Keith Mott

Writes about winning fanciers past and present...

RICHARD & KEN O'CONNOR OF CROYDON

This week we are going to feature one of the premier widowhood racing lofts in the Surrey Federation area, that of Richard and Ken O'Connor.

The O’Connor brothers have enjoyed some brilliant success in recent seasons and have won: 2nd. open L.&S.E.C.C. Bordeaux in 2002, with their dark hen, ‘Dark Princess’, 1st. & 2nd. open L.&S.E.C.C. Bergerac in 2003, with their champion red hen, ‘Classic Lady’, winning the Classic and in 2005 their game blue hen, ‘The Territorial Hen’, recorded 2nd. open L.&S.E.C.C. Tours. Brilliant pigeon racing!

I had the great pleasure of visiting the fantastic Croydon lofts of Richard & Ken, to film them for my video, 'Many Miles with Mott', No. 18. The brothers started up in pigeon racing in 1975 and Richard maintains that winning is great, but the main thing is they have always enjoyed keeping pigeons. From the age of six or seven, they collected all types of animals and insects, but always wanted pigeons or birds they could let out and would come back. In 1975 a stray landed in their garden and within a short time they had several gift birds from local fanciers to go with it and from then they were hooked on our great sport. The brothers like any race, short, middle and long distance, as long as it involves racing pigeons. They have won 1st federation many times through the years, including 1st and 2nd open combine in 1982, when flying on the natural system. To say Richard & Ken had a brilliant season in 1999

would be an understatement winning 13 x 1sts federation and ending the old bird season by winning 1st open SMT Combine Bordeaux. Eight of their 1st federations were won in the very strong Surrey Federation and in my 30 years association with the federation I've never known a performance to beat the O'Connor brothers 1999 blitz. Not only did they win the Surrey Federation eight times, they were also 2nd several times and in one race took the first six positions. Then to put the icing on the cake, they won 1st open SMT Combine from the longest old bird race, Bordeaux, 450 miles.

On my visit to the Croydon lofts, the first pigeon that Richard and Ken showed me was their 1999 Bordeaux Combine winner, a handsome Van Reet blue cock which won the combine on the widowhood system. This was the cock's third win and he was a gift bird from the brothers' good friend, Roy Geoff. He was worked hard in the 1999 season flying the Channel five times before winning the combine. The brothers race the normal widowhood system with cocks and have two teams, one for sprinting and one for Channel racing. The distance birds are paired up on December 14th. the same time as the stock birds and their eggs are floated under the race birds. The sprint team are paired up on January 2nd, as the brothers get more time with the pigeons over the Christmas holiday. The hens are taken away at 17 days on the first pair of young birds and re-paired about three weeks later when training starts. The cocks get five training tosses before the first race and are never trained in the season, only flying out around the loft for one hour, twice a day. The sprint team are broken down, being built up from Wednesday each week and the Channel birds are never broken down, being fed on a heavy mixture. The long distance team get regular inland races to get them fit and ready for the Channel events. These birds are never re-paired for the long distance races and the brothers like to race 15 to 20 spare hens on the Channel and these are housed with the young bird team. Ken says these hens have been very successful and keep fit flying out with the youngsters. The inland racers are housed in a 12ft loft, with nine boxes in each section and the Channel birds race to a 12ft loft, with all trapping through open windows. The hens are shown to the racers on marking night and get their mates for about half an hour on their return from the race. Another top racer I looked at on my visit was the brothers' best Van Reet racer, Robin, a nice blue cock, which has raced brilliantly inland. Richard maintains that their best sprinters are never sent over the Channel for French races. The cock is a seven times winner, including 1st federation in 1998 and twice 1st federation, plus 2nd federation in the 1999 season. A brilliant pigeon!

The main families are Van Reets, Van Loon and Busschaert. The Busschaerts originate from their good friend, Phil Ball and the first pair came from his champion, ‘King Pin’, winner of 21 x 1sts. This pair bred their good blue chequer cock, winner of 15 x 1sts and 3 x 1sts federation. The great old cock is still in the 10ft today, although is not filling his eggs and was one of the birds that the brothers turned over to widowhood when they finished with the natural system. The Van Reets come from Paul Arnold of Cheam and the Van Loons were introduced six years ago from Dennis Shepperd of Kingston. When Richard and Ken bring in new stock birds, they look for good balance, but the main factor is good eyesign.

The brothers race 80 young birds each year and these race on the natural system to the perch, but if one or two pair up they are allowed to carry on to make them keen for racing. The darkness system was tried out for the first time in 1999 and Richard says he was very happy with the birds' moult at the end of the season. All the young birds race through to Wadebridge, 230 miles and young cocks are not saved for the widowhood system because the old bird teams are full of quality at the ,present time. They get as much training as the brothers can manage with work commitments and are likely to have 25 chucks before the first young bird race. The youngsters are fed on a good young bird mixture, with the com being built up to marking night. On my visit the O'Connors showed me a handsome Van Reet mealy pied cock which was ‘Young Bird of the Year’ in 1997, racing in the very strong Woodside Club and he won 1st federation in the 1999 season. Richard says this outstanding widowhood cock has five brothers in the racing team, with all of them being winners and all could have been federation winners.

I should like to finish by congratulating Richard and Ken on their brilliant performances in the Classic, Federation and Combine and say thanks to them for letting me visit their lofts. Thanks, lads!