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A TRIBUTE TO DAVE DELEA OF RAINHAM by Keith Mott - 29-04-24

A TRIBUTE TO DAVE DELEA OF RAINHAM.

I was very sad to receive a text today telling that the premier long distance pigeon racer, Dave Delea of Essex passed away at the age of 84 on Wednesday the 24th April. Dave was a lovely man who I really enjoyed meeting up with and as everybody knows he was one of the best long distance pigeon racers in the UK. The pigeon racing sport has lost one of it’s great champions! Sincere condolences from us all to Dave’s wife and family. 

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Dave Delea's record in long distance National racing, through his many years in the sport, must be described as fantastic, winning 1st open N.F.C. Pau in 1989 and six times 1st open British International Championship Club. His six wins in the B.I.C.C. were: 1979: 1st open Narbonne, 1985: 1st open Lourdes, 1991: 1st open Barcelona, 1993: 1st open Barcelona, 1997: 1st open Dax and 2015: 1st open Barcelona. A wonderful record!

I visited the Rainham home of Dave Delea in the early 1990's and at that time I thought, his family of long distance pigeons must rate as one of the best in Great Britain. During my visit Dave showed me a stack of National Flying Club prize cards, with the pride of place given to his 1st open N.F.C. Pau 1989 diploma, won by his champion blue hen, ‘Greenacres Florence’. This great hen was the first yearling to win the Pau National, beating 5,378 birds, in only the second race of her life. She was bred from a long line of outstanding channel racing pigeons, with her sire being the old man of the loft, ‘Oscar’, winner of 1st club Chartres , 7th British International Pau , 8th open B.I.C.C. Pau and was a champion stock cock. Sire of, ‘Oscar’, was ‘Blue 17’, winner of 1st open B.I.C.C. Narbonne (601 miles), winning this race as a yearling and was the sire of G. Hunt's 1986 British International Pau winner. Dave's loft was awash with class and the winners went on and on, with winners breeding winners. At that time Dave's wife, Helen, was very interested in the birds and always helped out in the garden and lofts. She was very good at keeping his records and pedigrees in order on her computer.

As a lad of seven years old, Dave noticed a kit of pigeons flying around near his home at the same time every evening. One day a stray dropped in his garden and this was the start of over 50 years in the racing pigeon fancy. All his first pigeons were obtained from top local fanciers, at 10 shillings (50p.) each. He first started racing in the Rainham P.C. Dave and his brother, Paul, were both outstanding Rugby and Football players as boys and both became “ace” pigeon fliers. Paul Delea won 1st open British International Championship Club from Barcelona in 1996. Most of Dave's first birds were obtained from J. M. Montgomery and Gerald McAllister, both from Rainham and they started to win from day one. Dave told me, his first loft and his present one were very similar, with plenty of fresh air, dry, a good roof overhang and a vent along the top at the back. He maintained the main factors behind good loft design are dryness, plenty of fresh air and space for the inmates. RIP Dave Delea.

Keith Mott (28th April 2024)