A tribute to Gordon Robinson of Dunstable.

I was very saddened to receive a message from Gordon Robinson’s daughter, Sue, to inform me that he had passed away on 29^th March at the age of 85. I met up with ‘Robbo’ many times over the years through our association with the London & South East Classic Club and I always found him to be a real gentleman and smashing company. He had a wonderful knowledge of racing pigeons on the long distance and was great to talk pigeons with! Gordon was a small team man who loved his long distance pigeon racing and won at the very top level in the sport, over many years.    

I remember my visit to Pau convoying the Classic birds with Doug Went in 1998, because it's the first time I had seen the Pyrenees looming up behind the city of Pau, with the sky being crystal clear. Members sent 781 birds for this Classic and being liberated in a south wind, 22 game pigeons were recorded on the day of liberation. Gordon Robinson of Dunstable won the race clocking at 19.50hrs and this Bedfordshire loft belonged to one of the longest flying members at 590 miles. ‘Robbo’ loved long distance pigeon races and through his many years in the sport had had all his major performances from the distance, including 2^nd, 3^rd section, 3^rd, 4^th open Banff South of England NRFC, 1^st section BBC Nantes and had won 1^st Federation three times with young birds. Robbo's star pigeon was, ‘The Pau Cock’, a five year old dark chequer cock of the Schumann strain and he had flown the programme on widowhood before being paired up two weeks prior to the Pau Classic. He was clocked on the day of liberation at 590 miles and went to Pau sitting seven day old eggs, and had previously won 4^th section BBC Nantes. A wonderful pigeon!

‘Robbo’ had been in the sport since he was ten years of age and his family were of the American Schumann strain, which had been outstanding at the distance for him. He paired his 24 pairs in the Christmas holiday and the widowhood cocks got six training tosses before the first race. The racers were re-paired two weeks before Pau and were fed a heavy breeding mixture all season, although he broke the cocks down early in the season. The birds were not trained once racing starts and he liked the short races to maintain fitness. The main racing loft, which was sited in a wire compound, was closed in and the inmates were trapped through the old fashioned bob wires. His 45 young birds were raced to the perch and were trained regularly in any direction. They were fed a breeding mixture and raced all the way including the Channel. Gordon Robinson, a gentleman and premier pigeon racer. RIP.

KEITH MOTT (APRIL 2022).