Keith Mott’s Champions of Yesteryear (Part 75) 

 DANNY MOULTON

OF MERTON PARK

Danny Moulton had only been in the sport four years, starting in 1981, at the age of 35 and to say his performances had been outstanding would be an understatement. Mr. Dean of Garrot Lane started Danny up, but the fanciers who drew his attention by way of their performances were Mr. & Mrs. Peter Hookins of  Morden. When Danny joined the Wimbledon club the Hookins partnership won the first four races and since that time, Peter had been a great friend, always willing to help and advise him. When he first met the Hookins they were racing on the Widowhood system and they invited him to their home and lofts, he was very impressed with the whole system. Peter came to Danny's loft and helped him change it, so he could race on Widowhood. Peter also told him about feeding and preventative medicines. One of Danny's mistakes in the early days was over feeding.

Danny's Widowhood loft was 12' long and said a loft must be dry, well ventilated and not overcrowded. He paired up the racers and stock birds at the same time in mid-February. Widowhood was started on the second round of eggs between eight and ten days sitting. They were wormed, and then start on the breakdown mixture, which was fed up to Wednesday, then on to mixed corn. Training started two weeks before racing from about 20 miles then in stages up to 50 miles, before going into the first race. Danny kept eight pairs of stock birds, 16 Widowhood cocks and bred about 40 youngsters every season. He said some fanciers never visit the prize table because they only keep pigeons to send to races to home and not race, but enjoy just seeing them come home. Danny maintained they do this by choice and these fanciers are the backbone of our sport.

Danny was a paper seller and his first birds were of the Warrington strain. He then introduced Busschaerts from Soderlund & Bradley and a grandson of 'Parkside Superman', winner of 1st Federation Selby the pigeons only race of its life. Danny called this handsome cock 'Parkside Producer' and had bred many winners from him including two of his best racing cocks 'Edward' and 'Daniel'. More Busschaerts were introduced from Goodall & Swainston including 'Champion Blew It' winner of 2nd Open Up North Combine (17,300 birds) Beauvais 380 miles and 1st club, 1st Federation Hatfield. The Warrington's flew well over the Channel, but the Busschaerts were the 'ace' inland racers. Some yearling Busschaerts were tried over the Channel in 1985 and recorded some good performances. One of Danny's best racers was a Hermans cock 'John' which was bred by Peter Hookins and winner in 1983: 1st club, 9th Federation Weymouth. 1984: 1st club, 1st Federation Weymouth. 1985: 1st club, 1st Federation Weymouth; 1st club, 6th Federation Plymouth; 1st club Weymouth. 'Champion Blew It' had bred several winners for Danny including 'Done It' winner of 1st Mitcham Common Weymouth Open; 1st club, 2nd Federation Dorchester; 1st club Weymouth.

Danny's most thrilling experience next to winning his first race was winning the first Open race he ever entered, the Mitcham Common with 'Done It'. Danny had three sons, six months, three years and six years old. The two eldest helped with cleaning out and feeding, although the baby was starting to grip a loft scraper very nicely! His wife helped as much as she can but with three boys it's very difficult for her. When Danny won his first race in 1982 his young son Edward, was in his arms when the pigeon pitched in. He dropped the baby in the play pen and clocked in. After that the bird was called 'Edward' and he went on to win five 1sts racing. On showing the hen to the cocks on Friday night the racers were given hempseed, young birds were trained up to 50 miles for the first race after which they were tossed from 20 miles four days a week.

When Danny started in the sport, the first thing Mr. A Dean, a friend, gave him after his birds was an eyesign glass. But at first he couldn't see a thing, but Mr. Dean showed him what to look for. He maintained a lot of people are fooling themselves with eyesign as good birds have good eyes and bad birds have good eyes, so eyesign must be used very carefully. The only way to test a pigeon is to race it. Eyesign can be a help in breeding and races up to 300 miles are won by most types of eyes. Long distance pigeons all have to have full eyes, it doesn't matter what colour, but most distance pigeons have reddish to brown irises. Danny liked his racers to carry a full wing whenever possible.

Danny rated Peter Hookins the best fancier in the area and said Peter is a pigeon fanatic. No job was too big for him. He traveled miles around the country to pick up more ideas about pigeon racing, making visits to all the top lofts. His dedication to his pigeons will ensure he will be at the top for many more years. He was always looking for new blood to improve what he has. Danny considered the moult to be an important time and he fed extra protein and a few oil seeds. He bred a few late breds from his best racers, single reared, and if they made the grade they were retained as stock birds or Widowhood hens. He only used deep litter in the winter and never when racing, he maintained he had never found a deep litter that never went dusty. He thought fly aways were due to overcrowding and feeding late one day and letting young birds out early the next day. He inbred for stock and crosses for racing with outstanding success. When selecting producers he looked for a well balanced bird with a strong back; plenty of muscle and a good eye. It didn't matter if a pigeon was short, long or deep, but it must be well balanced. He never mated small to large or short with long. To make sure you produce well balanced birds they must be like each other. The tamer the bird, the better they perform, he said, most Widowhood cocks will fight you for their boxes. Everybody makes mistakes, but few fanciers learn by them. He thought fanciers listen to too many people, and keep chopping and changing.

His advice to the new starter was go and look at winning lofts. Then decide on sprint or long distance and stick to one. Then go to the fancier in your district who is winning and ask advice, try and buy some young birds or stock birds from him. Never be prepared to be second, always aim for first place.

TEXT & PHOTOS BY KEITH MOTT

9/10/07