Keith Mott writes about winning fanciers past and present

The Champions of Yester Year (Part 54) 

DEREK HUMAN OF ALTON

The Human family live in a converted barn set in the wonderful Hampshire countryside and Derek has a great record in Classic and National racing, winning many premier positions, including 1st Open C.S.C.F.C. twice in the early 1980s. The 1996 season saw the Human loft win 1st & 2nd Open Nantes B.B.C. National and several other good wins channel racing. His National winner was his Davenport x Cattrysse blue hen ‘Rose’, raced on the Natural System. Derek has a bad hawk problem living in the Hampshire countryside and loses many pigeons each year to predators. His champion hen 'Rose' was picked up in the lane outside the Humans' home, being badly injured by a hawk attack. It took her two years rest to get over it, then, she came out to win 1st Open Nantes (BBC) in 1996. Previously to winning Nantes 'Rose' won 6th Open C.S.C.F.C. Bergerac and is named after his little grand ­daughter who is pigeon mad, and is constantly in the loft with him. Derek lived in Cornwall for a while, and said that with the number of birds of prey he saw there, he would never race his birds out of the West Country.

The Human pigeons are raced on both Natural and Widowhood Systems, and he trains the naturals the most. His Widowhood method is very unconventional and both sets of old bird racers are hopper fed, on a first class mixture, with channel racing in mind. Derek is a builder by trade and made his fantastic brick L-shaped loft, which has a pantile roof, with Vent­axia windows for maximunn ventilation. The 40 foot loft has a full glass front and bob wire trapping, which Derek admitted is old fashioned but suits his type of racing. He has no stock birds and the 15 pairs of old birds are paired up the second week in February if the weather is fine, and 30 young birds are reared each season. The main families housed are Davenport Cattrysse and Vissers, and they race with outstanding success through to 700 miles.

Derek said his biggest thrill in pigeons was in 1980, when he was 1st & 2nd Open Avranches C.S.C.F.C. and he saw his winning 'Olympic 80' on the front page of the pigeon paper the following week and then won 1st Open Lambelle S.C.C.F.C. the following season.

Derek's wife is a great help with the birds and his son, Adrian, who lives in Bride in Cornwall, started up in pigeon racing several years ago. Derek's birds are fed on a no bean mixture, because years ago his good friend, Les Davenport, told him beans are for horses, and peanuts are added to the diet for the longer races. The birds are kept very natural and pick up their own nesting twigs from the Humans' massive garden, and nest bowls are not used in the nest boxes. Derek has a lot of admiration for his good friend Les Davenport, who gave a lot of good help and has given him some first class stock, which are now winning Classic and National races.

One of the very best this week! My phone number is: 01372 463480. See yer!

TEXT & PHOTOS BY KEITH MOTT.