Keith Mott’s ‘Champions of Yesteryear’ (Part 89) 

KEN ALLDAY

OF SUNBURY

Kenny Allday smashed all the records in his club, the New Hampton NRPC, in 1981 winning every trophy except one, the ‘Thurso Trophy’, and won eighteen of the club’s twenty races. He finished his incredible 1981 season in great style by winning 1st club, 1st Thames Valley Federation, 1st open North Thames NR Combine (3,565 birds) from the very hard young bird Sedgefield race. His Combine winner was his good Busschaert blue hen, ‘Batavia Princess’ and her winning velocity was a slogging 984ypm. In the Thames Valley Federation, Kenny won the young bird average for the second season, winning several Federation trophies and gained the highest amount of points in the history of the Federation at that time, for his club to lift the Federation Points Shield.

Kenny started racing the Bricoux / Sion pigeons from Sam Law of Ayre in Scotland and Charlie Austin in Devon in 1972 and was top prize winner three years on the trot before packing up the sport in 1976. He obtained latebreds in 1979 and re-started racing in 1980, winning nine firsts and was top prize winner in the New Hampton club. Ken won seven of the club’s eight young bird races in 1980.

On starting up again in 1979, Kenny obtained Busschaerts and Krauth pigeons from George Corbett, which raced out of their skins, winning every thing they were asked too. He had two very smart Kidby lofts and kept the two families separate. He raced the natural system and said he gave the birds plenty of training and the best corn. He fed a mixture of Peas, Maize and Wheat, and all the birds were trained once or twice a day from 30 miles. He maintained there were lots of theories for or against deep litter on the loft floors, but he had always used it and cleaned off the perches every day. He told me that usually proven birds in the race basket, became good stock birds and when pairing up, he put a light eyed pigeon with one that had a dark eye. At that time Kenny rated Mick Chandler the top local fancier, saying he was 100% dedicated to his birds and had four house moves in ten years and was still at the top. Kenny Allday thought pigeon in the 1980’s was all about money and feared the sportsmanship was going out of our great hobby.

Well I hope you have enjoyed this week’s ‘Champions’, it has featured one of the very best in the Middlesex area of the late 1970’s, Kenny Allday of Sunbury.

TEXT & PHOTOS BY KEITH MOTT

12/2/08