Keith Mott's Champions of Yesteryear (Part 72) 

KEVIN & DAVID LAWSON

Kevin Lawson's lofts were painted red and the performances of the pigeons that live in them were red hot! In one six day period the loft won 1st Open N.R.C.C. Perth, plus a brand new car, then 1st Open M.C.C. Perth. The loft won £8,000 in six days. A few years before that performance the Lawsons won 1st Open M.C.C. Perth and their first brand new car.

Kevin and his son, David, raced on the Widowhood system and liked races up to 300 miles, but did send further. David clocked the birds from races on Saturdav, because Kevin convoyed for a local Federation. The partners flew 42 cocks and fed a standard widowhood mixture, but didn't break down at any time of the year. They flew out for one hour twice a day including Friday mornings and were shown the hens on Friday night, but not at the tail end of the season when the cocks were going off form. The main team was made up of Lefebre Dhaenens, Busschaerts and Frans Wildemeersch, with a new introduction at that time of Staf van Reets.

Kevin said his best perfor­mance to date was 1lst Open Perth N.R.C.C. winning his second Louella car in 1993, in a strong west wind, his loft being the most west­erly in his section and 50 miles west of the main drag. The cock that recorded this great performance, with 5,000 birds competing, was a blue chequer Wildemeersch and as well as winning the car he lifted a quartz clock. He was at stock and was sire and grand sire of 1st. Federation winners.

He said the Lefebre Dhaenens were his best birds and race well from 60 to 300 miles. He maintained he follows the normal widowhood method with cocks being split from the hen when sitting 10 days on their second round. They were exercised around home for one week then training is started, always flying back to the hen. At that time, in the last three seasons the loft had won 120 cards in the Federation top ten positions, 36 times 1st Club, 8 times 1st Federation, 3 Gold Medals, 4 quartz clocks and two motor cars.

HOVELL & ROBERTS

The fantastic team of Hovell & Roberts of Sutton-in-Ashfield had won many thousands of pounds in the last 27 years flying north road with their Busschaerts, Cattrysse and Frans Van Wildemeersch. When we visited the lofts with Brian Hovell it was raining hard, but that did not detract from the pleasure of inspecting their great team of birds.

First pigeon we looked at was a natural Busschaert chequer cock, 'Speckle Head', and he had flown Lerwick (500 miles) five times and won 1st Section, 5th Open Thurso N.R.C.C. This cock was a good looker and had won Best Racer at the Old Comrades Show at the NEC Birmingham. The partners loft, which was sited on a local allotment, was made of packing cases with a concrete floor. It was built in 1967 with sliding doors trapping to the old bird and young bird compartments. The team was made up of 25 pairs of stock, 30 racing pairs and they started with 50 young birds, replacing losses to maintain 50 until training. They raced natural for the first couple of races and then put them on widowhood for about five weeks until and including the Perth race. Then they were paired up and put on natural ready for the big race from Lerwick. Brian received a special diploma for their good hen ‘Tracy’ for being in the first 100 Open positions in the N.R.C.C. King's Cup Lerwick race, three years in succession, being 29th Open (4,235 birds), 26th Open (3,728 birds) and 16th Open (4,450 birds).

Brian trained the old birds three time a week in the early part of the season from 50 miles, and down to twice a week as the races got longer. Youngsters were tossed from 30 miles three times a week. Brian liked birds sitting 10 day old eggs for the long races, but it depended on the individual pigeons. They had won 500 mile races two years running with a cock on three day old youngsters!

TEXT & PHOTO BY KEITH MOTT

3/10/07