“ON THE ROAD” WITH KEITH MOTT”

Three Border Federation (Champions of the 2016 season)

The competition in the Three Borders Federation has been strong and hard in the 2016 season, and once again the mighty Esher & Dist. RPC have come out on top, winning the ‘Federation Points’ Trophy’, with 173 points. The club has won the championship eight times in the last twelve years and this time the runners up were the Spelthorne club, on 161 point. It is common knowledge that the Esher is a very strong club, sending up to 350 birds a week and in most races, short or long, members have to more or less win the Federation to win the club. Needless to say the Esher member’s presence is very strong in the Federation results and they have won 128 racing positions, including nine 1st Federation winners in the 2016 season. A fantastic club performance! The Esher club must rate as one of the premier clubs in the south of England and is dripping with top quality fanciers who are hell bent on winning the Three Borders Federation every weekend. Congratulations to the Esher lads!

The Three Borders Federation winners in the 2016 season were: 1) Derek Reid (Spelthorne) 1st Federation Blandford (1,441 birds): 2) Bob & Danny Carter (Esher) 1st Federation Yeovil (1,462 birds): 3) Bob & Danny Carter (Esher) 1st Federation Honiton (1,405 birds): 4) Paul Arnold (Esher) 1st Federation Exeter (1,197 birds): 5) Mick & Lyn Chaplin (Pyrford) 1st Federation, 1st SMT Combine Falaise (1,591 birds): 6) Alan & John Stoner (Mitcham) 1st Federation Exeter (983 birds): 7) Allen Palmer (Esher) 1st Federation Alencon (575 birds): 8) Bob & Danny Carter (Esher) 1st Federation Kingsdown (816 birds): 9) C. Puddicombe (Guildford) 1st Federation, 1st SMT Combine Blandford (472 birds): 10) Vic & Lou Emberson (Esher) 1st Federation Blandford (731 birds): 11) Dave & Ben Taylor (South Downs) 1st Federation Yelverton (476 birds): 12) Vic & Lou Emberson (Esher) 1st Federation Yeovil (661 birds): 13) Ken Wise (Isleworth) 1st Federation Taunton (693 birds): 14) M/M Graham Evans (Isleworth) 1st Federation Exeter (548 birds): 15) Malik & Khan (Esher) 1st Federation Blandford (1,097 birds): 16) Richard Kent (Spelthorne) 1st Federation Yeovil (1,207 birds): 17) Dave Watson & son (Spelthorne) 1st Federation Blandford (1,110 birds): 18) Ken Wise (Isleworth) 1st Federation Yeovil (769 birds): 19) Malik & Khan (Esher) 1st Federation Blandford  (1,046 birds): 20) Ken Wise (Isleworth) 1st Federation Yeovil (878 birds): 21) Ken Wise (Isleworth) 1st Federation Exeter (651 birds): 22) Ken Wise (Isleworth) 1st Federation Wadebridge (576 birds).

The ‘Federation Individual Points’ Trophy was won in the 2016 season by Ken Wise of the Isleworth  club, with 82 points, and  runners up, with 68 points, was Bob & Danny Carter of the Esher club. Ken has had a brilliant 2016 season, winning the Federation five times, plus many other premier positions, including taking the first nine in the Federation result twice.

Ken Wise races cocks on the widowhood system, being paired up at Christmas and rear one nest of babies before being split from their mates sitting six to eight days on their second round of eggs. They are then on the system being flown out around the loft for one hour every day and are trained two weeks before the first Federation race. They are never trained during the racing season and are raced, including the yearlings, through to Bergerac (458 miles). The cocks are never broken down, being fed twice a day on a first class widowhood mixture and the hens are never shown to the racers on marking nights, just get the nest bowl turned over. The cocks are allowed to go in the nest boxes during the week and perch on the turned over bowl. The time which the cocks get their hens for on their return from the race depends on how hard the fly is and normally this can be for a long time, as Ken is only really interested in racing from France. Although he likes Federation racing with his young birds, the old birds are mostly lined up for the National and Classic event, and repairs his widowhood cocks for the longer races. He keeps 30 pairs of stock birds and these are housed in a separate structure, which is made with two nice spacious lofts with a 12ft aviary in between. The loft is fitted out with the German style up and over nest boxes, with trays for easy cleaning and grilled floors to keep the dreaded dust to a minimum. All the old birds, racers and stock birds are paired up at Christmas and the first round of eggs from the breeders are floated under the race team. He maintains eye sign is rubbish! His method is pair good pigeons to good pigeon and let the basket sort them out. The main family kept is Gaby Vandenbeele from M. & D. Evans, Ray Horton and Dave Hawkins, and told me, ‘my loft now contains 99% Vandenabeele bloodlines and they have been successful since I first introduced them in to my loft in 2004’.

Bobby, Linda and Danny Carter are three of nicest people you will ever meet in the sport of pigeon racing and they enjoyed another great season racing in the Three Borders Federation in 2016. Bobby says he is hard working with his pigeons, but told me recently he owes a lot of his outstanding success in recent seasons to his wife, Linda, his son, Danny and good friend, Ron Keeley, who all also are hard workers for the loft. I have only known Bob Carter a few years, with the first time I met him being when he joined my club the Esher & Dist RPC, with his good friend, Johnny Barrett, and since then they have both set the club on fire with their outstanding performances. The 2008 season saw Bob Carter and partners win the ‘Individual Point Trophy’ in the Three Borders Federation, with Johnny Barrett and his late son, Danny, being third up in the Federation points. Bobby Carter is always the man to look out for in the inland sprint races! Bob enjoys all racing from 80 through to 450 miles and told me his biggest thrill in recent seasons is to see the great grandchildren of his wonderful Champion ‘Rayleigh’ win the Federation. His most thrilling experience was a few years ago, when he raced with Fred Roberts and they flew their young bird team on the darkness system. On one race they had nine birds drop on the loft together, all nine were clocked to take the first nine positions in the West Middlesex Federation and then went on to take first six and the first three positions in the Federation that same season. Through the years Bob has won the Federation countless times!

Three Borders Federation 2016 trophy winners were: ‘Pigeon Fancier Trophy 1’ M/M M Chaplin: ‘Harry Fielding Memorial Trophy’ C. Puddicombe: ‘Harley Challenge Trophy’ D. Taylor & son: ‘Blackwell Rose Bowl’ M/M G. Evans: ‘Cooper Challenge OB Trophy’ A. Palmer & son: ‘Longest Old Bird Race Trophy’ A. Palmer & son: ‘Gazette Perpetual Trophy’ A. Palmer & son: ‘Cooper Challenge YB Trophy’ K. Wise: ‘Heritage Trophy’ K. Wise: ‘Fred Mott Memorial Cup’ A. Palmer & son: ‘Ken Besant Memorial Trophy’ (Best Pigeon of the Year) R. D. Carter & son: ‘A. Knight Trophy’ A. Palmer & son: ‘Pigeon Fancier Trophy 2’ V. Emberson: ‘Sandhurst Trophy’ D. Reid: ‘Falkland Trophy’ K. Wise: ‘F. J. Elliott Trophy’ D. Reid: ‘Federation Rose Bowl 1’ D. Reid: ‘Federation Rose Bowl 2’ (Individual Points) K. Wise: ‘Federation Points Shield’ (Club Points) Esher & District RPC.

Three Borders Federation 2016 average winners were: Old Bird Average: D. Reid, r/u A. Palmer: Old Bird Inland Average: V. Emberson, r/u D. Reid: Old Bird Continental Average: A. Palmer & son, r/u D. Reid: Young Bird Average: K. Wise, r/u R. Kent: Combined Average: D. Reid, r/u A. Palmer & son: Combines Inland Average: D. Reid, r/u K. Wise: Best Average 2 Longest Old Bird Races: A. Palmer & son, r/u D. Reid: Best Average Longest Old Bird & Young Bird: A. Palmer & son, r/u D. Reid.

That’s my lot for this week! Well done to the Esher club members and to Ken Wise on their wonderful success in the 2016 season! I can be contacted with ant pigeon ‘banter’ on telephone number: 01372 463480 or email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

TEXT & PHOTOS BY KEITH MOTT

(www.keithmott.com)