Established 1979 Company Number: 11693988 VAT Registration Number: 284 0522 13 +44 (0)1606 836036 +44 (0)7871 701585 [email protected]

“ON THE ROAD” WITH KEITH MOTT - 02-06-23

“ON THE ROAD” WITH KEITH MOTT.

Three Borders Federation (Okehampton Race).

The Three Borders Federation held first of its longer races of the season from Okehampton in mid-May and Dom McCoy, the Federation convoyer, liberated 567 birds at 12.30hrs in to a light north east wind situation. When I was convoying the north east wind wasn’t my favourite racing condition, as on the day the wind is quite often can be a bit chilly, but having said that the birds always have a good work out in the head wind. On the day Dom sent through a smashing film on WhatsApp of the liberation and the sky was almost cloudless with bright sun shine and the convoy cleared the Okehampton liberation site in good time. Members enjoyed a great steady race and Vic and Lou Emberson of the Banstead took first blood for the Esher club by winning the race and recording 1st, 2nd, 17th, 18th, 19th, 20th Federation. It was a real ‘nail biter’ finish with the first three pigeons on the Federation result being on the same yard and Paul Arnold of the Esher club being 3rd and 5th Federation. The Esher & District RPC is a very forward thinking club and is always keen to try something new. Paul Arnold started a new Esher club group on WhatsApp and every bodies’ Mobile phones are ‘red hot’ with club news, liberation times and when the lads are clocking in, with them recording their returns on the group chat. Great fun!

I spoke to Vic Emberson after the Okehampton race and he told me, ‘the pigeon that won 1st Esher club, 1st Federation from Okehampton was a Lambrecht blue chequer cock and he has already won 10th Federation Blandford as a young bird and 6th Federation from Wincanton, when I took the first seven positions in the club and Federation. He has also won 2nd Esher club, 3rd Federation Oakhampton as a young bird and 17th Federation Yeovil as a yearling. This widowhood cock is proving to be quite useful in the Federation races. My second bird on the ETS to take 2nd club, 2nd Federation from Okehampton was a Van Den Bulk yearling blue cock and this was the first time he has scored. Both cocks are raced on Widowhood’. The Emberson loft are enjoying a good 2023 racing season so far  and have also won 5th, 12th, 13th, 16th, 17th, 18th, 20th Federation Yeovil. Brilliant Pigeon Racing!

90A 02 06 23z    90B 02 06 23z

The first ten in the Okehampton Federation result were: 1) Vic & Lou Emberson 1401: 2) Vic & Lou Emberson 1401: 3) Paul Arnold 1401: 4) Terry & Sue Leonard 1399: 5) Paul Arnold 1386: 6) G. Koritsas 1388: 7) Terry & Sue Leonard 1379: 8) Terry Goodsell 1370: 9) M/M M Burczak 1338: 10) J. Andrews & Son 1338.

Vic Emberson had pigeons as a child, but really started racing in 1988 at the Banstead lofts. His late uncle is, Fred Emberson, who has been an outstanding channel racer in the London area for many years and he was a great help in getting Vic started in the sport. The Emberson loft has won the Federation countless times through the years; including five times 1st Three Borders Federation in the 2022 season and has recoded 1st open National several times, including 1st open NFC Fougeres (old hens) in 2004. Vic and his wife, Lou have won many major prizes in National racing in their years in the sport, but rated highly their performance in the 2005 season by recording 1st open BICC Alencon National. Vic’s recent account of the Alencon race was; “On the day of the BICC Alencon race the wind was strong westerly and we were expecting the winner to be in the East Section. On arrival, the cock came out of the east, confirming our belief that the winner would be in that section, but what a pleasant surprise we had when we were informed we had the leading pigeon, which was named ‘Valiant Leader’. This cock was half-brother to our 2000: 1st open Alliance of Specialist Clubs Millennium National race and car winner, ‘Alliance Leader’ and was also related to ‘Ellie’, our 2004 NFC Fougeres old hens winner”. A great family of winning pigeons!

90C 02 06 23z

Vic Emberson races 20 cocks on the widowhood system and pairs up in mid-January with the Federation sprint races in mind. The racers are put on the widowhood system after the first round of youngsters and are broken down from Saturday until Tuesday morning during the racing season. Vic mixes his own corn and the main family kept is Staf Van Reet because he likes sprint racing. The widowhood cocks are not trained during the racing season, just exercised around the loft twice a day to keep them fit. The partners have two very smart self-built lofts and the stock birds have a nice wire flight, to get out into the weather. The race team are trapped through ETS traps and sputnik traps. Vic’s wife, Lou, and his sons, Carl and Neil, have been great workers with the pigeons through the years and he says a lot of his success years ago were down to their help, but now races on his own. Vic’s late uncle was the racing ‘ace’, Fred Emberson, who resided near Canterbury in Kent, but prior to that was one of the leading long distance racers in the London area for a great many years. The origin of Fred’s family of racers were, four birds obtained from A. H. Bennett, including a son of Champion ‘Andre’ and Fred told me all his birds could be traced to these original stock birds. Another good introduction was two late breds, gifted to him by his nephew, Vicky Emberson of Banstead, and these were bred from pigeons obtained from Lol Green.

90D 02 06 23z

After the very sad recent passing of the Esher club’s secretary, Mike Charlton, the club was lost with loosing such a wonderful man and club worker. Thanks to Anthony Besant and Paul Arnold who took over the running of our club a couple of weeks before the first race and quite frankly saved it from it pending demise. Thanks lads! Paul Arnold was 3rd and 5th Federation from Okehampton and I had a chat with him after the race, and he said, ‘As you are aware, Keith, it's been a difficult time and we've had our share of teething problems. I suppose it's to be expected as we had this dropped in our laps, but I do believe we are virtually there now. Though not rocket science, we've had to find our way on certain things that basically we've not been taught and had to find out ourselves as we go. To be brutally honest, I do not like it one bit mate, especially the first couple of weeks when getting to the club was a nightmare with traffic problems, it just added to the stress. I was waiting for my birds on race day and thinking, why the bloody hell am I doing this, it has not been enjoyable! Slowly of course it is getting easier as we become accustomed to what is needed and I think the only reason I'm still doing this is because of the members. They have been fantastic mate, all of them have taken on board what we need to do to move on and have made a concerted effort to all do their part, which is much appreciated. When I get to the club, virtually everyone is already there, it’s like a hive of activity. We have everything organised down to a tee. We also have two new members in Rob Levingston and Nicolae Dragan, both really good lads who have fitted in seamlessly and from day one have got stuck in. Now on to Saturdays race from Okehampton, 170 miles to me. Birds were up at 12.30pm my first thought was 3 hours 36 minutes, after a while I decided on 3 hours 33 minutes to win the Federation. Though I have had a very slow start this year, probably missed a few things due to other duties on my mind, confidence is slowly creeping back as the birds are starting to exercise better and they were definitely better the week before. I actually said to my wife, Helen, as we were waiting our first arrival, that I thought given the northerly wind and the fact that we were a bit further down the road, which suits my birds better; it would be a two horse race this week between us and my old mate Vic Emberson, for the Federation. So as I thought bang on 3 hours 33minutes, two together, though one was a yearling, now named nervous ‘Nobby’ who is starting to show but is always incredibly nervous on Saturday's  and unfortunately not the best of traps. The first bird was a two year old blue cock ‘45’who recorded 10th Federation from Honiton the week before. He scored minor Federation positions behind my outstanding team of old birds I had last year, who are now in my stock loft.  ‘45’ is a grandson  of my 2011 Bergerac Combine  winner "Victor" whose son was a very good racer for me winning several first, crossed with a ‘Pitbul’ hen bred for me by Darren May. When I got to the club on clock checking night it was evident it was going to be very close between myself and Victor and as it turned out only about three seconds separated the first three pigeons, with me ending up 3rd! Always hard to take I know and is always disappointing, but there's no shame being beaten by ‘Embo’, the old boys a class act and always has been. Hopefully this is the springboard I need to kick on now for the rest of the season’. Well done Paul and thank to you and Anthony for all your good work!

90E 02 06 23z    90F 02 06 23z

Allen & Jackie Palmer of Esher.

It’s always great to see one of the sport’s really outstanding workers do well racing their pigeons! I joined the Esher & District RPC in the mid 1980’s and in all my time the main ‘spearhead’ in the club has been the secretary, Allen Palmer. He has been club secretary and President for most of that time and has pretty much guided it through the years into the great organization it is today. In all my time in the club, Allen with a lot of help from his wife Jackie, has organized the Esher club’s annual prize presentation evenings, which have always been a great occasions. Both Allen and Jackie are from pigeon racing families, with both their late fathers, Bill Palmer and Dennis Nightingale, being outstanding fanciers and founder members of the Esher club. Allen has worked in the building trade most of his life and in recent years his firm re-build the new West End Sports & Social Club complex where the Esher pigeon club has been based for many years. He has also done a lot of work in the Boy Scout movement over the years and is a first class cricketer. Allen has done so much good work for the Esher pigeon club over the last 50 years and it is right say he is a legend of the local pigeon racing fraternity. He has not enjoyed the best of health in recent times, but is always there for the Esher pigeon club! Best wishes to Allen and his lovely family!

90G 02 06 23z

Allen has been hard work for me personally over the years, because he hates publicity and when it came to an article, it’s been like getting ‘blood out of a stone’. Allen is a natural ‘Channel’ racing man through and through, and has won his fair share over the years with his pigeons, including firsts in the Federation. One of his best seasons racing was in 2008, when he won the Three Borders Federation twice, from Yelverton and West Bay, with his two natural cocks, ‘Billy Blue’ and ‘West Ender’. The 2016 racing season was a particularly good one for the Allen Palmer loft at West End, with him winning several premier positions, including 1st Three Borders Federation Alencon (203 miles) on a really hard racing day. At the end of the season he lifted a lot of silverware in the Federation, including: Cooper Challenge Trophy (winner longest OB race), Longest OB Race Trophy (second Combine race winner), Gazzette Perpetual Trophy (best average two longest OB races), Fred Mott Memorial Cup (best average longest OB & YB races), Late A. Knight Trophy (continental average winner) and was runner up for two other Federation trophies. Well done to the Palmer family! The photo accompanying this article show Allen with his trophies and his granddaughter, Ottilie Palmer Davis, who won the OB & YB ‘Novice Trophies’ in the Esher club in the 2016 season.

90H 02 06 23z

The late Trussler Brothers of West Molesey.

Trussler Brother of West Molesey were brilliant pigeon racers when I first met them fifty years ago, and they were still brilliant up to Dick and Brian’s recent passing. Dick and Brian won the Federation most seasons and won the S.M.T. Combine, 2nd open National and 1st open London & South East Classic Club from Bergerac in the 2005 season. In the years I've been racing pigeons I've always looked up to and admired the out­standing success of Dick and Brian Trussler, who have won out of turn at all levels from club to National for many years. Trussler Brothers are one of the ‘all time greats’ partnerships in the Surrey pigeon racing fraternity!

90I 02 06 23z

The brothers enjoyed a brilliant young bird season in 2011, with the highlights being: 1st, 2nd, 9th, 24th Three Borders Federation Taunton (1,525 birds), 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 97th, 117th, 123rd open L&SECC Carentan (young bird), 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 12th L&SECC Carentan ‘Gold Ring’ (£1,070). Fantastic pigeon racing! Dick and Brian’s first two birds on the ETS from Taunton to record 1st and 2nd Federation were both Dave Hawkins / Gaby Vandenabeele ‘darkness’ youngsters raced to the perch, as was the first bird home from the L&SECC Carentan Young Bird Classic. The brother breed about 60 youngsters to race ever season and Dick told me they were trained and raced hard, because they won’t win prizes sitting on their perch. The youngsters were never basket trained, but the trapping bays on the 24ft young bird loft were built like a race crate and the inmates put their heads through holes and drink from basket troughs on the sides of the bays. Dick told me this method teaches them ‘basket craft’ and they never had problems with the babies not drinking in the race crates. Most of the Trussler’s young birds had three races from France in the 2011 season and had come through it well with some good prizes. Other positions won the 2011 season were: 5th, 20th Federation Wincanton (2105 birds), 10th Federation Kingsdown (1966 birds), 7th, 8th Federation Newton Abbot (1625 birds), 19th Federation Messac (957 birds), 20th, 21st Federation Blandford (1380 birds), 22nd Federation Newton Abbot (885 birds), 6th Federation Yelverton (880 birds).

Dick and Brian had two smart 24ft lofts and race the traditional widowhood system, with 24 cocks. They tried the roundabout system for a couple of seasons, but didn’t like it and returned to their old widowhood system. They were members of several Classic and National clubs and said with the pressure on their cocks with so many races to compete in, they were thinking of increasing their team to 36 birds. They paired up the racers and ten pairs of stock birds at the end of December, and said they never underlayed the breeder’s eggs under the race birds. The cocks normal rear a youngster before going on the system, but Dick maintained that some years the cock had not had any babies and had been raced ‘dry’ with outstanding success. The brothers were very selective with pigeons not pulling their weight by the end of their second year and the young birds were sorted out and culled before they started to race. When I asked Dick and Brian what families they race, they said. ‘on the main we are always trying out new bloodlines, but at the moment we have Mark Gilbert, Janssen and some very good Gaby Vandenabeele pigeons from Dave Hawkins, Clive Lister and M. & D. Evans. Brian said Mark Gilbert of Winkfield was a good friend of the brothers, visiting his loft many times in recent seasons and maintained he was the best pigeon fancier he has met in his years in the sport. Dick told me he thought the late, great Fred Elliott of Thorpe was the best small team fancier ever and Dereck Bellchambers of Brentford was the top man with young birds!

Dick and Brian had been in pigeon racing for 60 years and they told me they had only been members of three Saturday clubs in that time in the sport. Brian said, like most pigeon fanciers they became interested in the birds as school boys and their first club was the old Molesey club, which raced in the Surrey Federation. The Trussler's started up and joined the Molesey & Dis. HS in 1951 and smashed their novice status in 1953. They were top prize winner in the Molesey Club ten years on the trot up to 1974 and at odd times before. In those days, Brian said, Alf Baker of Wood Green was the fancier who stood out. Their first birds were all from local fanciers including the late great Molesey fancier, Pat Strong. The brothers won their first race from Bournemouth and Dick remembered the winner was a Gits pigeon from the late Joe Stediford of Molesey. I first visited the lads in the early 1976 and the widow­hood system was a new try out that season with about 12 cocks on this system and the rest of the team on their usual natural system. The main strain kept was Cattrysse from Mr. & Mrs. Newman of Ely but they brought in a few young birds each year to try out. The birds were mostly blues and blue pieds, which handle small to medium with apple bodies. Dick said at the time they must have good strong backs and a good rich coloured eye. Some good birds were obtained from their good friend the late Arthur Coxon of Surbiton, the Bergerac ace, and the four Coxon birds were in the loft at that time had all scored from the longest race. The Trusslers trapped through open doors in their very smart racing loft which was 22ft x 6ft, three compartments, two for old birds and one for young birds. They used deep litter, but they said they think it causes diseases when left down too long. The ideal deep litter being of a wood shaving mixture so the birds couldn’t eat it. Ventilation in the loft was verv strictly controlled with plastic sheeting pinned on the front wire and they said that too much ventilation is a very bad thing. The loft roof was lifted 2ins for ventilation once, but was dropped again because the birds kept getting colds. The brothers said the birds need warmth in the loft. The loft was purchased in 1954 and the open door trapping was introduced in 1972 because of bad traps on the old system. They kept 25 pairs of old birds and bred 40 young birds, which were culled down to about 25 just before young bird racing. The birds were fed on a mixture of 50% Maize, 25% Beans, 25% Wheat and Barley being added in winter. The brother’s motto was train hard, race hard, quality and not quantity. The main stock pair were a blue pied cock and a blue hen known as "The Dutch Pair." This handsome looking pair was in fact Dutch pigeons and had bred countless winners including two Federation winners in one nest. The boys didn't know the strain of this pair but said they also bred show winners two-a-penny. This loft has housed many outstanding pigeons past and present too many, in fact, to list them all.

When I asked the brothers if in their opinion, the sport had progressed over the last twenty years they said, ‘in general yes, but some fanciers are still living in the past with their old fashioned attitude. The bringing in of ETS in the UK was brilliant, but there are still fancier who don’t like it and would like to see it thrown out. Their attitude is un-beleivable! The format of pigeon racing in the UK has been the same for many years, but on the Continent they try new things and push the sport forward. With the Continental methods and influence some of the fancier in the UK are very professional and can hold their own in any level of racing’. Brian told me the brothers were never interested in pedigrees, only good racing performances.

The late Jim Rookledge & Ray Mearns of Epsom.

The Three Borders Federation sent 764 birds to Yeovil for the last old bird inland race of the 2014 season and with the convoy being liberated in a fresh South West wind, the members enjoyed a brilliant finally. Jim Rookledge and Ray Mearns of the Esher & Dist. RPC won 1st Federation by a ‘country mile’! The real buzz for me and I’m sure for the other members of the Esher club was to see Jimmy Rookledge win the Federation out of Yeovil by 19ypm clear. Jimmy was in advancing in years and had carried on racing the pigeons that season in spite of the very sudden passing of his pigeon partner and the club’s dear friend, Ray Mearns, in February of that year. Sadly a few months after our dear friend and club mate, Jim Rookledge also passed away. Ray was a very good pigeon racer and had flown in partnership with Jimmy Rookledge since the 2000 season, and they enjoyed some wonderful success racing in one of the strongest clubs in the south of England. Ray was a great worker in the Esher club and if there was anything to be done, he was always there first to sort it out. Jim and Ray had obtained several outstanding Gaby Vandenabeele pigeons from former Esher member, John Barrett, and the Yeovil Federation winning widowhood cock was produced by these stock birds. The Epsom partnerships had had a wonderful 2014 old bird season winning: 5th, 7th Federation Blandford (1,397 birds), 22nd Federation, 40th SMT Combine Fougeres (1,073 birds), 4th Federation, 7th SMT Combine Messac (1,160 birds), 9th Federation, 14th SMT Combine Nort sur Erdre (699 birds), 1st, 23rd Federation Yeovil (764 birds).

90J 02 06 23z

The Epsom partnership of Jim Rookledge and Ray Mearns had enjoyed some wonderful racing success in recent season, flying in the Three Borders Federation, and  previously won 1st Federation Exeter, 2nd Federation Alencon, 2nd Federation Exeter, 2nd Federation Lulworth, 8th Federation Plymouth, 12th Federation Messac and 13th Federation Lulworth. A brilliant loft performance put up in a very strong Federation! Jim and Ray were both old hands at pigeon racing, forming their successful partnership fourteen years previous after 40 years in the sport. They raced mainly Gaby Vandenabeele from Johnny Barrett, Medina Busschaerts and top-class Staf Van Reets from Paul Arnold of North Cheam. Two teams of widowhood birds were worked, one for sprint racing and the other for racing from the Continent. They raced both hens and cocks on widowhood and pair up on 10th December. They had several lofts, the main one being 18ft long, with three sections and open-door trapping. When I asked Jim how far he sends the widowhood racers, he told me all the way through to 450 miles and his best position was 1st open Combine Alencon in the 2000 season. He and Ray raced a very basic widowhood system by training lightly up to the first race, then exercise twice a day around the loft, and the break down system until Tuesday morning. The partners fed a first-class Super Widowhood mixture and show the hens on marking night.

Rookledge & Mearns's earlier Three Borders Federation winner was their good Arnold / Van Reet blue white flight cock '90094' which beat 1,090 birds from Exeter. This handsome three year old widowhood cock had plenty of good previous form having won in the previous season, 1st club Yeovil, 1st club Newton Abbot and 5th club, 5th Federation Honiton. A brilliant sprinter! The partner’s best pigeon at that time was their three year old blue Van Reet / Houben widowhood cock '90071', bred by Paul Arnold of North Cheam, which won four times 1st club in the Esher Club and 2nd, 8th and 13th in the Three Borders Federation. This game cock had also won firsts racing inland in previous seasons and has scored in the Federation several times. Another star of the Rookledge & Mearns loft was their good Busschaert hen '87210', which recorded 2nd Three Borders Federation from Exeter (1,090 birds). This five year old widowhood hen had been a brilliant racer for the partners, winning twice 1st club, five times 2nd club and twice 2nd Federation.

90K 02 06 23z

Jim Rookledge liked all Federation racing, short and long, and he paired his five pairs of stock birds at the same time as the racers so that he can underlay the first round of eggs off the breeders. The 30 young birds he bred were trained hard up to 40 miles before the first race, then once a week during the racing season and race the programme naturally to the perch. Jimmy raced natural for many years and told me his best nest condition for a racer flying the Channel was feeding a big young bird or sitting fourteen day old eggs. Jim maintained that when he was selecting pigeons to breed from he has no special type, looking at only good performance pigeons and quite often paired winners to winners. Jim Rookledge and Ray Mearns, two great pigeon racers!

That’s it for this week! Well done to Vic and Lou Emberson on their Okehampton Federation win! If you win and want a write up in this space, 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)