Keith Mott writes about winning fanciers past and present...

Setting the record straight! 

The regular scribes of the British Homing World work hard all year long to produce an interesting article every week and try to keep it current by writing up fancier’s premier wins as soon as they are achieved. This good work by the writer, by getting it into print so quick can sometime be a disadvantage, with later performances achieved in the following weeks not getting publicity. It’s ‘sods law’ that some times a fancier will do well in a premier race and they have an article in the BHW, and then a couple of weeks later they have another good performance. This has happened to me several times this season, so let’s set the record straight and up date some of this years articles.

Back in the spring our editorial staff at the British Homing World did a brilliant job of set out our special feature on Keith and Sue Arnold of Leamington Spa who had won the RPRA West Midland Region Sprint Award three years on the trot and was 1st RPRA UK Sprint Champion in 2006 / 2007 and 2nd RPRA UK Sprint Champion in 2008. A brilliant fancier with fantastic pigeons! I recently up dated their wonderful 2009 old bird performances, highlighting the blue cock ‘23’, who recorded the 2009 season: 1st Club, 1st Federation  Bath (1179 birds), 1st Club, 1st Federation Bath (1844 birds), 1st Club, 1st Federation Taunton (2044 birds), 1st Club, 3rd Federation Newton Abbot (1523 birds), 2nd Club, 9th Federation Newton Abbot (1802 birds), 2nd Club, 13th Federation Yelverton (1581 birds), 1st Club 9th Federation Newton Abbot (1113 birds), 1st Club 1st Federation Newton Abbot (1115 birds), 1st Club 1st Federation Yelverton (1037 birds), 1st Club 1st Federation Kingsdown (1018 birds). Is ‘23’ going to be Keith and Sue’s greatest champion Staf Van Reet yet?

Since that up date the Arnolds have had only four young birds races in the Warwickshire Federation and won four times 1st Federation, plus 1st, 3rd and 4th Gold Ring. They have produced yet another champion Staf Van Reet, in the form of their blue hen, ‘Miss Perfect’ and she flew the four races on the double jealousy system, with two hens being mated to one cock bird. This fantastic hen recorded: 1st Club, 1st Federation Bath (2151 birds), 1st Club, 1st Federation Taunton (1840 birds), 1st Club, 1st Federation Newton Abbott (1271 birds), 2nd Club, 2nd Federation Yelverton (968 birds) beaten by a loft mate. When I asked Keith about the breeding of ‘Miss Perfect’ he told me, ‘She is bred from Champion "05" our 2007 RPRA UK Sprint Champion when paired to "Gold Again" our 2007 Warwickshire Federation Gold Ring winner, who in turn is a daughter from Champion "39" our 2006 RPRA UK Sprint Champion. A big winner paired to a daughter from a big winner breeds a big winner, its not rocket science mate is it?’ Keith informs me that Champion ‘23’ will be mated to ‘Miss Perfect’ next season; the perfect pair, which I think must be rated as one of the best racing pairs of Staf Van Reets in Europe! Later in the New Year, when the birds have finished their moult, I will be featuring photos of this wonderful pair of champions in our ‘ON THE ROAD’ article.

A few months ago I did a report on the ‘Lion Brewery’ Merville Charity Open Race, which was published the week after the race. The club could not have picked worst weekend weather wise for its Merville Charity Open Race, but of course it was organised around the Parachute Regiment 9th Battalion Memorial Fund and the 65th Anniversary of the D-Day landings celebration on 6th June. The whole weekend was closed in with rain in the English Channel, France and mainland England, and most organizations racing out of France that weekend, including the National Flying Club and the Merville race were held over until the Monday morning. The race was self supporting and all profits went go to the old solders of the 9th Parachute Regiment. The entry of 850 birds was very good and after a long wait for a clear line of flight the convoy were liberated on the Monday at 05.30hrs in a south east wind.

After the event I was personally delighted as my good friend and ‘Rat Pack’ member, Tony Dann of Leatherhead, had three pigeons well out in front to record 1st, 2nd and 3rd open. Tony was at work on the Monday morning and his wife, Gudda, clocked the pigeons in, and had two come together, the first being clocked at 08.19hrs to make a ‘banging’ velocity of 1460. The winning pigeon was a three year old natural Van Breemans blue hen, sent sitting 17 day old eggs and she had previously scored as a young bird. Gudda is Danish and she clocked the winner in, which was a blue, so Tony has now named his Merville winner, ‘Danish Blue’. This game hen had been at stock for two years, being restarted racing this season with two ‘Lion Brewery’ mid-week races, a West Bay training race, a Lulworth treble up training toss and then in to the Merville open race. The next two pigeons on the clock to take 2nd and 3rd open were two more natural Van Breemans blue hens, ‘Megan’ and ‘Molly’, and they are full sisters and a half sister to the winning pigeon ‘Danish Blue’. All three hens share the same sire who was one of some Van Breemans pigeons purchased by Tony’s late father, Wally Dann of Cobham, in 2002. The day after the Merville race Tony told me, ‘We did it this time! The ‘Lion Brewery’ held a very successful Merville open race five years ago, which attracted an entry of 1,035 birds and Reg Whenman of New Malden and I were both on the same yard, with Reggie winning the race on a decimal’.

Tony’s wonderful blue hen, ‘Danish Blue’ has gone on since her Merville win to record: 1st ‘Lion Brewery’ MWC Hamworthy (202 birds), 3rd SW section, 5th open L&SECC Guernsey (old hens). A really brilliant hen! Her half sister, ‘Megan’, who recorded 2nd open in the Merville open race, went on to win 17th section E, 36th open NFC Messac, 19th open L&SECC Guernsey (old hens). Well done Tony!

I have covered a lot of the current Three Borders Federation winners this year and only two weeks ago I featured the Imran Malik partnership of Tolworth, who have enjoyed a wonderful young bird season. Although the racing name is I. Malik & Partners, there are in fact three partners, including his best friend, Dean Shah and his cousin, Samir Khan. The three lads have worked very hard with their young birds in 2009 and taken the Federation by storm, winning: 1st Federation West Bay (2,183 birds), 1st, 2nd Federation Kingsdown (1972 birds), 5th, 6th, 7th Federation Wincanton (1991 birds). Fantastic young bird flying by any ones standards! The weekend before the partners article appeared in the BHW, the Three Borders Federation held it’s last race of the season from Yelverton (175 miles) and Imran, Samir and Dean won 1st Federation, 1st open SMT Combine. Brilliant pigeon flying! The Federation sent 1,409 birds to Yelverton and with the convoy being liberated at 09.00hrs in a very stiff East / North East wind, made the partners performance even more outstanding. Congratulations to the lads on their brilliant racing success this season in the Three Borders Federation!

As I reported a few week ago the mighty Esher club has certainly dominated the Three Borders Federation results in the first few young bird races, the highlight being when the Federation sent 1,958 birds to the Wincanton (2) and the Esher club took the first eleven positions, plus 13th with Mark and Les Duffell of Hersham breaking the run by taking 12th Federation. John and Danny Barrett took the first five places, flying 95 miles and clocking the five youngsters in 18 seconds on their ETS system. In my many years association with the Three Borders Federation I’ve can’t remember a club taking the first eleven prizes before! The following weekend the Federation sent 1,928 birds to Yeovil (107 miles) and the Esher supreme’s, John and Danny Barrett clocked two birds in 2 seconds to win 1st and 2nd Federation, with the Esher club taking six positions in the result. Brilliant pigeon racing! At the end of the season the Federation Points champions are Esher (244 points) with South Downs being runner up (234 points) and the Individual Points Trophy winners are M/M John Barrett & son of Esher (69 points) with runner up M/M R. Maybey & son (40 points). The Esher club have enjoyed another brilliant season in 2009 racing in the Three Borders Federation and winning the Federation Points Shield for the forth time in five seasons. Well done again to my ol’ mates at Esher!

We finish this my latest article on a high note and I must say how delighted I am that our club has won the Federation Championship again! Just brilliant! I can be contacted with any pigeon comments on telephone number: 01372 463480. See yer!

TEXT & PHOTOS BY KEITH MOTT.