ARTHUR & ADAM WEALTHALL

The Future

 

By Martin Sheppard

 

 

 

Professional pigeon racing is now becoming commonplace all over the UK, were all seeing massive changes within our sport, with pigeons selling on the open market for hundreds of thousands of pounds, organisations sponsoring certain championship lofts, allowing them to become financially secure for the rest of their lives. We are also seeing hugely financially successful one loft races giving the opportunity to everyone who participates, the chance of winning large sums of money. These privately run ultra- successful enterprises have helped promote our sport from within like nothing we’ve ever seen. We will see many more fanciers investing in new stock over the next ten years purposely for these new ventures. We are all seeing pigeon racing becoming an intricate scientific art, an art that has been crafted by some of the most dedicated mindful fanciers throughout its history. Pigeon racing is now becoming a global brand, just like football, there’s only one piece of the jigsaw missing at the minute for our sport/hobby to explode onto the world sporting stage, just as darts and snooker have: that’s media coverage. Give pigeon racing to the watching public, then it’s my belief, fanciers like Adam & Arthur would become household names and then along with filling out race sheets etc, they would/could be signing autographs outside their pigeon clubs.

Arthur & Adam Wealthall are fanciers with vision, along with others like them, their dedication and endless hours of minute preparation and intricate breeding programmes have developed our sport/hobby into the global financial pull we are seeing today.

It doesn’t matter what sport or hobby you wish to mention, you will always have the benchmarks, set by the very few who have the dedication along with a steely determination to stop at nothing in the search of excellence to help them compete with success at the highest levels.

In 2009 Arthur, after racing pigeons since the 1950s with relative success, decided along with Adam to try to become more consistent with their racing results, so they attended Gary Downing’s entire clearance sale with a view to obtaining some of Gary’s superb performances racing pigeons.

This proved to be Arthur & Adam’s turning point within pigeon racing, as they now discovered the Lambrecht and Van Den Brande sprint pigeons.

Over the next six years, they sought the very best of these two breeds of pigeons with no expense spared by which time they were slowly becoming more successful by the week with these fantastic pigeons, so the search for excellence only carried on and as they became more successful, their hunger for the best became more prevalent.

Direct pigeons were bought from the following: “Steer” (Van Den Brande), a son of the “Goed 64” (Lambrecht), “Donker 08” (Olivia’s dam), “Blauwe Karel” (Olivia’s Dad), Sons & Daughters of “Superke” along with many more of the top base pigeons of Lambrecht’s and Van Den Brande’s.

This picture shows the son of “Steer” owned by Arthur & Adam, he is responsible for countless class winning pigeons, in the Worcester/Wolverhampton and Heart of England federations. This cock is paired to B 11-6159042 Chequer hen (see picture). This pair have bred 8 x 1^st Federation winners, and 9 x 2^nd federation winners.

 

 

Son of Steer

 

Mate of Son of Steer

The next picture is one of Adam & Arthurs favourites, she’s is a direct daughter of the above cock, the son of the “Steer” x B 11- 6159042.

The “02” Hen

She’s being nominated for an RPRA sprint award this year. Her following results, and she’s only a yearling.

1^st Club, 1^st Worcester Federation 4500 birds

1^st Club 1^st Worcester Federation 2400 birds

1^st Beechdale open, 960 birds, 2^nd Wolverhampton federation behind loft mate.

6^th Club 8^th Worcester federation 2000 birds.

 

The next pigeon is a direct daughter out of their brilliant goldmine hen, “Olivia”. This once-in-a-lifetime hen is named after Adam’s lovely little girl, who sadly refused to have her picture taken.

The”15” hen as a youngster

 

1^st Club 3 bird Blackheath.

2^nd Club 3 bird Blackheath

      2^nd Wolverhampton Federation 1900 birds

This year

2^nd Club Blackheath

2^nd Worcester Federation 3000 birds

2^nd Club Blackheath behind sister

2^nd Worcester Federation 2400 birds

1^st Club 1^st Wolverhampton federation open when she was beat by the “02” hen 960 birds.

1^st Club Blackheath

1^st Wolverhampton Federation 2000 birds.

 

 

The next pigeon is another daughter of the old “Steer” cock.

The “27” Hen.

 

Results include:

As a Youngbird

1^st     Club,     Blackheath    

1^st     Worcester Federation 2200 birds

As a yearling:

1^st     Club,     Blackheath

     1^st     Worcester Federation 4000 birds

“27” bred a youngbird last year that had four races, her results

1^st     Club,     Blackheath,  

   1^st     Worcester federation 2000 birds

1^st     Club,     Blackheath,

     4^th     Worcester Federation 2000 birds

1^st     Club,     Blackheath, 

    6^th     Worcester Federation 2100 birds.

5^th Club, Blackheath behind loftmates,

14^th Federation 1900 birds.

Arthur & Adam’s results over the last six years have taken them and pigeon racing to another level, there commitment to the sport as given them a superior platform to carry on building on for their continued success. They also have set new records within probably one of the strongest clubs within the West Midlands, when they took the first 8 positions in the Blackheath club, giving them 8 in the top 16 of the mighty Worcester federation with 2000 plus birds.They also won the first five positions in the strong Heart of England federation with approximately 2400 birds, only sending 12 pigeons.

Arthur and Adam since 2009 have had over 60 x 1^st clubs and 15 x 1^st federation in all competitions, flying in the Worcester, Wolverhampton and Heart Of England federations, averaging between 900-4500 birds. The partnership’s methods are very basic, they usually only race hens on widowhood, they started this year with 15 pigeons then ended up with 11. They only breed around 50 youngsters. The old birds are fed morning and night; their base mix is Liege by versa Laga, they get ¾ oz. morning and night. Adam said that he will occasionally put some Casart mixture with the liege towards the end of the week, mainly just so the birds get a little maize, which blows them up a little. I can tell you, I looked in their corn shed and all they have is three mixes, Liege, Casart and Turbo Hydrate. On the return from the race they get a little Turbo (Van Robaeys) then the night feed consists of their ¾ oz of Liege. Also when they return from the race, they have electrolytes in the drinker. They treat on a three weekly basis for cocci and canker. I asked what products they use or would recommend, both explained they only ever use what the vets prescribe. Their training regime is also very simple, the old hens are trained for three weeks before the first race. Another of my observations, was the size of the sections compared to how many pigeons were housed: they have very few pigeons, which just proves, quality over quantity is paramount within this partnership.

I asked Arthur & Adam, what their thoughts were on the future of club and federation racing and both agreed that the amalgamation of the federations would be a good start, as they felt it would help prevent the dread of clashing, plus it would give the fancier more choice, with regards to what clubs to send in. Their advice to new starters would be to buy from a small successful winning loft. I’ve personally found that most successful lofts like that of this partnership, will always help out new starters. 

I said to them both after our very enjoyable, relaxed morning that the overwhelming feeling I got was that, while this partnership were arguably one of the best in the Midlands at the moment, that pigeons hadn’t taken over their lives - they still enjoyed the love of pigeon racing, along with Adam taking time out for his two children, then going around to his mom and dad’s to meet with Arthur after work to enjoy the sport/hobby in which they have become so successful. Arthur is now retired and enjoys looking after the birds, during the day.

The whole morning was relaxed and friendly. They are a lovely family whom I’ve know most of my life (my dad and Arthur were in the same club, the White Horse (Smethwick Boro) going back to the early 1950s). I enjoyed listening and observing these real top fanciers, because like all sports/hobbies they make it sound so easy, when we all know it’s not. 

This will be my forth loft report, and my overwhelming observations were, if you want to be the best, you have to want it. You have to overcome all the hurdles and disappointments: this is where most sports are mastered. The truest saying ever is ‘you only get out what you put it in’. Like all the best sports people, they are completely intertwined with the inner workings  of  their  chosen  sport/hobby, which comes from hours of micro observation and occasionally taking a gamble, but as I said they’re both very relaxed with a quiet ultra-confidence in their own abilities.

 

Arthur & Adam with Olivia and her mate Albey

 

Adam with Olivia

The next picture shows Adam and Arthur with two Daughters of their goldmine “Olivia”. Both these hens have topped the federation, the dark pied hen won the Worcester federation, the Blue pied hen topped the Wolverhampton federation.

 

Arthur & Adam with the two federation winners from Olivia x Albey

I asked Adam if he wants to give anyone a special mention, or anyone who as influenced him during the building of this fantastic story of pigeon racing success. Adam said his dad had been a massive influence on their success: his attention detail, along with his steadfastness, has seen this father and son partneship blossom, Adam said without Arthur, none of this would ever have happened. “Olivia”, the “Three Sisters”, “Albey” and all the other champions would have simply been a distant dream.

I would like to wish Arthur & Adam all the very best for the future.

Martin Sheppard