MARK GILBERT
ANSWERS QUESTIONS FROM JIM EMERTON
Mark Gilbert is one of the premier fanciers in the UK and as a past winner of 1st International he has always attracted attention for reports.
Mark Gilbert
Q. Please describe some of your favorite birds and performances.
A.1) Southfield Supreme. Supreme was always a very consistent bird and only raced until he was two years old due to winning 1st NFC Dax, 1st International Dax 17400 birds. He was also very good at the middle distance winning 4th open LSEC Tours 2500 birds, 16th open BICC Falaise 2500 birds. Southfield has been also a great breeder being the direct father of 9th and 6th open NFC, plus two different fed winners, also grandfather of many top birds at Southfield including birds to be in the top 100 of the NFC Tarbes, 5th Narbonne UK in 2010 and grandfather of John Clements' bird that was high up in the Narbonne race at 740 miles.
2) Night Flight - 1st open NFC Pau/Saintes winning the NFC by 400 yards per minute, due to flying part of the race at night. Night Flight was also 32nd open LSECC DAX 534miles the race before he won the National against 3500 birds.
3) Southfield Pau, who is a full brother of Night Flight, winning 1st BICC Pau 564 miles and 4th Open LSECC Le Ferte Bernard 2400 birds.
4) Southfield Darkie - 1st BBC national Messac 2009 against 2300 birds and 1st BICC Pau 564 miles 2010. Darkie is a half brother to both Night Flight and Southfield Pau, all three being of full brothers to Bernard’s Deweerdt's Raldo - 19th International Perpignan.
5) Southfield Trebel., Trebel was named because in one year he flew three long distance races, the first being Pau 564 birds 21st open BICC, the second being 34th open Dax 534 miles in the NFC and the last being 5th open in the Perpignan 625 miles with the BICC. He was also 8th open LSECC Bergerac in a very hard race plus 1st Greater Distance Palomos 685miles and 12th open.
There have been many other good birds, but the above have been the best and, apart from Darkie, are now at stock. Darkie will have his last race at the NFC Tarbes International and then will be retired to stock.
Mark's impressive set-up
Q. Can you detail your preparation for 500-700ml races?
A. My preparation is three inland races up to 160 miles and then at least two channel races. I like, if possible, for one of these channel races to be an 8 to 10 hour fly and would like this race at least three weeks before the distance race. During the three gap the cocks are excised around the loft for one hour morning and night. No training is given to them during this time.
Q. Do you place any value of Blitzform, Hormoform and peanuts for marathon condition? Is there anything else you use to attain great flying condition and speedy endurance?
A. I do not use Blitform or Hormoform, but 7 feeds before the long distance race I do feed peanuts, energy corn and give them extra maize. I try to get as much fats into the birds as I can as I think this helps the birds to have the extra energy to fly the distance.
Q. How do you feel about drug testing for race birds?
A. I think drug testing is good for the sport and would have no problem should anyone wish to test mine.
Q. Are you creating a strain using line, in, or out crossing.
A. I don’t believe in a strain, handling, eye sign or any other theory, the only factor to me is to breed out of National or International winners or sons or daughters of them. There are not many strains that have won too many of these and therefore my birds are mainly outbred. I do inbred for the stock loft in order to keep the wining lines.
Mark (centre) with Geoff Gilbert (rt) and Les Parkinson
Q. Has your expertise come from practice or help through reading experts methods.
A. My expertise has come from help and practice. I am always listening to good fanciers to see if there is something that they are doing that may make me better than I am now. I then try the things I have learnt to see if it improves my performances. I am always trying to improve be it with my methods or buying and trying new birds.
Q. As an expert, what are the qualities needed for a top fancier?
A. I think top fanciers are always looking to improve; it may be the loft, the birds or the systems. I don’t think you can afford to stay still, you have to listen to other people’s ideas and then make your own mind up; you have to see what works for you. The people that come around my loft and know it all are often the worse flyers. Lots of people make excuses for their methods or birds; you cannot afford to do this. We all have bad races but you need to look at them and try and understand why. The best flyers are the ones that make the least mistakes.
Q. Would you be happy if the NFC went to Barcelona International?
A. I would be unhappy if the NFC went to Barcelona. Although it would be great for me, I think it’s too far for the northern flyers to make a good race of it. To me, although there are excellent performances in the North of the country from Tarbes, it would be near impossible for them to compete flying at 900 miles;, it's hard enough for them now. My hat goes off to them all now at the great performance they put up. I personally think that there is a limit of about 750mls where a pigeon can race.
Q. Where do you look for introductions and which birds have you bought into your lofts?
A. I am always looking to introduce birds from pigeons that have won big races against large birdage - this is often at National or International level. I have recently introduced children from Hans Peter Brockamp from Germany. His performances are, in my opinion, exceptional winning about 4 to 5 international against 10000 to 15000 birds in the last 5 years. He also has a pigeon called Euro Diamond, which is thought to be the best distance bird in Europe being 5 times in the first 31 of International racing and including winning 1st German National. I have recently introduced children of all his International winners and 4 children direct from Euro Diamond.
Q. How can we improve upon and benefit pigeon racing for all?
A. I think the UK needs to improve our image in the pigeon sport as we are as good if not better than our European friends. The trouble is we have too many classic and National clubs going to too many different races. We need to go as one to the best races in Europe and show the world how good English birds are. The problem is everyone wants to be a Big Fish in a small pond. If everyone sent to these races the fanciers and birds would get better and everyone would still be aware who had the best bird in the club, classic, BBC, Midland National, BICC and NFC. As the sport gets smaller we will have to do this in order to keep the prices competitive.
Q. Do you like the social side of pigeon racing?
A. I love the social side of the sport and have made some really good friends in the sport. I can’t wait to go down the club on a Friday and have a pint with my pigeon club members and I really enjoy the winter going to National doos such as Blackpool, Kassel and the Spring Fair.
Q. How do you wish to be regarded in the future of the sport.
A. As someone who helped the pigeon sport grow internationally in the UK. Sometimes this seems very hard to achieve with people's small minds.
Q. Do you have any thoughts on the politics and management of the sport?
A. I try not get involved into the politics of the sport, but do think that clubs, feds, classics and Nationals are getting smaller so we therefore need someone to look at this and try and come up with a scheme that stops this happening. Nobody wants to fly in a club with 3 of 4 members or a fed sending 300 birds. We need to combine clubs, feds, classics and Nationals and get back to having good competition where it is hard to win. One idea would be that the RPRA only allow one club in any 10 mile area, and any member that lives within this area automatically becomes a member unless they have been suspended from the RPRA, and the same would apply for Feds except the area would change to maybe 50 to 60 square miles.
Q. Do you have any heroes as a pigeon man?
A. I did not really had any sporting heroes when I was younger. Having said this, in the pigeon sport when changing from club flying to National racing I did struggle at first, due to the competition being that much stronger. After about two years of struggling I decided to look for whom I thought was the best at National flying and obtain some of his birds, but most importantly try and understand their methods. After a year of looking at the results I decided the person to contact was Geoff Cooper of High Littleton. I have since become very good friends with Geoff and he has been a major influence in my pigeon career. I was not only very lucky to pick an excellent pigeon flyer but also someone who did not mind helping others and who was prepared to teach me.
Q. Have you assistance from your wife in our great sport?
A. My wife has trained my pigeons from time to time and would help if she could, but we have a young family and all her time these days are taken up looking after them. She has been very supportive in letting me enjoy my hobby and I thank her for this., I do have help from my Dad, who keeps pigeons himself. He comes around about 9.30am to 11.30am in the morning and looks after the stock and young birds.
Q. Have you anything else to add of interest to the whole fancy?
A. The only other thing I would to add is that I feel there are three main things you need to be a great fancier and in the order of importance, these are: 1) Loft. This is very important because if the loft is not correct, it does not matter what else you do you will not win in big competition. When I say loft I not talking about a new, tiled loft but the loft must be dry, well ventilated without any drafts. 2)The pigeons. It's better buying one good one than 6 average and just because it’s called a strain does not make it a good one as all the top flyers have poor pigeons as well. So only buy off birds off the best. 3) Dedication and method. Try and get to know a top flyer and listen to what they are doing; the worst flyers are often the ones that tell you they know it all! How are they going to improve?
