Keith Mott writes about winning fanciers past and present

No ‘Flash’ in the pan – 2010: 1st RPRA UK Sprint Champion!

It seems I have been writing annual up dates on the performances of Keith and Sue Arnold for many years, but I make no excuses for that as their sprint performances with their fantastic Staf Van Reet pigeons over the last five seasons must rate as some of the best ever in the UK, up to 160 miles. With no let up with their Federation winning ways, 2010 has been one of their best seasons ever and the hot news is they have won 1st RPRA UK Sprint Champion yet again in 2010! Keith and Sue have had another fantastic season competing in eighteen races and winning eighteen times 1st Club and fourteen times 1st Warwickshire Federation with their team of Staf Van Reet sprinters. Some oftheir Federation results were: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th Bath (1764 birds), 1st, 2nd, 3rd Taunton (1333 birds), 1st, 2nd, 5th, 7th Newton Abbot (1308 birds), 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th Taunton (1131 birds), 1st, 2nd, 3rd Taunton (1144 birds), 1st, 2nd, 5th, 8th Newton Abbot (1006 birds), 1st, 2nd, 3rd Yelverton (829 birds), 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th Bath (1781 birds), 1st, 4th, 5th, 7th Yeovil (1327 birds), 1st, 4th, 9th, 11th Bath (982 birds), 1st Messac, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th Yelverton (892 birds). Congratulations to Keith and Sue, who have won 1st RPRA UK Sprint Champion in 2010, the fourth time in five seasons! Is this a new record?

The star performer in the Arnold's loft in the 2010 season was ‘Flash’, a two year old Pencil Pied Cock, who topped the Federation twiceas a young bird and was not racedas a yearling, a regular system which is practised by the partnership, not racing the yearling cocks. This wonderful champion Staf Van Reet then won eight times 1st club, five times 1st Federation and twice 2nd Federation in the 2010 season, including 1st Federation Bath, 1st Federation Taunton, 1st Federation Taunton, 1st Federation Newton Abbot and 1st Federation Yelverton, winning 1st RPRA UK Sprint Champion 2010. ‘Flash’ is a son of Keith’s champion 1999 blue stock cock, ‘The Parry Cock’, which has produced many Federation and ‘Gold Ring’ winner for the Warwickshire loft. He was purchased from Steve Parry in 2002 and was bred from his number one Staf Van Reet stock pair, which were a super breeding pair. Keith was lucky enough to also purchase a blue pied sister to ‘The Parry Cock’ at that time and she has also produced many Federation winners, including ‘The Slade Cock’, winner of the BHW ‘George Slade Swing Clear Trophy’ in 2007. The British Homing World awards this trophy every year to the pigeon that puts up the highest velocity in the UK on a certain Saturday and the Arnold loft won it in 2007 when they won the Warwickshire Federation from Newton Abbot, doing 1713ypm. The dam of ‘Flash’ is one of the old favourites at Keith’s loft and she is ‘The Combine Hen’, winner of 1st club, 1st Section, 1st Warwickshire Federation, 3rd Heart of England Combine (4521 birds) Plymouth. She is bred from the best Mardon / Staf Van Reet bloodlines and now resides in the stock loft where she is breeding Federation winners. ‘Flash’ is brother to many widowhood cocks that have won the Federation, but one of his most famous sisters is, ‘Golden Girl’, and she won the Warwickshire Federation ‘Gold Ring’ from Yelverton in 2006.  

The partnership only competed in the last four young bird races in the 2010 season and like 2009 season they topped the Warwickshire Federation in all four races! The highlight of the young bird season was the last race from Yelverton (165 miles), when ten youngsters dropped on the loft together to win the first six positions in the Federation and 1st, 2nd and 4th Federation Gold Ring. I wrote about Keith and Sue Arnold’s ‘Perfect Pair’ earlier in the year and they have proved to be just that in the stock loft this season! The blue Staf Van Reet cock, ‘Mr Perfect’ who won six times 1st Federation in the 2009 season and was the winner of the RPRA UK Sprint Award. ‘Mr. Perfect’ is a five year old cock who was bred from the early Mardon / Staf Van Reet lines, with his sire being retained for stock and his dam won the Federation as a young bird. His nest mate was put into the Federation breeder/buyer and purchased back, and went on to win the race. Keith and Sue Arnold have won the RPRA West Midland Region Sprint Award four years on the trot and won 1st RPRA UK Sprint Champion in 2006 / 2007 / 2009 / 2010 and 2nd RPRA UK Sprint Champion in 2008. Brilliant fanciers with fantastic pigeons! In the 2010 season ‘Mr. Perfect’ was mated with the champion blue Staf Van Reet hen, ‘Miss Perfect’, who won three times 1st Federation and a 2nd Federation as a young bird last year. She flew the four young bird races in 2009 on the double jealousy system, with two hens being mated to one cock bird. Well they really are the ‘perfect pair’, producing in their first year breeding in 2010, a nest pair of youngsters that have won the Federation three times between them. The hen of the pair won the Federation twice, including 1st Federation, 1st Warwickshire Federation ‘Gold Ring’ from the longest young bird race flown from Yelverton.

Crook & Iddenden – A brilliant 2010 season!

Colin Crook & Andy Iddenden’s wonderful performance racing in the Three Borders Federation in 2010 were: (OB) 14th, 18th Federation Wincanton (1,584 birds), 1st, 2nd, 6th Federation Wincanton (1,916 birds), 25th Federation West Bay (2,163 birds), 17th Federation West Bay (2,016 birds), 14th Federation Exeter (1,135 birds), 2nd Federation (758 birds), 2nd SMT Combine Messac, 8th Federation Kingsdown (1,233 birds), 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th Federation Kingsdown (1,089 birds), (YB) 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th Federation West Bay (1,292 birds), 1st Federation (923 birds), 1st SMT Combine Yelverton. Chris Slight and Trevor Taylor of the Esher club won the SMT Combine from Messac in June 2010 with their champion yearling Staf Van Reet black hen, ‘Non-Returnable’, which was bred by Crook & Iddenden. In the same race Colin and Andy were 2nd Three Borders Federation, 2nd open SMT Combine, being beaten by the black hen that they bred and gifted to the partners from Esher. The icing on the cake for Colin and Andy was to win 1st open SMT Combine from the last and longest young bird race, flown from Yelverton in mid-September and finish off a brilliant season in great style!

Colin and Andy’s 2010 Yelverton SMT Combine winner was their ‘darkness’ Staf Van Reet blue chequer hen, ‘The Combine Hen’, and she was bred from stock birds obtained from Paul Arnold of North Cheam. Her sire is their good dark pied cock, ‘Keith’, and he is a grand son of Paul’s champion breeders, ‘Santa Vos’ and ‘The Guvnor’. She was a member of Crook & Iddenden’s 50 bird strong young bid team in 2010 and had one Federation and the two L&SECC Guernsey races on her build to her Combine win. She was never paired up and flew natural to the perch. A nice twist the story is she was lost off top of the loft when very young and returned home with an orange plastic ring on her leg, just before training started. Colin says he has never taken the ring off and she still wears it today! The partners had so my star birds in the 2010 season it’s a bit hard to pick out individuals, but one must be the widowhood grizzle cock, ‘The Dove’, and he won several premier prizes in 2010 including 2nd open SMT Combine Messac. A few years ago Paul Arnold brought in some Roland / Janssens pigeons to try and bred Colin a pair of white grizzles. The hen of the nest pair is the dam of ‘The Dove’ and also the grizzle widowhood cock, ‘Dusty’, winner of 1st Three Borders Federation Wincanton and 1st South Downs Premier Honiton in 2010. These two brilliant racers have different sires, both being Paul Arnold Staf Van Reets. A fancier who has been out standing for the last 30 years is Frank Carson of Mitcham and he bred Colin and Andy’s good Gaby Vandenbeele blue widowhood cock, ‘Frank’, and he has won a list of premier positions including 1st Three Borders Federation Kingsdown. This game cock raced to Frank’s loft as a young bird and yearling and when Frank packed up in 2008, the pigeon was gifted to Crook & Iddenden, too set the place alight with brilliant performances.

I have been a member of the Esher & Dist. R.P.C. many years and in recent seasons two of the premier racing fanciers in the club have been, Colin Crook and Andy Iddenden, both who flew in partnership with their late fathers. The Crook’s, Colin and his dad Harold, were part the highly successful Crook, Waldron & Martin partnership, which won many premier prizes North Road racing, including 1st. open Combine Thurso and 1st. Federation Berwick. Colin has raced on his own in recent seasons and has won 2nd Federation three times. Andy Iddenden has raced in the Esher club for several years, gaining major success, racing in partnership with his late father “Bunny” Iddenden, who was a well liked and respected fancier. When ever you competed against the Iddenden’s in racing or the show pen, they were always hard to beat and their best performance was 1st, 2nd, 3rd. open Federation. Because, Colin and Andy are very good friends and both having young families, so lack time for the pigeons, they formed the Crook & Iddenden partnership several seasons ago, and race in the Esher and South Downs clubs. Well done to the lads, on their brilliant 2010 season!

Well that’s your ‘ON THE ROAD’ for this week! Congratulations to Keith and Sue on yet another wonderful season and winning the RPRA UK Sprint Championship for the fourth time in five seasons. I can be contacted with any pigeon banter on telephone number: 01372 463480. See yer!

TEXT & PHOTOS BY KEITH MOTT.