CLIVE YATES
of
Tamworth
talking
to Les J. Parkinson
I
first met Clive at the Vanrobaeys prize presentation at West Bromwich
and in fact took a few photos and for once the camera decided to go
on the blink which was most annoying after getting my photo taken with
so many National winners. I had a good talk to Clive and the decision
was that I send a questionnaire and we go from there. The answers received
showed how impressive his pigeons have been over the years and so we
made arrangements to make the journey into Staffordshire and see what
the lofts and their owner had to offer. Before I give my views here
are the questions and the answers put forward by Clive.
Les Parkinson with Clive Yates
Q.
To get the readers into this article can you give a run down on your
results?
A. My results over the years have given me great pleasure and excitement,
winning many 1st at fed level and many averages. I was not a regular
in the Midland National until the last two seasons but now the fed flying
has gone in regards to money and birdage the only way forward is National
racing. My inland Midland National results are as good, if not better
than anyone else around i.e. 4th 6th, 6th 7th , 8th Open Plymouth Midland
National, over three seasons 8th Open Ventnor. 1st section 25th 33rd,
Open Thorness when the other top sixty open were in the Northern section.
Now year 2000 1st, 3rd, 4th, 18th, 37th, 42nd, 47th, 50th, 52nd, 56th,
58th, 63rd Open Midland National Seaton and 15th open Seaton "1999"
Midland National. My family can still win over the water i.e. 16th Open
Midland National "1999" Picauville, 1st section 15th Open
Midland National "2000" Picauville, winning 1st Section Saintes,
479mls. I sent 10 and within 1 and ½ hours of the first one I
had 8 back. '1999' 12th Open Saintes. Also in 1995 I sent 8 winning
12th, 18th and 24th Open Midland National Saintes. In 1993 I sent 9
to Bergerac 546mls, it was a bad race and I was the only member with
4 on the result. I got 36th open and so on. I only sent one pigeon to
Libourne achieving 33rd open, flying 536mls. Also this year '2000',
I won 2nd section Nantes, 3rd section Picauville old birds. Beaten by
one I gave away last year. These are a few of my fed results In 1995
I had 7 1st feds, in 1996 I had 7 1st feds, in 1998 I had 7 1st feds.
Q.
Amongst your results which do you consider are your highlights?
A. Winning the Midland National last year is the highlight of a lifetime
racing for me I set my stall out to win that race and all the work I
put into them paid off. Also helping my father in law who is 80 years
old win the Vanrobaeys Gold Ring race was another highlight. I will
never forget on clock opening night both of us could not walk straight.
Also breeding 1st, open mid National Nantes for Lappage and Hallam in
to the N.E. section gave me a lot of pleasure too.
Q.
Which organisations do you race your pigeons with?
A. Derby & Burton d.s.r. Fed. Burton & South Derbyshire Fed.
Birmingham Sat Day Fed. But now I only race in the Burton and South
Derbyshire Fed now due to club closures.
Q.
What do you think about competing for averages?
A. When my Dad was alive we loved to compete for averages in the Derby
Burton Fed with up to 40 clubs and 8,000 birds before it split up. That
year we won 60 fed cards in the first 15 with up to 8,000 birds. 1990
fed inland averages old bird. 1991 Fed inland averages & Fed young
bird averages. 1992 Fed old bird averages. 1993 fed inland averages
old bird & old bird averages. 1994 Fed old bird averages & Channel
averages. 1995 Fed old bird averages & Fed young bird averages.
1996 Fed inland averages old bird & Fed young bird averages. 1997
did not compete for averages. 1998 fed inland averages old birds. I
have not raced for averages in the last 2 years.
Q.
How do you race your pigeons and how many?
A. I have raced widow cocks since 1978 and widow hens since 1980. I
have 30 widowhood boxes and I usually start the season with around 28
cocks and between 12 to 15 hens. These hens racing to a different section
and to there own mates.
Q.
What are your lofts made out of and how big are they?
A. My lofts were made by Dennys of Walsall. My main loft is a double
decka, I bought this loft second hand in 1982 when I got married. I
bought the house next door to my dad and put the loft at the top, across
the two gardens. There are 4 sections at the top in which two are for
young birds, one for widow hens and one spare section. Downstairs I
have a 15ft-widowhood cocks section and the rest is for corn and baskets.
I also have a 12ft stock loft with 15 nest boxes. The widow cock section
has a folding door in the centre to control them easier when basketing
up. The loft faces north west which to me is not ideal, as the sun does
not hit the loft till late in the day, so early in the season I struggle
for form, in an ideal world I would like my loft to face south to gain
from the warmth of sun . there is nothing better for man or bird than
the warmth of the sun. My two y.b. sections are on the top deck this
gives me the luxury to have an open hole early season with no fear of
cats . This gives the y.b,s a lot of confidence and I have no worries
of leaving them out while I am at work to come and go as they please.
The loft is far enough away from the house to keep them of the roof.
Which I don't like , as this could form bad habits.
Q.
Do you attatch any importance to having a tiled roof on your lofts?
A. I have seen tiled roofs, they look nice but I have been told by some
that they are to cold and damp but others say that they are the best
for ventilation. I have never had a tiled roof loft because I can't
afford one but the lofts I have been in with tiled roofs have felt nice
and fresh with no smell of pigeons. As I do suffer from pigeon dust,
if I do buy a new loft I would buy a tiled loft for my sake.
Q.
How many stock birds do you keep and do you breed off your race team.
Also how many pigeons do you think that you need to breed off any individual
stock pair each year to see if they are quality breeders?
A. My stock teams are made up of my retired racers. I have only brought
in 6 hens in the last 10 years in to my stock loft and no cocks. A friend
lent me two hens & one cock last year this is the only cock in the
stock loft that I have not bred. These are J Dutton f.V.W. They all
bred winners paired to my stock in there first season. I bought two
hens off B.Holland.s two best cocks these have both bred 2 X 1st.Feds
one is G,dam of my National winner. The last time I bought a pigeon
at auction was in 1994 except local B&B sales but I always try to
buy my own back. At most sales you can not get to see the birds properly
as they are locked up, then you have to wait to see the next one. This
is not for me I will not buy blind. This is like buying a lucky dip.
Buy the bird you like not paper work. Why buy the latest craze for top
price when they are no faster than others that have been winning in
England for years. At present I have 15 pairs at stock. I try to breed
six off my best pairs keeping four for myself, selling the others. I
only breed two off the best racers. The race teams are paired the same
time as the stock, to float the egg's.I have paired early or late with
no big difference .The only reason I pair up early is to allow me to
sell a few y.b.s. You only need to breed 4 young birds off one pair
if you have given them a fair chance and you have lost all of them.
Swap the pair; try the next year, if then you lose the young bird again,
put the stock in the bin not in the B.H.W for sale section. There are
thousands of no hopers sold every week. Ask yourself are they better
than your own before you buy. There is a lot people out there only after
your money. My money is very hard earned down the mine to give away.
My best stock birds will breed 75% winners from their first hatched.
A tip here for anyone going to an auction, go around all the birds,
if there is nothing as good or better than your own stock bird there
is no point in spending your money, because you will not improve your
stock. Also think what distance do I want to win at ,no good buying
600 milers to breed y.b. Gold Ring winners you will be very disappointed.
Q.
When do you pair your birds?
A. I have paired my bird on many different dates, there has been no
difference in performances in the racing cocks. But if I have to give
a date for ease I would say the end of January to pair up your race
bird, this will give you the right time to breed and part the young
bird 2 weeks before the first race in most cases for the middle of April.
This is if you are flying the sprint races, if you are only interested
in distance races I would pair later .
Q.
Do you move the hens with the youngsters?
A. No I do not move my hens or my young birds. The only time I touch
the young birds in the nest is to ring them at 7 days only. I do not
even clean around the bowls. When I part them at 24 days I like them
to have no fret marks, if you have any doubts about them, kill them.
No matter what they are bred from, even the best stock birds do breed
rubbish. I have kept some y.b. that where bred off good birds knowing
full well I should have seen them off instead of waiting and seeing
them later in the year let me down.
Q.
What criteria do you set down for the pigeons you winter with your thoughts
on the following seasons racing and breeding?
A. My two-year-olds must have won well or they are out. Do not make
excuses for your birds; an empty box is better than a no hoper. It is
no good keeping a bird that won a blow home two years ago and has never
been near the clock since. This if you want to breed a team of winners.
I try to keep my team young, if you have no youth coming through your
loft you will be in trouble in later years. We all have better breeding
years than others. But if you are relaying on 4 Y.O to win all your
sprint races you are in big trouble. Some years your hens are better
than the cocks or the other way round, this is the good thing about
racing both sexes.
Q.
Do you have any grills fitted in the floor or in your boxes and do you
think that there is any benefit in having them?
A. I do not have any grills fitted to my loft, but the lofts that I
have seen with them have impressed me. I may have some in the future.
I would say the best way would be to have them is at least one foot
off the floor to allow the droppings to be well clear. If I had done
this in my loft I would be hitting my head on the roof. This would also
keep the dust down in your loft.
Q.
What do you think about the vaccination programme for the pigeons and
do you think that it affects the pigeons long term?
A. I do not like to keep vaccinating my birds but it is the rule so
it has to be done. I have seen a friends young bird team that had P.M.V
and it is not a pretty sight and I value my stock too highly to let
this happen so I will always vaccinate. I have seen some birds that
have got over p.m.v, but there lofts are still awash with wet floors
these birds kidneys have been damaged, they can still breed o.k, as
long as you swap there eggs.
Q.
Do you attach any importance to grits and minerals or can pigeons get
what they want when they are out of the loft?
A. My birds will only eat grit and minerals when rearing, it is important
to have a varied selection for your birds at this time. Always have
fresh daily as they get damp quickly, the birds will rarely eat them
.They also love picking stones when feeding they get though a box of
24 in no time. I never let my birds out when rearing the young birds
at the start of the year. I do not want to them going to the field because
at this time of year there are lots of hawks and guns. They are safer
in the loft, they can also pick things up when rooting about in the
garden.
Q.
Do you use any floor dressings or do you clean the pigeons out daily?
A. My wife and I will clean the lofts every day summer and winter, whatever
the weather. If I'm on the wrong shift at work and cannot see the birds
Donna will do everything needed, I like to use loft white in winter
because it makes the loft smell and look much better cleaned out once
a week.
Q.
Do you have plenty of room in your loft?
A. You can never have too much room; we all keep too many pigeons for
the space we have that includes me. My widow cock and my young bird
team will always look better after I have lost or killed a few. That
is the downfall of many lofts too many birds in a small ill ventilated
loft. I have read loft reports from Holland that they kept 180 y.b.
in a eight foot loft and won, but who was he flying against and how
many ended up in English lofts.
Q.
How do you feed the cocks and what do you feed them on?
A. I have always fed Versele Laga widowhood mix for the last 20 years
so why change if they are still winning. Every year there is always
a new wonder mix. Just read the year book there is never two fanciers
with the same mix In the close season they are just fed farm beans and
barley, we don't want them in top form in the close season. I cannot
tell people how much corn to give to each bird because each bird is
an individual. Birds eat more in cold weather than in hot. If a bird
is in super form he will seem to eat very little. A bird flying to a
man on the North East Coast in April will have to feed more than a man
in Devon where it may be 15 degrees different in April. The point I
am trying to make is you have to handle and gauge there feed to the
conditions and weight of your birds, there is no set rules 'Flexibility'.
Is the key it is always better to feed a little less than too much.
If you train hard expect to feed more, if they are sitting about feed
less. Just think of your self if you are a couch potato eating rubbish
all night will you run faster than a man who keeps in trim.
Q.
Do you measure the amount that you give to each pigeon, or are they
fed according to the individual pigeon?
A. I feed all my cocks in individual pots in their boxes, seed in the
morning and Versele Laga in the evening. They always have a reward whenever
they enter the loft this makes for a fast trap on return from a race.
This is where races are won in the build up to the race not just on
a race day.
Q.
Do you think that there is any advantage having a racing partnership?
A. It is a big advantage to have a partnership with my Dad, passing
away in 1996 I have found it a lot harder and more time consuming. My
Dad did most of the training and this is hard work, any lazy man can
sit in the garden. With me working a three-shift rota I will take this
opportunity to thank my wife, Donna for the help with them, she is a
god send as she is not really interested in the birds. I tell her what
to do and she does it to the letter , making a better job of it than
I do. I would love to have a silent partner with lots of money, but
then, wouldn't everyone?. In a partnership you have to give and take
the same as a good marriage. I was lucky with my Dad, he let me have
free run most of the time and he just went along with the flow and I
miss him a lot. I wish he could have been here for the national win
he would have drunk the bar dry. When we went to sales I would take
my Dad's advice because I think he was a better selector of a bird than
me but I think I could race a bird better so we had the best of both
worlds. If you are going to buy a proven breeder look to see if it has
bred winners with other birds as it's mate may well have been the breeder.
Always look for a bird with character, one that is looking around try
not to buy a one off winner, my present best stock cock was a late bred
97 I new when I took him out of the nest he was going to be special
every y,b, from him has won a prize , including 15open 99; 1,st open
2000;He is the double of his grand sire my no1 stock cock from 1982.
Q.
To term a phrase are you a professional racing team and do circumstances
make a big difference?
A. I have heard local flyers call me a professional. I do not know how
working three shifts down the coal mine and having a young family plus
having foster children for the last 10 years.running around, so every
hour is took up with some activity. I took two weeks off work before
the Seaton National to work on the Y.B. I know I would not have won
the National if I were working so it is a big advantage to be at home
as some mornings are poor or the other way round so it is ideal to be
able to train when ever.. Now we have adopted a 2.y.o boy so some times
its better to be at work.
Q.
Whenever I have visited a loft fanciers always look in the pigeons eye.
Do you consider that the eye has any importance in, (a) the breeding.
(b) Distance races. (c) Sprint races. (d) The pigeons Health. Or do
you steer clear of the subject and if so why?
A. I have never been an eye sign fan; I like a nice depth of colour
eye. I will never buy a weak eye i.e. poor colour blind. I have put
8 x 1st Fed winners in eye sign racer classes in local shows, not even
taking a card. Beaten by a man who never wins. so is the judge poor,
or my birds. Also why do so call experts breed more Y.B than I do. Why
not just keep 10 future winners and kill the rest. What I always say
why can't they go to sales and pick the top breeder you only need three
good pairs. The basket is the only way to tell a good racer, for the
eye sign expert and the same for me.
Q.
Do you use any preventative medication?
A. I have not wormed my birds for 10 years. I have cocci them once in
the last 5 years, but I do canker 2 or 3 times a year. Before pairing
and racing and for three days after a hard channel race. If your birds
are constantly messing in the garden or fielding, then I would treat
for worms. But my widow cocks are either in the sky or in the loft.
I send samples of droppings away a couple of times a year to G.Smith,
a vet in South Wales, if any problems I will treat, if not that is even
better. Do not treat blind, you can build a strong family over many
years if you don't abuse them, but if your forever treating with anti-biotic
the only way is down hill, in the long run. That is why people are forever
buying new families of pigeons, the others are burnt out. So beware
of the continental sale where he states selling all sprint birds etc;
if they where that good why would he bring them over here, they would
be knocking his door down to buy them. I like to give my birds natural
herbs i.e nettle tea, costs nothing get a hand full, boil them add to
the water in the spring and watch the down feathers fall. You can spend
a lot of money on this tonic and that tonic. The only sure way to test
them out is to have two sections keep one natural, then follow one company's
products to the letter, then at the end of the year add up the difference
in performance and cost. Beware of so called top flyers that keep plugging
certain products.
Q.
How many week's do you think a pigeon can maintain it's form on the
widowhood system for both cock's and hen's?
A. I think cocks can hold form longer than hens, my cock will hold form
all season most years but hens only 5 or 6 weeks. I put this down to
my loft being cold with very little sun early in the year. As the season
progresses the loft warms up with more sun bringing my cock in to form
later in the season. Where other lofts have gone over the top with early
season sun. But if you are thrashing all of your birds very early in
the season when the winds are in the North East you cannot expect to
burn the candle at both ends. A lot of us make too many excuses for
are birds, some are not good enough, look in your loft the best always
seem to keep there form longer . Dispose of the one week wonders.
Q.
Does this include channel races or are the specified number of week's
for sprint races and do you think that a pigeon can be prepared at fortnightly
intervals for channel races?
A. My present top sprint cock who has won 3 x 1st feds, 2nd fed and
3 x 3rd fed always start the season well then drops off for 4 or 5 weeks
then comes good for the last 2 or 3 races. But is this due to the distance
being increased as he has never won over 112mls. At the end of the season
we drop back to this distance is this why he comes back in to form.
I would like to be able to send my birds every 2 weeks to the national
but they race every 3 weeks. My birds always look good 2 weeks after
a good channel race. If you leave them too rest to long they will quickly
be come fat and lazy so keep them on the go if it is only a short 15
min a round the loft twice a day.
Q.
Do you think a pigeon has the capabilities of racing both short and
long distance races. Also what distance can a pigeon actually still
"Race" as opposed to homing from any race point?
A. Very few pigeons are good enough to win from 50 - 500miles. I have
had a widow cock win 489 miles 13 and ½ hours only 6 on day in
fed, 4 days later sent him to a 2 bird open 88 miles. He won 4th open.
I also had a son off my no1 stock cock win in the same season the first
race 51mls then the last race 487mls I also had a great cock g,son of
my no2 cock that won the first race 51mls 4th sect Midland National
374mls 10 hours on wing then in the longest fed race only 2 or 3 on
the night he was found in a straw field 4;30 next morning by a non fancier
walking his dog 2 miles south of my loft .So this bird must have ran
out of day light that night. I call a race when it is won on a day;
it becomes a lottery in an overnight race. A lot of things can happen
when or where a bird roosts for the night. If they sit next to a nice
warm chimney they may sit there well in to day light on the other hand
if they have roosted on a factory they could well knocked up early this
may all change the out come of the race. I have sent one to B.I.C.C.
open race from Perpigion 718 miles.228 birds I won 6th open beaten by
decimal for 5th by a bird in Kent. I had to go to work at 8pm that night
and never got home till 9am the next morning. He was sitting waiting
to go in sitting as proud as punch, so he may well of got 5th open.
He looked like he had not raced, but homed all the way i.e. came in
his own time. He's always looked the same in every race he has flown
before he was a FVW g.son of my no two stock cock crossed with a Van
Wanroy for the extra distance I later sold him to a B.I.C.C member.
Q.
What proportion of your pigeons get better on subsequent trips to the
long distance races?
A. I call any race over the channel a distance race because I am a sprint
flyer at heart, flying over the water due to lack of opportunity to
fly in local sprint racing. These days with too many poor clubs no one
wants to fly against good birds they would sooner run away so I cannot
seem to get motivated about local club racing now. A local member tried
to get all our local clubs to join forces but no one was interested
they would sooner draw the radius in than let a good flyer join. In
1997 I sold all my Y.B. early in the season, I did not feel like racing
due to my Dads death, people came and had the pick of the late bred.
I was left with about 18 that no one wanted, I trained them up so in
1999 I was left with 12 cocks these went to the Mid National races.
The first race they came from all points winning 25th Section second
race Nantes they won 9th Section most had learnt by their mistakes.
Then on to Saintes 11 hours winning 1st section 12th open 8 out of 10
in 1 and ½ hours. The other two were on the loft by 7am the next
morning. Conclusion if they are any good they should learn by their
mistakes if they have a fear crack of the whip. These were my only channel
team as I sent13 to the centenary race and ended up loosing 8 x first
fed winners wiping out my channel team what a disaster.
Q.
Which is the more difficult, establishing a team of sprinter's or distance
pigeon's and why?
A. I should say it is more difficult to establish a distance team than
a sprint tem. You can have a good team of sprinters as yearlings but
it takes years to have a family of distance birds. Then it only takes
one smash to wipe you out like the centenary smash. As you very rarely
have a smash in land sprinting at the end of yearling stage you can
dispose of ever thing that is not a multi winner. But at this stage
with distance in mind the bird is still learning and a lot of distance
families are still growing. The word here is patients.
Q.
Sprinter or distance, there is no difference, is it all in the feeding?
A. In most cases pigeons are bred for distance or sprint that is why
most people keep different families. But if you have been feeding to
win sprint Y.B races to the corn tin, these birds will not go on to
win a 500 mile National race no matter how it is bred or fed. You can
feed to win races up to 400 -450mls but in hard 500 plus mile races
breeding usually tells, the cream comes to the top.
Q.
Which is the more difficult in your area, the BICC or the NFC, a 600ml
race us a 600ml race regardless of competition or route?
A. We have sent 4 times to Pau N.F.C 643 miles and never had a bird
out of race time we had a cock that won a prize out of Pau at 10 years
old. This was a Westcott as I said earlier. I have sent once to B.I.C.C.
winning 6th Open But I think with the B.I.C.C. 99% of the birds are
going well east it takes a very individual bird to brake out of 10,000
to 20.000 birds and head in to England. A 600mile race is a long way
no matter with whom you are flying with and I take my hat off to all
the 600 miles plus men.
Q.
What families of pigeons do you keep?
A. F.V.Wildemeersch, I have built my own family up from 1982 with very
few introductions being very selective and only breeding of the best.
Most of my present stock are bred down from two cocks from the "Beer"
lines. My no1 stock cock I mentioned earlier my no 2 cock won 1st prov
as a y.b he was a son of the "Dikken" he was also a 1st prov
winner. My three main stock hens were daughters off "Young Beer"
daughter off "Vuile Beer" and a daughter off the "Bliksem".
I sold these in 1990 season for an offer I could not refuse, then I
put to stock two sons one from each of the original stock cocks out
of the widow loft. One was "Top Class" who had won 3 x 1st
Feds then went on to breed 8 x different 1st Fed winners etc. The other
was the "Flytey" cock who came to top the Fed four times and
he also bred 8 x different1st fed winners. Then line breeding back to
the foundation cocks. Then like I said earlier bring in a few choice
hens so as not to inbreed too close which I find with my family of birds
they breed weak birds 90% of the time.
Q.
How do you go about bringing in a new family and what do you look for?
A. I have tried on two occasions to bring in teams of Y.B. to try against
my own; some have won but not as consistence as my F.V.W so they never
made the stock loft. You have to give them at least till they are 2
y.o. Then after there third season they are still not beating your own
family clear them all out because we are looking to improve our birds.
I wish I could find some birds better than my stock but they are hard
to find or perhaps I am wearing blinkers. Be very careful when buying
in fresh stock there are a lot of people only after your money.
Q.
Early in the article we discussed wind direction, do you consider that
good pigeons will win in any position?
A. A good pigeon can win in any wind but if there is a good pigeon flying
with the wind this will win. In every National race and there is always
a good bird against the wind. In 1998 Thorness race my Blue hen which
won 1st Section 25th Open against the wind in many peoples opinion this
was as good as the winners. So keep an open mind when you look at a
result the best bird may not always be the winner. But in the record
books we only see the winners not the if only people. Remember people
only ask who has won, to me second is no where. I cannot see the point
of some people timing 15 to 20 birds in local club and fed racing, this
only up sets people and they only do this to sell at inflated prices.
Q.
Some fanciers go out and purchase good quality pigeons but never appear
to make the grade, why do you consider that this happens?
A. Some people will never win because they don't listen. They do not
want to learn, they know it all and tell everyone else how to race there
birds when they are in the bar, these people are usually the loudest.
You only get out, what you put in to anything in life be it football,
running etc. But some people are just happy to fly there birds come
win or lose, these flyers are pure hobby men, I sometimes wish I could
be like them with no worries. I say good look to them they are the back
bone of the sport.
Q.
Do you give any special treatments when the pigeons return from a race
as a precaution against anything that they may have picked up in the
basket?
A. The only treatment I give when coming home is Milton in the water
just a spot on the Sunday. I am not an Anti-biotic man. I may canker
them after a long hold over, due to perhaps picking something up in
the basket. I may also give honey or glucose the day of a hard race.
Q.
Which of the two sexes do you consider is most important when it comes
to breeding?
A. Both sexes are important but there are always seems more good cocks
than hens when you go to a sale or someone's loft. Always look at the
quality of the hen's loft before buying new stock. To me the future
of any loft is in the quality of the hens. With out these the future
of the loft will go down hill.
Q.
Some fanciers like big hens for breeding, does the size of the hen make
any difference to the quality of youngsters that she breeds, in your
experience?
A. Size does not matter to me as long as everything is in proportion.
My No.1 stock hen was only small but strong as a bull. I dispose of
all flip tail birds when I take then out of the nest. The only trouble
with very large birds is they seem harder to condition. I prefer medium
size birds. At the end of the day they all become beautiful after they
have won. I prefer nice round apple-bodied hens and nice bold cock I
do not like deep-keeled birds if I have any I don't breed these in to
my family.
Q.
Is there anything that you have not won in the sport that you would
like to achieve?
A. I have always wanted to win the Midland National but now I have,
I would like to be consistent. But the next race is the one I always
want to win. As I said before second is nowhere.
Q.
Who do you consider are the best fanciers in the Country and for what
reasons?
A. At the moment the best flyer in the Midlands is Leadbeater &
Sons of Rugeley to win the National averages 4 years on the trot is
what dreams are made of. They must be very dedicated and work very hard
for this, their wins is not a flash in the pan. G.Kirkland's past performances
are fantastic and he will be back to National winning ways in the not
too distant future But I admire any small back garden loft flyer that
has to go out to work and fly's on his own but is consistently at the
top with no big money in put.
Q.
What do you think can be done to take the sport forward?
A. To have a National result on Tele-Text would be very interesting.
Also to pay and enter your National birds over the Internet, you could
also pay by Visa. People would more than likely put more money on pools
as you would pay monthly and spread the cost. Also if membership of
your club drops below 10 you should be able to join another local club.
Also feds will have to join forces to cut costs In the future I cannot
see the point of two transporter's from the same area going half empty
to the same race point.
Q.
Are there any special treatments that you give to your birds once the
season has finished, what do you recommend that the readers do with
their birds?
A. Give plenty of rest, good corn, give lots of baths, and do not neglect
then once the seasons over. Always dispose of your rubbish be for the
moult as they always look good after the moult and then you tend to
give them a another chance. When I say dispose of them, I mean in the
bin not in the magazines.
Q.
When it comes to breeding do you line breed or use a cross or just pair
winner to winner?
A. You can't beat winner to winner in a line-bred family but never inbreed
to close i.e. brothers to sisters. A lot of people make the mistake
of thinking the grass is greener the other side of the fence, what I
mean is they buy a lot of birds in the close season then they breed
6 or 8 young birds off these by under laying the eggs under there good
racers and ending up with a loft of young birds off unproven stock and
not breeding off your already proven winners . this is why there is
the great number of loses. Last season I started racing 58 young birds
and I only lost one racing. This included sending 30 over the channel.
The one I lost was my pool and nom bird from the mid national, also
my bird that was 3rd, in the Vanrobaeys Gold Ging race came back the
day after his next race with only three flights he had been badly hawked
I don't now how he managed to have the guts to get home. So we can't
condemn all pigeons, so check them out if they come late they may have
a slight injury. I also had a hen bred by Albert. Witty that when I
picked her up to time in I found myself covered in blood. After closer
inspection I found she had been shot but she still toped the fed.
Q.
If your race team went off form during the season what action would
you take to restore their condition?
A. I would have them tested and keep them locked up, fed only on Barley.
Some times form never really come no matter what you do, you never seem
to get super form. Check your corn make sure there are no mice fouling
the corn and make sure it is not damp, look for some reason if you suddenly
lose form. Don't suddenly reach for the anti biotic jar be patient this
is the secret.
Q.
Is a favourable loft location the single biggest factor in sprint racing?
A. It is always more favourable to be in the East with a west wind,
or in the west with a east wind you will be nearly impossible to be
beaten in a race of less than 100 miles. If you are a half-decent flyer
and if it is a small fed it will become even harder to over come, but
if you are winning out of turn people will always say you are in a good
position, mostly sour grapes.
Q.
Do you use the darkness system for the young birds, if so how long and
do you think it affects them later in life?
A. I have flown the darkness system since 1995. It is the only way to
fly Y.B in the classics. I think that later in life it does affect some
birds. I think I have 10% less winners in old birds than pre-darkness
times. But these days there are some big young bird races to be won.
Also some dark young birds are abused by over training and racing The
only way to prove it is to have two teams, one on darkness, and one
natural. But a top class pigeon will win no matter how it was raced
as a young bird, some people just use it as an excuse.
Q.
Are there any feeding methods for the young birds i.e. do you break
them down, do you keep them hungry for control purposes, do you give
them a trapping seed mix?
A. After weaning up until I race them, they are fed farm barley 30%,
70% Bucktons high protein. Then I feed Bucktons Young bird mix to race
on, this is fed twice a day no break down and no seeds. You must always
be in control of your Y.B. If they don't come in, don't feed them. After
two or three times if you still have one troublemaker, get rid of it,
he will only cause trouble.
Q.
What percentage do you consider it takes to win with racing pigeons
for management and pigeons and why?
A. No one can win with bad birds but the best birds will not win in
poor hands. 70% birds and 30% management. Remember to win consistently
you require 100% so one with out the other is no good.
Q.
What is the farthest distance that you would train your old and young
birds?
A. My old birds are never trained past 20-30 miles. My Y.B as many times
as possible up to 30 miles, very rarely past 30 miles. Always liberated
together. People complain that they never had one in the first batch.
I need mine in front of the first batch. You must have them leaving
the race point as soon as possible this is where the sprint races are
won A to B as quick as possible I train my widow cock two or three times
a week You win sprint racers at the race point if there is no strong
wind advantage.
Q.
If random drug tests were carried out on your pigeons would it reveal
any substance, illegal or otherwise?
A. I am in favour of drug testing, I have nothing to hide it can only
be good for the sport. With drugs easy to obtain on the continent so
they say as the last time I went there was 1975.
Q.
How do you consider that the British sport is going compared to the
continentals and do they have any ideas that you think would benefit
the sport in the UK?
A. We all hear how good the sport is on the continent, but they also
have a big decline in membership. Also very few youngsters coming into
the sport, it is the same the world over. I don't think anyone will
change it, there is to many other things to do these days. I think there
are better pigeon men in this country. A lot of these are being forced
out of the sport by their local flyers making it awkward to fly, so
they think why have the hassles. I know first hand how they feel.
Q.
Do you use any form of heating system in your lofts. Do you think that
it would be an advantage to the birds?
A. I don't use any heating; I like plenty of ventilation. Any way it
costs enough to heat my house, never mind the loft.
Q.
Do you attach any importance to the wing i.e. back wing, end four flights
and do you look at the wing to see if they have cast before a race.
Any other comments on the wing?
A. Some say the longer the wing, the longer they will fly. I do like
to see steps in the wing flights but I never mind if they drop flights
before the race. If they are fit, they go. I have no fads only the basket
to sort the wheat from the chaff .
Q.
Do the pigeons need any special treatment on the return from the race
to help them relax?
A. I like to give them a bath on Sunday to relax them in the loft and
never let them out on a Sunday. Sometimes I give them pigeon tea to
clean them out.
Q.
What advice would you give to someone starting up in the sport?
A. If I was starting up again I would buy late bred off 3 or 4 top class
racing men. Birds off all the top racers, or if they will sell you a
round of eggs, because early season most will not let you have them
off there best they want them for themselves to put on to gold ring
birds and so on. Also if your buying off stock late in the season ask
if the stock have been parted for a couple of months. This is to give
them a rest as they may well have been breeding since the beginning
of December, if not they will be fed up and then breed a load of rubbish.
Then I would train them over the next 12 months and race them as 2 year
olds; there is no reason if you look after these they will not win for
you.
It
has been a very interesting report and we had a good day out at the
lofts, unfortunately Clive was having a few hours in bed after a hard
night. However we saw some excellent pigeons and can well understand
why he has so many good performances. The pigeons in general are of
a high quality which is the only way forward. We discussed the position
of the lofts and the fact that Clive is considering renewing the old
two story loft which does lean a bit, having said that it is strong
and sturdy. Then I suppose it is going through Clive's mind "Will
it be better for the pigeons" who knows until you try and should
you change a winning formula, that are all interesting points that may
or may not affect what you have done in the past. Ifs buts ands and
ahs are what make pigeon racing so interesting but at the end of the
day you need good pigeons just like Clive has in his present lofts.
Thanks to Clive and his good lady for their time on this visit and we
look forward to seeing you again in the near future.
