Keith Mott writes about winning fanciers past and present

On the road again!

I think it is probably common knowledge by now that I will back in ‘big time’ convoying in the 2010 season and I must say the prospect of producing some good Classic racing next year really excites me. After many years of excellent service, my ol’ friend, Tony Kane, had to give up his convoying job with the Central Southern Classic Flying Club and I was invited to apply with several others to take his seat in the lorry. I’ve known this little Irish man since the 1970’s when lived in New Addington and was winning every thing with the pigeons of the late, great John Peel of Lingfield. When I was last convoying, we used to meet up in France from time to time and had a couple of good stints at Pau together in the mid 1990’s. Tony was a very good convoyer, always working for the pigeons and was very organized on the liberation site, always taking his table, chairs and sun umbrella with him. We all used to ‘rough it’ on site, but our Tony aways had his comfort organized. A great bloke!

I had eight great seasons convoying for the London & South East Classic Club and for several reasons I decided to call it a day at the end of the 2007 season. The main reason being, at my age I found it very hard work! I was doing a lot of loading, most of the driving and on top of that had the stress and responsibly of the pigeons and producing a good race. I had no intention of ever doing ‘big time’ convoying again, but recently the CSCFC came my way, with minimal loading, no driving and the prospect the luxury of the use of one of the premier transporters in the county. With only the pigeon’s welfare to worry about, I can give it 101% concentration on producing first class racing for the Central Southern Classic Flying Club. I have convoyed South and North Road inland, but the main enjoyment for me is convoying the pigeons to France and it gives me a great buzz to produce good Classic racing from over the English Channel. I must add that when I’m away with the pigeons in France I am my own man, with my utmost priority being the bird’s welfare and producing the best race possible, with the situation we are presented with that weekend. I will not be influenced by outside voices or follow club rules if I think it will be detrimental to the welfare of the pigeons in my charge. My paramount priority when convoying is the welfare of the birds! I love France and am looking forward to visiting some different liberation sites with the CSCFC birds next season. It’s a funning ol’ game this pigeon racing! Since I’ve accepted the CSCFC convoying job it has been decided that the London & South East Classic Club birds will be going to Tarbes and Bergerac on the CSCFC transporter, so it looks like I will be convoying the London birds for these two Classics.

I attended the Central Southern Classic Club AGM in Stoford, Wiltshire at the back end of November and I must say it is a very professional run outfit. That is some else I’m looking forward to in the 2010 season, working with Martin and Clare Norman, who I think are one of the best administration partnerships in the sport today. The 2010 race programme is: 15th May: Messac, 29th May: Poitiers, 25th June: Tarbes (Friday liberation), 16th July: Bergerac (Friday liberation), 21st August: Lessay (Young Birds). The classic has one of the best transporters in the sport, which has spare space for organizations that would like races from these race points in France on these dates. Please telephone Clare Norman on: 023 8057 3919. The Classic’s 2010 breeder / buyer will be an open young bird race from France and the two sales with be held at Southampton on 22nd March and Paulton on 28th March.

More outstanding success in 2009!

News has filtered across the English Channel in recent weeks that our good friend Ronald Heesen of Laren has enjoyed another brilliant season racing in the Dutch Combine in 2009. Although his is very much a back garden fancier, with an average size team of pigeons, he has climbed the success ladder with outstanding result over the years and is now one the top pigeon racers in Holland. When we walked in to his garden for the first time two winters ago I was very impressed with his very smart pigeon set up and I must say from the outset, Ronald himself impressed me as a person, being a nice modest man, who would do any thing to help you if he could. A quality man with quality pigeons! Ronald emailed me last year to tell me he had started the new season by winning several firsts and in the first race from France recorded 1st, 2nd club, 1st, 2nd Federation (2,965 birds), 1st, 6th open Combine (26,215 birds) Pommerroul (200 miles). A fantastic performance!

Ronald’s late father was a success pigeon fancier and Ronald raced on his own from 1967, also with great success. When his father passed away he went in partnership with his mother, Annie, and moved his pigeons back to her garden in Laren. The base of his family today is Janssen and he likes sprint / middle distance racing, or what they call one day racing in Holland. Ronald has introduced a couple of long distance pigeons to form a cross from his friend, Rob Boesten and hopes to have a go at one or two long distance events in the near future. He races 32 cocks on the standard widowhood system and pairs them up two weeks before the first race in April. The racing cocks are fed on a good quality widowhood mixture and are never trained, just get two hours exercise around the loft every day. Ronald never races his old hens.

These are some of Ronald and Annie’s loft results over recent seasons: 2007: 3rd National Champion all Holland young birds (26,000 members), 5th National Champion all Holland young birds (26,000 members), 1st Champion Average Nominated old and young bird Mid-Holland Combine 7. (2,800 members), 1st Champion Combined Average Mid-Holland old and young birds Combine 7. (2,800 members), 2nd Ace Yearling Mid-Holland Combine 7. (2,800 members), 1st Ace Mid-Holland young birds Combine 7. (2,800 members): 2006: 1st and 2nd National Ace all Holland young birds (26,000 members), 1st Champion Combined Average old & young birds Mid-Holland Combine 7. (2,800 members), 1st Champion Average Nominated old & young birds Mid-Holland Combine 7. (2,800 members), 1st Champion Average old & young bird Mid-Holland Combine 7 (2,800 members), 1st and 3rd Ace Mid-Holland young birds.

The Laren loft houses 28 pairs of stock birds and Ronald’s ‘Gold Pair’ are reputed to be one of the breeding pairs in Holland. He has turned down many offers and vast amounts of money for this stock pair, ‘Carl’ and ‘De Telederby’, and they have only been mated since 2006. They are Janssen based and have produced a long list of premier performers, including: 1st & 2nd National, best young pigeon bred and raced in Holland 2006, 5th National Champion young pigeon in 2007, the 2nd Ace Pigeon Yearling Average Mid-Holland, 9th National NPO (10,648 birds) and 13th Mid-Holland / Combine / Federation (10,373 birds). A brilliant stock pair!

That’s our article for this week! Fanciers can contact me with any pigeon comments on telephone number: 01372 463480. See yer!

TEXT & PHOTOS BY KEITH MOTT.