“ON THE ROAD” WITH KEITH MOTT”
Three Border Federation (Champions of the 2026 season).
The competition in the Three Borders Federation has been strong and hard in the 2026 season, and once again the Mitcham & Merton club have come out on top, winning the ‘Federation Points’ Trophy’, for the second year on the trot, with 89 point and the Ashridge RPC being R/U on 66 points. It is common knowledge that the Mitcham & Merton are a very strong club, sending well over 200 birds some weeks and in most races, short or long, the members have to more or less win the Federation to win this club. Needless to say this club’s member’s presence is very strong in the Federation results and they have won many racing positions, including ten 1st Federation winners in the 2026 season. A fantastic performance! The Federation ‘Individual Points Trophy’ was won by Stuart Emans of the Mitcham & Merton club for the third season on the trot, on 143 points and topping the Federation four times, winning 86 Federation positions, and won several other trophies in the 2026 season. The runner up for the ‘Individual Points Trophy on 45 points was Jim Andrews & son also racing in the Mitcham & Merton club and they topped the Federation result sheet from Okehampton and Honiton. Congratulation once again to Stuart on his brilliant performances!
Stuart Emans lives in Sutton and for his profession he been a fireman since 1997. He took on the position of Three Borders Federation secretary a couple season ago and has done a brilliant job! He started up in the pigeon racing sport in 2008 and has won the Federation several time through the years, the highlight was winning 1st Three Borders Federation, 2nd Combine Bergerac and winning the Federation ‘Channel Averages’. Because of family and work commitments he had to pack up his pigeons for five year and restarted up in 2023 with young birds from his good friends Gary Young and Gerald Delaney. The 2024 season has seen Stuart race those yearlings with outstanding success. He pairs up in in February and races his fourteen cocks and seven hens on the roundabout system. His smart 24ft loft is set up for ETS trapping and is made up of a section for the old cocks, another for the young birds and the roundabout hens are housed in an aviary. He is not interested in fancy pedigrees or eye sign when selecting breeding pigeons and maintains the basket is the only way to find out if a pigeon is any good or not. Stuart gives his birds about ten training tosses up to 27 miles before the first race and then they get two exercise sessions every day around the loft once racing starts. All the races are fed on Stuart’s own widowhood mixture, which he makes up himself and the racers are never broke down. One of Stuart’s best pigeons is his wonderful blue cock, ‘Harry 048’ and he top the federation from Okehampton recently. I spoke to Stuart after the race and he said, ‘the Federation winner was my good Raymond Ceulemans yearling roundabout blue cock, ‘Harry 048’ and has every race this year, being bred by my good friend Gary Young. He came really well on the day and I must say he seems to like Okehampton! He won the Three Borders Federation at the same race point in 2024 and has also won 2nd club, 9th Federation Wincanton. He is named, ‘Harry 048’ after my young son Harry and is raced on the Widowhood system. He is a bit special!’
Stuart has won 1st Federation fourteen times in the last three seasons, including several times with his young birds. The last young bird race of the 2025 season was flown from Okehampton (171 miles) and the Stuart Emans loft took the first 24 positions in the Federation result. What a brilliant performance! His young bird loft 12ft x 3ft, an aviary on the front and all trapping is for the ETS System. When he weans his youngsters at three weeks old, they go straight on the ‘darkness’ system. They are exercised around the loft once a day and called back in with a whistle, which has been used every time they are fed. Feeding consists of a breeding mixture with a little Barley added and are fed a small amounts until they start to leave the Barley. The young bird team are kept on the breeding mixture until they come off the ‘Darkness’ on the 21st June. When they come off the ‘darkness’ they are fed on high Carbohydrate mixture, with Barley added and are fed as much as like until they leave the Barley. Stuart starts training the babies as soon as they start to rang from the loft. This is while they are on the ‘Darkness’ system. His first training toss is from five miles and the youngsters are kept at this point until they come straight out of the training basket, race home and go into the loft trap. They then move up to 14 miles and then finally 27 miles. Before the first race the young birds have been in the training basket on average around 30 times. All young birds are flown to the perch and not separated as Stuart doesn’t have the time with work commitments.
Stuart Emans (Federation Secretary) Annual Report.
The Three Borders Federation 2026 season has come to a close and after a total of twenty races the Federation was won by twelve different members and all of the clubs celebrated a victory. Congratulations to all Federation winners and all the members of the Mitcham & Merton Flying Club on winning the Federation Points Shield. When I took over the position of secretary in 2025 I wanted to try and improve the racing and this season has been a real success in achieving four amalgamation races involving the Surrey Federation and the Berkshire Federation. This was achieved by all three Federations being able to communicate and having the will and desire to be a part of the amalgamation. I would like to thank Gary Young the President of the Surrey Federation on sponsoring the four races. The races were won twice by the Surrey Federation and twice by the Three Borders. What is important is to recognise the wind did not suit the Berkshire Federation in the races but their participation is very much appreciated. Dominic McCoy and I are already working together having conversations with other Federations in joining future amalgamation races for the 2027 season.
With the cost of living constantly on the rise keeping our back garden hobby affordable is challenging for many members, also this has an effect on the Federation. keeping race costs to a minimum is challenging, fortunately this year the Federation has shown a profit, this is generally down to keeping the racing distance between 100 to 170 miles, this has saved money on fuel but more importantly the transporter was carrying between 500 – 800 birds per week during the old bird season. Young birds have been a bit more challenging. The constant battle to keep our young birds fit and well and keeping perches full is always a constant battle for the fancy. With this in mind, we still were able to transport between 500 – 700 birds for the first five races unfortunately the birdage dropped off for the last wo races and both races run at a loss. Keeping the Federation moving forward and affordable, it is important for clubs to support the races where ever possible.
Once again, I would like to thank Dominic McCoy our convoyer on providing another successful season of racing. Dom and myself are constantly in contact during the season trying our best to deliver good racing every weekend this can be very challenging at times especially with the constant challenges with the weather forecasts sometimes changing on a daily bases and sometimes by the hour. A big thank you and recognition goes out to all the club Secretaries who’s work is very much appreciated by myself and I’m sure their club members. Without there prompt reply’s to my emails and prompt payment of fees this makes my job so much easier. Finally thanks to Keith Mott our Federation scribe who’s work in promoting our Federation is very much appreciated. Keith puts a lot of effort in reporting on our races and Federation winners, so please if you are lucky enough to win the Federation please put the effort in and support Keith’s great work.
The Three Borders Federation winners in the 2026 season were: 1) Stuart Emans (Mitcham & Merton) 1st Federation Blandford: 2) Eric Fry (Mitcham & Merton) 1st Federation Weymouth: 3) Frank & Sue Carson & Son (Ashridge) 1st Federation Wincanton: 4) Kamil Kotowski (Mitcham & Merton) 1st Federation Kingsdown: 5) Paul Arnold (Esher) 1st Federation Weymouth: 6) Peter Clements (Isleworth) 1st Federation Wincanton: 7) Jim Andrews & Son (Mitcham & Merton) 1st Federation Honiton: 8) Frank & Sue Carson & Son (Ashridge) 1st Federation Okehampton (1st TB/S/B Amalgamation): 9) Holden & Pratt (Mitcham & Merton) 1st Federation Blandford: 10) Rene Obertelli (Ashridge) 1st Federation Wincanton: 11) Terry Goodsell (Ashridge) 1st Federation Okehampton (1st TB/S/B/ Amalgamation): 12) Fred & Kelly Kimpton (Richmond) 1st Federation Honiton: 13) Jim Andrews & Son (Mitcham & Merton) 1st Federation Okehampton (5th TB/S/B Amalgamation): 14) Eric Fry (Mitcham & Merton) 1st Federation Holmsley: 15) Paul Arnold (Esher) 1st Federation Blandford: 16) Malik & Khan (Esher ) 1st Federation Wincanton: 17) Stuart Emans (Mitcham & Merton) 1st Federation Blandford: 18) Malik & Khan (Easher) 1st Federation Honiton: 19) Stuart Emans ( Mitcham & Merton) 1st Federation Honiton: 20) Stuart Emans (Mitcham & Merton) 1st Federation Okehampton.
Three Borders Federation 2026 trophy winners were: ‘Longest OB Race Trophy’ Jim Andrews & Son: ‘Gazette Perpetual Trophy’ Jim Andrews & Son: ‘Hartley Challenge Trophy Stuart Emans: ‘Heritage Trophy’ Stuart Emans: ‘The Fred Mott Memorial Cup’ Stuart Emans : ‘Frank Carson Memorial Trophy Malik & Khan: ‘Ken Besant Memorial Trophy’ (Pigeon of the Year) Stuart Emans: ‘Sandhurst Trophy’ Jim Andrews & Son: ‘Falklands Trophy’ Stuart Emans: ‘Federation Rose Bowl’ Stuart Emans: ‘Federation Rose Bowl 2’ (Individual Points) Stuart Emans: ‘Federation Points Shield’ (Club Points) Mitcham & Merton FC.
Three Borders Federation 2026 averages winners were: Old Bird Average: Jim Andrews & Son, r/u Stuart Emans: Young Bird Average: Stuart Emans, r/u Jim Andrews & Son: Combine OB & YB Average: Stuart Emans, r/u Jim Andrews & Son: Best Average Two Longest OB Races: Jim Andrews & Son, r/u Stuart Emans: Best Average Longest OB & YB Races: Stuart Emans, r/u Jim Andrews & Son: Best Two Bird Average Longest YB Race: Stuart Emans, r/u Jim Andrews & Son.
Three Borders / Surrey / Berkshire Amalgamation (2026 Race Winners)
The Three Borders Federation joined up with the Surrey and Berkshire Federations to form the new Amalgamation in the winter of 2025 and the first Okehampton race was held on the last weekend of May and at that time the excitement level was quite high in the Surrey pigeon racing fraternity. This event was the first of four Amalgamation races from Okehampton set up to improve the birdage and competition in the future. What a great idea! The first Amalgamation race winner with 1,024 birds competing was Frank & Sue Carson & son (John) and they won it with their champion three year old blue widowhood cock, ‘Micky Boy’. This game pigeon was bred by John’s good friend, Darren May and came from a kit of six youngsters that he purchased in 2023. ‘Micky Boy’ is bred down from the very successful ‘Jul’ bloodlines of ‘May Pigeons’. ‘Micky Boy’ has a list of top positions to his credit including: 2026: 1st Federation, 1st Amalgamation Okehampton, and 2nd Federation Kingsdown: 2024: 2nd Federation Honiton and 6th Federation Yeovil. There were two special nominations on the Okehampton race, £475 in total and ‘Micky Boy’ won them both. What a pigeon! The Three Borders Federation was at Okehampton for the first Amalgamation race with the Surrey Federation on the last weekend of May. It was such a great success, that it sparked of negotiations and the Berkshire Federation joined, making it three Federations taking part for the second Okehampton race held in mid-June. The Ashridge ‘master’, Terry Goodsell won the race with 1,535 birds competing. This lovely guy is a racing pigeon ‘legend’ in the Surrey pigeon fraternity and has never stopped winning at the top level since I first met him back in the 1970’s! Terry had a brilliant race recording 1st, 3rd, 19th Federation, 1st, 5th open Amalgamation, with his winning pigeon being his good yearling blue cock, ‘The Alma Cock’ and he previously won 2nd Federation Honiton (beaten by a loft mate) and 12th Federation Blandford.
The third and last old bird Amalgamation race of the 2026 season, which features the Three Borders, Surrey and Berkshire Federations took place on the first weekend in July. To say this new Amalgamation has been a success would be an understatement, it has been brilliant pigeon racing! The 1,354 birds were liberated at 12.00hrs and Gary Young and his late father, Alan of South Croydon won the Surrey Federation and the Amalgamation. Gary’s won the Amalgamation with his good widowhood blue cock, ’Sonny’ and he is off the Leo Heremans and Van Den Bulk bloodlines. ‘Sonny’ has won the club four times, including another one this season and the Federation three times. Gary told me, he left the hens with the widowhood cock from Thursday night and gave the racers a nine-mile training toss that evening and then left the cock with their hens. Five weeks before his Amalgamation win Gary recorded: 1st, 3rd, 11th Surrey Federation, 2nd, 4th, 19th Amalgamation Okehampton (2) (1,024 birds). Well, done Gary, what a fantastic performance! It had been a brilliant season, with Saturday team producing some great sport for the Amalgamation membership.
The last race was flown from Okehampton in early September was the last of four very successful Amalgamation races for the Three Borders, Surrey and Berkshire Federations. It was congratulations to the Alan and Gary Young partnership who won 1st Surrey Federation, 1st Amalgamation Okehampton (4) (876 birds). The South Croydon partnership had a fantastic 2026 racing season, winning the Surrey Federation four times and 1st Amalgamation twice, plus a 2nd Amalgamation. Brilliant pigeon racing! They won this time with their good young grizzle cock, ‘Ollie’, who has previously won 1st club, 5th Federation Yeovil (883 birds), 2nd club, 15th Federation Purbeck (934 birds). I spoke to Gary after the race and he told me, ‘I’m really excited to see how this great grizzle cock performs as a yearling next year, he has certainly been a wonderful young bird racer. He was sent to Okehampton feeding a three day old youngster and he has just grown his third flight. What a great youngster!
That’s my lot for this week! Well done to the Mitcham & Merton club members and to Stuart Emans of the Mitcham & Merton club on their wonderful success in the 2026 season! 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)
