Cancer Research Amalgamation race was flown from Niort and the large convoy had a hard fly being liberated at 5.50 in a NE wind. Mr & Mrs Des Eastman of Brading, Isle of Wight won the race on 1070y.p.m., with a yearling Janssen/Hermans red chequer cock, which had previously scored inland. This game cock was raced on Widowhood and for his build up for Niort, had Alencon (SMT Combine) and Nantes (Central Southern Classic Flying Club). Mr & Mrs Eastman raced only 16 cocks on Widowhood and won several lsts in the Brading RPC in 1989. The Eastmans had several lofts, with the main racing loft being a 12ft x 8ft double decker. Des Eastman entered the sport as a 14 year old in 1966 and says he enjoys Channel racing best.

I hope my readers have enjoyed this look back at the Vic Farrant Research Amalgamation races of the 1980’s. I can be contacted with any Three Borders Federation news on telephone number: 01372 463480.

TEXT & PHOTOS BY KEITH MOTT