Keith Mott
Writes about winning fanciers past and present
Three Borders Federation News - September 2010
The South Downs RPC have enjoyed a brilliant old birds season racing in the Three Borders Federation and after the last old bird race from Bergerac were running away with the Federation Points Trophy on 161 points, with the Wimbledon club being second with 140 points. Two of their premier members were leading the Individual Points Trophy at the mid-season break, in the form of Danny Allison on 43 points and the Colin Crook and Andy Iddenden partnership chalking up 35 points. Brilliant pigeon racers!
What can I write about Danny Allison that has not been written before about his great performances over his many years in the sport! He is a great lad and a very dedicated and successful pigeon racer. He works so hard with his birds, being a relentless trainer, with early morning tosses down the line to the New Forest area. Just a couple of weeks ago I was in the car park at Winchester training my young birds and Danny pulled in behind me with his van full of pigeons, training his and his friend’s, Trussler Brothers, youngsters. With us both being Kingston lads, Danny Allison and I must go back well over 30 years to the late 1970s when we both raced in the Kingston & District HS, which was at that time one of the strongest clubs in the mighty Surrey Federation. Danny was born in to the pigeon racing sport with dad being a fancier and they flew in partnership for many years. They were very successful and when his dad came out of the sport, Danny took over the pigeons at a very young age. He has always raced on the natural system and has won many premier positions in the Federation and Combine through the years; the best being 1st open SMT Combine Bergerac (450 miles). In recent years he has been in partnership with Dennis Sheppard and Martin Penfold, both premier fancier in the Surrey area, but three years ago he decided to go it alone again and approached Trussler Brothers of West Molesey for some stock birds. Dick and Brian gave him 15 widowhood cocks with their mates and this generous gift by the brother is the base of Danny’s very successful team today. Danny told me that he is very grateful to Trussler Brothers, who have also given him other good stock pigeons and never charged him a penny! He calls them the ‘Godfathers’ of pigeon racing and says they are two brilliant blokes. Danny also told me they have been so generous with gift pigeons and advice, he owes much of his good success to them! I have know Dick and Brian since I started up in the sport, 40 years ago, and they were one of best lofts in the south of England then and they are still one of the best today. They must have lost count of the first Federations they have won through the years and have also won 1st open L&SECC and 1st open SMT Combine. Certainly two of the best fancier ever to race in the Surrey area!
Danny Allison’s 2010 old bird performances in the Three Borders Federation are: 3rd, 4th Federation Wincanton (1,916 birds), 5th, 17th Federation West Bay (2,163 birds), 2nd, 4th, 13th Federation Kingsdown (1,623 birds), 13th, 23rd, 24th Federation Wincanton (1,736 birds), 4th Federation Fougeres (934 birds), 5th, 12th, 13th Federation West Bay (2,016 birds), 18th Federation Messac (931 birds), 1st, 3rd Federation Exeter (1,135 birds), 1st, 2nd Federation Kingsdown (1,233 birds), 8th, 9th, 22nd Federation Kingsdown (1,089 birds), 20th Federation Wincanton. Worth a special mention is Danny’s good Grizzle cock, ‘40503’, which has recorded in the 2010 old bird season: 3rd Federation Wincanton, 5th Federation West Bay, 1st Federation Exeter, 1st Federation Kingsdown and 8th Federation Kingsdown. A fantastic sprinting widowhood cock! As I write this ‘ON THE ROAD’ article the Three Borders Federation has just flown the first young bird race from Blandford and Danny has recoded 2nd, 20th, 21st and 23rd open with 1,693 birds competing. It must be that training spot at Winchester!
Last week I wrote about Chris Slight and Trevor Taylor of the Esher club winning the SMT Combine from Messac in June with their champion yearling Staf Van Reet black hen, ‘Non-Returnable’, which was bred by Crook & Iddenden of Epsom. 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. Crook & Iddenden have had a brilliant old bird season in the Three Borders Federation winning: 14th, 18th Federation Wincanton (1,584 birds), 1st, 2nd, 6th Federation Wincanton (1,916 birds), 25th Federation West Bay (2,163 birds), 17th, 23rd Federation West Bay (2,016 birds), 14th Federation Exeter (1,135 birds), 2nd Federation Messac (758 birds), 8th Federation Kingsdown (1,233 birds), 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th Federation Kingsdown (1,089 birds).
The partnership of Crook & Iddenden have enjoyed some successful racing in recent seasons, but years ago Colin and Andy, both 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 open 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, and raced in the Esher and South Downs clubs. Colin and Andy started together several years ago and have enjoyed some outstanding success, including several 1st Federation winners, but I think it is fair to state that 2010 has probably been their best season to date.
The South Downs RPC has dominated the Three Borders Federation result this old bird season and it’s members have won 1st Federation eight times in fifteen races, including: Crook & Iddenden: 1st Federation Wincanton, 1st Federation Kingsdown: Mr. &Mrs. Wayne Gardiner & son: 1st Federation West Bay, 1st Federation Wincanton: Imran Malik & Partners: 1st Federation West Bay: Mr. & Mrs. Danny Allison: 1st Federation Exeter, 1st Federation Kingsdown: S. Emans: 1st Federation Bergerac. The Three Borders Federation sent 1,916 birds to its second race of the 2010 season from Wincanton and the mighty South Downs club dominated the result, taking 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 6th, 8th, 13th, 17th, 18th, 20th, 22nd and 24th Federation. Brilliant pigeon racing!
That’s it for this week! I can be contacted with any pigeon banter on telephone number: 01372v 463480. See yer!