“ON THE ROAD” WITH KEITH MOTT.
Three Borders Federation (Wincanton Race 3).
The Three Borders Federation held its tenth race of the season from Wincanton in mid-June, when the birds were liberated at 08.30 hrs in to a West / North West wind situation. Renni Obertelli is a name you see regularly on the Three Borders Federation race results and he has won the Federation many times over the years. Renni is a great lad and brother to my late friend, Peter Obertelli of Hounslow. He races with outstanding success in the strong Ashridge club and recorded his first Federation winner of the 2025 season from the Wincanton (3) race. The Obertelli family are from Italy and the two brothers have been outstanding pigeon racers since the 1970’s. Members enjoyed a great steady race and Stuart Emans of the Mitcham & Merton club won 2nd and 3rd Federation Wincanton, continuing his wonderful 2026 season which has seen him win: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th Federation Blandford, 2nd, 16th, 18th Federation Weymouth, 2nd, 3rd, 16th, 17th, 19th, 21st,23rd, 24th Federation Wincanton, 10th, 11th Federation Kingsdown, 13th, 14th, 23rd, 24th, 25th Federation Weymouth, 14th Federation Wincanton, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th Federation Honiton, 2nd, 3rd, 15th,17th 20th, 25th Federation, 6th, 7th Amalgamation Okehampton, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 7th, 8th, 9th Federation Blandford. Stuart’s Wincanton 2nd Federation winner was his good three year old widowhood blue chequer cock, ‘Beau 022’, named after his oldest grandson. The sire was bred Gary Young and originated from Gert Heylen of Belgium. The dam of ‘Beau 022’ is a Tom Shaw Verheye and is the dam nine 1st Federation winners. ‘Beau 022’ had a brilliant 2024 season winning, 1st club, 1st Federation Honiton, 1st club, 10th Federation Wincanton and 2nd club, 23rd Federation Wadebridge. Stuart was the Federation Champion in the las two seasons and we are half way through this new season and he is leading for the ‘Individual Points Trophy’ with 61 points. Brilliant pigeon racing!
The first ten in the Wincanton (3) Federation result were: 1) Renni Obertelli 2045: 2) Stuart Emans 2042: 3) Stuart Emans 2042: 4) Mr. & Mrs. Pitchley 2040: 5) Mr. & Mrs. Pitchley 2040: 6) Mr. & Mr. Pitchley 2040: 7) Mr. & Mrs. Pitchley 20393: 8) Jim Andrews & Son 2039: 9) R. & W. Morris 2035: 10) A. Lita 2035. This was race number ten of the season and at this point the Mitcham & Merton club are leading for the ‘Federation Points Trophy’ with 46points, with the Ashridge club being R/U on 38 points.
The late Peter & Jan Obertelli of Sutton-in-Ashfield.
I first met my late friend Peter Obertelli on one cold winter’s night in the 1970’s, when I judged 52 old hens for Isleworth S.R. Club and he had just finished the racing season of a lifetime. There were two classes that evening and Peter had entered four hens, lifting 1st, 2nd in the young hens class and 2nd in old hens. After the show we had a chat and he told me about the fantastic young bird season he had had flying in the Thames Valley Federation. Peter and his lovely late wife, Marion lived in Hounslow, next to Heathrow Airport and I remember my first visit to his loft and being surprised to see the big aeroplanes landing, and coming in a few feet over the house chimney pots. You could see the pilots in the cockpit!
Peter started up in the sport in the spring of 1975 with birds he purchased for 50p each from Petticoat Lane Market in London and after doing no good with these birds he decided to purchase some better stock. About that time Eric Hurley of Hanwell was packing up so Peter purchased four hens and a cock (all Stassarts) from him and these birds were the base of his 1970’s family. He also purchased Eric Hur1y's 16ft x 6ft one compartment loft and after added a 8ft x 6ft young bird loft. He kept 50 old birds and bred 28 young birds each year. All were trapped through open doors. The birds were paired up in early February and sand litter was used on the loft floors. Peter was on shift work at the BBC but tried to give the birds three 35 mile training tosses during the racing season. The racers were kept short on the tin and were fed on the best mixture of maize, beans, peas and tares. Peter broke his novice status at Leicester the first young bird race in 1976 and also won the longest young bird race from Durham that same year. He said he liked to win all races but the longer races give him the bigger kick.
Peter's performance flying in the Isleworth & District HS in 1977 was outstanding, winning many premier positions, including nine time 1st club, winning ‘The Young Bird Average Cup’, ‘Harris Memorial Trophy’, ‘Besant Points Shield’, ‘Durham Young Bird Trophy’ and ‘Comeback Races Average Cup’. Peter also took the Thames Valley Federation by storm winning one 1st Federation, twice 2nd Federation, and twice 3rd Federation, lifting the Thames Valley Federation ‘Young Bird Average Cup’. I handled Peter's three most outstanding 1977 young birds and they were all of one type, large, with a long cast in the hand. The first bird I looked at was the red chequer cock, 'Albion Lad,' winner of 1st Club, 1st Thames Valley Federation Pontefract and he had a nice orange eye-sign. The second was a slightly smaller, a blue pied cock named ‘Albion Galahad’ and he has to his credit, 1st Two Rivers 2-B Club Nottingham and 2nd Club, 3rd Thames Valley Federation Leicester (beaten by loft mate). Last, but by no means least, as I liked this one the best of the three, was dark chequer cock, `Albion Rocket', winner of 1st Club, 2nd Thames Valley Federation Leicester and he had a nice pearl eye sign.
Piero (Peter) Obertelli was born in a small village north of Malan called, Piacenza, near Morfasso and the family house was built in the Italian mountains, and on a good clear day you could see the Swiss Alps. Peter was from a big family, with six brothers and five sisters, and told me, only one of his brothers was also interested in pigeons and that was Renato, who is still a very successful fancier in the London today. Renato won several premier positions including, 1st Three Borders Federation Wincanton in the 2026 season. When the family lived in the Italian mountains the older brothers chop down trees for logs for the house fires and to sell, plus they lived off the cattle, sheep and poultry they kept. The young Piero used to hunt for Fox and Badger in the mountains, which often got him into trouble with his parents, as he should have been working in the woods cutting trees. He kept a few Fantails when he was a lad and started racing pigeons when he came to the U.K. in 1976. He bought a house with a nice long garden in Hounslow, near Heathrow Airport, and very soon erected a pigeon loft. Peter recalled the premier fanciers locally in the 1970’s were Jack Knowles, George Burgess, Brian Goodwin and Eric Hurley. Pigeon racing was Peter’s passion!
A few years later Peter Obertelli met his second wife, Jan and moved up to Sutton-in-Ashfield to start his new life with her and race his pigeons in the midlands. On moving up to the midlands in 1990, Peter and Jan packed up the pigeons, but aquired a field near their home in Sutton-in-Ashfield, and started keeping a few chickens, sheep and of cause Jan’s beloved Horse. Peter restarted with pigeons in 2004 and the lofts were erected on the field, which proved to be an excellent enviriment for the birds. Peter was known in many parts as the ‘Italian Stallion’ and enjoyed one of his best racing seasons ever in 2012 and finished up highest prize winner in his club, the very strong Sutton Premier RPC. The ‘Stallion’ ran away with it, winning 30 prizes in the first four positions, including winning eleven times 1st club and many top positions in the Notts & Derby Federation, including 1st Federation Bedhampton (2042 birds). The star pigeon of the season was the partner’s good round about blue hen, ‘Jan’s Delight’, and was bred by the very successful South Normanton of Ingram & Langton. This game hen likes a hard day, winning the Federation doing 1303 ypm and her racing record in the 2012 season was excellent, winning 1st club, 1st Federation Bedhampton, 1st club Windrush, 1st club Buckingham, and several other prizes in the Sutton club. Peter and Jan’s racing performance in the 2012 season was: 1st, 2nd, 5th, 6th club Stratford, 2nd club Stratford, 1st club Windrush, 1st, 3rd club Newbury, 1st, 2nd, 4th club, 1st, 12th Federation (2042 birds) Bedhampton, 2nd, 3rd, 6th club Carentan, 1st, 4th, 5th club Buckingham, 2nd, 5th,6th club, 9th Federation Bedhampton, 1st club Messac, 1st, 2nd club, 13th, 15th Federation (1544 birds)Newbury, 3rd club Newbury, 1st,5th, 6th club, 3rd Federation (1134 birds) Stratford, 3rd club Buckingham, 1st, 2nd, 3rd club Windrush, 3rd club Newbury, 2nd, 3rd, 4th club, 11th Federation (1366 birds) Bedhampton, 1st, 2nd, 5th, 6th club, 8th, 16th Federation (1611 birds) Buckingham, 1st, 6th club, 15th Federation Windrush. The 2013 season had seen the ‘Stallion’ being top prize winner for the second year on the trot in the club, winning 48 positions, including nine times 1st club and 2nd, 3rd, 9th, 12th, 17th, 39th, 42nd Notts & Derby Federation. He sent a very small team to the very hard North Midlands Continental Club open race from Messac and recorded 6th, 7th open. There were no birds home on the day and Peter clocked at 8.00hrs next morning, and lifted £485. A fantastic performance, racing in one of the strongest clubs in the Midlands!
The Obertelli pigeon set up was made of seven lofts of different design, which were set out in a square and Peter told me at the time, ‘they are pretty basic, with some being converted garden sheds. The main factor about my lofts is the inmates like them and race well to them’. The square of lofts had a slabbed area in the middle and he said, all the structures are built at least 2ft off the ground. The lofts were well ventilated and deep litter had been used in previous seasons, but Peter wasn’t impressed with it, finding it very dusty. He spent a lot time with his birds, in the summer and winter months and they were cleaned out every day. The Obertelli old bird race team was made up with 15 pairs on the round about system and these were paired up in mid February. They were fed on ‘All Rounder’ mixture, which was as the name surgests was a general mixture and this saw them though the racing season to 509 miles, with not much else added. Peter thought the moult was a very important time of the year and gave his birds plenty of rest, backed up with a good heavy feed, with extra condition seed and linseed. The racers were trained from 20 miles down the M1 motorway three times a week and the cocks and hens were allowed to run together on marking day. The birds were left together for about an hour on their return home from the race and mid-week training continued right through to the end of the season. Peter repaired the old birds for the longest races and liked them sitting ten day old eggs for the major 500 mile events. Peter prefed sprint racing and although he won his fair shair of old bird races, he liked young bird racing best. He was a member of one of the strongest clubs in the Midlands, in the form of the Sutton Central Club and was flying against premier fanciers like Ron Vardy and Phil Elliot, but he said this was great to keep his approach sharp, and spured him on to try harder to win. Peter loved to show his racing pigeons and won many firsts through the years in club and open events, with big birdage. This is a testiment to the wonderful condition he kept his pigeons in!
The main pigeons raced were stock obtained from Ingram & Langton of South Normanton in Derbyshire and Dean Skuse of Newstead Village, near Hucknall in Nottinghamshire. Pigeons bred from these fanciers had won at all distances for Peter and of course the latest Obertelli champion, ‘Jan’s Delight’, was bred by Ingram & Langton. These breeders were fed on ‘Breeders’ mixture and when brought in new stock birds, Peter looked for an appled well ballanced body, intelegent eye and light in the hand, but above all it must have come from premier winning bloodlines. In 2010 Peter purchased a small team of youngsters to race, from the successful loft of Ingram & Leyton, who had been premier fanciers in Derbyshire for many years. The youngsters raced well for the Obertelli loft, but one, a blue white flight hen named ‘The Leyton Hen’ was outstanding and won several top prizes. After she recorded 6th club Newbury, 1st club, 20th Federation (2,261 birds) Salisbury racing in the Sutton Central Flying Club, Peter got her ready for the Derby, Burton & District SR Federation Grand National Race, which was the big money end of season race in the Midlands and was flown Vire (300 miles) in France. That season’s race turned out very difficult, with only 13 birds being clocked on the day of liberation and Peter’s game hen, ‘The Leyton Hen’, recorded 7th open. Another premier young bird for Peter in the 2010 season was ‘The Italian Stallion’ and he won a list of club positions including 1st club, 2nd Federation (1,659 birds) Newbury. The 50 young birds Peter bred each season start training at 15 miles and when they reach the 30 miles down the M1 motorway stage they stayed there, being given three tosses a week until the end of the racing season. Peter had put them on the darkness system in recent years and he had brilliant young bird seasons. The young birds were raced to the perch and were never sent further than 180 miles. My dear friend, Peter Obertelli passed away in 2017 and he is still greatly missed by us all. He was a lovely man and a brilliant pigeon racer!
That’s it for this week! Well done to Renni on his great Federation win! If you win and want a write up in this space, contact me on telephone number: 07535 484584 or email me on:
TEXT & PHOTOS BY KEITH MOTT (www.keithmott.com)
