STORIES OF THE CHAMPIONS
Part 3
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 3.
CH. ‘HIGHTOWER DARREN’S BOY’ Derik & Anne Nordon of Langholm
One of the premier lofts in Scotland over many seasons must be that of Derik & Anne Nordon, with brilliant performances in the SNFC, including 1st Open twice. I first visited the Langholm loft in the spring of 1997, while on a “Many Miles with Mott” video tour of Cumbria and Scotland and was very impressed from the outset with Derik's pigeons and loft set-up. At that time Derik had played Accordion in a dance band for many years and during the day worked in an engineering workshop, with one of his workmates being the ace pigeon racer, Ralston Graham.
He first won the SNFC in 1996 from Sartilly with his good mealy widowhood hen, ‘Anne's Delight’, and she flew the National in 10 hours 44 minutes against a north-east wind. This game hen was a Gilbertson / Van Bruaene and the Sartilly National was only the sixth race of her life. Her sire was the wonderful mealy cock; ‘Hightower Darren’s Boy’ and he flew Rennes with the SNFC six times on the day, for six years on the trot. Other premier racers at the Langholm loft were: ‘Champion Anniversary Girl’, blue hen, 1999: 1st Open Rennes SNFC (2,862birds),490 miles. This great hen won over £1,000 and two gold awards for winning five times from the Channel: ‘Danny Boy’, a blue cock, a champion in the truest sense of the word, winning: 1999: 2nd Open Rennes SNFC (2,865 birds); 65th Open Frome SNFC (4,005 birds); 1998: 5th Open Rennes SNFC (3,019 birds); 1997: 9th Open Rennes SNFC (3,269 birds); 38th Open Frome SNFC (3,272 birds) and over £7,000. A brilliant loft of national racers!
One of Derik’s best pigeons, of all time, is his champion Kirkpatrick mealy cock, ‘Hightower Darren’s Boy’ and he was bred down from the Tommy Gilbertson and Bobby Carruthers bloodlines. This wonderful pigeon won many positions racing, but the longest SNFC race from Rennes was his main event each season, flying Rennes (490 miles) six times on the day of liberation and winning:1989: 150th open SNFC Rennes, 1990: 10th open SNFC Rennes, 1991: 97th open SNFC Rennes, 1992: 186th open SNFC Rennes, 1993: 36th open SNFC Rennes. A fantastic racing record! He was named after Derik and Anne’s first grandson, Darren, and his brother was the mealy cock, ‘Hightower Jamie’, and he was named after their other grandson, Jamie. ‘Hightower Jamie’ was also a top racer, winning: 52nd open SNFC Rennes, 157th open SNFC Rennes and 1st section, 2nd open SNFC Rennes (490 miles), the day when Dal Newcombe won the National race. ‘Hightower Darren’s Boy’ died at 22 years of age, after many years breeding winners in the Nordon stock loft and was the sire of Champion ‘Anne’s Delight’ winner of 1st open SNFC Sartilly. ‘Hightower Darren’s Boy’ a once in a life time pigeon!
CH. ‘CULMER BLUE BIRD' Eric & Pat Cannon of Godalming
'Blue Bird' was my favorite of all Eric Cannon's many champions. She was a perfect long distance type of pigeon in the hand, with wonderful feathering and was a great champion racer and breeder. She was a double 1st section A winner from the Pau Grand National, recording 6th, 28th, 57th, 118th, 251st open Pau NFC (540 miles) and if the Pau Merit Award had started a few years earlier she would have won it. She also recorded 247th open Nantes NFC and 98th open Young Bird National. 'Blue Bird' bred many premier long distance pigeons and was the grand dam of Eric's top hen `Culmer Lass', winner of many premier positions including 1st open SMT Combine Bergerac (440 miles), only bird on the day of liberation in the combine; 1st section A, 12th open Pau NFC (540 miles). ‘Culmer Lass’ was also a great breeder and was the grand dam of Champion ‘Marion’, winner of 1st NFC Sartilly for Eric Cannon. 'Blue Bird' was half-sister to the Cannon's champion, `Culmer Lady', winner of 26th, 27th, 48th, 135th, 140th open Pau NFC, lifting the NFC Pau Merit Award, both being daughters of the premier stock hen, 'The Wood Hen', a daughter of Mr. Wood of Horsham's, 'Pride of Sussex', a big NFC winner. The great ‘Blue Bird’ was one my favorite champions of all time! 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. ‘RANSDEAN RELIANCE’ - Adrian Human of Petersfield
Adrian Human is from a very successful pigeon racing family, with his father, Derek Human, being a recent NFC Tarbes winner and his grandfather also being a very good fancier many years ago. Adrian was born in Alton, Hampshire and told me, ‘I have been around pigeons all my life, going to various pigeon events with my father, such as Reading Cattle Market in the days when you queued for one to two hours for NFC race marking. In those early days I thought pigeon racing was easy, how wrong I was’. Adrian races his birds on natural and pairs up the first sunny weekend in February, with his race birds choosing their own mate. Training starts the second week in April, usually from Hayling Island, about 15 miles south of the loft, moving to the New Forest about 30 miles down the road and sometimes the birds are singled up. His Palamos birds are usually singled up late in the evening at around 8pm. Adrian feeds ‘PLX’ mixture early in the season changing to ‘Irish’ mixture as the distance moves up and Peanuts are fed quite heavily once the distance is over 250 miles. He says, his favourite nest condition for the long distance events depends on the individual bird, as they are all different.
Adrian is only really interested in long distance racing and all the pigeon management is set up for the Tarbes and Palamos Nationals. His best pigeon is the champion blue chequer cock, ‘Ransdean Reliance’, and he is bred down from the very best Davenport / Cattrysse bloodlines of Champion ‘Game Lady’. This brilliant 600 mile cock was raced on the natural system, performing best sitting ten day old eggs, and won the BBC ‘Spanish Diploma’ winning 19th, 44th, 51st, 108th open Palamos (657 miles), and 16th open Barcelona (676 miles). He was recorded in race time from the longest BBC event five times and recorded 16th open Barcelona as a ten year old. This wonderful cock has proved to be a champion in the breeding loft, producing several premier long distance racers, including ‘The Bordeaux Cock’, ‘The Section Hen’ and a ‘Spanish Diploma’ winner for his father, Derek Human. A fantastic cock!
CH. ‘LEGEND’ Brian Sheppard of Trowbridge
The 2003 Dax International marked the start of a new era in British pigeon racing, when two English fanciers were declared 1st and 2nd open International winners. The British contingent was very strong with the National Flying Club entering a very healthy 739 birds and its sister club, the British International Championship Club, sending a record birdage of 450 birds. John Tyerman and I convoyed the NFC birds to Belgium to meet up with the International train, which carried the record 19,400 birds to Dax. Colin Bates, the N.F.C. convoyer travelled in the carriage with the British pigeons and liberated at 06.00hrs, English time, in no wind at the French site, getting up to north east en route. Only six game pigeons were recorded on the day of liberation in Britain and the first two were clocked by fanciers in the West Country.
Britain’s first ever 1st open International Dax winner was recorded by Brian Sheppard of Trowbridge and on the Sunday morning after the race, I made the 130 mile drive down to Wiltshire to visit his loft and see his champion, now named “Legend”. This game blue chequer widowhood cock was paired up on 6th December and after rearing a pair of youngsters, was put on the widowhood system when sitting six days on his second pair of eggs. Champion “Legend” had several channel races on his build up to his Dax International win, including training races from Picauville, two from Nantes and the Saintes National. This brilliant two year old cock has had lots of wonderful previous racing form. He recorded 2nd section B.B.C. Nantes and 2nd section, 6th open NFC Saintes in the 2003 season, and as a yearling 34th open CSCFC Cholet. Brian sent 11 birds to the Dax International, clocking Champion “Legend” just after 19.00hrs on the day, flying 507 miles, and two next morning, with one arriving home when I was at the loft. On “Legend’s” dam side he is off Brian’s old Pau family, being bred down from his N.F.C. Pau Merit Award winner, “Jingles”, and his sire was bred by Jos Thone of As in Belgium, from his champion cock, “Sumo”.
John Tyerman and I have been good friends for many years and we have been through several pigeon campaigns together, including serving on the NFC committee and convoying pigeons together. We roomed together when we travelled for the National Flying Club committee meetings and in 2003 we convoyed the International birds to the waiting train in Belgium, when Brian Sheppard won the race with his wonderful blue chequer cock, Champion ‘Legend’. When the members of the NFC sent their birds to their first International, no one really knew what an outstanding success it would be and that British racing history was in the making. That Dax International marked the start of a new era in British long distance pigeon racing and John and I were very proud to be a part of it.
CH. ‘BARCELONA BOB B’ Bob Alty of Stevenage
I have known Bob Alty for many years and he one of the great workers in pigeon racing and one the sport’s un-sung heroes! For many years he was one of the main people running the busy London & South East Classic Club Stevenage marking station and now helps to runs the British Barcelona Club station at Walkern. Bob put so much time into working for the sport that he finds it hard to find time for his own birds, but still manages to produce some premier performances in his beloved long distance races each year.
The pigeon that everyone is talking about is Bob’s fantastic champion ‘Barcelona Bob B’ and he has a long list of top prizes won in National and Classic races, including flying Barcelona (732 miles) three times. This wonderful four year old blue chequer cock is a Jan Aarden and both his parents were obtained from Bob Beetham of North End, near Stevenage, hence the ‘Bob B’ in the champ’s name. He was lost off the top of the loft as a young bird and returned two weeks before the first race, to be trained up and race the full young bird Federation programme. Bob tells me the chequer cock has never slipped up or looked back since his time out of the loft as a youngster and races best when feeding two big youngsters and sitting eggs. Racing on the natural system, ‘Barcelona Bob B’ has won: 2013: 4th open BBC Niort (384 miles), 2012: 6th open BBC Barcelona (732 miles), 2011: 26th open BBC Palamos (708 miles), 2011: 65th open BBC Poitiers (367 miles), 2011: 79th open BBC Messac (289 miles), 2010: 164th open BBC Poitiers (367 miles): 2011: 244th open BBC Messac (289 miles), 2012: 307th open BBC Carentan (183 miles), 2013: flew BBC Barcelona (732 miles). A fantastic long distance racer!
That our insight in to the ‘CHAMPIONS’ for this week, next time we are featuring some of the very best of the north roaders! I can be contacted with an 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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