“ON THE ROAD” WITH KEITH MOTT.

Three Borders Federation (Yeovil Race).

The Three Borders Federation were at Yeovil for the fifth old bird race and the convoy of 553 birds had an early morning toss being liberated with sun on the baskets at 06.30hrs into a North / North East wind situation. The 2023 racing season is banging on and the Federation Saturday team have produced some great racing so far this year! The Ashridge ‘master’, Terry Goodsell won the race, recording his third Federation winner of the season and chalked up 1^st Federation, with Ashridge club mates, Frank and Sue Carson being 2^nd beaten by two yards. Terry’s loft has hit some great early season form and has previous won the Federation from Wincanton and Honiton. Brilliant pigeon racer!

The first ten in the Yeovil Federation result were: 1) Terry Goodsell 1355: 2) Frank & Sue Carson 1353: 3) Peter Clements 1351: 4) M/M M. Burczak 1350: 5) Vic & Lou Emberson 1349: 6) J. Andrews & Son 1349: 7) J. Andrews & Son 1349: 8) M/M M. Burczak 1348: 9) J. Andrews & Son 1346: 10) J. Andrews & Son 1345. This was race number five of the season and at this point the Ashridge club are leading for the ‘Federation Points Trophy’ with 24 points, with the Esher club being R/U on 19 points.

Terry Goodsell is successful with racing his pigeons all most every season, with his recent highlights being: The Three Borders Federation was at Blandford with the young birds for the second weekend on the trot in 2022 season. The Ashridge ‘master’, Terry Goodsell won the race, recording his second Federation winner of the season and chalked up: 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th, 5^th, 6^th, 10^th, 11^th, 12^th, 13^th, 14^th, 15^th, 16^th Federation. Brilliant pigeon racer! Terry had only been racing babies in the 2022 season and had hit top form, after all his hard work training with his good friend, Rafa Suchocki. The highlights of his 2020 season racing in the Three Borders Federation were: 1^st Federation Honiton (925 birds), 1^st Federation Yelverton (710 birds), 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd Federation Wincanton (1,051 birds), 1^st Federation Wincanton (761 birds), 1^st, 2^nd Federation Wincanton (738 birds), plus many other premier positions. Pigeon racing at its very best! The competition in the Three Borders Federation had been strong and hard in the 2019 season, and  Terry Goodsell’s club, the mighty Ashridge RPC, came out on top for the second season on the trot, winning the ‘Federation Points’ Trophy’. Terry Goodsell won the ‘Individual Points Trophy’ and his positions won  in the Three Borders Federation in the 2019 racing season were: (Old Bird): 15^th, 17^th, 18^th, 19^th, 20^th, 21^st Federation Yelverton (1,279 birds), 9^th, 10^th, 11^th, 12^th, 13^th, 20^th Federation Honiton (822 birds), 9^th, 10^th, 16^th, 23^rd Federation Kingsdown (1,018 birds), 3^rd, 5^th,8^th, 10^th, 11^th, 12^th, 13^th, 14^th 21^st, 22^nd Federation Yelverton (826 birds), 1^st, 2^nd, 7^th, 8^th, 9^th, 13^th, 14^th, 15^th, 16^th, 17^th, 18^th Federation Exeter (608 birds), 2^nd, 6^th, 7^th, 8^th, 9^th, 10^th, 15^th, 16^th, 17^th, 18^th, 19^th, 20^th, 21^st, 22^nd, 23^rd, 24^th Federation Honiton (939 birds), 1^st,2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th, 5^th 6^th, 15^th, 21^st, 22^nd, 23^rd, 24^th, 25^th Federation Bodmin (806 birds), 3^rd, 4^th, 5^th, 6^th, 7^th, 8^th, 9^th, 11^th, 12^th, 13^th, 15^th, 16^th Federation Kingsdown (629 birds), 1^st, 5^th, 11^th,13^th, 22^nd, 23^rd, 24^th Federation Truro (595 birds), 21^st, 23^rd Federation Yeovil (761 birds),8^th, 9^th, 11^th, 12^th, 13^th, 14^th, 15^th Federation Honiton (633 birds), 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th, 5^th, 6^th, 7^th, 8^th, 10^th, 18^th, 19^th, 24^th, 25^th Federation Sennen Cove (488 birds), (Young Bird): 18^th, 19^th Federation Blandford (713 birds), 11^th Federation Yeovil (673 birds), 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd, 13^th Federation Blandford (1,044 birds), 19^th, 21^st, 22^nd, 24^th Federation Yeovil (812 birds), 6^th, 7^th, 8^th, 19^th Federation Kingsdown (677 birds), 25^th Federation Newton Abbot (464 birds). Previous to this wonderful performance in the 2019 season, Terry, had won six times 1^st Three Borders Federation and the ‘Individual Points Trophy’ in the 2018 season. Brilliant pigeon racing.

Frank & Susan Carson of the Ashridge club are enjoying a wonderful 2023 season and have been ‘knocking on the door’ on the Federation results all season, including being beaten by two yards to record 2^nd Federation Yeovil. Their most recent win was from the Yelverton race, recording 1^st 9^th Federation. Frank and Sue have won countless Federation positions through many years, but I think the 2013 racing season was one of their best, winning 1^st open L&SECC Guernsey (old bird), and long list of positions in the Three Borders Federation, including 1^st and 2^nd Federation three weeks on the trot, plus 1^st and 2^nd SMT Combine. Fantastic pigeon racing! I had a week’s holiday in the south of France in mid-June of that year and on my return, I visited the Carson’s home in Sutton to update Frank and Sue’s pigeon racing story. I last visited their loft for an article 30 years previous and although I’ve seen Frank about at pigeon functions, I think I’m right in saying I haven’t seen Susan since that visit 30 years previous. She was now a busy grandmother and looked really well. Susan takes an active interest in the running of the loft, for example she has trained youngsters while Frank is involved with the widowers. She kept records, cleaned out and anything else that needed doing. To get the best out of pigeons, Susan said, it's a matter of 365 days of dedication every year.

The star pigeon of the Carson loft in the 2013 season had been the yearling blue pied cock, ‘Mr. Stoner’, and he recorded 1^st open London & South East Classic Club Guernsey (800 birds), and 1^st club, 1^st Three Borders Federation, 1^st SMT Combine Yelverton (1596 birds), being raced on the widowhood system. A nice little extra to ‘Mr. Stoner’s’ success story is the fact that his nest brother, ‘Alan’, was with him on the very same velocity from Yelverton (179 miles) and is joint 1^st open SMT Combine! This wonderful cock had won other premier positions in the 2013 season including 13^th Federation Honiton (1172 birds), being beaten by a loft mate. The widowhood blue cock, ‘Alan’, has a brilliant racing record in his own right, winning: 1^st Federation, 1^st SMT Combine Yelverton (1596 birds), 1^st Federation Exeter (938 birds), 2^nd Federation Honiton (1149 birds), beaten by a loft mate, 3^rd Federation Newton Abbot (985 birds), beaten by loft mate, 8^th Federation Wincanton (1149 birds), 14^th Federation Yeovil (1106 birds) plus several other premier positions including 1^st club Taunton. This fantastic nest pair of cocks were bred by Frank’s good friend, John Stoner of Mitcham, from the very best Willie Jacobs and Gaby Vandenabeele bloodlines. Another top racer that season had been the Willie Jacobs blue chequer cock, ‘The 15 Cock’, and he had beaten ‘Alan’ twice in the 2013 season for top honors in the Federation results. The brilliant widowhood cock had won seven times first club and 1^st Federation Wincanton (1995 birds), 1^st Federation Honiton (1149 birds), 2^nd Federation Newton Abbot (985 birds), 3^rd Federation Wincanton (1701 birds), 3^rd Federation Yeovil (1506 birds), 4^th Federation Honiton (1172 birds), 6^th Federation Yeovil (1106 birds).

Frank told me the main families raced at the Carson loft are mainly Willy Jacobs from Ernie Goodyear of Barnsley and a few Gaby Vandenabeele from Mark and Dickie Evans, and they race about 16 cocks on the traditional widowhood system. The widowhood system is very basic and Frank tells me he exercises the cocks around the loft for one hour only every day and feeds twice a day on Mabdor widowhood mixture and a light mixture on their return from a race. The widowhood hens are kept in boxes and are shown to the racing cocks on marking night. The widowhood cocks get the hens for an hour on their return home from the race and no training is given once racing starts. His main interest is Saturday Federation sprint racing, but competes in races up to 450 miles, having won at all points up to Bergerac (450 miles) and is very careful with his feeding, breaking the cocks down in the first part of the week. Frank told me, ‘our pigeons are raced on the conventional widowhood system, with the cocks being kept on grills in their nest boxes. We use a ATX Radiation heating system throughout the loft and we have never used deep litter, having slatted floors in all the lofts’. The partners have two very smart lofts, the main one being 40ft long and this houses the widowhood racing cocks, young birds and the eight pairs of stock birds, which also live in a nice spacious flight. The stock birds are paired up the same time as the race birds in January and their eggs are floated in the race section. The breeders are fed on Frank’s own premier breeding mixture, which is three top quality mixtures knocked up together. When bringing in a new stock bird the partners look at the premier performances already achieved by the family. The big main loft has slatted floors, heaters for winter breeding and the trapping is designed for ETS clocking. Their small loft houses the widowhood hens and is a store for their corn and baskets. The old birds, stock and racers, are paired up in January and the partnership breed about 50 babies to race each season on the ‘darkness’ system. The partners like young bird racing and the babies are trained well and race the Federation programme. The babies are trained once a day through to 60 miles and the Carson’s young bird policy is home, fed and left to rest. Once they reach the 30 mile training stage they are no longer exercised around the loft. They are darkened for 12 weeks from April to June and from the day of their first race they are put on the ‘lightness’ system. They race through to 170 miles, occasionally sending the one or two to France and all are flown to the perch.

The Carson loft has bred several premier racer for other fanciers and the Esher partnership of Crook & Iddenden, had a brilliant race from Yeovil (1) in 2013, recorded 1^st, 3^rd, 24^th Federation, winning with their champion blue cock ‘Frank’, and then this brilliant cock went on to win 1^st Federation Yeovil (2) at the end of the season. Colin Crook and Andy Iddenden won the Three Borders Federation ‘Ken Besant Memorial Trophy’ in the 2011 season for ‘best pigeon of the year’ with their good blue cock, ‘Frank’ and this wonderful cock recorded: 2^nd Federation Kingsdown, 2^nd Federation Yeovil (twice beaten by loft mates), 7^th Federation Wincanton, 14^th Federation Wincanton, 16^th Federation Kingsdown, 23^rd Federation Newton Abbot. Frank and Susan Carson bred Colin and Andy’s champion Gaby Vandenbeele blue widowhood cock, ‘Frank’. He has won a list of premier positions in the last three seasons including 1^st Three Borders Federation Kingsdown. This game cock raced to Frank’s loft as a young bird and yearling and when Frank packed up for a while in 2008, the pigeon was gifted to Crook & Iddenden, too set the place alight with brilliant performances. Frank and Susan brought their Gaby Vandenbeele pigeons from Mark and Dickie Evans in 2003 and 2004, and were direct out of their champions, including the great ‘Shadow’. Frank and Susan won the Three Borders Federation Individual Points Trophy in the 2011, with 53 points, and they have always been regarded as one of the better racing outfits in the London area over the last 30 years, always being at the top of Federation and Open race result sheets. They have enjoyed a brilliant 2011 young bird season racing in the Three Borders Federation and their two Federation winners were both Willy Jacobs pigeons raced to the perch. The Carson loft had a brilliant season racing in the Three Borders Federation winning: Old Bird: 24^th, 25^th Federation Yeovil (2230 birds), 3^rd Federation Kingsdown (1966 birds), 3^rd Federation Falaise (1174 birds), 14^th Federation Newton Abbot (1476 birds), 22^nd, 23^rd Federation Kingsdown (1321 birds), 8^th Federation Messac (857 birds), 25^th Federation Kingsdown (1090 birds), 11^th, 12^th, 13^th Federation Taunton (1080 birds): Young Bird: 3^rd, 18^th Federation Blandford (1380 birds), 1^st, 2^nd, 4^th, 5^th, 14^th, 15^th, 16^th, 17^th 18^th, 19^th, 21^st, 25^th Federation Wincanton (1260 birds), 4^th, 5^th, 6^th, 7^th, 18^th, 19^th Federation Yeovil (1497 birds), 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th, 6^th, 7^th, 20^th Federation Blandford (1657 birds), 17^th, 18^th, 19^th, 20^th, 21^st Federation Newton Abbot (885 birds),7^th, 8^th, 9^th, 10^th, 11^th, 12^th, 13^th, 14^th, 17^th Federation Yelverton (880 birds). Fantastic pigeon racing!

Frank is a used car dealer by trade and has been in the sport 40 years. He told me, ‘Susan is a major worker with our pigeons and must take a share of the credit for our success over the years. Our youngest daughter Kimberley lends a hand when needed. I prefer sprint racing and have owned some really good widowhood cock in the early 1990s, which won up to 17 firsts each racing Saturday and Wednesday. Years ago we won the Kingston Open, when that was the main race to win with the best racers in the South of England sending their best. That was a great buzz! Over the years Susan and I have held most of the offices in the club, including Secretary and Chairman, but I personally think the modern day small clubs should amalgamate and create bigger clubs for better competition, to lift the sport out of decline. In my opinion John and Darren May are two of our best local fanciers, having put up some brilliant performance in the Combine, Classic and National over many years. Two great pigeon racers! Susan and I used to use the eye sign method in our stock loft, but as time has gone by we have gained a lot of experience, which has told us that breeders of winners come in all shapes and sizes, and some with not so good eye sign. In the stock loft we pair winners to winners, or breeders of winners to breeders of winner together! We are great believers in working the pigeons, but we also know they need rest and as soon as the last young bird race is over, we part all the birds and the loft is completely shut down for two months of the moult period’.

Frank was born in Battersea, South London, and his grandfather was a fancier flying as J. Carson & son in the Chelsea & South Lambeth club. Frank spent a lot of time with his grandfather and as a result became interested in racing pigeons. When his grandfather died in 1978 he moved in with his grandmother and took the pigeons over. In the early days Frank got a great deal of help from J. Langbridge who at the time flew in the Carshalton club. Frank's interest prior to pigeon racing was football for a local club as a boy, and just prior to taking over his grandfather's birds he successfully showed boxer dogs. Frank had then been in the sport six years and the first club he flew in was the Hackbridge DHS. His grandfather's stock were mainly Andre Vermote and Rene Boizard and Frank's performances were fairly good considering the knowledge and resources that he had at hand. At the end of 1981 the Carson’s decided that they wanted to fly the Widowhood system, so they went to their now good friends, Peter & Geraldine Hookins of Wimbledon. The Hookins were very successful Widowhood fanciers and Peter gave all the help and advice he could. Frank said he had gone from strength to strength since then. In the early days he made all the typical novice mistakes, overcrowding and over training. Penning several articles on Frank and Susan over many years, I can remember in 1984 the partners had the season of a lifetime winning twenty ­seven 1^st, nineteen 2^nd,  twelve 3^rd and twelve 4^th, flying in two Saturday clubs and a midweek now and again. The Carson’s raced the Widowhood system and in 1984 the eighteen cocks won twenty three 1sts, the other four winners were young birds. Frank once told me the high points in his time as a pigeon fancier were winning the Old Comrades eye sign class and the first time he won the Federation. Frank Carson is a born pigeon racer and has always been successful!

Colin Crook & Andy Iddenden of Epsom.

The Three Borders Federation sent 826 birds to Truro (230 miles) for its final old bird race of the 2015 season and the convoyer, Dom McCoy, liberated with the SMT Combine at 06.30 hrs in a westerly wind. The Crook & Iddenden partnership of the Esher club recorded a real ‘banger’, winning the Federation by nearly 130 ypm clear, plus 2^nd SMT Combine! Colin and Andy’s Truro winner was the three year old blue widowhood cock, ‘The Nearly Cock’ and he had previously won 2014: 11^th Federation Honiton (1,589 birds), 18^th Federation Taunton (959 birds) and in 2015: 25^th Federation Honiton (1,189 birds), plus his Federation win from Truro. This game cock is of the Frans Zwols of Holland strain and was bred from one, of three stock pairs purchased by the lads from Raymond Molveld, the premier Dutch fancier in 2010. Colin and Andy won the Three Borders Federation twice in the 2015 season, previously winning from Honiton (1,189 birds) with another blue widowhood cock named ‘The 59 Cock’ and he is a Staf Van Reet, bred down from their wonderful double Federation winning cock, ‘The 29 Cock’. Colin told me at that time, that the lads always sort out the number nine rings each year and ring all his descendants with them, so they can tell at a glance that they are down from this champion Staf Van Reet racer. ‘The 59 Cock’ had a list of prizes he had won in the Federation in recent seasons and also won 1^st club, 4^th South Coast Federation in the 2015 season. The Crook & Iddenden partnership only raced inland with the Esher club and their old bird positions won this season are: 5^th, 6^th, 7^th, 8^th, 13^th Federation Exeter (1,217 birds), 1^st, 2^nd, 25^th Federation Honiton (1,189 birds), 11^th, 14^th, 23^rd Federation Yeovil, 1^st, 22^nd Federation, 2^nd, 40^th SMT Combine Truro (1,512 birds).

I have known and been friends with Colin Crook and Andy Iddenden for many years and in all that time we have been associated I have never visited their loft in Epsom. We put that to rights, when on one sunny Sunday morning in October 2013, I made the 12 miles drive to Colin’s garden, situated in a wonderful part of Surrey near to Epsom Downs Race Course, to see the partner’s brilliant team of pigeons. I must say the loft and garden were very smart and a credit the two lads! Colin and Andy had enjoyed a brilliant race from Yeovil (1) in 2013, recorded 1^st, 3^rd, 24^th Three Borders Federation, winning with their champion blue cock ‘Frank’, and then this brilliant cock went on to win 1^st Federation Yeovil (2) at the end of the season. Colin and Andy won the Three Borders Federation ‘Ken Besant Memorial Trophy’ in the 2011 season for ‘best pigeon of the year’ and won it for the second time in 2013 with their good blue cock, ‘Frank’. This wonderful Gaby Vandenabeele sprint cock has won 23 Federation positions including six times 1^st Federation and twice 2^nd Federation, being beaten twice by loft mates on the ETS. Other position won the Federation by ‘Frank’ are: 3^rd, 7^th, 9^th, 9^th, 10^th, 10^th, 10^th, 14^th, 14^th, 14^th, 15^th, 16^th, 16^th, 18^th and 23^rd open. He has won ten times 1^st club, plus 1^st, 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd, 3^rd South Downs Premier FC and was sent to the Classic only once to win 34^th open L&SECC Falaise. ‘Frank’ was Three Borders Federation ‘Pigeon of the Year’ in 2011 and 2013. As Andy Iddenden says, a once in a life time pigeon! Frank and Susan Carson bred Colin and Andy’s champion Gaby Vandenbeele blue widowhood cock, ‘Frank’. This game cock raced to Frank’s loft as a young bird and yearling and when Frank packed up for a while in 2008, the pigeon was gifted to Crook & Iddenden, too set the place alight with brilliant performances. Frank and Susan brought their Gaby Vandenbeele pigeons from Mark and Dickie Evans in 2003 and 2004, and were direct out of their champions, including the great ‘Shadow’.

Colin Crook and Andy Iddenden of the Esher club were runners up for the Three Borders Federation ‘Individual Points’ Trophy and won the Federation three times in the 2012 season. I don’t know how many times I’ve written in past seasons that these two brilliant pigeon racers have been runners up for the Federation Points, but it seems they are second up every year! In recent seasons I have written a lot about this brilliant partnership, but Colin and Andy  have been one of the most consistent winning lofts in the Federation over the last half a dozen years or so. Their performance in the Three Borders Federation in the 2012 season was: 1^st, 2^nd, 8^th Federation Wincanton (1,701 birds), 1^st Federation Wincanton (1,748 birds), 22^nd Federation Honiton (820 birds), 1^st, 2^nd, 19^th, 25^th Federation Yeovil (1,506), 11^th Federation Honiton (1,286 birds), 4^th Federation Yelverton (1,086 birds), 10^th Federation Taunton (1,077 birds), 10^th Federation Honiton (1,017 birds), 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th, 5^th, 6^th, 7^th Federation Yeovil (859 birds), 9^th, 10^th, 11^th, 12^th, 13^th, 14, 15^th Federation Blandford (1,286 birds), 18^th, 19^th, 20^th, 23^rd, 25^th Federation Newton Abbot (1,145 birds), 13^th Federation, 17^th SMT Combine Yelverton (1,415 birds).

Andy and Colin have 70ft of loft space at the Epsom garden, with the 12 pairs of stock birds housed in a 12ft section with a fight and the rest of the loft being for the racers. Trapping is all designed for ETS timing for the old birds and for the youngsters and the whole ‘L’ shaped structure is cleaned out every day. The old birds are raced on the widowhood cocks and celibate hens systems and the whole loft is paired up on Boxing Day, so the first round of eggs from the stock birds can be floated under the racers. The widowhood cocks start the year by rearing a pair of youngsters and their mates are taken away while sitting the second round of eggs. They are repaired five weeks before the first Federation race, then are given about six 20 mile training tosses and are put on the widowhood system two weeks before racing begins. The racers are fed on a first class widowhood mixture and are not broken down, not even for the short sprint races. The lads like to show the hens for a long time on marking night, could be as long as an hour, with the cock bird on the bowl and his mate outside the box. They are never allowed to tread. On their return from the race the cocks get their hens for two or three hours, depending how hard the race has been. Colin and Andy enjoy all Federation racing from 80 miles through to 450 miles, but have a go at the odd Classic race from time to time. Andy told me the 24 cocks stay on the widowhood system all the time and are never repaired for the longer races. The main families kept are Paul Arnold / Staf Van Reet and Mark & Dick Evans / Gaby Vandenabeele pigeons, which have been very successful.

The Epsom partnership race about 60 young birds every season, putting the 40 first rounder’s on the ‘Darkness’ system and leave the 20 second rounder’s natural. The youngsters are put on the Darkness on weaning, being closed down from 17.00hrs until 08.00hrs every day, and are taken off the system on the longest day in mid-June. The young bird team get lots of training tosses up to 35 miles before the first Federation race then get two tosses a week once the season starts and all races the full racing programme. Colin told me; recently the partners started with 50 babies and never lost one training before the first race. They are raced to the perch, but if they want to pair up they are allowed too and nest bowls are put into the section.

The 2011 old bird season proved to be one of Colin Crook and Andy Iddenden’s best to date recording: 6^th, 7^th Federation Wincanton (1865 birds), 1^st, 2^nd, 4^th, 5^th, 6^th, 8^th, 9^th Federation Yeovil (2230 birds), 1^st, 2^nd, 9^th, 14^th, 15^th, 16^th Federation Kingsdown, 15^th Federation Newton Abbot (1625 birds), 23^rd Federation Newton Abbot (1476 birds), 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd, 5^th, 6^th, 7^th, 12^th, 16^th Federation Kingsdown (1321 birds), 14^th, 19^th, 20^th Federation Kingsdown (1090 birds), 14^th Federation Taunton (1080 birds), 23^rd Federation Yeovil. The partner’s brilliant yearling mealy Staf Van Reet widowhood cock won the Federation two weeks on the trot in 2011 and from Kingsdown beat his loft mate on the ETS by only a second. The partnership were runners up for the Three Borders Federation Individual Points Trophy in the 2011 season and won the Three Borders Federation ‘Ken Besant Memorial Trophy’ for ‘best pigeon of the year’ with their good blue cock, ‘Frank’. He recorded to win the championship: 2^nd Federation Kingsdown, 2^nd Federation Yeovil (twice beaten by loft mates), 7^th Federation Wincanton, 14^th Federation Wincanton, 16^th Federation Kingsdown, and 23rd Federation Newton Abbot.

Colin and Andy’s wonderful performances racing in the Three Borders Federation in 2010 were: (OB) 14^th, 18^th Federation Wincanton (1,584 birds), 1^st, 2^nd, 6^th Federation Wincanton (1,916 birds), 25^th Federation West Bay (2,163 birds), 17^th Federation West Bay (2,016 birds), 14^th Federation Exeter (1,135 birds), 2^nd Federation (758 birds), 2^nd SMT Combine Messac, 8^th Federation Kingsdown (1,233 birds), 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th Federation Kingsdown (1,089 birds), (YB) 11^th, 12^th, 13^th, 14^th, 15^th, 16^th, 17^th Federation West Bay (1,292 birds), 1^st Federation (923 birds), 1^st SMT Combine Yelverton. Chris Slight and Trevor Taylor of the Esher club won the SMT Combine from Messac in June 2010 with their champion yearling Staf Van Reet black hen, ‘Non-Returnable’, which was bred by Crook & Iddenden. In the same race Colin and Andy were 2^nd Three Borders Federation, 2^nd open SMT Combine, being beaten by the black hen that they bred and gifted to the partners from Esher. The icing on the cake for Colin and Andy was to win 1^st open SMT Combine from the last and longest young bird race, flown from Yelverton in mid-September and finish off a brilliant season in great style! Their Yelverton SMT Combine winner was their ‘darkness’ Staf Van Reet blue chequer hen, ‘The Combine Hen’, and she was bred from stock birds obtained from Paul Arnold of North Cheam. Her sire is their good dark pied cock, ‘Keith’, and he is a grand son of Paul’s champion breeders, ‘Santa Vos’ and ‘The Guvnor’. She was a member of Crook & Iddenden’s 50 bird strong young bid team in 2010 and had one Federation and the two L&SECC Guernsey races on her build to her Combine win. She was never paired up and flew natural to the perch. A nice twist the story is she was lost off top of the loft when very young and returned home with an orange plastic ring on her leg, just before training started. Colin says he has never taken the ring off and she still wears it today! The partners had so my star birds in the 2010 season it’s a bit hard to pick out individuals, but one must be the widowhood grizzle cock, ‘The Dove’, and he won several premier prizes in 2010 including 2^nd open SMT Combine Messac. A few years ago Paul Arnold brought in some Roland / Janssens pigeons to try and bred Colin a pair of white grizzles. The hen of the nest pair is the dam of ‘The Dove’ and also the grizzle widowhood cock, ‘Dusty’, winner of 1^st Three Borders Federation Wincanton and 1^st South Downs Premier Honiton in 2010. These two brilliant racers have different sires, both being Paul Arnold Staf Van Reets.

Colin Crook and Andy Iddenden, both flew in partnership with their late fathers years ago, with outstanding success. The Crook’s, Colin and his dad Harold, were part the highly successful Crook, Waldron & Martin partnership, which won many premier prizes North Road racing, including 1^st open Combine Thurso and 1^st Federation Berwick. Colin has raced on his own in recent seasons and has won 2^nd open Federation three times. Andy Iddenden has raced in the Esher club for several years, gaining major success, racing in partnership with his late father “Bunny” Iddenden, who was a well-liked and respected fancier. Whenever you competed against the Iddenden’s in racing or the show pen, they were always hard to beat and their best performance was 1st, 2nd, 3rd. open Federation. Because, Colin and Andy are very good friends and both having young families, so lack time for the pigeons, they formed the Crook & Iddenden partnership several season ago, and race in the Esher and South Downs clubs. Colin and Andy started with some outstanding success, by recording 1^st and 6^th open London Federation (806 birds) Blandford, their first young bird event of the 2005 season. Their Federation winner was a natural Staf Van Reet blue pied hen named “Doreen” after Colin’s mother, and she was bred by the premier Surrey fancier, Paul Arnold. “Doreen” was a second round youngster, so didn’t go on the Darkness system. She, with two other young hens were paired to a 19 year old cock, each having two hours with him every day and on the marking day for the Blandford race, all three were let in the section with the cock and left to fight over the nest bowl.

Both the partners enjoy the pigeon shows in the winter months and a few years ago, Colin, had a small team of Show Racers, and bred from pigeons obtained from Doug McClary and Jimmy Fitzpatrick. He was successful, winning firsts at several major shows, but packed them up after a couple of years, because he couldn’t stand the travelling, which it entailed to compete in the big shows. Colin says he is very anti-PMV vaccination and maintains the pigeons should only be jabbed once in their life and that is when they are young birds.

That’s it for this week! Well done to Terry Goodsell for his third Federation winner of the season! Great pigeon racing mate! 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)