ON THE ROAD WITH KEITH MOTT'

‘Get well soon, Johnny’

John Tyerman has suffered some bad health in recent months and at the time of writing this article is very un-well in hospital. I had a phone call yesterday from his wife, Linda, to say his problem was now under control, but John has had a couple of really bad weeks. On behalf of everyone at the London & South East Classic Club, ‘get well really soon, Johnny’.

John and I have been good friends for many years and we have been through several pigeon campaigns together, including serving on the NFC and L&SECC committees and convoying pigeons together. We roomed together when we travelled for the National Flying Club committee meetings and in 2003 we convoyed the International birds to the waiting train in Belgium, when Brian Sheppard of Trowbridge won the race with his wonderful blue chequer cock, Champion ‘Legend’. When the members of the N.F.C. sent their birds to their first International, no one really knew what an outstanding success it would be and that British racing history was in the making. That Dax International marked the start of a new era in British long distance pigeon racing and John and I were very proud to be a part of it. John was a founder member of the London & South East Classic Club and in the early days of the club, he was one of the main workers in making it a success, including convoying the Classic birds out to France on a lorry. In those days John and his wife, Linda, lived in Dorking and he was a member of the famous ‘Dorking Mafia’, a band of fancier in the Box Hill area, who supported and worked very hard for the Classic. John was a great committee worker for the L&SECC for many years until he moved to Bracklesham Bay and was the Classic’s President for three years in the late 1990’s.

Three Borders Federation News

Congratulations to the South Downs RPC who are the 2010 Federation champions! The champions won the Federation Points Trophy with 218 points, with the Esher & District RPC being runners up with 205 points. It seems like pay back time, as it is a reversal of the 2009 Championship when the Esher won it well and the South Downs were runners up. The South Downs members have dominated the Federation results this season and have won the Federation nine times in the twenty two races. Brilliant pigeon racing! One of the strongest clubs in the South of England is the South Downs RPC, which is based near to Epsom in Surrey and through the many years since it was form it has had some of the premier fanciers in its membership. The club lost its brilliant secretary recently, when Jean Cutts sadly passed away and she put in many years of good work for the club. I think she would have been very proud of the club’s wonderful achievement this season. The Three Borders Federation sent 1,916 birds to its second race of the 2010 season from Wincanton and the mighty South Downs club dominated the result, taking 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 6th, 8th, 13th, 17th, 18th, 20th, 22nd and 24th Federation. Brilliant pigeon racing! The successful partnership of Colin Crook and Andy Iddenden lead the way by recording 1st, 2nd and 6th Federation. The icing on the cake for me personally, was to see Crook & Iddenden win the Federation and the SMT Combine from the longest and last young bird race, flown from Yelverton (176 miles) in September. This is the second year on the trot that the South Downs have won the SMT Combine from the longest young bird race, with Imran Malik & Partners winning from Yelverton in 2009 and another club member, Danny Allison, took 2nd Combine behind them. What a great club!

Danny Allison

It’s the end of the Three Borders Federation 2010 racing season and I’m delighted to write that my ol’ mucker Danny Allison has won the Federation Individual Points Trophy and is the 2010 champion! The Federation is one of the strongest in the UK and our Danny won the championship with 48 points with his South Downs club mates, Colin Crook and Andy Iddenden, being runners up on 41 points. What can I write about Danny Allison that has not been written before about his great performances over his many years in the sport! He is a great lad and a very dedicated and successful pigeon racer. He works so hard with his birds, being a relentless trainer, with early morning tosses down the line to the New Forest area. Just a few weeks ago I was in the car park at Winchester training my young birds and Danny pulled in behind me with his van full of pigeons, training his and his friend’s, Trussler Brothers, youngsters.

Danny Allison’s 2010 performances in the Three Borders Federation are: (OB) 3rd, 4th Federation Wincanton (1,916 birds), 5th, 17th  Federation West Bay (2,163 birds), 2nd, 4th, 13th Federation Kingsdown (1,623 birds), 13th, 23rd, 24th Federation Wincanton (1,736 birds), 4th Federation Fougeres (934 birds), 5th, 12th, 13th Federation West Bay (2,016 birds), 18th Federation Messac (931 birds), 1st, 3rd Federation Exeter (1,135 birds), 1st, 2nd Federation Kingsdown (1,233 birds), 8th, 9th, 22nd Federation Kingsdown (1,089 birds), 20th Federation Wincanton (1,040 birds), (YB) 2nd, 20th, 21st, 23rd Federation Blandford (1,693 birds), 17th Federation Wincanton (1,651 birds), 19th Federation West Bay (1,292 birds), 16th Federation Wincanton (1,422 birds), 13th Federation Yelverton (925 birds). A brilliant championship producing performance, it must be that training spot at Winchester! Worth a special mention is Danny’s good Grizzle cock, ‘40503’, which has recorded in the 2010 old bird season: 3rd Federation Wincanton, 5th Federation West Bay, 1st Federation Exeter, 1st Federation Kingsdown and 8th Federation Kingsdown. A fantastic sprinting widowhood cock!

Danny has a 30ft three section loft and all clocking is on the ETS system. He tells me, the loft is about ten years old and his son bought it for him on his 50th birthday. The old birds racing team is made up with 20 widowhood cocks, which is a new system for Danny, with 2010 being his first year on it, and these are paired up in early January. He breeds himself about 60 babies to race every season and these are put on the darkness system at weaning and taken off in June, prior to the commencement of training. The young birds are trained really hard getting, weather permitting, a toss seven days a week up to the first race and after that a 40 mile chuck on a Tuesday and Thursday through the season. The Allison loft houses 15 pairs of stock birds all Janssen based and all obtained from Trussler Brothers of West Molesey. The pairs in the stock section are still the original widowhood pigeons gifted to Danny by Dick and Brian Trussler and are mated every year the same as they were paired in the Trussler loft.

From the very start of the season until the last race when they won the SMT Combine, Colin Crook and Andy Iddenden have put up brilliant performances. They race mainly race the Staf Van Reet pigeons, with most of them coming through the very successful lines of Paul Arnold of North Cheam. Andy and Colin have 63ft of loft and the old birds are raced on the widowhood cocks and celibate hens systems, with the whole loft is paired up on Boxing Day, so the first round of eggs from the stock birds can be floated under the racers. The partnership breeds about 60 young birds to race every season and put them on the Darkness system, which they maintain is essential these days if you want to be successful. Colin and Andy enjoy all Federation racing from 80 miles through to 450 miles, but have a go at the odd Classic race from time to time. Andy told me the cocks stay on the widowhood system all the time and are never repaired for the longer races.

Crook & Iddenden’s wonderful performance racing in the Three Borders Federation in 2010 were: (OB) 14th, 18th Federation Wincanton (1,584 birds), 1st, 2nd, 6th Federation Wincanton (1,916 birds), 25th Federation West Bay (2,163 birds), 17th Federation West Bay (2,016 birds), 14th Federation Exeter (1,135 birds), 2nd Federation (758 birds), 2nd SMT Combine Messac, 8th Federation Kingsdown (1,233 birds), 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th Federation Kingsdown (1,089 birds), (YB) 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th Federation West Bay (1,292 birds), 1st Federation (923 birds), 1st SMT Combine Yelverton.

Colin and Andy both who flew in partnership with their late fathers, before forming their present team several seasons ago. The Crook’s, Colin and his dad Harold, were part the highly successful Crook, Waldron & Martin partnership, which won many premier prizes North Road racing, including 1st open Combine Thurso and 1st Federation Berwick. Colin has raced on his own in recent seasons and has won 2nd Federation three times. Andy Iddenden has raced in the Esher club for several years, gaining major success, racing in partnership with his late father ‘Bunny’ Iddenden, who was a well liked and respected fancier. ‘Bunny’ was a grounds man at Wimbledon Tennis and was always generous every year, giving away free Centre Court tickets. A great bloke! When ever you competed against the Iddenden’s in racing or the show pen, they were always hard to beat and their best performance was 1st, 2nd, 3rd open Federation. Because, Colin and Andy are very good friends and both having young families, so lack time for the pigeons, they formed the Crook & Iddenden partnership.

Well done once again to the members of the South Downs RPC on their wonderful success in the 2010 season! I can be contacted with any pigeon matters on telephone number: 01372 463480. See yer!

TEXT & PHOTOS BY KEITH MOTT.