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THE MAKING OF A DVD

American Film Maker Jim Jenner Focuses on Top Welsh Fanciers

by Gareth Watkins

This DVD and other DVDs produced by Jim Jenner can be purchased via the logo 'Secrets of Champions' towards the top-left of the Elimar home page.

 

In late June 2011 the highly professional American film maker Jim Jenner arrived in Wales after a short sojourn on the continent. Jim’s intention was to highlight the lofts of some of Wales’ top long distance and National lofts as part of his latest “magnum opus”. To this end he asked me to contact the fanciers who I thought might make good viewing and whose performances at the highest level merited inclusion in a DVD that would be viewed worldwide. So it was that Jim and cameraman John pitched up at my home on the first leg of his trip around Wales.

Wilf Reed - one of the stars of Jim Jenner's new DVD featuring some of the top fanciers in Wales

Jim’s base for his four day stay was to be the lovely home of the Strawbridge family at Ponthir just outside Newport. I accompanied Jim and John to the Strawbridge home and we were soon in the local hostelry, built in 1710, enjoying a lovely pub meal and introducing John to the pleasures of real ale and farmhouse cider. He seemed impressed with both!

Next day it was off to visit Wilf and Janet Reed at their impressive 17th century farmhouse at Upper Redbrook near Monmouth. Jim and Wilf went into great depths regarding the preparation of pigeons for extreme distance International racing and when the interview was over we all sat down to a wonderful meal kindly prepared for us by Janet.

Our next stop was at the multi-National winning loft of Dennis Ford of Blaenavon, who needs no introduction to the fancy as his TWELVE outright wins at National and International level when racing his pigeons to the wilds of the Welsh valleys are recognised nationwide.

It was then down the valley to another multi-National winning loft – that of Derek Flowers of Pontypool who, aided by brother Clive, has won no less than EIGHT Welsh Nationals in the past two seasons racing.

No DVD on top Welsh lofts would be complete without a visit to the lofts of Preece Brothers & Sons and the Padfield Family of the tiny Welsh mining village of Cwmtillery. The Preeces have amassed no less than 13 x 1sts in Welsh Nationals over the past 40 or so years and have also consistently recorded top class performances in cross border Nationals. Vince and Dave Padfield hold the record of wins in the Welsh National races from Tarbes and Pau at more than 600 miles with FIVE outright wins. You can add to these, scores of top ten finishes in both Welsh and English Nationals in long distance races up to and including Barcelona at 760 miles.

Also featured on the DVD is an interview with Ray Strawbridge who has won consistently out to 750 miles with his team of long distance racers based in the main on the Jan Aardens of Mick and Beryl Woodyard, formerly of Costessy in Norfolk. There is also an extensive look at the new Strawbridge loft at Ponthir designed and self built by Ray that incorporates a number of innovative ideas on good loft design and management.

In addition to the Welsh content, Jim has also included sections on German, Belgian and Irish fanciers, giving the production a multinational perspective.

So there you have it, a brief insight into the making of a DVD by the pigeon sport’s equivalent of Steven Spielberg. At four hours it should prove to be yet another masterpiece in the body of work produced over the past ten or so years by Jim Jenner.

Preece Bros & Sons

Derek & Clive Flowers

Vince & Dave Padfield flanked by Mark Gilbert and John Wills at the 2010 GGDC prize presentation.

Ray Strawbridge along with guests at the 2010 GGDC prize presentation.

Dennis Ford

Janet & Wilf Reed