Keith Mott

Writes about winning fanciers past and present

LONG DISTANCE CLASSIC WINNERS

Callum Edmiston of Horley: 1st. open L.& S.E.C.C. Pau 1997

The London & South East Classic Club sent 836 birds to Pau in 1997 and the weekend after the Blue Riband race I made the 30 mile drive to Horley near Gatwick Airport to see the Classic winner owned by Cullum Edmiston. His Pau champion, a Busschaert dark chequer hen called ‘Redburn Mary’ was clocked on the day of liberation, flying 540 miles to chipping eggs. This hen was pure class, having only 7 races in her 3 seasons racing and previously in 1996 - 24th open Pau L & SECC; 1997 - 2nd section Nantes BBC. A very hard race, then went on to win 1st open Pau in the Classic. She flew 540 miles on the day from Pau and had never raced inland. This game hen was bred by Cullum's father from the Bradley Brothers bloodlines and her sire won 1st open Solent Federation (6,000 birds) by over 60ypm clear.

Callum has been in the sport for 25 years, previously racing in partnership with his father up to 10 years ago when he moved to Horley and started up on his own. He never races in a Saturday Club and is only interested in 500 mile on the day racing. His record in the Pau Classic  since living at his present address is 1994 - 4th, 21st and 23rd open; 1996 - 13th, 19th, 24th, 28th and 38th open and now 1st open in 1997. The loft has won many major open positions in the shorter classics, but Cullum isn't really  interested in those events. He keeps only 12 pairs of racers, which are mainly of the Tom Gilbertson of Cumbria family and pairs up on February 2nd. His system of racing is basically natural, but in 1997 they reared one youngster and then were put on a roundabout system. The racers were trained hard including four single-ups from Dover and two from Weymouth before all going to the 1997 Alencon Classic then they were paired up just before the Pau Classic and had peanuts added to their mixture. Cullum's young birds get about 50 or 60 training tosses from the south coast and all go to the Young Bird Classic race.

Gordon Robinson of Dunstable: 1st open L.& S.E.C.C. Pau 1998

I remember my visit to Pau for the 1998 Classic, because it's the only time I've seen the Pyrenees looming up behind the city of Pau, with the sky being crystal clear. Members sent 781 birds for this Classic and being liberated in a south wind, 22 game pigeons were recorded on the day of liberation. Gordon Robinson of Dunstable won the race clocking at 7.50pm and this Bedfordshire loft belongs to one of the longest flying members at 590 miles. Robbo loves long distance pigeon races and, through his many years in the sport, has had all his major performances from the distance, including 2nd and 3rd section, 3rd and 4th open Banff South of England NRFC, 1st section Nantes BBC and has won 1st federation 3 times with young birds. Robbo's star pigeon was a 5y dark chequer cock of the Schumann strain and he had flown the programme on widowhood before being paired up 2 weeks prior to the Pau Classic. He went to Pau sitting 7 day. old eggs and had previously won 4th section Nantes BBC. A wonderful pigeon!

Robbo has been in the sport since he was 10 years of age and his family are of the American Schumann strain, which have been outstanding at the distance for him. He pairs his 24 pairs in the Christmas holiday and the widowhood cocks get six training tosses before the first race. The racers are re-paired two weeks before Pau and are fed a heavy breeding mixture all season, although he breaks the cocks down early in the season. The birds are not trained once racing starts and he likes the short races to maintain fitness. The main racing loft, which is sited in a wire compound, is closed in and the inmates are trapped through the old fashioned bob wires. His 45 young birds are raced to the perch and are trained regularly in any direction. They are fed a breeding mixture and race all the way including the Channel.

Geoff Gilbert of Windsor: 1st. open L.& S.E.C.C. Pau 1999

The London and South East Classic Club sent a record 880 birds to Pau in 1999 and when I left the Sutton marking station with my record convoy I thought, judging by the early weather forecast, that we would be liberating on the proposed day of the 550 mile race, but this wasn't to be. On the proposed day of liberation we awoke to 100% low cloud cover and heavy mist coming off the Pyrenees, with visibility being less than a mile. On the Saturday the weather was much better with blue skies and sunshine, so I liberated at 5.30am into a fresh north-west wind, with no day birds recorded. A hard race it might have been, but our club is all about quality and members clocked over 100 pigeons on the second day, with the early birds being clocked around 7am.

The winning pigeon clocked at 6.49am at the loft of Geoff and Mark Gilbert of Windsor. It was their champion widowhood dark chequer cock, ‘The Narrow Cock’. This pigeon is a champion in the true sense of the word having won counties prizes in Classic and National events including 10th open Pau NFC on the day in 1998, 139th open Pau NFC, 340th open St Malo Young Bird National, 115th open Bordeaux BBC, 191st open Nantes BBC, 40th open Bordeaux L & SECC runner-up Best Average Nantes and Pau in 1998 and 1st open Pau L & SECC. A fantastic pigeon! On the build-up to his Pau Classic win, the Narrow Cock, had three training tosses, three sprint races, two Nantes races and cast his first flight the day of marking for Pau. Geoff says he calls him, ‘The Narrow Cock’, because he has no body in the hand, but has a big heart. He has the very best long distance bloodlines in him, being bred from Geoff Cooper and Ian Benstead pigeons.

Geoff has been in the sport for 50 years and says Geoff Cooper has been a great friend and advisor to him for many years. The Gilbert's follow the Geoff Cooper widowhood and feeding method and he even designed their 30ft. Petron loft for them. The tiled roof loft has three sections, two for widowhood cocks and 1 for young birds and trapping is through sputniks and open doors. The partners never keep more than 6 cocks in each section and their whole system is geared to long distance racing. Geoff maintains he has always liked racing over the Channel, but only got it right in the last 10 years and uses the club sprint races for training. The Gilbert's pair up the first week in February and the cocks rear a pair of youngsters before going on the widowhood system, on their second round of eggs. They normally get three training tosses, three sprint races and then get Classic and National racing, being rarely raced in Federation Channel events. They are fed on the Geoff Cooper mixture and are never broken down. The hen is shown on marking night and is given to the cock for a short time on his return from the race and the racers are never trained in the racing season.

Colin & Christine Crick of Stevenage: 1st. open L.& S.E.C.C. Pau 2000

What a cracker! These were the words on everyone's lips after the London & South East Classic Club Blue Riband race from Pau in 2000. Every season when I convoy the Classic for this 550 mile race, I always hope for day birds but once again the fresh northerly wind in France decided this factor of the race for me and there were no pigeons clocked on the day of liberation. Next morning the flood gates opened and the birds poured in, with some members getting all their entries home on the winning day, this must rate as one of the club's best longest old bird races on record. I only had one foot in the door from my return from Pau and the phone rang with congratulations on a brilliant race and it didn't stop ringing for several days. Founder member of the L & SECC, the late Gerry Byrne of Kingston, who could be the greatest critic when it was needed, rang and said it was the Classic's best ever Blue Riband race. I must say, what wonderful condition the 644 birds were in for the Pau Classic race and this was full credit to the members for their hard work and effort in preparing their entries. When I was away with the Classic's birds I was very focused and intense with the job at hand and pride myself that I knew how to feed and maintain the birds condition in the basket, to ensure the very best race. I have been a successful fancier for over 35 years and looking after the birds on the road comes as second nature to me. I worked very hard at the liberation site to maintain the wonderful condition put on the birds by their owners and after a two day holdover at Pau they looked in brilliant shape. On the Sunday morning the weather conditions at Pau were the best I have ever seen, with blue skies and bright sunshine. With a brilliant morning at the Pau caravan site, I liberated at 6am in no wind, being northerly on route and the convoy cleared the liberation site instantly.

The weekend after the race, I made the 70 mile drive up to Stevenage to visit the Pau Classic winning loft of Colin & Christine Crick, who race in partnership with their son, Adam. Colin is one of the club's longest flyers from Pau and previously won the Classic in 1989 from the Yearling Derby Tours race. On the day of the Pau Classic Colin had to work, so Christine clocked in the winner, plus his club birds from Tours, which also won. Their Pau winner is a Titmuss/Janssen dark pied hen, now named ‘Christine’ after the clocker and was sent on a youngster. This champion hen was clocked just before 10.30am and has now won the L & SECC Pau Merit Award for winning 3 positions in the first 50 open, with 1st, 25th and 28th open Pau, plus 49th open Bordeaux. A brilliant hen! Her full sister is also an outstanding long distance racer, winning 7th open Pau L & SECC and 25th open Pau NFC. Both these great hens like to race to overdue eggs or youngsters and 'Christine' was Colin's sole entry into the Pau Classic. Her dam was bred by Peter Titmuss and her sire is one of the Crick Janssens which won 6 times 1sts inland before going to stock. On her build-up to the Pau Classic she had four inland races and one Channel race from Vire and was sent to Pau feeding her first youngster, being paired up in May.

Colin started up in pigeon racing in 1958, with some help from a fancier who lived next door. His father is also an outstanding fancier. He likes any racing, long or short and races on the widowhood and roundabout systems in the early part of the season, re-pairing for the long distance events. The Crick loft houses 60 racers and are normally paired up in January. Training is from about 30 miles and the team is broken down two days a week for the sprint races. Colin has two smart lofts, being a carpenter by trade, one 10ft for the widowhood cocks and the main one being 30ft long, three sections, which houses the roundabout racers and young birds. The 50 youngsters race on the natural system to the perch and all the stock birds are outstanding retired racers. The base family kept are Janssens, which have been obtained from premier fanciers. Colin is a great worker in the sport, with clock setting and committee work with the L & SECC. A very popular winner of the Pau Classic race!

John & Mark Adcock of Croydon: 1st. open L.& S.E.C.C. San Sebastian 2004

The members of the London & South East Classic Club sent 632 birds to its Blue Riband Classic from San Sebastian, Spain. This was the event that every one had been waiting for all season, the longest old bird classic, and that weekend at the end of June, saw some wonderful performances put up by our quality membership. It was a weekend of thrills and spills, with the convoy being held over for two days and then having a hard push home in a strong westerly wind. The convoyer Phil Fishlock had to hold the pigeons over, with adverse weather conditions at the racepoint, but finally liberated at 6am in no wind on the Sunday with bright sun on the baskets. I think there is an on going problem with the long distance racepoints near the Pyrenees mountains, constant holdover, with the racepoint being fogged out and the line of flight being perfect. This was the case with the San Sebastian Classic on the Friday, a perfect day and a fogged out liberation site. It's very frustrating. The race was hard and four game pigeons were clocked on the day of liberation. The brilliant Croydon partnership of John & Mark Adcock won the race clocking their Widowhood blue chequer cock at 7.50pm flying 560 miles and Mark told me his latest champion had more or less raced the programme on his build up to his Classic win. He had scored on the five weekends leading up to the San Sebastian Classic, including 2nd Surrey Federation (beaten by a loft mate) and as a yearling in 2003, won 50th Open L&SECC Bergerac. This wonderful cock is bred from the very best at the Croydon loft, with his dam being 'The P Ring', the partners' number one Janssen stock hen when mated to a Busschaert cock which has won the Federation three times. A brilliant loft of pigeons!

John and, son Mark race 36 cocks on Widowhood and like racing every Saturday, sprint or long distance, with the same team. Mark says the cocks start racing in the first Open races at the end of March and race every weekend through to Bordeaux with the odd special cock being raced every two weeks from France. The loft houses 36 Widowhood cocks which are paired up with the stock birds on January 14th. and the first round eggs from the breeding loft are floated under the race team. John & Mark race a basic Widowhood system, with the racers rearing a pair of youngsters and the day they are weaned, the females are taken away, and the cocks are on the system. The cocks are not trained after the first race of the season and are then exercised around the loft for an hour, twice a day. They are fed a first class Widowhood mixture and are broken down on Saturday and Sunday during the racing season. The main family kept is Janssen, with the odd Busschaert and through the years the Adcock loft has won the Federation countless times. The partners enjoyed a wonderful 2004 season, having won prior to their San Sebastian Classic win, 3rd Open L&SECC Tours (beaten be a decimal) and 1st Open SMT Combine Poitiers. This is the partnership's second L&SECC win, having recorded 1st Open Bordeaux in 2002 and have won the Combine a staggering six times.

John Adcock started racing in the old Croydon club in 1945 and won the first Channel race as an 18 year old. He was a convoyer for ten years and says he really enjoyed the job, but maintains he doesn't like races over 400 miles and says Pau is too far. John told me he thought the main problem with modern day racing is far too many small clubs and in the Croydon area there should only be one big club.

I hope my readers have enjoyed this look back at some of the longest old bird race winners of the London & South East Classic Club, of recent seasons. That’s it for this week! I can be contacted on Telephone: 01372 463480. See yer!