Keith Mott writes about winning fanciers past & present

MR & MRS ARTHUR EDWARDS

OF SKEGNESS

Arthur Edwards won the 1994 North Road Championship Club Berwick Young Bird National by 15 minutes, which was 79 yards per minute in front of the second Open pigeon. His first National winner was a blue chequer Staf van Rest cock sent to the young bird Berwick race sitting a pair of eggs.

The 1996 season saw the Edwards' loft win 1st. open NRCC Perth National by 20 yards per minute clear, with a blue chequer Staf van Reet cock sitting eggs, which was a full brother to the Berwick National winner. The two brothers were bred from Arthur's number one Staf van Rest stock pair, which have bred two National winners, four Federation winners and about 25 club winners, The Edwards' loft is full of quality, which are mainly Staf van Reets, including their '91' cock which has won seven 1sts and was 1st Club, 1st Section, 1st Open Peterborough & District Federation Perth in 1992, into a north east wind. Another star of the Skegness loft is the '92' Staf van Rest cock, winner of six 1st prizes, including 1st. Club, 5th Federation Perth, then the week after he won 1st. club, 1st. Section, 1st. Open Peterborough & District Federation Fraserburgh.

The racers are paired up in January and after rearing youngsters they are parted for about ten days good training. Then they are re-paired ready for the first race. They get about six good tosses, but once racing starts, they get one hour morning and evening around the loft, except the day after a race. The Edward's lot is a converted 32 foot caravan, with five compartments, three for Natural racers, one for young birds, and one for stock birds. It has a three foot corridor, with stall traps and is always dry with very good ventilation.

Stock birds are paired up at Christmas so that Arthur has youngsters old enough to pair up for the young bird Berwick National, The main family raced is Staf van Reet, which race with outstanding success up to 400 miles, and recently a pair of Wildemeersch and a pair of Van Loons have been introduced. Arthur doesn’t believe in eyesign, although on my visit I noticed the number one Staf van Reet stock hen, and dam of the two 1st Open National winners had a fantastic eye. He only keeps eight pairs of stock birds, but the stock section is full of quality. Although Arthur is a Natural racer he feeds on a good Widowhood mixture for the short races and a high protein corn when the races get longer. The Edwards' 30 young birds get about ten training tosses before the first race, then race the whole programme, and he likes them to be paired up and sitting eggs for the young bird Berwick National.

TEXT & PHOTOS BY KEITH MOTT