Keith Mott

RPRA SOUTHERN REGION SHOW 2006

After the big disappointment of having the Region show cancelled in 2005 because of the ‘bird flu’ problem, the 2006 event held at High Wycombe turned out to be one of best ever, with 645 birds entered. There was the usual auction of gift birds and the funds raised by the show and sale were donated to the Oakhaven Hospice of Lymington in Hampshire. Judges for this years show were, Show Racers: Kevin Pratt, Pat Pratt and Keith Mott: Racing Pigeons: Peter Obertelli, Russell Lowbridge, Phil Mott, Colin Hill, Gerald Yeomans and Ron Crook. We don’t seem to mention Ron Lacey’s band of stewards and workers in the annual write up, who year in and year out work tirelessly to put this great show on. I don’t know their names, but we always ‘tip our hats’ when we meet up each November and it’s them same ol’ faces every year working so hard on this great event. Well done to you all!

This year saw my good friends, Peter Obertelli and Russell Lowbridge, travel down from the Midlands to judge and I hadn’t seen Peter, ‘The Italian Stallion’, for almost 25 years and must say it was the highlight of the weekend seeing him again after all that time. I normally judge the Show Racers and this year there were four of the best show men in the Show Racer world sitting 3ft. away watching me handle their birds, in the form of John Robilliard, Colin Carter, Ron McCarthy and Norman Perry, winners of seven times Best in Show at the B.H.W. Blackpool Show between them. I love a challenge! Norman won the class with a wonderful red hen and Colin was second with another red, which I think I’m right in saying won B.I.S. the week previous at a society show. I took my granddaughter, Sasha, aged six, to the show for her first time and needless to say being pigeon mad, she thoroughly enjoyed the occasion. I was highly delighted when ‘Jock’ and a few of the other old stewards remembered her mum, my daughter Caroline, who judged at the Region Show a couple of times many years a go.

Class winners were: Class 1: 1st M/M McCarthy, 2nd M/M Carter, 3rd M/M McCarthy: Class 2: 1st M/M Carter, 2nd M/M Carter, 3rd J. Harrod: Class 3: 1st N. Perry, 2nd N. Perry, 3rd N. Perry: Class 4: 1st J. Harrod, 2nd N. Perry, 3rd N. Perry: Class 5: 1st J. Harrod, 2nd M/M Carter, 3rd J. Harrod: Class 6: 1st N. Perry, M/M Carter, 3rd Petty & Crawford: Class 7: 1st M. Horner, 2nd N. Perry, 3rd Petty & Crawford: Class 8: 1st N. Perry, 2nd M/M McCarthy, 3rd N. Perry: Class 9: 1st J. Robilliard, 2nd Petty & Crawford, 3rd J. Rice: Class 10: 1st Petty & Crawford, 2nd J. Rice, 3rd C. Bullard: Class 11: 1st D. Ellis, 2nd D. Ellis, 3rd Miss L. Bullard: Class 12: 1st C. Reynolds, 2nd M/M Dickenson & sons, 3rd D. Ellis: Class 13: 1st J. Harrod, 2nd D. Ellis, 3rd T. Smith & son: Class 14: 1st D. Ellis, 2nd J. Harrod, 3rd D. Ellis: Class 15: 1st J. Rice, 2nd C. Powell, 3rd D. Ellis: Class 16: 1st J. Rice, 2nd J. Rice, 3rd M/M Dickenson & sons: Class 17: 1st C. Bunting, 2nd J. Prentice, 3rd J. Prentice: Class 18: 1st J. Prentice, 2nd J. Prentice, 3rd T. Twyman & son: Class 19: 1st R. Barlow, 2nd J. Rice, 3rd M/M B. Leney: Class 20: 1st D. Ellis, 2nd A. Ayers, 3rd M/M Dickenson & son. Trophy winners were: Best in Show, Mike Horner: Best Opposite Sex, J. Harrod: Best Show Racer, Mike Horner: Best Race Bird, J. J. & B. Rice: Best 400 miles, C. & S. Bunting: Best Though Wires, Petty & Crawford: Most Points Show Racer, Norman Perry (35 points): Most Points Race Bird, D. Ellis (34 points).

Mike and Theresa Horner won Best in Show with their four year old Mosaic show racer cock, ‘Barny’, and he has plenty of previous good form, having won in the show pen twelve times. Mike has been in pigeons, in one form or the other, all his life and is from a racing pigeon family, with his father and grandfathers being pigeon racers. He started up with the Show Racer on marring Theresa in 1980, with birds from Tony Williams and later some stock from Mr. & Mrs. Colin Carter of Churchdown. Mike’s latest champion, ‘Barny’, was bred from these original bloodlines. The will be a full report on Mike and Theresa’s Show Racer loft in ‘ON THE ROAD’ in a couple of weeks. Congratulations to them both on their wonderful success at this year’s Southern Region Show!              

I have been associated with the Southern Region Show for many years and have derived great pleasure judging at this great annual event through the years. This great event is one of my favourite one day shows, which is now held at the Hazlemere Community Centre, near High Wycombe. In recent years the Community Centre has proved to be a first class venue for this major event, having two large halls for the show and charity pigeon auction. My good friend, Ron Lacey, former President of the R.P.R.A. Southern Region, has run the show in recent years and prior to that Val and Tony Viccars were the show secretaries. I have attended the show most years, since it started at Ascot Racecourse over 30 years ago and in recent seasons have booked the judges for the racing classes for Ron. Years ago I used to show and won many firsts with my racing pigeons, which I always considered a good achievement, with the ‘red hot’ competition at the Region show.  After Ascot the show moved briefly into Basingstoke and then went to Slough for ten years, being run by the great Bob Arnold. I always remember Bob telling me that he had been in pigeons all his life, being taken tenderly into a pigeon loft at the age of ten days old, by his father, in 1920. Bob is a wonderful man and put a lot of hard work into the Southern Region Show through his many years as show secretary. The 2005 event had to be cancelled because of the ‘bird flu’ problem, but we have come back with a fantastic show this year!

My ol’ mate, Ron Lacey, took over the job of show secretary several years ago from Val and Tony who had to step down because of ill health and I must say, Ron is doing a brilliant job. Ron told me he was President of the R.P.R.A. Southern Region for 14 years until he had to pack up through ill health. He has been in the sport for 55 years and likes only long distance racing. Ron has 13 natural pairs of mainly Hartog and Vandy pigeons, which says are never parted, with the nest boxes being closed to stop them breeding in the winter months. The old bird racers are lightly trained up to 30 miles and are fed a good mixture, which includes 50% beans. He had raced north road all his life until turning south road with the club four years ago and has won 1st. Federation Lerwick, with the bird on the day. Ron’s 30 youngsters are raced natural to the perch and has won the Young Bird Average several times in recent seasons. The young birds are trained up to 30 miles, the same as the old birds, and race the whole programme. Ron says he is a small team fancier and keeps no stock birds. He maintains that he would cut out all the big money in pigeon racing and the sport looks like it’s falling because there aren’t so many fanciers, but he thinks it’s as good as it’s ever been!

There you have it, the 2006 R.P.R.A. Southern region Show. One of best ever! My phone number is: 01372 463480. See yer!

TEXT & PHOTOS BY KEITH MOTT.

13/12/06