Keith Mott

Writes about winning fanciers past and present

Mr. & Mrs. Dick Brooker of Claygate.

You will quite often hear me say that the sport of pigeon racing is loosing all it’s great ‘carracter’ and one of those ‘carracter’ was the late Dickie Brooker of Claygate. My ol’ mate Dick was ‘Mr. Pigeon Racing’ and loved the sport! Dick maintained pigeon racing is full of disappointments and to be a pigeon man you have to accept these and carry on. Dick must have had many disappointments in his 60 odd years in the sport but his outstanding performances over the years more than outweigh the disappointments.

Dick had been racing pigeons for over 60 years, joining Cobham & D.R.P.C. in 1932, flying pigeons from his late cousin, Bill Palmer, and Dick's then next door neighbour, the late Harry Lusty. Dick said he used to see pigeons while still in his pram as his neighbour flew in the local clubs and Dick actually had his first pair of birds in 1925 when he was eight years old. He kept them up to his death in the late 1990’s.. Dick was a sergeant in the Army Pigeon Service during the war and served under Major Claude Hill. He would sit for hours telling a tale or two about the pigeon service when he served at home and overseas.  When he started up in pigeons Dick said he learned his trade from great fanciers like Frank Taylor, Harry Branch and Frank Kightly. Dick obtained birds from Frank Taylor and Harry Branch, and once he got a team together he took some beating. His first loft wasn't very practical in fact it was an old chicken house, but it was kept clean and well ventilated and the inmates raced well.

One of Dick's best racers was his dark chequer Busschaert cock 'Mighty Mack' which had won many good positions including six times 1st in London Coly Midweek club. 'Mighty Mack' was pigeon of the year in London Coly in 1983 winning four races and untold pool money. This great pigeon strayed into Dick's loft as a youngster and since Mr Richards of Ilford gave him to Dick, he has won six 1sts for the Brooker loft.

The Brookers' team were raced on the Natural system being paired up on February 14th. His two lofts house two pairs of stock birds, 15 pairs of racers made up of the Fleming, Dordin, Busschaert and Cattrysse strains. His old bird loft was 18ft x 8ft with two sections and the birds were trapped through drop holes. Young birds were raced to an 8ft x 4ft loft and trapped through bob holes. Dick scraped the lofts most days and loft white was used on the floors to dry up any damp. Dick said good ventilation and air flow are very important in a loft and you should not smell pigeons in the loft. Dick says the best fancier in his area was undoubtedly the late Alex Fleming of Esher, who was at the top level in the Surrey area for nearly 40 years. Dick had great admiration for the late Eric Cannon of Wormley and Ron Wasey of New Addington. Dick had held many top posts in the racing pigeon sport but said his biggest thrill was when he was voted in as president of London Coly, following in the footsteps of many great fanciers, including the late Wing Commander Lea Rayner and Col Pattenson.

Another of Dick's best pigeons was the six year old Dordin blue cock ' The 13 Cock' and he had won many prizes including seven lsts and bred winners with three different hens. He was bred from a stock pair obtained from Vic Wise of Richmond and was bred from the best Dordin bloodlines. Dick's good blue cock '51' is a son of 'The 13 Cock' and he had chalked up 1st Club Exeter and 1st Club Nantes.

Over the years Dick had won at all distances, and one old pigeon that came to mind was NURP52KT887 and he was 4th Barcelona (698 miles) in the first Barcelona International organised by London Coly. '887' was the first pigeon into the London area from Barcelona in 1956. 1972 saw another good pigeon from Barcelona when Dick's blue chequer cock NU68P14286 was 2nd Sect, 6th Open, 788th Open International. He said he had won races at all distances, his first winner being from Marennes in 1933, but he had always maintained that one must not keep harping on what you have won, but keep looking forward to what there is to be won. Dick's late wife, Margaret, although not able to handle the pigeons was always able to note birds' arrivals and help Dick keep records. Dick said that pigeons should be dealt with as individuals as every bird has its own best racing condition. Any pigeon two years old or over depending on its breeding should be able to fly any distance, but one should not generalise on this, as some strains excel up to 150 miles, some up to 300 miles and some at any distance. He liked to give the birds plenty of work, but knowing how much is necessary for the individual pigeon is the keyword. Many pigeons are ruined by over training and young birds need to be schooled well over the ground for club racing, but many long distance men do not train youngsters at all in the year of their birth. Dick firmly believes they must have a certain amount of training in their first year.

Dick's introduction to eyesign was by the late Henri Rey during the war, with the late Tommy Buck. Dick had also visited Belgian lofts but from what they taught him a little knowledge can be dangerous, he said. A lot of eyesign judges don't use a glass, but a glass was a must for Dick, although he didn’t confess to be an expert, and would never judge an eyesign class. Another of Dick's best racing Dordin cocks was the handsome blue 'Treble One' and he had three times 1st Club and 1st Surrey Federation to his credit. He was another son of the Wise stock pair and brother to 'The 13 Cock'. One of Dick's best stock birds was a Dordin blue hen which he calls 'The Wasey Hen', bred by Ron Wasey of New Addington and she had bred a Federation winner when mated to ‘The 13 Cock’.

No one did more for the sport than Dickie Brooker, he was always out at some meeting or something and how Margeret stood for it all those years, God only knows. He was chairman and past president of Surrey Federation, chairman of S.M.T. Combine, president of London Coly, chairman of Esher & Dist R.P.C. and chairman of R.P.R.A. Southern Region. He was also a much sort after show judge, but said he is not a showman, although showing in the winter months brings fanciers together and can be a good thing socially.

We all still miss ol’ Dick, although he has been gone a few years now, he was a wonderful man! My phone number is: 01372 463480. See yer!

TEXT & PHOTOS BY KEITH MOTT.