Keith Mott

The Champions of Yesteryear (Part 26)

Geoff Snelling

of Aldershot 

During the Christmas holiday I arranged to make the 25 mile drive to Aldershot, Hants to visit Geoff Snelling who had enjoyed an incredible season in 1980, winning many major positions including 1st Open Southern South Road Amalgamation (8,687 birds) Saintes and winning the Ash Vale R.P.C. Old and Young Bird Averages, the Solent Federation three longest races Average, and the Southern SR Amalgamation Average. Geoff's 1st Open Amalgamation winning pigeon was his yearling red grizzle cock called 'Magri' which won the Amalgamation by 31 y.p.m., earning him an RPRA Southern Region Award. 'Magri's' sire, a Denys Brothers grizzle, was bred by Bernard Miles from the two champion stock pigeons 'Grey Flight II' and 'Little Mo', both from Denys Brothers in Belgium. The dam of the Amalgamation winner was a red chequer hen bred by the late Alec Martin of Godalming from his red Janssens family which were highly successful. Geoff raced his pigeons on the natural and widowhood systems, 'Magri' won the Amalgamation on widowhood.

Geoff has been in the sport since 1969 and got hooked on pigeons when feeding flown out strays at the bakery where he worked. He obtained birds from most of the local fanciers around the Godalming area and said Arthur Engall let him have some good stock at no expense. On starting up the performances of Eric Cannon and Alec Martin both of Godalming drew his attention to the sport and said he had some birds from the north of England in those early days which were moderately successful around the middle distance. His first club was the Godalming & Dist FC, with most of the members encouraging him, but in particular Bill Marshall. He said he made many mistakes early on, but hopefully he has learnt by them. His biggest mistake he said, was probably lack of attention to detail. His first loft was a converted shed and looking back on it, says it was a terrible shambles.

Another key pigeon in winning the Southern SR Amalgamation Averages was the two year old blue cock 'Troy', he won in 1980, 5th club, Exeter, 1st club, 9th Solent Federation, 27th SSR Amalgamation (12,174 birds) Nantes, 5th club, 35th Solent Federation, 53rd SSR Amalgamation Saintes. One of Geoff's best hens at that time was the wonderful blue chequer pied hen, 'Joanne', and her racing and breeding record was out of this world. On the road she won:-1975: (YB) 4th club Weymouth. 1976: 1st club, 9th Surrey Federation, 21 st SMT Combine Niort. 1977: 2nd club, 47th Surrey Federation, 77th SMT Combine Niort, 8th club, 35th Surrey Federation, 93rd SMT Combine Bergerac. 1978: 35th Sect, 371 st Open (8,659 birds) Nantes NFC, 22nd Sect, 114th (4,515 birds) Pau NFC. 1979: ­101 st Sect, 204th Open (10,567 birds) Nantes NFC. 1980: 1st club, 15th Solent Federation, 30th Southern SR Amalgamation (6,815 birds) Bergerac, and she was the dam of many prizewinners including 'Bright Eyes', grandam of 'Noble Saint', great-grandam of 'Troy' and is a sister to 'Little Annie', winner of 3rd club, 3rd Surrey Federation, 3rd SMT Combine Le Mans in 1979.

The main Snelling loft was 14ft. x 8ft., with three sections, one for young birds, one for natural old birds and the other for the cocks on widowhood. The birds were trapped through drop holes and were scraped out regularly. He kept about 20 pairs of old bird racers and his five pairs of stock birds were housed in a small stock loft. The stock birds were paired the second week in February and the racers late in March, with about 30 youngsters being bred each season. The Snelling birds were mainly raced on natural as Geoff likes to send hens to the longer races and said he has had 10 cocks on widowhood for two years and had proved very successful. The birds were sent every week, providing they were sound, and were given a week's rest between the longest races. He took young bird racing very seriously, as his aim was to turn them eventually into Channel winners.

Geoff's family was based around Eric Cannon's pigeons, combined with his champion stock cock 'Vaguely Noble' which was bred by Louis Massarella from champions 'Whitehaven King' and 'Premonition'. 'Vaguely Noble' had bred pigeons to score to Pau on the south and Berwick on the north, and was the sire of 'Joanne' and 'Little Annie'. Geoff said his main family race and win at all distances but were best on the longer Channel events. He said his most thrilling experience was when he clocked his only entry 'Joanne' to win 22nd Sect, 114th Open Pau N.F.C. in 1978. His wife Ann took an interest in the birds and looked after the birds when Geoff was working away from home. The first time she ever clocked in was the Le Mans smash of 1979, the hen was aptly named 'Little Annie' won 3rd SMT Combine.

The birds were fed on a mixture of beans and maize, with a little barley in the winter. They also got Red Band and linseed during the moulting period. The old birds got a weekly toss from the coast whenever possible and the youngsters were only raced and trained lightly. Geoff considered eyesign a very interesting subject, about which he would like to learn more. He said for specialised distance racing, the late Eric Cannon of Godalming, was the most consistent fancier in the south of England and nothing was too much trouble for his birds. Geoff enjoyed showing during the close season as this helps pass the quiet months and gives him something to aim for. He told novices to take note of the birds that win shows and discuss the whys and wherefores with both owner and judge. Geoff inbred to maintain a basic family from which he outcrossed. Occasionally late breds can be of use to maintain certain bloodlines for stock purposes, said Geoff, and when selecting producers he firstly looks for a good pedigree.

The 1976 season was another outstanding year for the Snelling loft, winning the Godalming Channel Average, with the star bird being the mealy cock 'Minstrel' winner of 1st club, 1st Surrey Federation, 10th SMT Combine Angers. In 1977 Geoff won the Godalming Channel Average and the Surrey Federation Channel Average.

Geoff maintained that his racing was geared to winning Channel races only and inland racing was only used as a means to condition birds for their main objectives. He had been racing from his Aldershot address since 1978 and says he was still rebuilding his team. He envisages in the next few years that he will gradually have a crack at the international events.

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 and he named his new champion 'Heron Wood Researcher'.  His latest Amalgamation winner 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.

There you have it, Geoff Snelling, a brilliant fancier with wonderful loft of pigeons! I can be contacted on telephone number: 01372 463480. See yer!

TEXT & PHOTOS BY KEITH MOTT.