Keith Mott writes about winning fanciers past & present

PETER SMTIH

OF BURGH LE MARSH

On my visit to Lincolnshire I visited the 1995 N.R.C.C. Perth winner Peter Smith of Burgh le Marsh. Peter's winner was his Wildemeersch blue chequer cock, ‘Burgh Boy’ raced on the widowhood system. His sire was Peter's best Wildemeersch stock cock, and this blue chequer was the sire of count­less winners. ‘Burgh Bismark’, a blue cock, had scored many times in the N.R.C.C., being raced on widowhood and he was a full brother to `Burgh Boy'.

The Smith loft races 18 cocks on widowhood, which were paired up in early March with the middle and long distance events in mind. Peter had been in the sport for 43 years and his best positions in the N.R.C.C. in recent seasons are:- 2nd Section, 10th Open Berwick (young bird); 9th Section, 40th Open Thurso and 1st Section, 1st Open Perth.

The main families raced are Wildemeersch, Busschaerts and Janssen and all went through to Lerwick (481 miles). Peter kept 30 stock pairs, which were paired up in February and these were housed in a spacious stock loft with a grilled floor. The 50 young birds bred each season raced through to the N.R.C.C. Berwick race and the young bird section had deep litter of sand and lime. On my visit it was good to see Peter's two grandsons in the lofts taking a big interest in his pigeons.

TEXT & PHOTOS BY KEITH MOTT.