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MARK SPAREY

of ABERTILLERY

1st WELSH SOUTH ROAD NATIONAL BERGERAC

by Gareth Watkins

John Gunter [L] and Mark Sparey

 

Mark Sparey is a fancier who is rapidly making a name for himself in cross channel races flown into Wales. The 2011 old bird season has witnessed a progressive rise to the top of the results of the WSRNFC as the name of M. Sparey has appeared on each and every National result. This culminated in every fancier’s ultimate aim of winning a National race when his Deweerdt widowhood cock won 1st Open National from Bergerac. Mark’s results in the build up to this remarkable achievement were as follows:-

Carentan. 48th, 67th, 69th, 70th, 74th & 75th Open.

Messac. [a very difficult race]:- 6th & 43rd Open.

Cholet. 14th, 30th & 49th Open.

Niort. 6th & 45th Open.

Tarbes. 5th Open.

Bergerac. 1st & 3rd Open.

Not a bad set of results in channel racing but even more impressive when you realise that Mark’s total team of racers at the start of the season was just 23 widowhood cocks.

View from the loft looking west

The Sparey loft is perched high on the mountainside above the Gwent valley town of Abertillery and enjoys a panoramic view across the valley to the south west. Once airborne the racers are immediately hundreds of feet above the valley floor and Mark has no trouble making the birds, both young and old, complete their daily exercise routine. For the widowers this is a twice daily stint lasting 75 minutes on each occasion.

A large team of stock birds are housed and these have in the main been sourced from Mark’s now good friend and mentor, the world class double International winning Mark Gilbert of Windsor. No expense has been spared to obtain the best bloodlines from the Gilbert loft and these include two sons of Southfield Supreme the Dax International winner, plus sons and daughters of all the old established and highly successful Deweerdts. Mark has also augmented the Gilbert Deweerdts with further introductions from Andy Gregson of Preston and all are producing high class offspring.

Young bird section

The widowers are paired in mid-February and are allowed to rear a round of youngsters and sit their second round eggs for no more than 6 days before being separated and placed on widowhood for the remainder of the season. Once their initial preseason training is completed they get no more training during the season but are raced weekly inland and then every fortnight once over the channel. The widowers are fed communally in a trough on the loft floor with Versele Laga Superstar Plus widowhood mix after each exercise period and are fed to appetite on both occasions. There is no rationing of the food here as the birds are expected to work hard. To prove this point I give you the case of the Bergerac National winner which two weeks previously had competed in the Tarbes National where he won 3rd section 5th Open National!!!

Mark with his young birds

The young bird team are raced on the darkness system and, as with the old birds, are expected to work hard. Their initial training takes the form of just six or seven spins out to 20 miles and they are then jumped into the third or fourth race of the young bird programme and kept hard at it for the remainder of the season.

Young bird nest boxes

The Sparey loft is a large airy double storey structure with the young bird team occupying the ground floor and the old bird racers on the floor above. The stock birds are housed in an annexe to the rear of the old bird sections and have plenty of room to move about and rear the lofts next generation of long distance racers. The stock birds have access to a hopper filled with farm beans and are also hand fed a good mixture at different times of the day. Mark is greatly indebted to his friend and local fancier John Gunter who looks after the day to day management of the birds during the dark days of winter as Mark leaves home before daybreak and doesn’t return until well after dark in the evening.

Well done Mark, I’m sure your mentors - Mark Gilbert and Geoff Cooper - are as thrilled with your success as you are yourself.