RHONDDA VALLEY FED
Reports by Martin Dunn
THE FUTURE STARS
This write up is about the future of the Rhondda Valley Federation, the youngsters, and we do have some coming into the sport into the South Wales valleys. I will highlight 3 different lofts, and after you read about their performances in 2007, I am sure you will agree about what a bright future they have as they get older and wiser with the pigeons.
First loft is 10 year old Corey Lewis of the Glyncorrwg club up in the western valleys in South Wales. Glyncorrwg is probably the worst situated club in the whole federation and to score in the fed open or section results you really need to be flying an exceptional pigeon, so just check out Corey’s results to see how well he’s done.
Corey holding his Lillers winner ‘Tevez’
Corey first started up in 2006 as an 8 year old, with the help of his mum. Corey’s dad flies in partnership with grandfather John as J. Lewis & Son. Corey has is own team and manages these before he goes to school in the morning and when he returns at home at night. If he can’t get them in before he leaves for school, his mum will see to them for him.
Corey in his young bird section.
In his first young bird season in 2006 Corey managed 2nd club Swindon, 1st club Newbury and a dream finish winning the photograph for the longest young bird race when winning 1st club Ramsgate. A brilliant start for an 8 year old.
Onto 2007 with his small team of widowhood cocks. Corey started the season with an excellent 2nd club 4th section in the fed from Swindon. The following week grandfather John phoned him to tell him he wouldn’t be beating him this week, but unknown to John, Corey had already clocked 3 for 1st, 2nd & 3rd club, with the first 3rd section in the fed.
The weeks went on and the small team kept coming, with 2nd, 3rd, 4th Epsom, 1st, 4th Maidstone, 4th Ramsgate, 4th Newbury, 1st, 4th Epsom 2 and finally 4th Newbury. What a first season for a 9yr old.
Now onto the young birds. Flying birds he’d bred himself and from his grandfather John, plus some from Terry Higgs of Doncaster and Dunn, Son & Seal of Penygraig, he started off with 4th club Newbury and the following week he had a dream result with 1st club 1st west section federation with a gift bird from Dunn, Son & Seal. From Hullavington Corey had 2 together for 1st and 2nd club, the winner bred by Terry Higgs of Doncaster. The final race was from Lillers 275 miles, a terrible day, and Corey gets a pigeon for 1st club, 10th section fed, 26th open fed, 13th section in the national and, to top the lot, Corey wins the young bird averages in the club to boot.
Corey isn’t just a top pigeon flyer, he’s also a very good footballer and actually plays for Swansea City under 10s where he’s slamming the goals in. What more can you say - well done Corey and all the best for 2008.
Next partnership is from the Nantymoel club. These are Bayliss, Walker & Nolan. This partnership consists of Alan Bayliss (this is the same Alan who sold the Quarry Lady Dynasty to Louella lofts when racing with his old partner Alan Howells), second partner is Shay Walker who is 10 years of age and the 3rd member is Ryan Nolan who is also 10 years of age.
Alan can’t speak highly enough of these two 10 year olds. He says if wasn’t for these 2 boys then he couldn’t carry on racing due to his own ill health - he can be on oxygen for up to 16 hours a day. Of Shay, Alan says that he’s one of the sharpest people he’s ever come across, he takes everything in and never misses a tip when given one. He’s a very caring person for his birds and other people around him and extremely polite with it. Of Ryan, he said he’s the quieter one of the two boys, a very good thinker with the birds and is learning everyday. The 2 boys love to go to club and national marking station and will always give a hand.
Shane and Ryan in their young bird shed.
If you think it's down to Alan then you would be greatly mistaken. In 2008, both boys have their own team of pigeons in the loft that they have to take care of. Shay and Ryan have 8 widowhood cocks each and Alan has 10 hens and 6 cocks to look after.
The boys are lucky to have a good mentor in Alan. When flying as Howells & Bayliss they actually won 26 x 1st section in 8 seasons, plus 2 x 2nd national. Shay is actually Alan Howells' grandson, with Ryan also having a good pedigree, he’s Sid Large’s grandson, who won the Welsh Combine when flying as Castle & Large a few seasons back.
A view of Bayliss, Walker and Nolans loft.
Back to the birds, they are Janssens from double Welsh National winners Jenkins & Newtown of Glynneath. Added to these they have long distance pigeons from Lloyd & Kelly and Peter Gilbert from Didcot with a couple more form Mark Gilbert, the international winner from Windsor. Others to help the boys are Bobby Walton of Oldbury and Stuart Wilcox and Raymond Moeleveld, Johnny Hayes from Reading and John Adams from Watford. Alan says he would like to thank these fanciers who have given the two boys their best and for their help starting them off.
During 2008 they will be racing 22 cocks, with some natural hens for Alan. The cocks are let out twice daily by the boys and the hens are trained daily by Alan’s brother who owns a haulage company. The cocks are paired at the end of January and allowed to rear, and fater separating they are exercised around the lofts until fit. They will then receive 4 training spins before racing.
The birds are fed on Verselle Laga corns with peanuts and seeds are added as the races get longer. They will have Gemthepax on the corn with Matrix given for minerals. They also use Sedochol and treat with Spartrix and Parastop if needed. Alan checks the droppings under his own microscope and will treat if needed for Canker etc.
The young birds are raced naturally at the moment, to allow the boys to form a team big enough to compete with. Last year they started with 42 and ended the season with 27 even after the hawk took 6 from round the loft. The young birds are exercised twice daily and will be let out 3 times a day when racing.
During 2007 the boys had some great results, the best of which were 1st club 28th fed Epsom 4836 birds and 1st club 17th fed from Newbury 1660 birds, very good when you consider they were only flying 9 cocks in 2007. The highlight with young birds was 13th section 50th open Welsh South East National Ramsgate, again flying natural.
Alan would also like to thank Denny Phillips of the Nantymoel club for his help with the two youngsters taking them to the national marking station and his general help with the boys. We look forward to seeing them win again in 2008.
Third and final one is again in the Nantymoel club and this is 14 year old Josh David. Josh started up with the help of his grandfather Phil David in 2002 and has really done well. He’s had a very successful few seasons, with last year's highlight coming in the big one from Bonn, bearing in mind there were only 22 day birds from this 475 mile race point in terrible weather with all South Wales misted out. Josh probably clocked the pigeon on the night for 1st club, 2nd fed, 6th national, 7th Combine 2741 pigeons, and he also had 2 early the next morning for 21st and 30th fed. The winner was bred by Matt Rakes of Bristol and had previously won from Woking as a yearling. He came like a rocket out of the mist and by the look of him could have gone further.
Josh David holding the cock that was 6th National Bonn 2007.
Josh races his birds on roundabout and, looking at them when I called, they were in exceptional condition on small young birds. He races his young birds on darkness and likes to train the old birds regularly with his uncle Darren from Gilfach Goch, and as you can see, pigeons are also in Josh’s bloodlines.
Josh’s base birds are from Dunn, Son & Seal, which have done well for him inland and from across the water. The Matt Rakes birds have proved to be good winners, one hen also taking good fed and combine positions from Maidstone 175 miles as a yearling
As you can see, there are a few good youngsters in the sport in South Wales. Hopefully we can keep their interest as they get holder.
13/3/08