“ON THE ROAD” WITH KEITH MOTT.

Self-indulgence for a change.

It’s Monday morning and I’m sitting in the office, and with pigeon racing finished for the season I’m feeling a bit un-inspired! I’m planning a very special article for next January, to mark my 50^th anniversary since my first article appeared in the British Homing World in 1972, but it’s a bit early to start that. I’ve had pigeons all my life and my brother, Phil and I started racing them with good success in 1970. I have been house bound for a lot of months now with my on-going legs problem and think it is common knowledge that I had to pack up my beloved pigeon in August 2020 because I couldn’t cope with looking after them anymore. That was a bad time! One the hardest things for me is that I have had two invitations to judge at the BHW Blackpool ‘Show of the Year’ and had to decline twice. Anyway, back to this week’s article! I was very luck to own some really good birds in my 50 odd years racing pigeons and I think this week I will be a bit self-indulgent and feature five of my best racers and breeders over those years.

“JOHN BOY”: As I previously stated Phil and I started racing our pigeons in 1970 and won races from day one and were top prize winners in a couple of clubs in the early days. We had some good success with our first proper racing pigeon, which were Kirkpatrick and Kenyon from the late Johnny Winters of Kingston. The main stock pigeon was the grizzle cock, ‘Stranraer’, who was closely related to the Scottish National winner, ‘Stranraer Simon’ and I was lucky enough to handle that great champion on my visit to Louella Lofts in 1977. Our first ’super’ racer was the fantastic natural dark pied cock, ‘John Boy’ and he was a Kirkpatrick / Kenyon cross all from the Johnny Winters loft. He was a great pigeon from the outset, winning several positions in the very strong Molesey club as a young bird, including 2^nd club Exeter and 4^th club Weymouth. ‘John Boy’ was named after Johnny Winters and excelled on very hard days racing from France and won a list of top positions including: 1974: 1^st club, 1^st Surrey Federation, 3^rd SMT Combine (6,823 birds) Nantes, 1976: 1^st club, 4^th Surrey Federation, 12^th SMT Combine (4,234 birds) Niort. He was bred for hard day racing and when he won the Nantes race he won the club by several hours. When you look back, it is frightening to see that Phil and I bred that wonderful cock 50 years ago!

    

CHAMPION “KENNY”: In my fifty years racing pigeons, I’ve been very lucky to own several ‘world class’ racing and breeding pigeons. We kicked off with the Denys Brothers pigeons when we moved to Claygate in 1980 and they were just brilliant from day one. The first one we had was our great blue chequer cock, 'Keith's Choice' and he was a gift bird from Louella Lofts. The most famous were the three grizzle brothers, Champion 'Kenny', 'Warrior' and 'Double Top', and they won 23 firsts for our loft in the 1980's. Back at that time I was keen on Federation racing and my best pigeon at that time was the great grizzle cock, Champion ‘Kenny’. He won 37 positions in the first six, including thirteen times 1^st club in several strong clubs, including the London Coly. He was a natural racing cock and won or scored in every nest condition, except for chipping eggs. ‘Kenny’ won several good positions in the Federation against big birdage, including 3^rd, 5^th, 9^th, 11^th, 24^th and never raced further than Plymouth (180 miles). He won in the show pen and bred some good winners, including 2^nd open Up North Combine. The three bothers: ‘Kenny’, ‘Warrior’ and ‘Double Top’ won 23 first between then in races up to 250 miles. Thanks to our ‘Kenny’ for all the great fun he gave us!

    

“FOXWARREN COMPLETE”: I think our best all-round pigeon was our champion hen, ‘Foxwarren Complete’, who was a great 550 mile racer and has now proved to be a champion breeder. ‘Foxwarren Complete’ was the winner of 2003: 32^nd open L&SECC Dax (530 miles), 2^nd East Grinstead CC Dax, 2004: 29^th open L&SECC San Sebastian (560 miles), 2005: 116^th open L&SECC Pau (552 miles), 2007: 109^th open L&SECC Pau. A real class hen! Her sire was ‘The Cannon Cock’ bred by Eric Cannon and this cock was the original pigeon Eric bred for me on me restarting after ‘pigeon lung’ in 1998 and was a grandson of ‘Culmer White Flight’ and Champion ‘Culmer Sam’. The dam of ‘Foxwarren Complete’ was the brilliant blue cheque stock hen, ‘Pathfinder’, bred by Brian Denney and her dam was Champion ‘Blue Pau’ winner of 41^st, 201^st open NFC Pau (738 miles) and dam of many premier long distance racers including Champion ‘Classic Lad’ winner of 1^st open Northern Classic Saintes (573 miles on the day of liberation). ‘Pathfinder’ was lightly raced before being put to stock and in 2001 flew 900 miles in three weeks to record 91^st open L&SECC Perth, 52^nd open L&SECC Thurso (520 miles). ‘Pathfinder’ was a champion breeder, producing many premier 550 mile racers, including ‘Foxwarren Complete’ and ‘Foxwarren Pretender’ dam of Champion ‘Brian’s Blue’, the winner for Brian Denney of : 2008: 1^st section K, 61^st open NFC Tarbes, being clocked on the day of liberation flying 748 miles,1^st RPRA UK Long Distance Champion 2008. ‘Foxwarren Complete’ proved to be a ‘gold mine’ stock hen breeding many top 550 mile racers, including Bob and Anthony Besant’s champion stock hen, ‘Half Crown’, dam of Champion ‘Noble Dream’, winner of 1^st open International Agen (10,000 birds) in the 2015 racing season. She is great grand dam to Bob and Anthony’s, ‘Hypo’, the winner of 2^nd open BICC Cholet National (3,410 birds) in 2019, plus 27^th open BICC Alencon National and 43^rd open BICC Alencon National, being bred from ‘Return’, a sister to ‘Half Crown’. ‘Foxwarren Complete’ is also the dam of the fantastic stock hen, ‘Foxwarren Northern Complete’, dam of many premier 550 mile racers including: 2^nd Federation Bourges (581 miles), 3^rd Federation Bourges, 4^th Federation Bourges, 5^th Federation Bourges, 8^th Federation and is grand dam of 1^st, 1^st, 3^rd, 4^th, 4^th Federation, 1^st, 1^st Amalgamation, 8^th open NEHU (2,355 birds) Bourges (581 miles) in recent seasons. She is the dam of Fred Dickson’s champion cock, ‘The Five Times Bourges Cock’. ‘Foxwarren Complete’ is the dam of Ronnie & Jim Young’s  premier stock cock ‘48’ who is sire of many top racers, including their champion racing and breeding cock, ‘The Wee Cock’. This wonderful cock is responsible for many National prize winners, including being the sire of: ‘Jack’s Legacy’ winner of 2017: 1^st open EDC St. Malo National and grand sire of ‘Shallas Lass’ winner of 2018: 1^st open EDC St. Malo National and ‘Our Lass’ winner of 2016: 16^th open EDC St. Malo National. The fantastic ‘Foxwarren Complete’!

CHAMPION “FOXWARREN FRED”: ‘Foxwarren Fred’ is the best 550 mile stock cock we have ever owned and we bred him from the very best of Eric Cannon’s wonderful long distance family. ‘Foxwarren Fred’ is the sire of many premier long distance champions, including: 1^st Federation Bourges (581 miles), 2^nd Federation Bourges, 2^nd Federation Bourges, 2^nd Federation Bourges, 3^rd Federation Bourges, 5^th Federation Bourges, 8^th Federation Bourges, plus 2^nd Amalgamation Bourges and is grand sire of 1^st, 1^st, 3^rd, 4^th, 4^th Federation, 1^st, 1^st Amalgamation Bourges (581 miles), 8^th open NEHU (2,355 birds) in the 2012 and 2013 seasons. He is the sire of Fred Dickson’s champion cock, ‘The Five Times Bourges Cock’, winner of 3^rd, 5^th, 8^th Federation Bourges and sire of 1^st, 1^st, 3^rd, 4^th, 4^th Federation, 1^st, 1^st Amalgamation Bourges. Sire of ‘Foxwarren Fred’ is ‘Culmer Sam’s Lad’ bred by Eric Cannon, the last son of Eric’s Number One stock cock ‘Culmer Sam’, who was the product of Eric’s Fear Brothers cross. Champion ‘Culmer Sam’ was the ultimate stock cock and was the sire of Eric Cannon’s highly successful 550 mile family in the last years. Dam of ‘Foxwarren Fred’ is ‘Culmer Fantasy’, bred by Eric Cannon and she is a daughter of Champion ‘Culmer Bess’, winner of 6^th, 26^th and 170^th open N.F.C. Pau (540 miles), 47^th open N.F.C. Pau / Saintes, winning the NFC Pau ‘Merit Award’. This brilliant hen was top priced pigeon at Eric Cannon’s dispersal sales, sold for £2,300. Champion ‘Culmer Bess’ is a daughter of ‘Culmer Joan’, winner of 1^st section A. 12^th open NFC Pau, who is a daughter of ‘Culmer Rose’ winner of 30^th, 56^th, 131^st, 389^th and 541^st open NFC Pau. ‘Culmer Rose’ was a premier daughter of ‘Culmer Sam’ and a half-sister to ‘Culmer Sam’s Lad’. ‘Culmer Fantasy’ is a full sister to the dam of Champion ‘Night Flight’, winner of 1^st open Saintes / Pau Grand National in 2003, for Mark Gilbert. ‘Culmer Sam’s Lad’ and ‘Culmer Fantasy’ bred many good winners, including 20^th open BICC and 35^th open L&SECC Pau (550 miles on the day of liberation). ‘Foxwarren Fred’ is the also grand sire of ‘Charlotte’, the winner of 2nd open NIPA St. Malo National (1,835 birds) in the 2018 racing season, ‘Our Lass’, the winner of 16^th open EDC St. Malo National (450 miles) in 2016, ‘Olivia’s Boy’ the winner of 23^rd open INFC Lamballe National (1,217 birds) in 2021 and great grand sire of 12^th open National in 2018, Terry Haley’s ‘Madam Mott’ and Bill Young’s ‘Mott The Hoople’. ‘Foxwarren Fred’ the champion breeder!

“LADY TUFF NUT”: A champion stock hen and one of my all-time favourites! ‘Lady Tuff Nut’ was a beautiful pigeon to handle, with a fantastic eye and she had a wonderful kind temperament. Every day when I cleaned her nest box out she talked to me. This wonderful hen went when I had to let my beloved pigeons go in August 2020 because of my ongoing legs problem and I have been informed that at 12 years old, ‘Lady Tuff Nut’ has laid good fertile eggs in the 2021 season. I loved that old hen! ‘Lady Tuff Nut’ is the breeder of many Federation and National prize winners, including 1^st Federation (twice) and 2^nd Federation (twice) and the long distance ‘master’, Brian Denney has had several young birds back off this wonderful stock hen in recent seasons! ‘Lady Tuff Nut’ is the grand dam of ‘Charlotte’, the winner of 2^nd open NIPA St. Malo National (450 miles) in the 2018 racing season, ‘Our Lass’, the winner of 16^th open EDC St. Malo National (450 miles) in 2016, ‘Olivia’s Boy’ the winner of 23^rd INFC Lamballe (1,217 birds) in 2021 and 26^th open Falaise National (2,500 birds) in 2019. ‘Lady Tuff Nut’ was bred by my good friend, Brian Denny and is a daughter of Champion ‘Tuff Nut’, winner of 1^st section K, 5^th open NFC Pau (738 miles), 1^st North East 700 Mile Club, 2^nd RPRA UK Long Distance Champion, plus other prizes from the long distance. ‘Tuff Nut’ was clocked on the day of liberation from Saintes (573 miles) racing in the Northern Classic Club. This wonderful champion is probably one of the best all round long distance cocks in the UK, being the sire of many champion 750 mile racers, including ‘Northern Lady’, winner of 3^rd open NFC Tarbes (748 miles) and grand sire of ‘Dark Dancer’, winner of 4^th open NFC Tarbes, 27^th open NFC Tarbes, ‘Dark Charm’, winner of 5^th open NFC Tarbes and ‘John’, winner of 17^th open NFC Tarbes. THE CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS! The dam of ‘Lady Tuff Nut’ is one of Brian’s premier stock hens, ‘Cilla’ and she is a granddaughter of Champion ‘Classic Lad’ and Champion ‘Blue Pau’. ‘Classic Lad’ won 1^st open Northern Classic Club form Saintes (573 miles on the day) and he is a son of the great ‘Blue Pau’. This coupling have proved to be a brilliant mating, being bred from the very best of Brian Denney’s lofts. We have donated several youngster from ‘Lady Tuff Nut’ to charity sales and a late bred was sold at the BHW Blackpool Show Charity Auction for £740, and another in the NFC Phone-In Auction for £600. ‘Lady Tuff Nut’, one of my best 550 miles breeding hens ever in my loft and a daughter of one of the greatest 750 mile champions of all time. World class!

If you enjoy looking at pigeon films, why don’t you visit the ‘Keith Mott YouTube Channel’? I have been taking photos and shooting film all my life and have visited most of premier pigeon establishments in the UK and Europe in my 50 years writing in the Fancy Press. I have nearly 500 films on the channel which has attracted 6.6 million views worldwide and nearly 16,000 subscribers in a very short time. The channel features many premier racing and show racer loft visits all over Europe, my nine years as a ‘Classic’ pigeon convoyer taking the birds to France and the countless National and Society shows I have judged at over the years. There are also a few band films on there from the good old days when I was a young man and played drums in several top rock bands, which are very special to me! All the films are tagged, so if you fancy a look, just log in and enter the item you want to see in the box, push the button and you are away!

That’s it for this week!  A bit of self-indulgence this time for a change, which I must say I have really enjoyed. I’ve got to get it in before I get pensioned off in January. If you win and want a write up in this space, please contact me 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)