Keith Mott writes about winning fanciers past and present

The Champions of Yesteryear (Part 65) 

STAN HUTSON OF CROYDON

When I visited the South Croydon home of Stan Hutson, the Surrey Federation was mid-way through the 1978 old bird programme having completed seven races and the Hutson's Delwich pigeons had recorded 7 times 1sts, 6 times 2nds flying in the Surrey Valley Club. Stan's team of Delwich pigeons were bred entirely from birds obtained from the Thornton Heath 'Ace' George Gauntlett and he said they did the job at all distances. He was always trying a cross and had brought a pair of young Dordins to try but they must be proved racing before being bred from. Stan had shown great form in the Federation and Combine that season having recorded 1st. & 2nd. Club, lst. & 2nd. Surrey Federation Exeter and 1st. & 2nd. Club, 3rd. & 5th. Surrey Federation, 3rd. & 5th. S.M.T. Combine Vire. The Hutsons were premier winners in the Surrey Valley H.S. in 1977 and 1976 being runners up in 1975 and recorded 19 times 1st, 17 times 2nd and 12 times 3rd in those three seasons. Stan said his biggest thrill in pigeon racing was when he clocked a bird on the day from Bordeaux the longest race, for the first time. His wife, Shirley, used to be very useful with club work checking and marking, etc, but this fell away when they started a family. Stan said she liked her say at club meetings.

The self-built loft was 16ft x 6ft, in two sections, with a small flight at the rear for the young birds. The birds were trapped through open doors and deep litter was used on the loft floor. Stan flew the natural system and said he liked to see the birds really happy in the garden, which he couldn’t on with the widowhood system! The whole loft was paired up on 14th February and about 35 youngsters were bred each year. Stan bred a few extra young bird because at the back of his loft there was a mass of pylons and wires which annually claim a lot of his birds. The birds were fed on Ludlows winter mix all the year around and iodised minerals as a tit-bit. Stan said he didn't like to change the birds diet and the winter mix was clean and the cheapest. Young birds and old birds flew the programme with yearlings going up to Niort (350 miles). Stan started training two weeks prior to the first race and they got short, regular tosses at about 15 miles throughout the season. Stan was a builder and took the birds to work with him in any direction or weather. Stan said he had no views on Eye-Sign but there were eyes he liked and disliked. He said the basket was the telling factor in pigeon racing.

After a cup of coffee and a short chat, Stan took me down the lawn to the loft where the first bird I handled was a 1974 Delwich R.C.H. named `Tracy' and when I handled her, her tail and head dropped which Stan thought was a good sign in a pigeon. She was true to type of his family being medium, long-cast in the hand and she had five firsts to her credit, recording 2nd. Club, 5th. Federation, 5th. S.M.T. Combine Vire that year. Next pigeon to be inspected was a full brother to ‘Tracy’ namely ‘Paul’, a handsome 1974 D.C.C, medium long-cast in the hand and winner of a first from the Channel in 1977 and 1st. Club, 3rd. Federation, 3rd S.M.T. Combine Vire that season. A really nice pigeon!

Stan started up at the age of nine when he caught a road-pecker in the church yard. His father bought a pair from F. Giles of Croydon for 5/- ­for Stan (on his birthday) and he was helped along by Dinky Barward and Sid March, the late Croydon Federation convoyer. Stan's first loft was his father's chicken run with a dirt floor and he started racing in the West Croydon H.S. with the Barker pigeons but with little success. At that time he had been in the sport 37 years and was Chairman of the Surrey Valley Club.

Two of his all time best birds were pied cock NU 52 TN 51 winner of 14 times lsts. and 36 cards in first three positions and the Delwich red chequer cock NU 64 B 36055 winner of lst. Exeter, lst. Rennes, lst. Nantes (twice) lst. Avranches, being the sire of the club and Federation winners. The next pigeon I handled was a half-brother to the first two, a nice 3 year old B.P.C. named 'Philip.' This gem was an outstanding young bird, then went on to win Niort as a yeraling and as a two year old and Stan was preparing him for the treble. 'Fred' a yearling blue chequer cock was the next bird which Stan handed me and he has recorded two firsts that season.

Stan told novices to take their time and don't be afraid to ask advice from as many fanciers as possible. Stan looked up to two local fanciers, mainly Brian Gillam and Bill Broughton of Croydon because they were consistently good, every season. He thought averages push a lot of fanciers into making mistakes with their birds and fly-aways were mainly caused by over­crowding in the loft.

TEXT & PHOTOS BY KEITH MOTT

9/6/07