Keith Mott's

HOLIDAY BREAKAWAY 2007 - PART 3

The month of July saw eleven of us drive down the A303 for a week’s family holiday in the Devon. Where we stayed on holiday in Torbay near Torquay, is well known for being in the heart of the ‘English Riviera’, in the South West of England. I’ve had a long standing arrangement with my good friend, Bob Reeves of Exeter, that if I was ever in his area I would stop off at his home and visit him. The Wednesday was the day set aside for my pigeon visits and I was in Bob Reeves’ loft before 10 o’clock. Bob’s eldest son, Bob junior, needs no introduction to B.H.W. readers, as he has been writing for the ‘book’ for many years and is an outstanding fancier in his own right. Bob senior has seven children and on my arrival I met up with Bob junior and his youngest brother, Martin, who had popped in to have a cup of tea and see the ol’ man. This week let’s have a little feature on Bob Reeves junior, to finish off our ‘Holiday Breakaway 2007’ series!

Three Generations of pigeon fanciers in the Reeves family

Bob Reeves junior lives with his family in Exmouth, Devon and has held many jobs in the sport of pigeon racing through the years, including secretary of the Exmouth & District Homing Society. He grew up with his dad’s birds around him and it was obvious at a very young age that he would follow in Bob senior’s footsteps and become a pigeon fancier. Bob junior has always been interested in the sport, but it wasn’t until he came out of the Army, after six years' service which including a stay in Malta, that he started on his own in pigeon racing. He tells me that while in Malta he met the love of his live, Ina, who is now his wife! At that time he built his first racing loft, a primitive 8ft.x 6ft. structure and joined the best and hardest to win club in Exeter, the Western Counties Flying Club. Bob says in those days the club boasted 54 flying members, most of them being premier fanciers! Many of the present day racers learnt their trade in the Western Counties and are fanciers at the top of the game today.

In 1974 Bob, Ina and their two sons, Robert and Ian, moved out to Malta, but at that time it wasn’t easy to settle there and Bob could not get a work permit, so returned to the U.K. to live in Exmouth. Bob maintains Exmouth is a great place to race in the very strong Devon Federation and on his return in 1976 he built himself a 24ft. racing loft. His birds were obtained from several premier fanciers and in 1977 he joined the Exmouth & Dist. H.S. which is the club he races in today and is the secretary of. In the early days not much success came Bob’s way, but he enjoyed his racing. In 1981 he brought in some Busschaerts and Vandies and never looked back, winning 51 first prizes over a four year period. It was at about this time that Bob started to organise the West Country Breeder Buyer, which bought many good pigeons in to Devon from all over the U.K. Through this fundraising event and Bob’s writing in the fancy press, he has made a lot of good friends in the sport.

The late Dave Cork of Norwich sent Bob down a blue Janssen cock that went on to win eight first prizes and set what Bob believes to be a record in the Devon County Championship Club. This game Janssen won his first race as a young bird from Warwick (137 miles), the following week he won first in the ring scheme from Ripley (167 miles) and the week after that he won the longest young bird race from Harrogate (240 miles). The first race the following season was the yearling event from Witton Gilbert, a distance of 300 miles and the blue cock came out and won that race. He was never out of the first four positions in the Federation result when winning and twice he won the Federation. Another good performer was ‘Superstar’, a blue chequer hen bred by Bob and she also won eight first prizes, including twice 1st. and twice 4th. Devon Federation. This wonderful hen was also a top breeder, with two nest mate brothers being sent to John McGreevy & son of Liverpool and they went on to win: 3rd. Breeze Lane F.C. Dorchester, 4th. club Hereford, 2nd. club (beaten by loft mate), 6th. North Liverpool Federation, 24th. Four Counties Combine (3459 birds) Sartilly, 1st. club, 1st. North Liverpool Federation (900 birds), 4th. Four Counties Combine (2394 birds) Rennes (2).

Last season was Bob junior’s first back in the sport since his return back from Malta, where he and his family had spent the last 12 years. He raced pigeons to the Island and says he had 12 great years living in Malta! Since his return he has only raced one or two old bird and a full young bird programme last season and finished up as runner up to the highest prize winner in the club. He says it’s thanks to his pals around the U.K. who have sent him some top class young birds to race.

Bob junior’s son, is young Robert. We will call him Robert to save confusion as there is enough of that between the two older Bobs! Young Robert restarted in the fancy again last year after a long break away from the sport of pigeon racing. His first experience with the pigeons was a replica of Bob junior's, growing up with his father’s birds in the back garden. When Robert and his brother, Ian, were about five years of age they sat on the platform of their dad’s loft on race days and watched the birds return from the races. When the first bird arrived home they would clap, thinking the race was over because the bird was home, and needless to say, dad didn’t win a lot. When the lads were about 14 years old they joined the Exmouth & Dist. H.S. and flew as Reeves Brothers, but Robert was the brother with the real interest in pigeon racing, with Ian preferring the other type of ‘birds’. That year they has a very successful young bird racing season, pushing their dad all the way, ending up the season in first few premier prize winners and lifting the ‘Knockout Shield’ and the Young Bird Average. No racing was done until the 2006 season’s young bird programme when Robert won one first and several other prizes in the first six, plus he won ‘Bird of the Year’ and a prize for best performance put up by a youngster bought in at the club sale. Three generations of pigeon racers in the Reeves family!

At 87 years old, Bob Reeves senior finds he can’t manage his small National winning team of pigeons any more and has decided reluctantly to give them up. With Bob packing up his birds, it’s the end of an era, but I’m sure he will still have a big involvement in the sport and we will still see him at the B.H.W. Blackpool Show every January. His 35 birds will be up for auction on Sunday 28th October at the ‘Lion Brewery’ in Ash, Surrey, with viewing at 11.00hrs and the sale starting at 13.00hrs. Good luck!

There you have it for this week! I hope my readers have enjoyed our recent ‘Holiday Breakaway 2007’ series. I can be contacted on telephone: 01372 463480. See yer!

TEXT & PHOTOS BY KEITH MOTT

26/9/07