Keith Mott’s ‘Champions of Yester Year’ (Part 97)

DAWN MATTHEWS OF EPSOM

In 2009 Dawn is a mother and wife of the Esher pigeon racer, Ray Mearns, and they are both great workers for the Esher club, running barbeques and the club shows on a regular basis. Back in 1989 she was the up and coming pigeon racer, Dawn Matthews, and the 17 year old daughter of the Epsom Downs pigeon club secretary, Maggie Matthews. Having pigeons in the family for most of her life, Dawn became interested in the sport at the tender age of five. After taking her GCE ‘A’ levels she had a lot of spare time while looking for a job, so looked after her dad and mum’s birds, as he had changed his job and had no time for the pigeons. When her dad finally said he was thinking of getting rid of the birds and resign from the sport, Dawn took them over.

In 1987 she trained and raced the six youngsters that her dad had left and chalked up 1st club, 10th London Federation Dorchester and 6th club Dorchester. Although she was running her dad’s birds many local fanciers gave her youngsters in 1988 including Doug Walker, J. Sparrowhawk, Penfold & Wilson, Dave White and Duffell Brothers. Dawn said at the time that, before taking up pigeon racing she spent all her time at school studying for her exams, although she went to the club on marking and checking nights.

The 1988 season saw Dawn win the longest old bird race from Bergerac (450 miles) and 1st and 2nd in the longest young bird race from Wadebridge (210 miles) in the Epsom Downs club. A fantastic performance! Dawn’s Bergerac winner was her dad’s old blue hen, ‘The Bergerac Hen’, which had previously won Bergerac for him in 1985. Dawn sent the hen to the Croydon Federation Bergerac to record 3rd club with her, and sent her back to the Surrey Federation Bergerac seven days later to win the Epsom Downs club. This great hen flew 900 miles in seven days and won two major prizes. Dawn won the longest young birds race from Wadebridge with, ‘63’, a blue chequer hen bred by the late Doug Walker of Ewell. Dawn said her most thrilling experience was winning her first race in 1987 and also being voted by the Epsom members ‘The Sportsperson of the Year’ for 1988.

The Matthews’ main loft was an 18ft x 6ft Kidby which housed natural old bird racers and the stock birds. The young birds had an aviary on their loft and all the lofts were kept very clean and dry. She maintained that if the birds were fit and well they all race the full programme. She said that she would like to see a better system for reporting, collecting and returning of stray birds especially for novices who start out with only a few birds. Dawn would tell novices, that local flyers encouraged her a great deal and although all club members have good intentions, some tell ‘tall’ stories. Don’t believe every thing you are told! If you need help find a good local fancier who is willing to help and hopefully they will guide you in the right direction. Fun thing is, when I penned Dawn’s article in 1989, she said a local fancier named Ray Mearns pointed her in the right direction and now they are married with kids! It’s a funning ol’ game, this pigeon racing.