TERRY & CAROL GARDNER of Caldicot

TOP CLASS RESULTS AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL

by Gareth Watkins

The 2009 season has proved to be an exceptionally successful one for this husband and wife partnership. Terry has been winning races in the eastern part of Wales for many years now and these successes have been across the board in club, Federation, National and Amalgamation competition and at all distances out to 700 miles. However, the 2009 season has seen the Gardner’s small team of intrepid long distance racers take on the best that Wales and England can offer and succeed at the highest level whilst competing with the BICC. In the Marseille International race flown in late July, Terry and Carol clocked their good chequer cock to win 1st Gwent Greater Distance Club, 1st west section 11th Open BICC in this 676 mile race flown in horrendous conditions.

Terry Gardner holding the Marseille winner.

They followed this superb performance up a couple of weeks later in the Perpignan International race, when they clocked a brother to the Marseille cock to win 5th GGDC 8th west section 64th Open BICC. As if this were not enough for one season the “dynamic duo” went on to win 1st, 2nd & 4th GGDC 1st section 7th Open BICC in the Falaise young bird National flown in late August. This last performance is even more remarkable when you consider that the Gardner pigeon was competing in this 217 mile cross channel race against thousands of English pigeons in a westerly wind. But wait, there’s more – this was the first competitive race of the young pigeon’s life as he had previously only been privately trained to 53 miles and was subsequently “jumped” 150 miles into this race!

Racing loft.

Not surprisingly therefore I was eager to see and handle these Gardner pigeons. So it was, that on a stormy August morning, I made my way by train and car to the Gardner’s home in the shadow of the new Severn Bridge overlooking Mor Hafren – the Severn Sea in Welsh but better known as the Bristol Channel to my English readers. My thanks must go to GGDC club chairman Ray Strawbridge for collecting me from the station and transporting me to and from the Gardner’s home.

On arrival at Terry and Carol’s home we were greeted by brilliant blue skies, which prevailed for the whole time we were present. The loft set up is simple and functional with the emphasis on good ventilation, dryness and no over crowding. There are two lofts set along the bottom of the garden and facing each other across the lawn. The racing loft measures 30ft x 8ft and faces east. This has a tiled roof and is divided into four sections, two of which are fitted out with widowhood style nest boxes for the old bird racers and which are occupied by the racing cocks when on the round about system. Next to these sections is a section fitted with V perches for the hens and on the southern end there is a section for young birds with accompanying aviary. The 14ft x 8ft stock loft faces west and also has an aviary on its southern facing aspect. Both lofts had plastic grids on the floors so that cleaning is kept to a minimum but the birds are not exposed to disease as the droppings fall through to the floor of the loft some six inches under the grids.

Dkw/f cock - 1st National Picauville and father of the loft. Bred by Mr & Mrs jack Randall.

Sixteen pairs of old bird racers are housed and around 70 young birds are reared from the best of these and the 16 pairs of stock birds. The racers are mated in mid-February and are allowed to rear a youngster before being separated and raced on the roundabout system for the early part of the season. As the longer channel races approach, selected pairs are re-mated so that hopefully they are in their favoured nest condition come the big National and International races in late June, July and early August. The old birds are not forced to fly when at exercise but are allowed to come and go as they please. Indeed the hens might not go out for exercise some weeks and are just introduced to the cocks on basketting night and away to the races they go! Once re-mated they get regular training tosses from across the Severn estuary at Gordano services on the M5 outside Bristol. This is only 10 miles as the pigeon flies but it serves one important purpose – it gives the birds the confidence to cross open water without hesitation.

Racing loft.

Feeding once again is approached with pragmatism – good sound farm beans and wheat are added to Marimans economy mix and the resultant mix is fed to the birds ad lib in a hopper. However, the Aviform system of water and feed supplements is adhered to religiously and the only other supplement the birds receive is fresh garlic.

The main bloodlines housed are a combination of some of the finest Dutch long distance families based on Van Wanroys, Van der Wegens and Jan Aardens. Prominent amongst these is the line emanating from the Barcelona International winner “Invincible Spirit”. The Wim Muller family has also been very successful for Terry and these originated from the Ponderosa Stud at Weymouth.

Terry was also a good friend of the late Tommy Ingram who won the Thurso National with his Atwell Brothers based family obtained direct from the Atwells as well as from Ray Strawbridge. Tommy gifted Terry a number of pigeons from his best and one hen, containing the best of the Ingram’s Atwells, is probably Terry’s top stock hen at the present time.

Inside the old bird section.

The top stock cock at  present is a raw boned dark chequer w/f cock, a grandson of “Invincible Spirit” bred by Hampshire long distance aces Mr & Mrs Jack Randall and gifted to Terry and his grandson along with some other youngsters and eggs. This five year old cock was put on the road as a young bird and subsequently won 1st club 1st Fed and 1st National Picauville 165 miles as a youngster before being promptly removed to the stock loft! He is the sire, grand sire and great grand sire of a number of excellent racers. In turn, his sons are also breeding the goods, so Terry has been fortunate to stumble upon a goldmine breeder and breeder of breeders.

Inside the old bird section.

The Marseille winner is a long casted chequer cock with an excellent bone structure – like spring steel. When winning the Marseille race at 676 miles he was the only bird clocked on the second day in the west section, a day when the heavens opened at breakfast time and didn’t close until tea time. During these hours it was also blowing a gale from the west and for more than eight hours it was impossible for anything other than an aeroplane to fly. Yet this big hearted battler forged on and was clocked at 20.35 on the second evening. Earlier in the season he had competed in the Pau International race at close on 600 miles and finished 3rd sect 64th Open BICC. During the 2008 season he competed in two 600 mile races in the space of a month winning 11th open National Tarbes, so in two seasons he has competed in four gruelling 600+ mile races.

Stock loft.  

The full brother to this cock is a mirror image of his illustrious brother being once again long cast with a strong skeletal structure. This one also has a long list of top class performances in classic races including 135th Open CSCFC Bergerac; 39th Open BBC Carlisle; 96th Open BBC Messac; 8th sect BICC Pau International and 8th sect 64th Open BICC Perpignan 670 miles plus 2nd Fed Chesterfield at a hundred miles for good measure. At the time of my visit the winner of 1st GGDC 1st section 7th Open BICC Falaise was away at Guernsey with the CSCFC ! Two channel races in the space of 7days for a non darkness young bird – you’re too soft with the birds Terry!

I really enjoyed my short time at Terry and Carol’s, handling some top class long distance racers and all like peas in a pod. Well done to you both on an excellent series of performances.