THREE BORDERS FED CHAMPIONS 2014
by Keith Mott
The competition in the Three Borders Federation has been strong and hard in the 2014 season, and once again the mighty Esher & Dist. RPC have come out on top, winning the ‘Federation Points’ Trophy’ with 186 points. The club has won the championship seven times in the last ten years and this time the runners up were South Downs on 146 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 just under 200 racing positions, including ten 1st Federation winners in the 2014 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 2014 season were: 1) Frank & Susan Carson (Mitcham) 1st Federation Blandford (1,397 birds): 2) Vic & Lou Emberson (Esher) 1st Federation Yeovil (1,702 birds): 3) P. Clements (Isleworth) 1ST Federation Yeovil (1,291 birds): 4) Paul Arnold (Esher) 1st Federation Honiton (1,589 birds): 5) Allison & Ibrahim (Esher) 1st Federation Falaise (740 birds): 6) E. & J. K. Benjamin (Richmond) 1st Federation Exeter (1,338 birds): 7) A. & Miss P. Tullett (Guildford) 1st Federation Fougeres (711 birds): 8) Mick Nunn & son (Spelthorne) 1st Federation Honiton (1,216 birds): 9) Dave & Ben Taylor (South Downs) 1st Federation Yelverton (1,167 birds): 10) Allison & Ibrahim (Esher) 1st Federation Messac (731 birds): 11) Dave & Ben Taylor (South Downs) 1st Federation Taunton (959 birds): 12) Slight & Taylor (Esher) 1st Federation Nort sur Erdre (484 birds), 1st SMT Combine (699 birds): 13) Jim Rookledge & Ray Mearns (Esher) 1st Federation Yeovil (764 birds): 14) Rob Winton (Guilford) 1st Federation Bergerac (325 birds): 15) R. Harper & son (Mitcham) 1st Federation Blandford (1.064 birds): 16) John Barnham (Pyrford) 1st Federation Blandford (1,769 birds): 17) Jim Rookledge & Ray Mearns (Esher) 1st Federation Wincanton (1,693 birds): 18) Terry Smart (Spelthorne) 1st Federation Blandford (1,688 birds): 19) Malik & Khan (Esher) 1st Federation Taunton (1,471 birds): 20) Slight & Taylor (Esher) 1st Federation Kingsdown (1,315 birds): Malik & Khan (Esher) 1st Federation Yelverton (867 birds).
The ‘Federation Individual Points’ Trophy was won in the 2014 season by Frank Susan Carson of the Mitcham & Morden club, with 42 points, and joint runners up, with both being on 28 points, were Dave & Ben Taylor of South Downs club and Danny Allison of the Esher club. On the original 2014 race programme the Federation was to start the new season with two races from Wincanton, but because of problems at the liberation site, the programme was amended at the eleventh hour, with substitute Blandford and Yeovil races being included. Members of the Federation sent 1,397 birds to the first race from Blandford and really they could not have had a better flying day, with the convoy being liberated at 09.00hrs in a west wind. The birds fell in with the helping wind and ‘first blood’ went to Frank and Sue Carson of the Mitcham & Merton club, who recorded 1st, 2nd, 6th, 14th and 16th Federation. Brilliant pigeon racing! The partners Federation winner was their champion blue cock, ‘Alan’, and he has won a list of premier positions, including three times 1st Federation and 1st open SMT Combine Yelverton in the 2013 season. His nest brother is the Carson’s champion blue pied cock, ‘Mr. Stoner’, winner of 1st open L&SECC Guernsey and 1st open SMT Combine Yelverton in 2013. What a fantastic nest pair of widowhood cocks!
Frank and Susan’s ‘Federation Individual Points’ Trophy winning performances in the 2014 season were: (OB) 1st, 2nd, 6th, 14th, 16th Federation Blandford (1,397 birds), 5th, 14th, 20th Federation Yeovil (1,702 birds), 17th, 18th Federation Yeovil (1,291 birds), 2nd, 22nd Federation Honiton (1,589 birds), 17th Federation Exeter (1,338 birds), 18th, 25th Federation Yelverton (1,167 birds), 11th, 16th, 25th Federation Taunton (959 birds), 2nd, 14th, 18th Federation Yeovil (764 birds), (YB) 8th, 9th, 10th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th, 20th, 21st, 24th Federation Blandford (1,769 birds), 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th Federation Wincanton (1,693 birds), 2nd, 4th, 8th, 9th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 15th, 24th, 25th Federation Blandford (1,688 birds), 11th, 15th, 16th Federation Kingsdown (1,315 birds), 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th’ 18th Federation Yelverton (867 birds). Pigeon racing at its absolute best!
The Carson partners enjoyed a wonderful 2013 racing season and won 1st open L&SECC Guernsey (old bird), and long list of positions in the Three Borders Federation, including 1st and 2nd Federation three weeks on the trot, plus 1st and 2nd SMT Combine. I had a week’s holiday in the south of France in mid-June and on my return I visited the Carson’s home in Sutton to update Frank and Sue’s pigeon racing story. I last visited their loft for an article 30 years ago and although I’ve seen Frank about at pigeon functions, I think I’m right in saying I hadn’t seen Susan since that visit 30 years ago. She is now a busy grandmother and looked really well. Susan takes an active interest in the running of the loft, for example she has trained youngsters while Frank is involved with the widowers. She kept records, cleaned out and anything else that needed doing. To get the best out of pigeons, Susan said, it's a matter of 365 days of dedication every year. The star pigeon of the Carson loft in the 2013 season was the yearling blue pied cock, ‘Mr. Stoner’, and he recorded 1st open London & South East Classic Club Guernsey (800 birds), and 1st club, 1st Three Borders Federation, 1st SMT Combine Yelverton (1596 birds), being raced on the widowhood system. A nice little extra to ‘Mr. Stoner’s’ success story was the fact that his nest brother, ‘Alan’, was with him on the very same velocity from Yelverton (179 miles) and was joint 1st open SMT Combine! This fantastic nest pair of cocks were bred by Frank’s good friend, John Stoner of Mitcham, from the very best Willie Jacobs and Gaby Vandenabeele bloodlines. Another top racer last season was the Willie Jacobs blue chequer cock, ‘The 15 Cock’, and he beat ‘Alan’ twice in the 2013 season for top honors in the Federation results.
Frank was born in Battersea, South London, and his grandfather was a fancier flying as J. Carson & son in the Chelsea & South Lambeth club. Frank spent a lot of time with his grandfather and as a result became interested in racing pigeons. When his grandfather died in 1978 he moved in with his grandmother and took the pigeons over. Frank is a used car dealer by trade and has been in the sport 35 years. He told me, ‘Susan is a major worker with our pigeons and must take a share of the credit for our success over the years. Our youngest daughter Kimberley lends a hand when needed. I prefer sprint racing and have owned some really good widowhood cock in the early 1990s, which won up to 17 firsts each racing Saturday and Wednesday. Years ago we won the Kingston Open, when that was the main race to win with the best racers in the South of England sending their best. That was a great buzz! Over the years Susan and I have held most of the offices in the club, including Secretary and Chairman, but I personally think the modern day small clubs should amalgamate and create bigger clubs for better competition, to lift the sport out of decline. In my opinion John and Darren May are two of our best local fanciers, having put up some brilliant performance in the Combine, Classic and National over many years. Two great pigeon racers! Susan and I used to use the eye sign method in our stock loft, but as time has gone by we have gained a lot of experience, which has told us that breeders of winners come in all shapes and sizes, and some with not so good eye sign. In the stock loft we pair winners to winners, or breeders of winners to breeders of winner together! We are great believers in working the pigeons, but we also know they need rest and as soon as the last young bird race is over, we part all the birds and the loft is completely shut down for two months of the moult period’. Frank Carson is a born pigeon racer and has always been successful!
Three Borders Federation 2014 trophy winners were: ‘Pigeon Fancier Trophy 1’ Allison & Ibrahim: ‘Harry Fielding Memorial Trophy A. & Miss. P. Tullett: ‘Harley Challenge Trophy’ Allison & Ibrahim: ‘Blackwell Rose Bowl’ Slight & Taylor: ‘Cooper Challenge OB Trophy’ R. Winton: ‘Longest Old Bird Race Trophy’ R. Winton: ‘Gazette Perpetual Trophy’ R. Winton: ‘Cooper Challenge YB Trophy’ Malik & Khan: ‘Heritage Trophy’ R. D. Carter & son: ‘Fred Mott Memorial Cup’ R. Winton: ‘Ken Besant Memorial Trophy’ (Best Pigeon of the Year) P. Clements: ‘A. Knight Trophy’ R. Winton: ‘Pigeon Fancier Trophy 2’ Mr. & Mrs. F. Carson: ‘Sandhurst Trophy’ R. Winton: ‘Falkland Trophy’ Slight & Taylor: ‘F. J. Elliott Trophy’ Slight & Taylor: ‘Federation Rose Bowl 1’ Allison & Ibrahim: ‘Federation Rose Bowl 2’ (Individual Points) Mr. & Mrs. F. Carson: ‘Federation Points Shield’ (Club Points) Esher & District RPC.
That’s my lot for this week! Well done to the Esher club members and to Frank and Susan Carson on their wonderful success in the 2014 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)
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