KEITH MOTT'S

SIX OF THE BEST

Long Distance Pigeons

I've had the great pleasure of writing in the pigeon fancy press for just over 35 years and in that time I have visited most of the premier lofts in the United Kingdom. I think it's fair to say that I have handled and inspected more National, Classic and Combine winners, than most fanciers. This week we are going to feature, my ‘SIX OF THE BEST’ long distance champions.  My good friend of 25 years standing, the late, great, Eric Cannon of Godalming, has always had great influence on my pigeon thinking and like Eric I am a long distance enthusiast, although I get a great buzz from looking at any outstanding pigeon, long or short distance I think Eric Cannon was the greatest pigeon fancier of them all and I have been very privileged to have had close contact with all his many long distance champions over many years. In my ‘SIX OF THE BEST’ I've picked out three of Eric's champions, including Champion 'Culmer Gold', who I rate as one of the best long distance racers in the world, when he was alive. Terry Haley of Watford has been a good friend of my family for many years, in fact he is my son, Mark's godfather, and his wonderful blue hen Champion 'Misty Lady' must also rate as one of the greatest long distance pigeons in the world. Although it's been a few years since I saw Nora Major's Champion ‘Blue Pied Hen’, she was the talk of London in the 1970’s, a fantastic hen. Then there’s Champion ‘Tuff Nut’, owned by my good friends Brian and Thelma Denney, who put one of the best performances in the N.F.C. Pau Grand National ever! Now let's have a look at my ‘SIX OF THE BEST’ long distance in detail.

CH. ‘CULMER GOLD' – ERIC & PAT CANNON OF GODALMING.

This great old cock must rate as one of the greatest long distance racers in the world when he was alive by recording 1st club, 2nd Surrey Federation, 9th open SMT Combine Niort (340 miles); 1st club, 3rd Surrey Federation, 11th open S.M.T. Combine Bergerac (440 miles); 21st, 70th, 83rd, 103rd, 111th open Pau NFC (540 miles) winning the NFC Pau Merit Award and in one season recorded 163rd open Nantes NFC to win the best average from Nantes and Pau in the NFC. 'Culmer Gold' was sired by blue cock '40799' who was one of Eric's premier stock cocks in the 1980's and he was full brother to the champion blue cock, 'Culmer Lad' who flew Pau 10 times and was in the Pau NFC results 8 times to record 22nd, 37th, 227th, 346th, 373rd, 467th, 614th, 761st. open Pau NFC (540 miles). 'Culmer Lad' also scored in two other NFC races, putting 10 national positions to his name, and was also an outstanding breeding pigeon, being the sire of several premier long distance pigeons and grandsire of 'Culmer Belle', winner of 4th, 76th, 131st, 428th open Pau NFC. ‘Culmer Lad’ and ‘40799’ were both sons of Eric's first of his four NFC Pau Merit Award winners, champion 'Culmer Lady' and this great hen recorded 26th, 27th, 48th, 135th, 140th open Pau NFC. 'Culmer Lady' was also a champion breeding hen and was the grandam of 'Culmer Gold'.

CH. 'THE PIED HEN' - NORA MAJOR OF PUTNEY.

Nora Major's best pigeon was her champion blue pied hen and this brilliant bird was a champion in the truest sense of the word, winning: 1975 - 3rd club Nantes; 1977 - 1st club, 1st federation, 1st open L & SECC Combine (2,868 birds) Bergerac (460 miles); 1st. club, 5th federation, 13th open L 8 SECC Combine Nantes; 1978 - 1st section E, 4th open Pau NFC (560miles) £1,052; 1st club, 5th federation, 18th open L & SECC Combine Nantes; 1979 - 26th section E, 1375th open Pau NFC. What a pigeon! She was bred from the late Alex Fleming of Esher lines, when crossed with a pigeon from Mick Graham of Richmond, and when Nora retired from the sport in the early 1980's this champion hen was sold to C. H. Besant & Sons of New Malden for £1,000.

CH. ‘CULMER BLUE BIRD' – ERIC & PAT CANNON OF GODALMING.

'Blue Bird' was my favorite of all Eric Cannon's many champions. She was a perfect long distance type of pigeon in the hand, with wonderful feathering and was a great champion racer and breeder. She was a double 1st section A winner from the Pau Grand National, recording 6th, 28th, 57th, 118th, 251st open Pau NFC (540 miles) and if the Pau Merit Award had started a few years earlier she would have won it. She also recorded 247th open Nantes NFC and 98th open Young Bird National. 'Blue Bird' bred many premier long distance pigeons and was the grandam of Eric's top hen `Culmer Lass', winner of many premier positions including 1st open SMT Combine Bergerac (440 miles), only bird on the day of liberation in the combine; 1st section A, 12th open Pau NFC (540 miles). 'Blue Bird' was half-sister to the Cannon's champion, `Culmer Lady', winner of 26th, 27th, 48th, 135th, 140th open Pau NFC, lifting the NFC Pau Merit Award, both being daughters of the premier stock hen, 'The Wood Hen', a daughter of Mr. Wood of Horsham's, 'Pride of Sussex', a big NFC winner.

CH. 'MISTY LADY' - TERRY HALEY OF WATFORD.

The last race 'Misty lady' flew was Thurso (492 miles) and she was the only bird home on the day in the Watford NRFC and Federation, being clocked in darkness at 9.55pm. Terry retired her after that race at 9y old, although she still looked and acted like a yearling. As a yearling in 1990 she won 1st club, 1st Thames Valley Federation, 3rd open North Thames Combine (2,412 birds) Thurso (492 miles) vel. 777. She won the Federation by 11/2 hours (740 birds) in a south-east headwind. In 1991 she won 1st club, 1st Thames Valley Federation (1,099 birds), 3rd open North Thames Combine (3,265 birds) Banff (420 miles) vel 980. Just three weeks later she was put back into Thurso (492 miles) and once again won 1st club, 2nd Thames Valley Federation, 2nd open North Thames Combine (2,200 birds) vel 281. In 1992 she was 29th Thames Valley Federation Banff (420 miles) beaten by 5 loftmates, all of which figured in the first 20 of the Federation result, with1,051 birds competing. Three weeks later she was sent back to Thurso and recorded 3rd club, 9th Thames Valley Federation, 39th open North Thames Combine (1,749 birds) vel. 620 in a south­west headwind. This wonderful hen was entered into Thurso in 1993, but due to bad weather the Combine brought the convoy back to Berwick and after a 5-day holdover, liberated from 288 miles. She arrived late on the day. In 1994 'Misty Lady' won 1st club, 1st Thames Valley Federation (681 birds), 1st open North Thames Combine (1,914 birds) Fraserburgh (419 miles) vel 1024. 'Misty Lady' is a daughter of Terry's good blue cock, 'Gold Dust', who won 1st club, 2nd Federation Fraserburgh, 1st club Doncaster on the road and bred many outstanding racers including 'The Lerwick Cock'. This brilliant cock was half-brother to `Misty Lady' and won: 1989 - 2nd club, 3rd Federation Thurso (loftmate won the Federation); 1991 - 1st club, 1st Federation, 4th open Combine Lerwick; 1992 - 1st club, 2nd Federation, 3rd open Combine Lerwick. A wonderful family of long distance racers! 'Misty Lady' is the dam of many outstanding winners and is the grandam of Terry Robinson of Cheshunt's 2nd open London NR Combine Berwick in 2001. Terry Haley's wonderful champion `Misty Lady' must rate as one of the best long distance hens in the UK today.

CH. ‘CULMER LASS' – ERIC & PAT CANNON OF GODALMING.

'Culmer Lass' was a big hen in the hand, but handled well and had the most wonderful feathering. She was one of Eric Cannon's premier racing and breeding pigeons, winning 1st club, 1st Surrey Federation, 1st open SMT Combine Bergerac (445 miles), only bird on the day of liberation in the Combine. The Cannons' won the Surrey Federation's longest old bird race shield out right for winning it three times. 'Culmer Lass' went on to win 1st section A, 12th open Pau (540 miles) NFC the year after her combine win and went on to win two more positions from the Pau Grand National, plus 49th open Nantes NFC. She has left countless premier national racers behind her and is the grandam of champion, 'Culmer Marion' winner of 1st open Sartilly NFC, for the Cannons in 1990. The sire of champion, 'Culmer Lass' was Eric's good stock cock '13953' and he produced three 1st section winners from the Pau National, one 2nd section Pau NFC and was grandsire of 1st open Palamos BBC. The grandam of 'Culmer Lass' was champion 'Culmer Blue Bird', winner of twice 1st section A and 6th, 28th, 57th, 118th, 251st open Pau NFC. A brilliant family of long distance pigeons.

CH. ‘TUFF NUT’ – BRIAN & THELMA DENNEY OF STRENSALL.

This wonderful Dark White Flight cock was bred by David Harrison, in the North West of England, from the very best Brian Denney and Van Bruane blood lines. ‘Tuff Nut’ is the latest champion to bless the Yorkshire loft of Brian Denney, in the wake of a surge of wonderful long distance champions over the years, that have kept the loft at the top of the Pau National results since the 1960’s. ‘Tuff Nut’ recorded 1st. section K, 5th. Open N.F.C. flying 738 miles to his loft in York, which must be rated as one of the best performance in the Pau Grand National ever. There was only one game pigeon clocked on the south coast on the day, from the N.F.C. Pau race and ‘Tuff Nut’ was clocked next day to record 5th. Open, flying 738 miles, with north in the wind. A brilliant performance! He also recorded 6th. Open Northern Classic Saintes, flying 573 miles on the day of liberation. A true long distance champion! Brian has now retired Champion ‘Tuff Nut’ to the stock loft.

Well that’s my six! I think Eric Cannon’s CH. ‘CULMER LADY’ should be in there, but it is only ‘SIX OF THE BEST’. I can think of loads of champion long distance pigeons that deserve to be up there, maybe next time we will make it a ‘top ten’. That’s it for the week! I can be contacted on telephone: 01372 463480. See yer!

TEXT & PHOTOS BY KEITH MOTT