“ON THE ROAD” WITH KEITH MOTT.

‘May Pigeons’ of Chichester.

Johnny and Darren May have been a ‘household’ in the South of England pigeon racing fraternity for many years, being famed for their many outstanding performances in the Federation, Combine, Classic and National races. The partners raced with brilliant success as John May & son to their loft in Worcester Park in London for many years, but since moving down to Chichester on the south coast in recent years, they have been racing separately to their own loft set ups at their different home addresses. The pigeon race is very much a May family interest and they both still work together under the ‘May Pigeons’ banner, although they race separately to their own gardens, which are very close together. John still races under the old London name of John May & son and Darren is now in partnership with his wife, Sarah, and races as Mr. & Mrs. May & son. The two ‘May Pigeons’ lofts share the stock lofts, but race from separate locations. ‘May Pigeons’ have had brilliant racing success since moving to Chichester with the highlights being: 2018: 39 times 1st club, 14 times 1st Federation, 12 times 2nd federation, 12 times 3rd Federation, 2nd section, 5th open Central Southern Classic Flying Club, 2nd, 4th, 5th, 9th section British Barcelona Club National, 21st, 25th, 38th British Barcelona Club National, 3rd, 4th, 6th, 7th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 15th section NFC National. 2017: 26 times 1st club, 11 times 1st Federation, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 6th, 8th section A in the National Flying Club, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th open Combine / Amalgamation. ‘May Pigeons’ were also RPRA Southern Region winners in the 2017 racing season. Fantastic pigeon racing!

Darren and Sarah have a wonderful loft set up in Chichester and the young bird loft is a 40ft Petron loft with a large aviary and has grilled floors and perches. This loft is cleaned twice daily. Their channel racing loft is 30ft long and has 40 automatic ‘Hermes’ boxes. It has a section and aviary for the hens on roundabout, and has also got grilled floors. The widowhood loft is 70ft long and also has 40 automatic ‘Hermes’ boxes, with grilled floors. It has a corridor with aviary section at each of the loft for hens, which houses 20 in each section. The very smart stock loft is 80ft long, with six sections and has full aviary’s in the front, grilled floors and automatic ‘Hermes’ boxes in each section. The widowhood and stock lofts were designed by Darren, with ventilation and light being the key factors for healthy birds. Darren told me, they were built by a local fancier named Kevin King, who did an excellent job.

All of the ‘May Pigeons’ old birds are raced on the basic widowhood and roundabout systems and all birds are exercised twice a day, and trained on a Wednesday if needed. Darren thinks that throughout the racing season, routine is the key to good success in his opinion and he always gives the birds the best food and supplements. All of his birds are fed on ‘Matador’ corn and supplements from Schroeder - Tollisan. He says both the corn and the products in his opinion are the best on the market.  The young birds are raced to the perches and are fed twice a day, morning and night. The widowhood sprint team are fed twice a day, morning and night, and the roundabout hens sprint team are the same. The channel team are fed in hoppers. The top racers in the loft in the 2018 racing season were: ‘De 715’ winner of 1st Federation Exeter (2,318 birds), 1st Federation Yelverton (1,278 birds), 2nd Federation Exeter (1,301 birds), 3rd Federation Exeter (1,521 birds), 3rd Federation Yelverton (1,107 birds), 24th Federation Portland (1,354 birds): ‘Need For Speed’, a blue cock bred by Yves de Wit and winner of 1st Federation Exeter (1,580 birds), 1st Federation Exeter (1,521 birds), 6th Federation Yelverton (1,278 birds), 16th Federation Yelverton 1,176 birds), 17th Federation Kingsdown (1.763 birds):’Princess Pride’ a young blue WF hen and winner of 1st club, 1st Federation Kingsdown (908 birds): ‘Sarah’s Jul’ winner as a young bird in 2018 of 1st Federation Portland (650 birds), 3rd Federation Exeter (1,212 birds), 6th Federation Portland (844 birds), 1st Premier 100 Club Portland (562 birds): The outstanding two 2018 young birds bred by David Peeters for ‘May Pigeons’: ‘Grizzly Speed’ winner of 1st Federation Portland (844 birds), 7th Federation Exeter (1,212 birds), 12th Federation Portland (650 birds), 10th Premier 100 Club Portland (562 birds): The fantastic young bird racer, ‘Pure Speed’ and winner of 1st Federation Exeter (1,212 birds), 1st Federation Kingsdown (1.272 birds), 7th Federation Portland (844 birds), 8th Federation Kingsdown (908 birds), 13th Federation Portland (650 birds), 6th Premier 100 Club Portland (562 birds).

The stock loft is shared between Darren and his dad, with each nest of youngster being rung with one of Darren’s rings and other with Johnny’s ring. The main family of pigeons for sprinting originate from Heremans Ceusters of which they have their main breeding cock ‘Spiderman’, who is a son of ‘Rossi’ x ‘Spinneke’ making him a full brother to ‘Nieuwe Rossi’. ‘Spiderman’ has bred countless winners for ‘May Pigeons’, including Federation, Combine and National winner for themselves and others. His bloodline is the backbone of their Heremans Ceusters family. The May family also race the ‘Pitbul’ family from four different sources, all bought directly from-  Karel Laenan, David Peeters, Yves de-Wit, and Vermeer Bergen, plus the Wilms Mosman ‘Grizzly Wonder’ family. When ‘May Pigeons’ introduce a new family they always race the direct imports before they putting them to stock after the first or second year, to ensure quality in their stock shed. For long distance they have recently acquired pigeons directly from Verweij de Haan from Holland who has great results at long distance and they are looking forward to racing them. With the middle distance in mind they have pigeons directly from Rik & Jan Hermans, also stock birds direct from Jan Hooymans, including a daughter of the famous ‘Harry’. Darren has no views on ‘eye sign’ theory in the stock loft and maintains you have good and bad birds regardless of their eye. Darren told me, ‘our breeding methods are the best to the best, winner to winner. Whether it being inbreeding or crossing always pair the best with the best. Our good friend Stewart Fawcett of Darlington has been a great help selecting stock birds with us over the years. The moult is very important for the health of the bird and feathering for the following year. Always give plenty of food and lots of garlic to the water’. The partners breed about 150 babies to race each season and all are put on the ‘darkness’ system, which they feel is a very important factor of a successful young bird season. The young birds are raced every week and are also raced across the channel.

Darren tells me; his wife, Sarah, and two of their children, Josh and Hollie have a great interest in the sport, and are very active in the pigeon management. I’ve known Darren since he was a young lad and was amazed when he told me he is now 47 years old! He was always ‘pigeon mad’ when he was a kid and is still in love with sport today. When I asked Darren about his early days in pigeon racing, he said, ‘I was born in Wimbledon and have always been around the pigeons starting with my dad and his flying partner, the late Joe Grant, when they flew as Grant & May many years ago. I started racing with my dad in the 1985 young bird season after he had bought some young birds that season from ‘Louella Lofts’ and ‘Spinola Lofts’ in Plymouth. My first race winner was a grizzle cock bred by the late John Sparrowhawk of Mitcham and the race was from Wadebridge in 1985. It was the longest young bird race in the Mitcham Flying Club and we won the pools and side bets! My first strains of pigeons were Krauths and Marc Roosens from ‘Spinola Lofts’ and Maurice Verheye from ‘Louella Lofts’. We did very well winning races with many of these early families of birds, one premier pigeon in particular being our Champion ‘Cheeky’.

Darren told me, ‘all the family help with the pigeons where possible and all look forward to race day. I have been racing with Josh & Sarah as Mr. & Mrs. May & Son for the last two full seasons. We have been mainly sprint racing with great success and have been working towards putting together a strong channel team to compete at the highest level. This does not happen overnight, so we have set ourselves a three year plan. Hopefully will be able to obtain the results myself and my dad did winning the National and Classic a few years ago. My kids and myself spend as much time as possible with the pigeons to try to tame them as much as possible and creating trust from the birds and a love for their home. My biggest thrill in pigeon was winning our very first race and seeing the joy on my son’s face’. Darren has no offices in the local clubs at this time, although he is planning to try to get Josh involved in that way, as the sport needs a next generation to keep it alive. When talking to novice he tells them, when starting out and purchasing your stock, don’t just buy the name. Look at the best birds and there performances from winning lofts. Always treat your birds as athletes and not as pets.

‘May Pigeons’ Number Two (Mr. & Mrs. Darren May & son) 2018 race result: (Old Bird): 1st 5th 6th 8th 9th 10th Federation Blandford (3,187 birds), 1st 3rd 4th 5th 21st 22nd Federation Exeter (1,580 birds), 6th 15th 17th Federation) Kingsdown (1,763 birds), 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 14th 15th 16th Federation (Exeter 1,521 birds), 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 6th 7th Federation Yelverton (1,278 birds), 2nd 6th 7th 8th 9th 11th Federation Truro (1,014 birds), 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th Federation Blandford (1,698 birds), 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 7th 10th 12th Federation Wadebridge (647birds), 3rd 4th 20th 21th 22nd Federation Okehampton (746 birds), 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 11th 12th Federation Exeter (643birds), 2nd, 4th, 5th, 9th Section G, 43rd open BBC National Coutances, 21st, 25th, 38th open BICC National Le Mans. (Young Bird): 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th Federation Portland (1,495 birds), 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th Federation Kingsdown (1,272 birds), 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th Federation Exeter (1,212 birds), 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th Federation Portland (844 birds), 11th Federation Coutances (449 birds) only 14 birds home in race time), 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th Federation Portland, 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th Federation Kingsdown (908 birds), 6th 9th 10th 11th 12th 13th Federation Oakhampton (802 birds), 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th Premier 100 Club Portland, 2nd Premier 100 Club Portland, 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th Premier 100 Club Portland, 4th 5th Premier 100 Club Guernsey, 3rd Premier 100 Club Wincanton, 5th 7th 9th 16th Section, 38th 40th 62nd 82nd open BBC National Fougeres, 7th 13th Section A  Coutances National NFC (YB), 2nd 17th 34th SE Section, 5th 29th 48th open CSCFC Coutances. .

John May and me go back many years and he has always been a very special pigeon racer! His loft set up is very modest in Chichester and he still uses the highly successful widowhood system today that he has used through his many years in the sport. John doesn’t race all the races anymore due to his health, but gets great results when he does race! He enjoys racing with the Premier 100 Club and national races. John races 36 widowhood cocks and 36 hens on round about system, and feeds ‘Matador’ corn twice a day and gives the birds ‘Tollisans’ supplements. The birds exercise morning and afternoon and trained once a week. He has 60 young birds every season and they race the full programme on the ‘darkness’ system. He enjoys giving advice and passing many years of pigeon knowledge and experience onto Darren and Josh.

Looking back, the premier Worcester Park partnership of John and Darren May owned one of the best lofts of racing pigeons in the south of England and had won it all, including 1st open BICC Perpignan in 1994 and 1st open BICC Bihorel national in the 2000 season. I visited the Surrey lofts on several occasions and I must say, I was never failed to be impressed. My last visit was in 2004, on the Monday morning after the L&SECC Le Ferte Bernard event and on my arrival John was exercising the young bird team. John and his son, Darren, had won the classic race on the Saturday and recorded their second L&SECC winner, previously winning from Alencon in the 2000 season.

The racers were paired up in January, but are not bred from, being put on the widowhood system after sitting near time on their first round of eggs. The cocks were trained from 30 miles for two weeks before racing and the first three inland Federation races were used for training tosses, with National and Classic racing in mind. When I visited the May's loft in 2004, the partners were trying out a few hens on the roundabout system and John told me that the racers were not broken down on the day of the race, being fed on a first class widowhood mixture. The cocks were shown to the hens on marking night and allowed to go down in the bowls with them before going in to the basket. The hens were left with the cocks for about one hour on their return from the race. John said the maize content in the mixture was increased to 50% for the long distance races and his widowhood system had won from 80 miles, right through to 618 miles. The May's were only interested in channel racing and their loft had won 1st open British International Championship Club (twice), 1st open London & South East Classic Club (twice), 2nd open National Flying Club (twice) and 1st open Combine three times. A brilliant racing record!

John and Darren's wonderful 50ft racing loft had a tiled roof and grilled floors and the inmates were trapped through open doors and ‘super' traps. A new loft was erected about four years previous on the other side of the garden and used for racing, but John wasn't happy with the results to the new structure so the racers went back into the old loft and produced brilliant results! The new loft was kitted out with wire flights and housed the 55 pairs of stock birds. Johnny May had always obtained the very best pigeons for his stock loft and I must say he appeared to have one of the best stock teams in the U.K. Whenever he purchased pigeons, he always had to have direct children of the champions and at the time of my visit, the Worcester Park breeding loft had many stock birds direct from the Janssen and Van Loon lofts in Belgium. The breeders were paired up in late December and were fed on a general breeding mixture. John said that about 100 young birds are bred for racing every year and a special team was set aside to race in the National Flying Club young bird race. All the youngsters were put on the darkness system two weeks after weaning and they were trained hard off the south coast. They were split into two teams, with mainly the young hens going to the young bird National and the cocks flying the Federation programme. The young cocks were never over raced as they are needed for the future widowhood team.

Johnny May has been in the sport of pigeon racing since he was 10 years old and he took over his fancier brother's birds when he packed up the hobby. He started racing as a lad and won the big Earlsfield Open race from Bournemouth in his first season. John raced for many years in partnership with the late Joe Grant, as Grant & May, and they won the Federation many times and in some seasons recorded over 40 times first. One of John's greatest ever pigeons is his Champion “Cheeky”, a Verheye blue chequer cock bred by Louis Massarella, and he won 23 times first (ten firsts as a yearling) and seven times 1st Federation. He won several Open races, including 1st Kingston £1,000 Open and 1st Fulham £1,000 Open. This once in a life time pigeon has had several champion racers bred down from him. A wonderful loft of pigeons!

‘May Pigeons’ Number One (John May & son) 2018 race results: (Old Bird): 1st Federation Kingsdown (908 birds), 35th 37th 41st Federation Exeter (1,580 birds), 1st 2nd 7th 8th 9th Federation Kingsdown (1,763 birds), 6th 7th 8th 12th Federation Exeter (1,521 birds), 5th 8th 9th 10th 14th Federation Yelverton (1,278 birds), 15th 17th Federation Exeter (1,176 birds), 1st 9th 14th 15th 18th 19th Federation Exeter (643 birds), 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th Premier 100 Club Exeter, 9th, 10th, Section A Coutances National NFC, 7th, 12th, 15th Section A Ancenis National NFC, 42nd, 53rd open BICC Le Mans National. (Young Bird): 24th Federation Portland (1,495 birds), 7th 8th 9th 10th 12th 13th Federation Kingsdown (1,272 birds), 1st 9th 10th Premier 100 Club Portland, 3rd 4th 5th Premier 100 Club Portland, 7th 8th 9th 11th 12th 13th Premier 100 Club Portland, 6th 7th 8th Premier 100 Club Guernsey, 1st 2nd Premier 100 Club Wincanton, 3rd 4th 6th 12th Section A Coutances National NFC.

Well that’s our article for this week! John and Darren May, two of the very best this time. I can be contacted with any pigeon ‘banter’ on telephone number: 01372 463480 or email me on: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

TEXT & PHOTOS BY KEITH MOTT (www.keithmott.com)