Keith Mott's Champions of Yester Year (Part 50)

ANNETTE BOYD OF TOLWORTH

The 1986 season saw Annette Boyd of Tolworth win 1st Open S.M.T. Combine Bodmin Young Bird race with 3,592 birds competing, and this in only Annette's third year in the sport. The Combine winner, was known as 'Double Ace', a very nice apple ­bodied hen of Dordin breeding, had already started to show its potential the week prior to the Combine race when she won 2nd club from Weymouth. The dam, bred by Keith & Betty Mott of Claygate, was Annette's well known one-legged red chequer hen 'Lucky Lady'. This game little hen lost her leg as a young bird in 1985. She was found hanging from the snow guard on the roof of Annette's house, firmly caught by her ring and was rescued with the aid of a ladder. Her leg was so badly damaged that it eventually shriveled and dropped off. Annette, being the animal lover she was, would not part with the hen and housed her in a rabbit hutch hoping she would breed in 1986.

She was paired to a blue chequer cock, another Keith Mott Dordin cross, known as the 'Sherwood Cock'. The pair produced three youngsters in 1986: 'Double Ace' winner of 1st club, 1st Surrey Fed, 1st Open S.M.T. Combine Bodmin; 2nd club Weymouth; 'Lucy' 1st club Blandford and 'Rupert' 2nd club Weymouth. 'Lucky Lady' was bred from Keith Mott's excellent Dordin pair 'Ronny' and 'The Hopwood Red Hen'. The 'Sherwood Cock' is also bred from 'The Hopwood Red Hen' when paired to Keith's five times winner 'Warrior'.

This story really started a few years ago when Annette found a young feral pigeon in the road with a broken wing. She took it home and nursed it back to health. Once back to health the bird refused to leave and rather than see it on its own Annette purchased two more pigeons from a local pet shop. Annette had now caught the 'pigeon' bug. Annette's father, Charlie Sherwood, was an outstanding fancier 35 years ago until he was forced to give up with chest problems. Charlie had taken a great interest in Annette's pigeons and it was he who provided eggs from his fancier friends for Annette to place under her feral pigeon and its mate. It wasn't long before she had a small team of young birds, Annette got her enjoyment by taking these to work with her and releasing them to fly home.

Her next ambition was to race them, so she decided to join the local club and contacted the then secretary of Surbiton F.C., Keith Mott. Keith encouraged her to train her birds and she competed in the last two Old Bird races of that season. Keith helped her train her young birds in 1984 and she won a couple of minor positions.

In 1984 Annette was given some eggs and youngsters by Keith, these were from his Denys and Dordin stock. These, along with his advice were to help a lot, for 1985 saw Annette break her novice status winning two 1sts and two 2nds. However it was the 1986 season that was the stunning one for Annette. She won 20 positions in the club including six 1sts, five 2nds and 1st, 14th & 24th Federation plus 1st open S.M.T. Combine.

Annette hadn't got a loft as such; it could best be described as a 16ft long rabbit hutch, divided into four sections. The birds were trapped through bob-wires and a litter of straw was used on the floor. Design of the loft was such that the floor was at waist level which made for simple catching of the birds. The family's two pet dogs, Pinky and Perky, were housed in kennels built under the loft. There were three pairs of stock birds and these were housed in small separate hutches. Fifteen pairs of race birds were kept, these were paired up on February 14th and fifteen youngsters were reared. The birds were all raced on the Natural system, as Annette didn't like the idea of racing Widowhood.

Annette works for a local newspaper and prior to taking up pigeons was very keen on horse riding. The Boyd racing team consisted of the Keith Mott Denys and Dordin lines plus some Cattrysse obtained for her by her father. Annette said that the Dordins were racing the best for her. Like most Annette had had her disappointments, one in particular was during her second young bird season, when a youngster sat out for 10 minutes. She clocked the second arrival and still won the race.

Both old and young birds were raced regularly provided they were fit and in a reasonable state of moult. There was no set training pattern only as and when required. Favorite nest condition for winning pigeons in the loft appeared to be sitting 10-day eggs, but of course happy and contented pigeons are a must for any success. Annette said that she got the impression that a lot of fanciers tried to treat pigeons as machines rather than thinking, feeling animals. It was for this reason that she thought Keith Mott was one of the best fanciers in the area. His birds were always healthy, happy and contented; hence they won out of turn. There was no doubt that the Keith Mott bloodlines had helped put Annette on the road to success, with a Combine winner in only her third year of racing.

The good ol’ days! Annette Boyd went as quickly as she came and packed up pigeons soon after winning the Combine. Her success was very short and sweet! When you think about it, it’s a fantastic achievement to win the Combine flying to a ‘rabbit hutch’. She wasn’t a wealth of knowledge about racing pigeons, but she loved her birds and they responded to that. A great lady! I can be contacted on Telephone: 01372 463480.

TEXT & PHOTOS BY KEITH MOTT.   

29/11/06