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LASTING SUCCESS IN LONG DISTANCE RACES ALASDAIR MUIR of Abinger Hammer 1st BICC Tarbes International 2010 by Gareth Watkins
Alasdair Muir is a larger than life character who has performances at the distance in Classic, National and International races to match his stature. I first made his acquaintance at the BICC Dinner and Prize presentation in 2010 and subsequently at various BICC Committee meetings. Recently, I caught up with Alasdair once again at the 2011 BICC Dinner and congratulated him on his winning 1st BICC Tarbes on the day in 2010. The following report has arisen from that meeting.
Chequer cock - 1st BICC Tarbes [International] 2010.
As the results highlighted at the end of this article clearly demonstrate, Alasdair has achieved great success in top class competition for quite some time, winning both the London & South East Classic and now the BICC, plus scores of National prizes in races from France to his home loft at Abinger Hammer situated on the North Downs. Over the years he has also had the pleasure of breeding and racing some truly outstanding pigeons, some of which are also highlighted here. So, if you want to know how Alasdair has achieved his success since he first crossed Hadrian’s Wall in the mid 70s at the start of his journey south read on.
When did you start in the sport? 1963 racing young birds in the Carluke Club in Lanarkshire. I first had pigeons in 1960 from Andy Wilson of Locharbriggs (near Dumfries) through my Uncle Bill who lived in the same village. Who was your first major influence? Andy Wilson and the established fanciers in the Carluke Club in the 1960s such as Willie Barclay, Jock Aitken, Rab Aitken, Adam Johnstone and Steinie Morrison. Can you give brief details of your first loft, birds, management etc? Two small lofts built by my father who was a meteorologist but the son of a carpenter. One was 6 by 4 and the other 10 by 6. My management was no doubt like other boy novices - too much food and interference. However, I managed to win the first old bird race in which I competed in 1965 from Annan a distance of 56 miles. How long have you raced to your present location? I have raced at my present location since 1984 and before that for 8 years in the north east of England at Sedgefield, Fishburn and Bishop Middleham, mostly with my recently deceased good friend Billy Woodhall.
Alasdair being presented with the Greater Distance Single Bird NFC Averages trophy for 2006 – yet another extremely difficult feat to accomplish. Can you give details of your present loft set up i.e. overall dimensions, orientation, number of sections etc? I have three racing lofts in my back garden and two stock lofts in my front garden. The racing lofts face south, east and west respectively as a deliberate attempt to create different loft environments as the British climate is pretty unpredictable. The south facing loft is 24ft by 6ft with four, six foot compartments with 8 nest boxes in each. Three quarters of the roof is polycarbonate. This is the main natural racing loft. The west facing loft is 12ft by 6ft with two six foot compartments with 8 nest boxes in each. This has a conventional pent roof and I intend to use it as a widowhood loft in 2011. The east facing loft is 12ft by 6ft for young birds and is a conventional loft with plenty of air and light, although I always retain about twelve young birds with my natural team to establish a family atmosphere. Do you use deep litter, grids or clean daily/regularly? I use “comfybed” deep litter and rake it over weekly, I clean nest boxes when they need fresh litter but if surfaces are dry, as they usually are, I leave them alone. I use dehumidifiers to ensure a dry environment as dampness is the breeding ground for problems of all sorts.
Alasdair's range of lofts - one for OBs, one for YBs and the third for widowers.
How many birds do you keep:- stock, old bird racers, young birds? I keep between 70 and 80 racers and about 10 pairs of stock birds. I breed about 80 young birds for myself but usually swap a few youngsters with friends in the Sport. I try to compete in the full range of 500 miles plus events with the BICC, NFC and LSECC so I need to replenish potential losses for these races can prove exacting. What system do you use to race the birds e.g. widowhood, round about, natural etc? I fly mainly natural with hens removed for about three weeks before re-pairing for main distance events. However I have flown widowhood in the past with good results although I have only once sent on pure widowhood to over 500 miles. On that occasion my Merit Award winning cock 01913 won 3rd Open LSECC Pau. I live on the North Downs in Surrey and have hen sparrowhawk trouble from end September ‘til late April. My birds are kept in for about six months of the year and then need time to be brought to race fitness. I, therefore concentrate on the long races from end June onwards. In 2011 I intend to have some fitter earlier season birds on widowhood from early May to try to be more competitive in the earlier and shorter channel races. However, my first priority is to have a contented team of birds and not one terrorised daily by sparrowhawk strikes.
When do you mate your stock birds, old bird racers? Stock birds are mated mid February and racers between mid February and early March depending on weather. Do you mate the birds you intend for the longer races at a different time to the other racers? No, the full race team gets treated the same as I am only interested in the races from mid June onwards and have no early sprint race interests. What is the preparation of the racers prior to the first old bird race? The first old bird race for most of my birds is early May and, because they have had limited exercise until late April, they get about five tosses from the coast (about 35 miles). But I start them at 5 miles to re-orient them.
Do you force fly your birds during exercise or are they left to do as they please? I never force fly my birds. The natural team are on open loft as soon as the sparrowhawk hens have gone to nest. How often do you exercise the race birds? They exercise themselves but I train about twice a week in the lead up to distance events. But I prefer freshness to over-training. How far do you usually train? It depends on what I think individual birds require but I will go as far as Normans Bay which is about 70 miles if extra work is needed.
Is there any specific preparation for the birds before National races? Feeding: increased maize, poly unsaturated oils, peanuts and hormoform; fitness: each bird is judged on its body weight; keenness: nest condition favoured for individual birds. How do you feed the racers, stock birds, young birds – hopper /by hand. How do you gauge how much they need at each feed? Old birds are hopper fed and I also feed individual pairs in gallipots in nest boxes. Young birds are also hopper fed, but I use measured amounts so that I have control over them. I only ration my widowers to ensure I can trap them before allowing my natural birds an open loft. What mixtures do you feed? Farm beans and barley in the off season and beans for rearing with added hormoform and a basic mixture to encourage extra feeding of the growing young birds. Once the distance races arrive the race candidates get a light carbohydrate mix with extra maize, oils, brewers yeast and soya.
What are the main bloodlines that you house now and which lines have proved the most successful? They are now largely my own family. Based on the original families I had in Scotland with Van Bruaene and Jan Aarden introductions. But anything I introduce must be closely related to hard day winners at the distance. I look for top performance in East and northerly winds.
Do you line breed, in breed outcross when breeding. Which method has been most successful? I largely line breed but will inbreed for stock purposes then to immediately outcross with top racers. Some of my best racers have been gifts from friends like Andy Wilson and I will swap youngsters with fanciers I really rate. Is there any fancier who has helped you more than any other? I have a number of very good friends in the Fancy and to single one out would be unfair.
Can you give an outline of your many top class performances and those that have given you most pleasure? Timing late evening on the day of liberation on a hard flying day at 500 miles plus is still the most ecstatic feeling. Again I would not single out individual races as I have been lucky enough to experience quite a few over the years. {Some of the loft’s top performances are amended at the end of this report}. Do you have any views on how the sport can be improved and how we can attract new members into the sport? I think the sport is in near terminal decline with few youngsters entering it. This is for a range of societal reasons which are beyond the power of the Fancy to redress. However less greed and a desire for dominating race results by some of the more affluent and committed of the top fanciers would help encourage others.
International Hen - 14th NFC Dax, 18th Hens International; 8th BICC Pau 118th Hens International plus many more prizes.
Do you have a specific programme of medication? No: I treat when necessary but my youngsters are vaccinated for Paramyxo and are treated individually with Ivomec wormer on weaning. They are not given any antibiotics so that their immune systems can develop. I rarely have sick youngsters and have never had young bird sickness in my loft. Do you use any supplements such as vitamins etc? I use cider vinegar regularly in the water and also orego-stim. Vitamins are also added and I use a range of pick stones, minerals and grits. Do you feed any supplements in the build up to long distance / National races? Nothing other than those things I have already listed above. How does your ideal pigeon look/ handle? Medium sized, buoyant, with a strong back and what I call expression. I do not like heavy fronted birds or deep cast ones. The feathering should be vibrant and exude health. If you could only use one product / supplement what would it be? Cider vinegar and Gemthepax – they are both integral parts of my management system. Loft performances from the main distance races since 1988 are listed below. In the period 1985 to 1989 a small team of widowers were raced and won approximately 50 club races in that period competing in the Dorking and Cranleigh Clubs. Persistent sparrowhawk problems curtailed competition in early season races after this time. Muir pigeons have won three London and South East Classic Merit Certificates [see photographs] which is quite some feat.
Andy's Boy - 1st, 9th & 34th Open LSECC Pau, also 14th & 23rd Open LSECC Bordeaux; 240th Open NFC Saintes, 36th LSECC Poitiers etc. all in NE winds.
“ 01913’s wins include 3rd Open LSECC Pau, 7th Open LSECC Bergerac (sub Pau) & 49th Open LSECC Tarbes.
01960 - Alasdair's third L&SECC Merit Award winner. Wins include 29th, 39th & 41st LSECC Tarbes also 35th BICC Perpigan, 57th BBC Bordeaux, 46th NFC Guernsey Old Hens etc.
There have been at least 7 other similar multiple winners at the distance but these three give a flavour.
1988 173rd & 235th NFC Pau (both on day of toss) 35th & 203rd NFC Pau 49th, 130th & 199th NFC Pau 26th NFC Pau 210th & 239th NFC Pau 141st & 221st NFC Pau 1st, 8th & 10th LSECC Pau 1st & 5th LSECC Angers 12th & 34th LSECC Pau 6th & 7th Section G BBC Palamos 12th & 33 BICC Brive 6th Section, 33rd open BBC Palamos (winning 1st Bird into Surrey) 9th LSECC Pau 45th LSECC Dax (sub Pau) 17th, 25th & 29th BICC Pau 3rd & 28th LSECC Pau 3rd Section BBC Ingleton 49th LSECC Tarbes (lofts relocated in garden)
10th, 45th & 62nd BICC Pau 33rd, 35th & 61st BICC Pau
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