DOUBLE NATIONAL WINNERS

DRISCOLL & HUDD OF DINAS POWIS

By Gareth Watkins

I first visited this partnership in 1999 as the newly formed combination had enjoyed a tremendous start to their “marriage” with a series of outstanding seasons’ racing. Since that initial visit the partners have continued to race a superb pigeon with close on 100 x 1sts notched up in short order since their formation. However the 2004 season proved to be the best ever, as, after a number of very near misses, the partners finally won not just one but two Nationals on the north route into Wales.

Perhaps it would be appropriate at this stage to introduce readers to the two constituent members of the partnership. The senior member is 78 years old Dan Driscoll. Dan served in the Royal Navy and in his youth played first class rugby for a number of Welsh clubs before a broken leg curtailed his sporting career. He has kept pigeons for most of his life and was particularly successful in the 60’s and 70’s especially from the Scottish race points. A lifelong businessman, Dan recently retired as a director of one of the U.K’s leading retail companies. He has held just about every office in the sport in Wales as he has served as President of the W.H.P.U.; President of the W.G.N.F.C.; President of Confederation and is currently Life VP of both the WHPU and WGNFC. So it is fair to say that Dan has put a great deal back into the sport.

The second member of the partnership is Francis Hudd, a self employed plumber, who was also a handy sportsman in his youth having signed professionally for Newport County F.C. Francis belongs to a family of pigeon fanciers that has had an unbroken 105 year association with the sport in and around the Penarth area. I think it would be accurate to describe Francis as the “driving force” within the partnership as he sees to the day to day running of the lofts overseen by the “wise old owl” Dan. So much for the men behind the success story, what of the birds, lofts and management?

The loft is a 44ft x 8ft, seven section structure situated in the grounds of the Driscoll home. The loft front faces east so the birds have the benefit of the early morning sun. All birds have access to a large aviary. Three of the seven sections house the 40 old bird racers. Two of these three sections are fitted out with German style nest boxes and these are separated by a section containing lift off perches for the hens .The cocks are raced on widowhood in the early part of the season and the hens are kept at home to greet them. Once the 160 miles stage is reached the hens are brought into the team and from then on until the end of the season both sexes are raced with excellent results. I should point out that during the early season the hens are exercised daily and are privately trained in the build up to their first race so they are fit for the job in hand. The racers are mated in early December and are allowed to rear a pair of youngsters before separation. During this period of separation the birds have their first taste of freedom since the end of the previous young bird season. As policy against the local raptor population the partners confine all birds to the loft throughout the autumn and winter months. This seems to encourage the raptors to find an alternative source of food outside the area.  The old birds are later re mated just prior to the start of the season and during this second period of nest building they undergo their initial pre season training. When racing the old birds are fed a proprietary widowhood mixture at all times and are never “broken down” with depurative mixes. Cider vinegar and garlic are regular additions to the drinking water and Hormoform is fed at different times to all birds especially when rearing.

The partners usually rear about a hundred youngsters from the best of the racers and the 14 pairs of stock birds. The young bird team is comfortably housed in four sections and undergoes extensive pre season training before racing begins. As with most successful lofts the youngsters are raced on the darkness system and this certainly doesn’t seem to harm them as both this year’s National winners are yearlings that were raced on the system as yb’s. The youngsters, when racing, are trained daily from 30 miles weather permitting, and home to their once daily feed of 1 oz per bird of a mixture of beans, peas, wheat, barley and maize. In addition they have unlimited access throughout the day, to a hopper of chicken layers pellets.

Stock birds are housed in a brick built loft on the opposite side of the garden to the racing loft and once again these enjoy plenty of space and a large aviary. The bloodlines housed are a combination of Janssen Van den Bosch , Stamvater Janssens , Braspennings and Starview Busschaerts all emanating from Louella Lofts. The bloodlines of Starview Aquilla are especially prominent and it is from this common source that the two National winners are derived. The only other introduction being a French Cock presented to Dan when he visited France on an exchange visit with the local parish council. This cock, containing the bloodlines of German fancier Raymond Hermes, proved to be a goldmine at stock. 

It was interesting to note that not only were both National winners yearlings but they were both also the longest flying birds clocked in their respective races. The Thurso National winner at close on 500 miles, proved to be a lovely medium sized blood red .He also won the Welsh Championship club and in the run up to his National win won 16th Fed Ripon and 11th Fed Crieff.

The Fraserburgh National winner proved to be a medium sized dark chequer hen that also won 1st Welsh Championship Club and had earlier in the season won 3rd Open National Hexham. Two pretty handy tools to have at your disposal!

Unfortunately,because of their great success, the partners have been unable to race in local clubs and for the past couple of seasons have had to make the long trek across Cardiff to train their birds with the fanciers at the St Alban’s club to the east of the city. The sporting members of this club allowed the partners to join as full flying members in the 2006 season with the result that Dan and Francis finished the season as highest prizewinners with 7 x 1sts; 11 x 2nds & 10 x 3rds etc plus only bird in race time from Fraserburgh and Thurso.

It was good to visit Dan and Francis once again and I am glad to report that they have now been accepted as members of a local club, so they no longer have to travel across Cardiff in order to enter their birds in weekly racing. Both Dan and Francis will however always appreciate the sportsmanship and kindness shown to them by the members of the St Alban’s club. Good luck to you both for the future.

12/9/07