STORIES OF THE CHAMPIONS
Part 10
by Keith Mott
CH. ‘TUFF NUT’ Brian & Thelma Denney Strensall.
Champion ‘Tuff Nut’ was the champion of the champions, being a wonderful long distance racer and then when he was retired to the stock loft he bred his like many time over. A once in a life time pigeon! This wonderful dark white flight cock was bred by David Harrison, in the North West of England, from the very best Brian Denney and Van Bruane blood lines. ‘Tuff Nut’ was the latest champion to bless the Yorkshire loft of Brian Denney, in the wake of a surge of wonderful long distance champions over the years, that have kept the loft at the top of the Pau National results since the 1960’s. ‘Tuff Nut’ recorded 1st section K, 5th open NFC Pau, flying 738 miles to his loft in York, which must be rated as one of the best performance in the Pau Grand National ever. There was only one game pigeon clocked on the south coast on the day, from the NFC Pau race and ‘Tuff Nut’ was clocked next day to record 5th open, flying 738 miles, with north in the wind. A brilliant performance! He also recorded 6th open Northern Classic Saintes, flying 573 miles on the day of liberation. A true long distance champion!
Some say that Brian Denney’s Pau Grand National performance in the 2002 season, when he recorded 1st section K. 5th open, was one of the best performances of all time in the National Flying Club. John Ayling had the only bird on the day of liberation, in the form of his fantastic champion, ‘Home Alone’, and Brian clocked his dark white flight cock, ‘Tuff Nut’, on the second day, flying 738 miles, with north in the wind, to record 5th open. When I asked Brian about his wonderful pigeon he smiled and said, ‘That was a great day when we saw him coming from the Pau National and I knew that only one bird had been clocked on the night flying 519 miles. It must have given John Ayling the thrill of a lifetime to clock the only bird on the day in the Pau Grand National. ‘Tuff Nut’ had been clocked from Saintes, 573 miles on the day, flying 15 hours, in the 2000 season and from Pau I hoped that he had made it into England on the night, but that’s one thing we will never know. After clocking him from Pau, he soon showed plenty of interest in his mate, so I knew he was right and when I phoned Sid Barkel to verify him I was told ‘Tuff Nut’ was the first bird clocked in Section K. Only four birds had beaten him with 4,085 birds competing and the fact that he had flown 738 miles on two hard days and still up with the leaders made me feel very proud of my pigeon. Not long after the race, Bill Harris, the N.F.C. president, phoned to congratulate me on ‘Tuff Nut’s’ performance, which was very nice and for days after the phone never stopped ringing from fanciers with good wishes, from all over the U.K. The icing on the cake was the N.F.C. prize presentation in Blackpool when my fellow fanciers acknowledged ‘Tuff Nut’s’ wonderful performance. Champion ‘Tuff Nut’ won 1st RPRA Region Long Distance Award and 2nd RPRA UK Long Distance Champion for his wonderful performance.
Champion ‘Tuff Nut’ was retired to the stock loft after a wonderful racing career and paired to the very best at Brian Denney’s loft, he became world famous for being the breeder of many long distance champions. The list of premier racers bred through this great pigeon is very long, but the main ones were: ‘Northern Lady’: The Denney’s first two birds were on the clock within three minutes from the 2009 NFC Tarbes National, with the 1st section K, 3rd open winner being the five year old widowhood blue chequer hen, ‘Northern Lady’, and she has previously won 6th section K, 217th open NFC Tarbes. She was a daughter of the sire of the Brian’s loft, when mated to ‘Brian’s Prize’ winner of 4th open Northern Classic Saintes, being clocked at 573 miles on the day of liberation, and ‘Northern Lady’ is a full sister to the champion breeding hen, ‘Dark Jan’. Two champion grandsons of ‘Tuff Nut’, both being bred out of ‘Dark Jan’ were Champion ‘Dark Charm’, winner of 1st section K, 5th open NFC Tarbes (748 miles) in 2007 and Champion ‘Dark Dancer’ the winner of: 2009: 1st section K, 4th open NFC Fougeres, 2nd section K, 4th open NFC Tarbes, and previously won 6th section K, 27th open NFC Tarbes, 4th section K, 208th open NFC Tarbes, 4th section K NFC Fougeres. These two cocks were a nest pair and both won 1st section K in the National Flying Club. An absolutely fantastic performance!
CH. ‘NATRIX’ Jim Biss of Brundall.
I was very sad hear the bad news of Jim Biss's passing, I think the sport of pigeon racing has lost one of it's greatest fanciers! I met him at his “Hillside” lofts in the mid 1990's when we were making a “Many Miles with Mott” video on fanciers in Norfolk and found him to be a perfect gentleman. I think Jim Biss was a “man's man” and was a great man to talk too about long distance pigeon racing, having a brilliant life time record, which was second to none. Jim was an original member of the British International Championship Club and gave it his full support in the 27 years, since it was formed in 1978. I think I'm right in stating he won the BICC twenty times, including 15 times 1st open Marseille and lifted the 2 bird average several times. He won 1st open NFC Pau Grand National and in partnership with Tony Waite, they won 1st open British Barcelona Club Palamos and 1st open NFC Saintes. A wonderful record put up by one of our greatest champions!
It was the weekend before the 1996 Pau Grand National when I visited the Jim's fantastic pigeon set up, at his home in Brundall near Norwich . His racing record in National, Classic and Federation events has been well documented through his 70 years in the sport, winning 1st. open countless times. Jim started up in 1936 and the best performance that came to mind, he said was the 1993 Pau N.F.C. race, when he was 1st, 2nd and 7th open, plus several other useful positions. The 1993 Pau National had 5,427 birds entered and Jim's 1st open winner was the blue widowhood cock, “Vend”, which had also flown the 646 miles from Pau the previous season, which was a very bad race. A few minutes after clocking “Vend”, Jim recorded the dark chequer cock “Turban” to take 2nd open Pau, and this great pigeon's previous form in distance Nationals was outstanding. We handled these two great champions when we looked at Jim's team of breeders in his wonderful stock lofts, which housed 70 pairs.
Jim Biss owned many world class long distance champions in his life time, but it is my opinion that his wonderful Champion ‘Natrix’ was one of his greatest. He recorded 1985: 220th open NFC Pau (645 miles), 1986: 1st open National Marseilles (670 miles), 1987: 1st open National Marseilles, ‘Gold Wing’ winner, 1st EECC Orleans, 1988: 1st open National Marseilles, Enhanced ‘Gold Wing’ winner. ‘Natrix’ competed only three times from Marseilles National and won all three by over a day in advance of the next pigeon and was twice 1st International pigeon over the distance of 1,050km and once 2nd International from that distance. His sire was ‘Magna’ who was bred down from ‘Fellow’ and ‘Black Velvet’ the winner of 1st open National Perpignan and his dam was down from the great ‘Knightsdale Lady’ and the National winner, ‘Digit’. ‘Natrix’ proved to be a great breeder and in the stock loft produce many premier long distance racers. He was the sire of: ‘Yabber’ winner of, 1997: 10th open National Marseilles, 1998: 2nd open National Marseilles, 1999: 6th open National Marseilles, ‘Botham’ winner of 1999: 4th open National Marseilles. ‘Natrix’ was the grand sire of ‘York’ winner of 1997: 1st open National Marseilles, 1998: 3rd open National Marseilles, 1999: 7th open National Marseilles, ‘Bassi’ 1998: 1st open National Marseilles, 1st International Marseilles long distance award (19,968 birds), 1999: 3rd open National Marseilles, ‘Zimbiss’ the winner of 1st open National Palamos (two hours ahead) in 1998. Champion ‘Natrix’ another of out all-time greats!
CH. ‘KNIGHTSDALE LADY’ Reg Churchill of Weymouth.
‘Knightsdale Lady’ was bred in 1966 and was the winner of six consecutive prizes from Palamos (657 miles). She also won an RPRA South West Region Meritorious Award and Gold Medal, plus the Lt. Col. Osman Memorial Trophy and was retired to the stock loft in 1973. Her fantastic racing record was: 1973: 1st section, 1st open BBC Palamos (657 miles), 1971: 6th open BBC Palamos (657 miles), 1970: 10th open BBC Palamos (657 miles), 1969: 15th open BBC Palamos (657 miles), 1968: 17th open BBC Palamos (657 miles), 1972: 57th open BBC Palamos (657 birds), 1967: 3rd club (only three birds on the day), 10th Dorset Federation, 11th Wessex Combine La Reole (450 miles). She was sold to the Norfolk loft of Jim Biss, where she became a prolific breeder and when she stopped laying, Jim gave her back to Reg Churchill, and so she could finish her days at her home loft in Weymouth. There were several of Jim Biss’ champions that had ‘Knightsdale Lady’ in their pedigree, including Champion ‘Natrix’, the winner of: 1986 1st open BICC Marseilles, 1987 1st open BICC Marseille, 1988 1st open BICC Marseille. The wonderful ‘Knightsdale Lady’, one of our greatest long distance champions of all time in the UK!
CH. ‘CULMER BEAUTY’ Eric & Pat Cannon of Godalming.
‘Culmer Beauty’ wasn’t one of Eric Cannon’s most famous champions, but she was certainly one of his very best racers in the 1970’s, flying in the Pau National team with the brilliant, ‘Culmer Blue Bird’. In my time in the sport I have heard of many pigeons that have scored five times in the NFC Pau Grand National and four of those positions being in first hundred on the open result, but ‘Beauty’ did. This wonderful hen recoded 26th, 32nd, 46th, 68th, 384th open NFC Pau and was a gift pigeon to Pat from N. Nelmes, and I remember she was a very good handling pigeon, being appled bodied, with great feathering. White pied pigeons weren’t really Eric’s ‘cup of tea’, but ‘Beauty’ was very special and he had some very good grizzles in his time, including ‘St. Swithin’ winner of 1st London SR Combine Bordeaux and his daughter, ‘Julie Girl’, winner of 2nd Federation Bournemouth, 11th Federation Bournemouth, 23rd, 67th, 83rd, 177th open NFC Pau. ‘Beauty’ bred some very good Pau racers for the Cannon loft and she was the grand dam of the 1977 bred white pied cock, ‘Culmer Brian Boru’, winner 2nd section, 19th open NFC Avranches young bird National. This performance from Avranches completed the trio of performance to win the ‘Langstone Gold Cup’ for Eric and Pat in 1977. The Cannon loft won four NFC Pau ‘Merit Awards’ presented to pigeons that score three times in the first hundred in the open Pau Grand National results. If this award started a few years earlier, ‘Culmer Blue Bird’, ‘Culmer Beauty’ and ‘Culmer Julie Girl’ would have won the ‘Merit Award’, making it seven for the Eric Cannon loft.
CH. ‘FAVORI’ Jean-Marie Duqueny of France.
Jim Biss purchased Champion ‘Favori’ at great expense to add to his wonderful stock team of the very best long distance champions and at that time he rated him as one of the best pigeons in the world. When I visited Jim’s ‘Hillside Lofts’ at Brundall in 1996 I was amazed at his wonderful loft set up and he allowed me to handle most of his premier breeders in his stock loft, which had big, spacious flights kitted out with showers for the inmates to bath in. The stock loft was very luxurious, fit for a king, but the king ‘Favori’ wasn’t house there! After looking at the stock and race birds Jim took me to an old garden shed erected on the corn of the lawn, which looked like it housed the mower and ‘Favori’ was in there with several hens. Although he was getting in years he handled well and was perfect in the hand. ‘Favori’ bred his like at ‘Hillside Lofts’, producing many premier races and was the great grandsire of Champion ‘Vend’ winner of 1st open NFC Pau Grand National in 1993. ‘Favori’s’ sire was ‘Hovaert’, brother to ‘Super Crack’ three time 1st National and these two brothers were responsible for 40 National and International winners.
Champion ‘Favori’ won: 1984: 27th Tours, 22nd open National Pau, 338th open Nation Pau, 29th open National Lourdes, 289th open International Lourdes, 28th open National Perpignan, 370th International Perpignan, 1985: 245th Bourges, 27th Argenton, 37th open National Pau, 202nd open International Pau, 1st open National Lourdes, 7th open International Lourdes, 48th open National Perpignan, 814th open International Perpignan, 1986: 171st Tours, 83rd Poitiers, 12th open National Pau, 51st open International Pau, 9th open National Lourdes, 151st open International Lourdes, 1st open National Perpignan, 8th open International Perpignan, 15th Sourterraine, 1987: 157th Bourges, 169th open National Pau, 908th open International Pau, 5th open National Lourdes, 44th open International Lourdes, 1st open National Perpignan, 26th open International Perpignan. ‘Favori’ was the ‘Gold Wing’ winner in 1986. A world class performance!
Jim Biss said at the time, ‘Favori’ is consided by many to be the outstanding pigeon of his generation. Apart from winning at the distance this racing machine won in short 50 mile events. In 1986 he was to win the coveted ‘Gold Wing’ award and was thrice winner of the 1st ‘Ace Pigeon’ in the Font Club Franco-Belge from 1984 to 1986. In this club the best Belgian fancier compete against the best French fanciers. He was the best International racer during the years 1984 / 87. Each year he flew Pau, Lourdes and Perpignan. At the end of the 1984 season he was put into three sprints and scored three wins, winning an excessive amount of pool money. The world has never seen another bird as good as ‘Favori’ and in all probability never will again. ‘Favori’ has no equal as a National racer. He won three firsts at National level against the best of France’.
This week’s ‘Stories of the Champions’ features some of the very best all-time greats of long distance pigeon racing! I can be contacted with any pigeon ‘banter’ 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.keith mott.com)