STORIES OF THE CHAMPIONS
Part 4
by Keith Mott
I've had the great pleasure of writing in the pigeon fancy press for almost 45 years and in that time I have visited most of the premier lofts in the United Kingdom. I think it's fair to say that I have handled and inspected more National, Classic and Combine winners than most fanciers. Cameron Stansfield of the Elimar website recently asked me for my top ten pigeons that I have come across in my 45 years visiting premier lofts in the UK and on the Continent. A very hard request to fulfil! I went through thousands of pigeon photographs in my archive files and came up with nearly 80 ‘once in a life time’ champion pigeons. There is probably more in there, but as always, Keith has done his best! This request inspired me to write about some of these great pigeon, so in the coming weeks we are going to feature my ‘Stories of the Champions’, which will feature pictures and the short stories of the history behind the best of the champion pigeons that I have come in contact with in my time in the sport. Over the coming weeks we are featuring the very best of long distance and sprint and one article on world class breeders. I have lined them up in no particular order or preference, as I do not want to offend anybody and I hope my readers enjoy my choices! Here's Part 4.
CH. ‘MISTY LADY’ Terry Haley of Watford
Every season I seem to be reporting on the fantastic racing performances put up by my good ol’ mate, Terry Haley, and the 2014 season has not been the exception. Terry recently retired from work and on becoming an old age pensioner the ‘Watford Wizard’ has taken his pigeon racing to an even higher level of success. At the time of writing this report in late 2013, Terry had won fourteen first prizes, three times 1st Federation, 1st open Combine and lifted the ‘Brooker Gold Cup’ in the London & South East Classic Club for the second year on the trot. I think it is common knowledge that Terry races North and South Road and will send the same pigeons on both roads and win with them. In July 2013 the Inter Counties SR Federation decided to postpone their Minstead young bird race because of a very bad weather forecast for the Saturday and marked the birds on Saturday evening and held the race on the Sunday. Terry sent 12 youngsters to the North Road race from Newark on the Friday night and won 1st, 2nd, 3rd Watford NRFC, 1st, 2nd, 4th, 8th, 9th, 10th Thames Valley NR Federation on the Saturday. He then had the same pigeons re-marked on the Saturday evening and sent them South Road to Minstead. The birds came really well and the ‘Watford Wizard’ recorded 1st Boxmoor club (247 birds), 1st Inter Counties Federation (1,216 birds). Brilliant racing by our Terry!
Terry’s wonderful blue hen, Champion ‘Misty Lady’, must rate as one of the greatest long distance racing pigeons in the UK, when she was alive. The last race ‘Misty Lady’ flew was Thurso (492 miles) and she was the only bird on the day in the Federation, being clocked in darkness at 21.55hrs. Terry retired her after that race at nine years of age, although she still looked and acted like a yearling. As a yearling in 1990 she won 1st club, 1st Thames Valley Federation, 3rd open North Thames NR Combine (2,412 birds) Thurso (492 miles) velocity 980ypm. Just three weeks later she was put back to Thurso and once again won 1st club, 2nd Thames Valley Federation, 2nd open North Thames NR Combine (2,200 birds). In 1992 she was 29th Thames Valley Federation Banff, beaten by five loft mates, all of which figured in the first 20 of the Federation result, with 1,051 birds competing. Three weeks later she was sent back to Thurso and recorded 3rd club, 9th Thames Valley Federation, 39th open North Thames N.R. Combine (1,749 birds) velocity 620ypm, in a south east head wind. This wonderful hen was entered in to Thurso in 1993 but due to bad weather the Combine brought the convoy back to Berwick and after a five day holdover was liberated from the 288 miles race point, and she arrived home late on the day. In 1994 ‘Misty Lady’ won 1st club, 1st Thames Valley Federation, 1st open North Thames NR Combine (1,914 birds) Fraserburgh (419 miles) velocity 1024ypm, in a South West wind. In 1995 she won 4th Club, 29th Thames Valley Federation, 78th North Thames Combine (1,951 birds) Fraserburgh. Then three weeks later went back again to Thurso (492 miles), to win 1st club, 2nd Thames Valley Federation, 8th North Thames Combine (1,613 birds), vel. 822ypm, in a South East head wind. This wonderful hen also won many prizes from the shorter race points, including 1st club Nottingham (91 miles) etc. In the 1996 she recorded 6th Federation, 13th Combine (1,597 birds) Thurso and in 1997, at the age of nine years old, she won in the three longest races: 35th Federation, 80th Combine (3695 birds) Berwick (289 miles), 19th Federation, 42nd Combine (1,708 birds) Stonehaven (372 miles), 1st club, 1st Thames Valley Federation (only bird on the day of liberation in the Federation), 3rd North Thames Combine, 1,832 birds (only four birds home on the day in the Combine). She won all the club and Federation major trophies on her own and also won the London Region and Osman Memorial Trophies in the past seasons. Champion ‘Misty Lady’ is a daughter of Terry’s good blue cock, ‘Gold Dust’, who won on the road: 1st club, 2nd Federation Fraserburgh, 1st club Doncaster and bred many outstanding racers including ‘The Lerwick Cock’. This brilliant cock was half-brother to ‘Misty Lady’ and won 1989: 2nd club, 3rd Federation Thurso (loft mate won the Federation), 1991: 1st club, 1st Federation, 4th open Combine Lerwick, 1992: 1st club, 2nd Federation, 3rd open Combine Lerwick. A wonderful family of long distance racers! Terry tells me ‘Misty Lady’ won in different nest conditions, but thinks she was at her best sitting 14 to 17 day old eggs. This champion hen was the dam of many outstanding winners and grand dam of many premier racers including ‘Miss Ripple’, ‘The 34 Hen’ and Terry Robinson’s of Cheshunt 2nd open London N.R. Combine Berwick in 2001.
CH. ‘MOTIVATOR’ Terry Robinson of Goff’s Oak
My good friend, Terry Haley, arranged a mini loft tour of Hertfordshire for me in August 2013, with the view to doing some articles and our first visit was the ultra-successful loft of Terry Robinson. Terry has been in the sport nearly 50 years and has had big winner at all distances on both North and South roads. Terry resides at Gary Ross Farm and has lived in Goff’s Oak for 16 years, and owns a very nice house set in several wonderful acres of land. He finished North Road and started South Road racing about six years ago when he introduced long distance stock from Brian Denney and Chris Gordon, but the main family raced is his original Busschaerts with different cross introduced through the years. He like all racing from 80 through to 600 miles, but gets his real buzz from long distance National and Classic races.
Terry has won it all through his years in the sport, but in the early days was the first fancier to win two Combine races on the trot on the North Road. In 1992 Terry won the ‘Tommy Long Cup’ and in those days, he told me, you had to beat 22,000 birds to win that wonderful North Road trophy. The winners were ‘Blue Hawk’ 1st open Combine Thurso (500 miles), ‘The Kestrel Cock’ 1st open Combine Stonehaven and ‘Sparrow Hawk’ 5th open Combine (10,000 birds). His best pigeon was the great champion ‘Motivator’ and this handsome blue chequer cock won the London NR Combine ‘Order of Merit Award’, and won a long list of premier positions including: 2nd open Combine Stonehaven, 4th open Combine Thurso (500 miles), 25th open Combine Berwick, 4th open Combine Thurso for a second time and was 1st open London Federation (twice). Terry says ‘Motivator’s’ best performance was when he was clocked after 16 hours on the wing from Thurso (500miles) in a south east wind, with only five birds clocked on the day and he recorded 4th open Combine. A fantastic pigeon!
CH. ‘BULLET’ Rod & Angela Berry of New Milton
Rod Berry lived in Ashford and was one of the premier fanciers in the Middlesex area before moving to New Milton eight years ago. He has taken his winning ways to Hampshire, winning countless firsts and has won five times 1st Section in Classic and National races, 1st, 2nd, 3rd Solent Federation Carentan (2,500 birds) and with young birds in the 2013 season won four times 1st club, and 1st Solent Federation Exeter (2,300 birds). His best pigeon is the Janssen blue chequer widowhood cock, ‘Scare’ and he has scored from France 13 times, including 1st section BBC Vire (north east wind), 1st section CSCFC Carentan, winning over £3,000 and is the sire of winners. He is from a brilliant line of winners, with his sire, ‘Merlin’, winning: 3rd open Combine Bergerac, 1st club Tours (only bird on the day of liberation), 1st club Nantes (twice) and 1st club Exeter.
Since starting up in pigeon racing in 1968, Rod had won the Federation at every stage up to Bergerac (450 miles) on the south road and every stage up to Thurso (510 miles) on the north road, racing to the Ashford loft. One of his best performances in Ashford was in 1992 when his ace blue Cattrysse cock ‘Top Gun’ won 1st Section E, 3rd open NFC Pau (550 miles). He raced 17 years on the north road and won the Federation from Thurso (510 miles) twice and for one win there were only two birds home on the day of liberation in the Federation. The Berry loft turned south road in 1986 and straight away was top prize winner in the very strong Ashford Club for seven years on the trot. Rod has won the Federation many times on the south road, including the longest old bird race from Bergerac. The majority of Rod's Cattrysse pigeons were bred down from a son of De Draaier and a grandson of Figaro, both bred by the late, great Gerard Cattrysse. The best of Rod's early champions were: Champion ‘Bullet’, a grandson of De Draaier, bred by his late father in law, Eric Matthews in 1969 and he was put on the widowhood system as a two year old, and that's when Rod's racing career really took off. ‘Bullet’ won ten times 1st club and three times 1st Federation and many other premier positions. He was only sent into Scotland once (Perth 346 miles) and won it. ‘All Alone’ was a blue hen bred by Rod in 1970 down from Figaro and she won 1st club, 1st Federation, 2nd open Combine Thurso; 1st club, 6th Federation Weatherby and other top positions. On retirement ‘All Alone’ and ‘Bullet’ were sold to a top fancier in the Midlands.
CH. ‘BILL’S PRIDE’ Bill Bearder & son of Nottingham
Next we are featuring the North Road Championship Club Lerwick and Fraserburgh winning loft of Bill Bearder and son of Nottingham. The NRCC was founded in 1901, basically to fly Lerwick, and the Kings Cup was presented to the club by King George V. Fanciers have to fly over 475 miles from Lerwick to get in the NRCC which has a very strong membership of 600 lofts, with eight sections, 30 clock stations and six marking stations, the main one being in Grantham. The club races a four-race programme each season, with the highlight being the Lerwick National.
The Nottinghamshire partnership of Bill Bearder & son have been premier flyers in the North Road Champion Club for many years and the 2012 season saw them win the North Road National from Fraserburgh. They handsome blue cock ‘Mozzy’ flew over 328 miles and beat 2,286 birds take 1st open National. Bill has recorded many good winners through the years and of course his best being his NRCC ‘King’s Cup’ winner from Lerwick in 2004. His winning pigeon was his champion barless mealy hen, ‘Bill’s Pride’ and she is bred from the very best Van Wildemeersch bloodlines, with a slight cross in her. This natural hen won Lerwick sitting 14 day old eggs and at the start of that season was laid up with a badly knocked wing. Bill told me it was looking doubtful that she would go to Lerwick in 2004, but she had four races, including 12 hours out of Perth and proved that she had got over the knock. She has a wonderful racing record: 2000 (young bird): 5th club Ripon, 4th Northallerton, 2001: 1st club Thurso, 3rd club Northallerton, 2002: 5th club Thurso, 3rd club Ripon, 2003: 88th open NRCC Lerwick, 1st club Lerwick, 2004: 1st open NRCC Lerwick, 1st club Lerwick, 2005: 39th open NRCC Lerwick, 1st club Lerwick, and won the North Road Championship Club Certificate of Merit. A fantastic hen! ‘Bill’s Pride’ has bred many winners including the good mealy cock, winner of 1st club, 5th Federation. She is the grand dam of one of Bill’s best racers, ‘The Mosaic Cock’, which was the 2007 ‘Bird of the Year’ in the Ruddington F.C. and has won twice 1st, twice 2nd and three times 3rd in the club, and 5th Federation (886 birds), 14th Federation (1173 birds), 15th Federation (1021 birds) and 8th open Amalgamation (2206 birds). ‘Bill’s Pride’ a great racing and breeding hen!
CH. ‘KEZIE’ Frank & George Bristow of Horbling
I first visited Frank Bristow’s home in Lincolnshire in the mid-1990’s and he was a fantastic pigeon racer then, but in recent years he has taken his performances to the very top level, and must be rated as one of the premier fanciers in the UK today. My good friend, Brian Goodwin, is a regular visitor to the Horbling loft, being a good friend of Frank’s over many years and Brian recently asked me if I would like to come and meet Frank again. The month of December saw Brian and myself make the 150 mile drive up to Frank’s home in Lincolnshire to see his fantastic loft and pigeons, and what a great day out it was. In my 45 years as a pigeon racing writer I have visited thousands of lofts all over the UK and I must say Frank’s wonderful double decker loft is one of the best set ups I have visited. It really is something special!
Frank likes to race at all distances, sprint, middle and long distance, and told me, winning the NRCC “The King’s Cup” from Lerwick is his best performance to date. The best performances are his NRCC Lerwick win with a velocity of 1100ypm and winning 1st open MNFC from Lessay doing 2260ypm, the fastest ever MNFC winner. Frank has won countless 1st Federations through the years on both the North and South Road and is one of very few fanciers who have won National races on both the North and South routes. His wonderful blue chequer cock, Champion ‘Kezie’, won 1st open NRCC Lerwick (503 miles) in 2008, winning “The King’s Cup” and the RPRA East Midlands Long Distance Award. ‘Kezie’ was bred by Barnes & Burrows and when I handled him in Frank’s stock loft he was super, with an apple body and wonderful feather. He is now breeding premier 500 mile winners at stock and is the grandsire of Frank & George’s 2014 1st open MNFC ‘Blue Riband’ Bordeaux winner, ‘Brigitte Bordeaux’. A wonderful pigeon!
CH. ‘UNIQUE LADY’ Mooney & Kirkman of Lincolnshire
We had a loft tour of Lincolnshire in late 1998 and the first loft we looked at on that trip was the home of ‘Unique Lady’ the champion blue hen that had was the only bird on the day of liberation to win 1st open North Road Champion Club Saxa Vord in 1998. This hen was the talk of the sport at that time because Saxa Vord was new and further than Lerwick! The proud owners of this great hen were Mickey Mooney and Keith Kirkman, who at that time had been in partnership four seasons with outstanding success. The partners named their wonderful Van Winkel / Van Bosche hen ‘Unique Lady’ because she was the first to be only bird on the day in the NRCC from that race point. This hen certainly displayed class, being medium appled bodied in the hand, with wonderful eye and feathering. She was sent to Saxa Vord (540 miles) sitting 14 day old eggs and was clocked at 21.11hrs after 14 hours 11 minutes on the wing to win 1st open NRCC, plus an RPRA Award. She was also 76th open NRCC Saxa Vord in 1997, sent sitting 15 day old eggs. A fantastic hen! She was put to stock after her NRCC win and bred several premier racers for Mooney & Kirkman and others.
CH. ‘TOM THUMB’ Vic Shaw of Harlow
At the time I visited Vic Shaw in the mid-1990’s, he owned probably one of the best pigeons in London, in the form of Champion 'Tom Thumb', a blue chequer Janssen widowhood cock. Prior to my visit to Vic's loft I had heard so much about this little rocket, which had won nine times 1st club, six times 1st Federation and 1st Open London NR Combine Berwick (8,000 birds). 'Tom Thumb' liked races up to 250 miles and was bred from Janssen pigeons obtained from Len Hopton of Wolverhampton. A fantastic champion!
Vic raced with his father as a teenager and started on his own over 40 years ago. He has won 1st Open London NR Combine three times, 2nd Open twice and said at the time that his best performance was when his great hen, 'Boadicea', was the only bird on the day in the London NR Combine from 500 miles. This wonderful blue chequer Janssen hen was raced on the natural system and was bred from a long line of distance winners. Vic liked races over 200 miles and had at that time won 1st Federation over 35 times. While I was in Vic's very smart 24ft widowhood loft, he showed us his good blue chequer Wildemeersch cock, 'The Frill', which had won 2nd Open London NR Combine (3,000 birds) with only two birds home on the day. He was from a long line of excellent racers and his sire had also bred a 1st Open London NR Combine winner. 'The Frill' was a very small pigeon, even smaller than Champion 'Tom Thumb'. The main family kept is the Hopton-based Janssen and most of the stock birds were retired champion racers. Vic raced North Road for 27 years and in that time won the London NR Combine five time, also five times 2nd open and he won the coveted ‘Thomas Long Trophy’ five times. I still bump into retired taxi driver, Vic Shaw, at the BHW Blackpool Show and he is now racing South Road in partnership with his grandson, Andrew and is still at the highest level in the sport. The 2014 season saw the partners win 1st open British Barcelona Club Bordeaux with their champion widowhood cock, ‘Trigger’. Congratulations to Vic and Andrew!
Well that’s it for this week, next time we are to feature some exceptional Combine winning pigeons. I can be contacted with any 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)
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