A TRIBUTE TO TONY SWAIN OF DORCHESTER

It is with great sadness and shock that I’m writing this tribute on Tony Swain of Dorchester. He has had some bad health problems in recent weeks, resulting in him having several stays in hospital

and passed away on Tuesday 13th December. I was at his new loft set up in Dorchester only a couple of months ago and he looked so fit and well. What a smashing man he was and a great pigeon racer. Condolences from me to his wife, Elaine and his family at this very sad time.

I visited Tony’s loft in Dorchester and he describes his set up as ‘eco’, with the lofts being very basic and set in a very rural area of Dorset. We went out of the back door of the Swain’s farm type house

and had the walk 100 yards through a field containing pigs, sheep and chickens, too reach his lofts, which were sited against the back brick wall of the village church. Tony was a long distance enthusiast

and had won many prizes through the years from all the main race points including, Barcelona, Pau and Tarbes. One of Tony’s best pigeons in recent years was his good blue chequer cock, ‘Reliable’, and his wonderful performances must give him a champion status, winning: 2009: 1st Weydor SFC, 1st section, 87th open NFC Tarbes 529 miles (3,808 birds): 2010: 6th Weydor SFC, 20th section,

56th open CSCFC Tarbes (606 birds): 2011: 1st Weydor SFC, 4th section, 401st open NFC Tarbes (3,290 birds), 1st Weydor SFC, 3rd section, 18th open BBC Bordeaux 410 miles (935 birds),

1st Weydor SFC, 2nd section, 263rd open NFC Saintes 352miles (4,131 birds). He was a good friend of Tony and Mary at the Ponderosa UK Stud and won some good prizes with their stock.

The Ponderosa UK Stud has a long list of top winners with their bloodlines over many years and one of the latest was put up by Tony Swain in the 2014 racing season.

He recorded 1st open Central Southern Classic Flying Club Yearling Derby from Messac with his good blue hen ‘Elaine’ and she was bred at the Stud, from their Ad Schaerlaeckens bloodlines.

As a young bird in 2013, ‘Elaine’ flew her first race from Mangotsfield on the north road and a week later flew Guernsey on the south road with Central Southern Classic Flying Club.

This game little hen was one of a small batch of youngsters obtained from the Ponderosa UK Stud and she has won several prizes, with the highlights being: 1st open CSCFC Yearling Derby Messac,

10th section, 22nd open CSCFC Messac (2641 birds).

I met up with Tony for a second time on my visit to the Ponderosa in September 2016 and he was in the process of moving his lofts to a new field in Dorchester. Elaine’s horse was stabled there

and Tony kept a few sheep in the field next door. He had enjoyed a good 2016 season with two widowhood cocks in particular: ‘95446’: 1st Weydor SFC, 11th section, 37th open CSCFC Pau (519 miles),

1st Weydor SFC, 3rd section, 132nd open NFC Tarbes (528 miles): ‘22383’: 1st Weydor SFC, 2nd section, 10th open BBC Coutances, 4th Weydor SFC, 28th section, 46th open BBC Messac, 3rd Weydor SFC,

31st section, 131st open CSCFC Fougeres, 2nd Weydor SFC, 13th section, 44th open NFC Messac, 4th Weydor SFC, 12th section, 337th open NFC Saintes. Wonderful pigeon racing by a great fancier.

KEITH MOTT (DECEMBER 2016)