JIM EMERTON CHATS TO
THE GREAT CHRIS GORDON
of Old Snydale
Chris with Carlo Neapolitano and wife Judy.
Your complete record as a man in pigeon racing is world class. How did you get started?
I first got started with pigeons at the age of 12 years. I had rabbits and chickens, the same as most of my friends had up until then. My father was a school teacher and he didn’t want me to keep pigeons but I got some anyway and in 1965 against my parents’ wishes I started racing them. My parents said the old men would take all my money off me but that did not turn out to be so. With the young birds I scored every week and from then on things only got better. In the early 1980s I started to put together the pigeons that I have today. Brian May from Rotherham was a good friend to me and he taught me a lot about pigeons. Brian put me forward 20 years with his great knowledge of pigeons, especially the eyes, the feather quality and muscle values.
Chris outside his long distance loft.
Can you please reveal to the fancy at large, some of your outstanding breeding and racing results at all levels.
Every year I have bred some good pigeons; when you have a strain of pigeons that have served you well over the years, with the right selection providing their health is right, they will breed you some good ones every year. For example, from the Eric Fox cock I bred my 28, then my Pau hen, then Treble, Prince, Express and many more. Eddie Wright’s Mr Gallant and Shackleton and Son’s Pennine Heights are to name but 2 champions that were bred from my stock in Great Britain. My pigeons have also won for fanciers in Bulgaria, Ireland, France, Tenerife, Spain and this year the reserve marathon champion in Romania was bred from a granddaughter of my Pau hen. When other people breed winners from my pigeons, it brings me as much pleasure as breeding winners for myself.
Racing Results: - I have had many good results from 50 – 863 miles (Barcelona). 26 times highest prize winner in my club in the last 28 years. Many times highest prize winner in the prestigious North East 700 Mile Club. 20 times 1st section between the National Flying Club and British Barcelona Club and many many prizes. Winning the National Flying Club from Tarbes is obviously the best result I have had. This year’s result with the young birds is probably the next best, having 5 out of the 7 day birds in Section K at 370 miles. It is not always the best results that have given me the most pleasure; timing in late at night from a long distance race or even in the dark with 28 and some of his descendants has given me that extra buzz.
Please outline your breeding and racing methods for us.
Breeding: I keep a good amount of stock pigeons, the reason being that at the long distances that I fly, one could easily be cleaned out in a season. I put together pigeons that I think will compliment each other. For breeding, their eyes must be good, and I like nice rounded pectoral muscles and good feather quality but if I had to pick one aspect alone it must be the back; it must be strong. With the knowledge I have acquired over the years I have managed to put together and keep together a family of top racing pigeons which give a consistently good average for the strain. Champions are just an accident or a bit of luck, call them what you like.
I line breed to an outstanding pigeon and look for something to put into them to keep the size up. If long distance pigeons are left to evolve by themselves by just using the basket, you get pigeons that can fly the distance but at a slow pace… they don’t evolve to win. The back wing gets wider, the primaries get too long for the body size and the body gets smaller so the speed has gone.
1st North East 700 Mile Club Fougeres 370 miles, 1st Section K NFC in 2012.
I pair my stock birds up at the end of November or early December so that I can train my young birds before other fanciers start with theirs. My sprint/middle-distance birds are paired on Boxing Day, rear young birds to about 14 days then as soon as the cock starts to look at the hen, she is taken away and the cock finishes off the young birds. I re-pair for a week just before the first race and train every day just to get the cock used to the system. After the first race they are just flown around the loft.
When racing I feed barley Sun, Mon, Tue and then Frazer’s supreme mix (from Bambridge, Northern Ireland) Wed, Thu, Fri morning and Saturday on return from the race. I treat for worms with Moxydectin every 6 weeks, I also treat for respiratory disorders and canker when necessary because I race them every week and they are mixing with other pigeons. My long distance system is not quite right so I keep changing it. When Snydale Express won the Tarbes Grand National, I paired them up late January and they went onto the widowhood system the same process as my middle-distance pigeons. I have paired up mainly around 14th of Feb but one year I paired them up 7th April and trained them first. It is easier for me to race them every week or at least send them as trainers then I don’t have to road train them, I just train them around the shed.
1st North East 700 Mile Club Cholet 458 miles, 3rd Section K NFC in 2012.
What knowledge can you share with us of feeding and supplementation to maximise condition at all distances?
I used to race the pigeons on a natural system, but found it was a bit hit and miss. And a lot more hard work is needed to get them in the condition necessary to fly the long distances. Racing the sexes separate is far easier and their hormone levels are higher, giving them a better condition naturally. You can also learn a lot more about feeding and conditioning them when they are flying around the loft. Try feeding any racing mix for 3 or 4 days (not starving them) and watch them fly. Then give them just barley, as much as they can eat and then see the difference. As you get near the race they need fuel in the tank so they need the best mix they can get, containing plenty of fats and for that I use mainly peanuts and a good proportion of maize for carbohydrates. As for supplementation I don’t use much in the way of vitamins (maybe I should) but I do use oils on the corn, a yeast wall extract, L-Carnitine and Catosal.
1st North East 700 Mile Club Fougeres YB 370 miles, 1st Section K NFC in 2012
What is the current philosophy of the RPRA Council on performance enhancing drugs?
Drugs are in all sports including pigeon racing and the RPRA has done a lot of research into this and is using the most up to date laboratories that are equipped for the detection of prohibited substances in sporting animals and birds. No bird or animal should have to go through all the side effects that these substances can cause. In the past the RPRA has offered free drugs testing for its members but the uptake has been very poor to say the least.
One of the young bird lofts.
Can you illustrate the personal qualities of a champion racing man please? Dedication being a prerequisite?
As you say Jim, dedication is the main attribute. It is no good looking after your birds 6 days a week; you might as well not look after them at all. One needs the will to succeed, the will to win, the wanting to achieve the impossible, always looking for an edge. One needs to be a good stockman with observation of the highest level. Our birds can’t speak to us the same as we speak to each other, but if you watch them and study them you can see things that might make them tick or things they need/desire or dislike and one has to use these things to make them win. In today’s hot competition one also needs to know the biological set up of a pigeon, which is very different to that of a human. One also needs to study in depth diseases which pigeons are prone to and their cures - if there are any.
Snydale Express.
WINNER OF THE NATIONAL FLYING CLUB GRAND NATIONAL TARBES 2005, 4066 BIRDS. A RECORD 725 MILES, WINNING BY 91 Y.P.M. 1ST NORTH EAST 700 MILE CLUB, 1ST LANCASHIRE & YORKSHIRE 4 BIRD CLUB, 1ST SECTION K, 1ST OPEN NATIONAL FLYING CLUB.
Chris, you have been successful up to around 863 miles – what does it feel like to race at marathon level?
I have won at all distances and all levels of competition and I enjoy seeing the birds race home regardless of the distance, however the greater the distance the better the feeling and the more satisfaction I get. Winning at marathon distances or even getting one home puts you on a high but the down side to this is if you don’t get one it puts you on a real low. Your body must release the bad hormones (this may only happen if you are a fanatic?). If you get one from these marathon distances it gives you a great feeling of satisfaction knowing that you have done your job right in preparing the bird. Also if it is a pigeon of your own breeding you know you are doing something right in your stock loft.
How do you manage your National Flying Club young bird candidates?
My young bird national team has flown consistently well since 1994, which was the first year I went onto the darkening system. I breed the pigeons early and put them into two lofts that both have aviaries on. The young birds are kept healthy at all times and they grow on well in the two lofts. I train them early before the skies are full of everybody else’s young birds and I put them on the dark about the 7th April until around the 7th July. I race them every week and there is no more road training after the first race. It sounds simple but there is a lot of work put into them, especially when you are club racing every week and the old bird programme over-laps the young bird programme with the national clubs.
Snydale Prince.
2ND NORTH EAST 700 MILE CLUB, 2ND LANCASHIRE&YORKSHIRE 4 BIRD C.C., 2ND SECTION K, 8TH OPEN, N.F.C. TARBES 4066 BIRDS, 725 MILES IN 2005 WINNING AN R.P.R.A. AWARD. TOGETHER WITH HIS COUSIN SNYDALE EXPRESS HE WON THE FRIGHT & JOHNSON TROPHY IN THE N.F.C. FOR BEST 2 BIRD AVERAGE TARBES, AT THEN A RECORD DISTANCE.
Any comments for us on the North East 700 Mile Club?
The North East 700 Mile Club is, as you know Jim, a very prestigious club which duplicates from the National Flying Club. I have been president there for quite a while now, and we have Rose and Jeff Akrill as secretaries who do a marvellous job and have done so for many years now. Our club auditor is a past president of the RPRA Mr Pat Mitchell and our committee is made up of the cream of Section K fanciers including Mick McGrevey who is also chairman of the National Flying Club. Our auctioneer Dave Fussey has now graduated to auctioneer for the Blackpool charity show. The club consists of some of the best long distance flyers in Great Britain, so as you can imagine the competition is very hot and to win a prize there is an achievement that anybody can be proud of.
Snydale Treble. GB99N26822.
3rd Sec K, 22nd Open Pau N.F.C. 4085 Birds.19th Sec K, 305th Open Pau-Saintes N.F.C. 2770 Birds. 15th Sec K, 294th Open, N.F.C. Pau. 3463 Birds. Also timed from San Sebastian. Sire of Snydale Prince. Son of the Champion Pau Hen.
How do you perceive the current status of UK pigeon racing regarding internationals and nationals?
The current status as far as internationals are concerned is as good as it is going to get, our country is the wrong way on to give us in the north of England a fair chance. We have proved that if the wind is right, the fanciers in the south of our country can win in the short internationals. I think international racing is very unfair and most of the time our lads are sending for nothing. Barcelona I know is your baby Jim, but in a straight line it is 863 miles to me yet if you look at one of the embossed contour maps you will see my pigeons have to fly 1000 miles or more to get home. When you look at the velocities that our gallant birds are doing, from an outsider’s point of view, they must think that we can’t fly pigeons. Having said that, for your own satisfaction the feeling of getting one from Barcelona is fantastic. In August 2012 the FCI organised an international race from Bovingdon and Great Britain took about the first 20 positions from only a very small entry. That sea crossing makes a very, very big difference. Now national racing is a bit different. As clubs get smaller and fanciers number less, national or specialist clubs will be the way forward or the only option. Ever increasing costs are putting clubs and federations under pressure, so much so that they are going to the wall. To win a national in the north of England is nearly impossible but the thrill that you get from timing a good one in the section is well worth the effort and given the day you can be well up in the open.
The widowhood loft.
Can we improve the standing of racing pigeons via education in the media?
The RPRA is of late getting a lot more publicity for racing pigeons. The television has been involved more times in the last few years and now there is a very small tracking device that can be attached to the pigeon and it is hoped that in the near future, betting will be possible, the same as it for horses and dogs so this may be the long awaited life line we have needed and pigeon racing will be able to be watched on TV.
Do you admire any other fanciers?
There are many fanciers that I admire all over the world but not many of them have created their own strain and maintained it and these are the type of fanciers that I admire most. Two such fanciers spring to mind. The late Pepé Luza from Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife being one. He kept his strain together for more than 40 years with only a very tiny loft. Pepé was a man that was always looking for an edge and twice a year I would handle all of his pigeons. As he handed me the bird and asked me what I thought he used to watch my eyes and my expression. He was champion absolute for many years. The late Emiel Matterne from Overhespen, Belgium is another. His pigeons were like peas in a pod and he created and maintained his own strain for many years. His pigeons are winning all over the world today. Emiel was a very intelligent man, a real gentlemen and he put a lot of thought into creating his strain.