W. HOULTON & SON

of Widnes

by Les J. Parkinson

We have a very good report for this weeks Bulletin on the excellent performance of the section L winner from San Sebastian. But before going into the report may I remind winners that this space is there for you all and I see no reason why you cannot come up with a few stories of your winners.

For this race there was a total pay out of over £50,000 so there are a lot of stories out there to be told, stories of why and how you entered your pigeons to compete for such a good prize in undoubtedly the Blue Riband race of the season.. The National season has gone very well under trying circumstances and a lot of hard work has been put in by all concerned. This was reflected with the entry into the last complete old bird race of the season for the club when well over 6,000 birds were entered into the Herstal race.

Frank Houlton

Let's get back to when I spoke to Frank Houlton about some information regarding their section L winner from San Sebastian and it was rather unusual to get so much through the door. "Not being one to put pen to paper on our thoughts about our pigeons and management. We asked our old friend Lol Whittle to knock something together for the National Bulletins where we could give you our views on our pigeons and past times in the sport up here in North Ashton "The Mecca of pigeon racing in the North West".

Well what can you say about the performance of W. Houlton & Son's "Champion 38" in the Blue Riband race, the first time flown from San Sebastian since 1938. The Saturday night 30th June was what you can only describe as bedlam. The telephone at No 26 hardly ever stopped with fanciers enquiring about this very game performance. What was the breed ?, had it done anything before ?, was it widowhood, was it natural. You name the question it was asked such was the interest in this distance performance, doesn't happen with the sprint races does it and that's why it will be remembered for many years to come. One question asked many times was "was do I know the fanciers", "of course I do was my reply, about 36yrs ever since I moved to North Ashton". (Les, that's why Lol has done the article.) During this time I have seen them produce many notable performances over any distance to their small back yard lofts.

Let's start in 1948 when this father & son partnership was formed, consisting of Bill the father and Frank the son. At that particular period the birds were competing in the Ashton HS and Wigan Amal and were raced on the South East route through Belgium to Brussells etc. The only success achieved was when Frank then aged 13yrs won the 2/6d pool with a young bird from Tamworth collecting a marvellous sum of £2 that was really good money in those days. Trial, error and not enough patience in those days were their downfall. But bringing good quality stock in brought consistent success in many of the 2B open land races. Longton 2B was a really good club for them, where many good open positions were won over the years. In 1962 they decided to have a clearance of their very good old Bob Dunn family which brought good cash prices for that particular time, from that sale many good pigeons came out to win. A few years in the Border Canary World with once again only quality stock brought in from Mr Praill of Hereford who was a very wealthy person who used to charge vast sums for his show canaries. We have mentioned Mr Praill because he did eventually come into the world of racing pigeons and will be known by many of the older members of the sport. Mr Praill was also one of the main buyers at the late Tom Clarke of Frampton-on-Seven's birds when he passed away. The reason that I mentioned this is because by paying top money for canaries Bill Houlton he continued this policy when purchasing pigeons in later years. However Bill always believed in the old saying, "The more you stir the cup, the cream will always rise to the top". A statement by Bill which came true many times over. Canaries are alright but they are not as exciting as racing pigeons which the partnership so rightly missed. No sooner said than done, a new Kidby loft was on order and installed in double quick time and re-stocked with the best bloodlines of Martland Bros Croston Barkers and John Turners of Winstanleys old Louella Grizzles, Solway King, Great Future, Catalonian Prince etc which John had purchased in 1965-1966 direct from Louella. Instant success followed in all the large specialist 2B, 3B limit races and one must not forget the club races pride of place then was their Red Cheq cock. This was mainly Kirkpatrick, 1st North Ashton 3B Saintes 545mls winning the race by 2hrs with only 2 birds on the day../ their good Grizzle hen won 1st South Lancs Combine Rennes as a yearling and wnet on to scoreon a regular basis in the National FC races. Other birds brought in were from Edwin Bowden of St Helens, buying some good birds at his clearance sale, which again went on to, produce good winners including 1st open St Helens 3B yearling Classic Sartilly. Other top races won include 1st St Helens 3B Nantes, plus top positions in the Wigan 2B channel events.

Other families were tried and thoroughly tested but they failed to respond in the races that mattered i.e the Specialist and channel races. some were decent club pigeons but in the top races they just could not compete with families bred for the 500ml plus races. in 1993 Bill Houlton sadly passed away leaving Frank to race the pigeons on his own. Being in regular contact with Frank in the Simms Road Inn every Sunday lunchtime I tried to pursued him to join the North Ashton 2B. At that time frank insisted that his present team were not up to the standard that he needed to win in this club, in the type of competition it provided at 500mls at 2B racing where everyone sends their absolute cream. Their top channel pigeons, big winners, big money and big prestige is achieved. In 1964 Frank decided to look for pigeons with that extra something which is needed to win in this type of competition. They would have to posses intelligence, stamina, type and most of all, those distance winning genes. After looking through many stud lists on different winning distance bloodlines he finally came up with two names, Louella Lofts and Mr & Mrs Woodyard of Norwich. Both these lofts contained the top Dutch National winning bloodlines to make the foundation of his future channel family. A visit to Louella was made in 1994 when a total of six pigeons were individually caged for Frank's inspection, two quality outstanding pigeons stud out apart from the rest. One cock being a g.son of Champion Invincible Spirit, a full sister to Barcelona 1-11-111, Champion De Smaragd 11 and a full sister to Champion Verreweg De Beste out of the four g.parents there were 2 x 1st Dutch National winners and a sister to a 1st Dutch National winner. The other purchase was a Cheq hen a g.daughter of De Smaragd 11, a daughter & g.daughter of 2 x 1st Dutch National winners at Barcelona, Zoon Dolle and a daughter of Champion Vlekje & De Smaragd 1 sister to De Smaragd 11. This type of pigeon does not come cheap but this type of pigeon in the right hands, someone who has the right kind of stock sense, they are a potential danger!!.

From Mr & Mrs Woodyard came six squeaker's with most containing the bloodlines of that great Champion Vlekje of Martha Van Geel. This set of squeakers, just like the Louella pair were soaked in all the bloodlines of 600ml Dutch National winners. The team of the future was now complete. In 1997 a son of the original Louella pair was paired to one of the original Woodyard hens, she being an inbred hen of Champion Vlekje. This pairing certainly made the cream rise to the top because they did produce two cocks in the first nest 37 & 38. What an outstanding pair of channel winners they have become, not club pigeons but those rare jewels, top specialist pigeons. Whilst their half brother "60" bred in 1996 from the same dam is also classed in the same mould as these two cocks which highlights the excellent breeding quality of the Woodyard hen. For a matter of interest "60" was found at the loft on Saturday evening from the San Sebastian race as "38" to be race checked off at the clock station.

However it is "Champion 38" who is the main theme of this article. make no mistake he was expected on the night of the race. The conditions which prevailed gave the proven 16hr day pigeons a great chance to cover the 704mls to his home loft on the day. Racing from dawn to dusk he only just failed to make it, but he must have been very close to home on the night. Remember he was clocked at 4.42am on the Saturday morning after being found wandering about the loft as Frank entered the yard and the rest is history.

As secretary of the North Ashton 2B I have during the two seasons, 99 & 2000paid out close to £800 to Frank for this cocks racing performances out of Saintes 545mls yet I have never had the pleasure of seeing him until this visit. Frank passed him to me out of a small loft which contained approximately 9 widowhood boxes. cubic air space per pigeon is one major factor practised at this loft to produce the ultimate conditions so needed to win any type of race. Each widowhood cock is fed and watered as an individual and as my eyes did a quick intake of the inside of the loft as I took hold of "Champion 38" I did sense a very happy and calm environment existed amongst the pigeons. One thing that really struck me as he slipped into my hands was his general condition and feather quality. His condition was superb whilst his feathering was tight and like glass being of the satin variety. He is what we term a "Rain" pigeon which excels in unsettled conditions when racing. He is only a small to medium sized cock, typical for 500mls plus. Perfectly balanced, tail like a pipe cleaner, looks like he has only one tail feather. Whilst his eye is full of character and a good depth of colour. This is a red rich wine coloured iris surrounded by a complete thick band of dark shading. He also carries a single white flight in one wing, everyone knows my theory on this. He is like all other loft mates and carries a quiet disposition about the loft, a sure sign of a happy and contented pigeon.

He was entered for San Sebastian, a distance of 704mls on widowhood, how long had he been on the system, "Since the end of February". When did you pair him up for widowhood, "Well, last July 2000 actually. Now don't start choking on your corn flakes or beer all you purists fanciers because it's perfectly true". He was paired on the 23rd July 2000 the day after he came 8th open North Ashton 2B Saintes 545mls, only eight birds on the day. Flying 15hrs 58mins winning £251.65p vel 998ypm. he was left with his hen all winter during which time a couple of pairs of eggs were laid. He was allowed to rear two youngsters in late January 2001 then placed on widowhood in late February. Never heard of that system?, well the late Lou Haslam of Sutton Manor used this system when he was alive. Lou contended that the widowhood cocks were without their hens long enough from February to July. So as a reward they were kept with their hens all winter without a break. I'll bet that causes many a discussion amongst fanciers when they have had a few pints. But when you think about it, it's a good bit of common sense.

What about the state of "Champion 38's" wing when he was sent to San Sebastian?. Well he was showing me that a week after the race one and a half new flights were in each wing. Therefore at the time of basketing he would have had one new flight whilst his second new flight was out and just coming out of the "blue" to be looking like a child's paint brush tip at the time of liberation. Although since his young bird days, having been brought up on a diet of hard work his 2001 race programme couldn't have been more opposite. With the channel on hold he took approx eight land races in down to Plymouth some 212mls. This Plymouth race was a right tester giving 6hrs on the wing which certainly tightened him a great deal. Like many Northern pigeons he was lifted almost 500mls into San Sebastian but like all really exceptional pigeons he took it in his stride. In 1999 he competed from Sartilly, Rennes, Nantes, this is his hard work diet, then into Saintes 545mls with the North Ashton 2B winning 4th Open when there were only 19 birds on the day plus a pay day of £478 to prove what a really good cock he is.

I am sure that Frank's late father would have been as proud as punch because it was always his aim to do well in any top channel race. All the local members are over the moon with this performance and I for one always belive what you put into the sport you will reap the benefit one way or another. Frank has some very good working pigeons at the moment and are a credit to his management and stock sense. So lets not forget all the hard work and long hours he put into his pigeon administration work. Frank has been the secretary of the Simms Road HS for the last 17yrs. Whilst he also was joint secretary with the late Jack Rigby of the Merseyside Fed for 11yrs. People tend to forget those things, although I will remember Frank, the time at one federation meeting when there were no minutes recorded at all!!. But there again that's another story for another day. Well done Frank and "Champion 38" "The trees have born the sweetest fruit of all". Top class distance winners in the elite competitive races."

Thanks for that Lol, you have still got your touch of putting pen to paper and it's about time you looked back on your experiences for the new breed in the pigeon sport who need to know what the game is all about. National racing at it's best, the Grand National of all races.