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THE FUTURE OF THE SPORT IN WALES

COREY LEWIS of Glyncorrwg

by Gareth Watkins

 

As most fanciers are only too well aware, the sport of pigeon racing is dying on its feet with very few if any new members coming into the fancy and a disproportionate number leaving. I won’t go into my personal thoughts as to why I believe that this is fast becoming a terminal decline, but  will I hope in this short article highlight the performances of a young fancier who is fast making a name for himself here in Wales. If the sport is to continue it is fanciers like 14 year old Corey Lewis of Glyncorrwg, supported and actively encouraged by his father Ian and grandfather John, who will be that future, if there is to be one, for the sport in Wales.

Corey and father Ian

The village of Glyncorrwg is situated at the top end of a blind valley leading off from the main Afan Valley which leads down to the industrial town of Port Talbot on the coast. Surrounded by 1000 foot high forested hills, it is an idyllic setting if you were to discount the hawk and falcon situation! Corey’s present loft was built by father Ian, ably assisted by local fancier Mike Enoch, and measures some 26ft x 8 ft divided into three sections. This is a far cry from his original loft which was a converted rabbit hutch. Corey started in the sport as an eight year old raw novice but this status didn’t last long as he soon began to beat the locals and in the 2007 season his birds won 6 x 1sts & 4 x 2nds etc at club level. The 2008 season saw the young Lewis boy join the Welsh South East National and he finished the season with 1st club, 1st West Section Fed, 1st West Section Welsh Combine and 1st West Section Welsh National from Lillers 276 miles. The stage was therefore set for yet another good season’s racing in 2009 when the Lewis team finished with 10 x 1sts, 8 x 2nds & 11 x 3rds at club level winning the Channel Average and Young bird averages. The success story continued into the 2010 season where Corey’s team of Braspennings x Van Reets won 8 x 1sts, 7 x 2nds, 10 x 3rds and 11 x 4ths at club level, finishing the season as top young bird flyer yet again. As if this wasn’t impressive enough, in the 2011 season Corey’s birds broke all records winning 15 x 1sts, 11 x 2nds and 10 x 3rds at club level plus 5 x 1sts West Section at Fed level and 1st West section in the National and Welsh Combine from Maidstone old birds. Amongst the wins at club level were firsts from Reims at 379 miles and Pont a Mousson at 469 miles to add to a whole sheaf of first prizes in land.

Corey's loft

As a result of his phenomenal success at club level Corey smashed the Glyncorrwg club’s points record, amassing a total of 305 points in the season, beating the previous record of 240 points set by none other then Corey himself!!!! The bird of the Year Trophy and the Pigeon with most individual points trophy also found their way onto the family’s sideboard and Corey finished the season as top points winner in the West Section of the Rhondda Valley Fed. Pretty impressive stuff I’m sure you will agree. To sum up – in five seasons since he started competitive flying, Corey’s birds have won a total of 40 x 1sts at club and federation section level – more than most fanciers win in a lifetime in the sport.

Right, so much for the loft’s successes, what of the birds and the management system employed to reap such rich rewards? As mentioned earlier, the present loft is a 26ft x 8ft three-sectioned structure perched high on the back wall of the family garden facing south-east. Two sections house the 17 pairs of old bird racers while the third section houses the 75 or so young birds reared annually. A further 15 pairs of stock birds are housed at grandfather John’s loft just across the valley.

The valley leading up to Corey's loft at Glyncorrwg - peregrine country

The old birds are usually mated around the time of the Blackpool Show weekend and are allowed to rear a young bird in their first nest before being separated for the remainder of the season. The old bird team is raced on the roundabout system and as such receive just one or two training spins prior to being entered in their first race. This is because of the high proportion of raptors that live locally and on the line of flight making road training an extremely hazardous event. Corey prefers to get the birds fit with plenty of home exercise and this takes the form of two one hour sessions daily for both cocks and hens. During the season Corey is up early and at the loft with the birds carrying out the loft chores before getting ready for school. The same routine is followed each evening on his return from school. All birds are fed communally by hand after each exercise period on a variety of mixtures including Gerry Plus and Prestige from Versele Laga.

The old birds may only receive a very perfunctory training schedule but the young birds on the other hand have an extensive pre-race training programme starting with three or four tosses each at 3 miles, 4 miles, 10 miles etc and always from the tops of the surrounding valleys. Most of the young birds are raced through to 200 miles if fit and well, with a dozen or so selected as likely candidates for the longest young bird race from Lillers at 276 miles.

The pigeons responsible for this outstanding series of wins originate from three main sources: local ace Graham Warren of Treherbert, Louella Pigeon World and Terry “Teddy Boy” Higgs from Doncaster. Terry Higgs regularly breeds Corey a team of six babies and these have proved to be an absolute goldmine for the young Lewis boy.  Mike Enoch has also provided some top class birds and Corey has worked on these bloodlines to produce a fine team of multi purpose racers that win from 60 miles through to 470 miles.

I know that Corey is very grateful for the support and encouragement he gets from the whole family including mother Andrea, dad Ian and grandfather John.

Corey being presented with his trophy for winning 1st West Section Welsh Combine in the 2011 Maidstone Old Bird race by Welsh Homing Union Chairperson Margaret Evans.

I cannot finish this report without highlighting yet another of Corey’s abilities – this time on the football field as he is a keen member of his local soccer team, Croeserw United, where he finished the season recently as Player’s Player of the Year scoring 26 goals during the year. He is also a member of the Swansea City Under 14’s football team and as such has represented the club in tournaments throughout the British Isles and in one match scored the winning goal when the Swans beat their Cardiff City counterparts 1-0. Success for a valleys boy doesn’t come sweeter than that!!

Hens in their section

Cocks in their section

View to the south-east on the line of flight showing the 1000ft high hill that the birds have to cross to get home on a direct line

Corey scoring a goal on the football field

Congratulations Corey on your outstanding start in the sport and here’s wishing you and your family many more years of enjoyment from in this wonderful sport.