Keith Mott
Writes about winning fanciers past and present
Brian and Thelma Denney of Strensall.
The 2010 NFC Tarbes Grand National turned out to be a very hard race with only 481 birds on the final result, but it was particularly hard for the lofts in the north of England. Whether it is a hard or easy race, Brian Denney’s fantastic ‘Bri-Den’ 700 mile family of pigeons always hold their own and give a great account of them selves in any competition. Brian sent eight birds to the Tarbes National held in July and recorded 1st, 4th, 6th Section K, 80th, 241st, 317th open flying 748 miles to his loft in York. The first pigeon on the clock from Tarbes was a seven year old blue chequer hen named ‘Maxine’, raced on the widowhood system and this was her third time at Tarbes, previously recording 109th open in 2007. Brian’s latest Section K winner is a full sister to his champion stock cock ‘Maxi’ and he is a son of Campion ‘Classic Lad’, winner of 1st open Northern Classic Saintes, and ‘Lynnetta’ a daughter of Champion ‘Tuff Nut’. Champion ‘Maxi’ is one of best 750 mile stock cocks in Europe, being the sire and grandsire of many premier racers including: Champion ‘Dark Charm’, winner of 1st section K, 5th open NFC Tarbes and his nest mate Champion ‘Dark Dancer’, winner of 1st section K, 48th open NFC Fougeres, 2nd section K, 4th open NFC Tarbes. A fantastic family of 750 mile pigeons! The London & South East Classic purchased a new transporter at the beginning of the 2010 season and when we were having it sign written for the road, we used Champion ‘Dark Dancer’s’ photo on the lorries side panels. Not only is he one of the premier 750 mile racers in the UK, but he is also a good looker!
I first visited Brian and Thelma Denney in 1999 when I went to the Yorkshire loft to video ‘Mr Long Distance’ for my ‘Many Miles with Mott’ video series and since then we have met up at the BHW Blackpool Show every year, and I keep saying, ‘I will pop up and see you both this summer’. Well ten years have flown by and I still had not been back to Strensall, although a visit was arranged in November 2008, when I was to stop off on my journey up to South Shields to judge the NEHU Show, but had to call it off as I had Gout in my foot. In late April 2009, Peter Taylor and I ‘bit the bullet’ and headed north armed with my pigeon photography box and a battery of cameras, including the video units. We left Claygate on the Monday morning at 06.00hrs and had a really good 240 miles drive up to York and were greeted by Brian on his front drive at 10.30 hrs. The weather was brilliant and the thought of looking at one of the best long distance lofts of pigeon in the sport excited me and Peter! After some tea and a chat I set up my pigeon box in Brian’s garage and photographed 13 of the current ‘Bri-Den’ 750 mile champions. I took over a hundred photos of Brian and Thelma, and the lofts, which has brought my file up to date on this fancier, who is one of our greatest long distance champions of all time. I shot nearly an hour of video and just like those ten years since my last visit, the time flew by and after a nice lunch put on our Thelma, it was 14.30hrs and time to make the 240 mile drive home. What a great day we had!
The month of June 2009 saw Brian’s favourite race take place, the NFC Tarbes Grand National, and the Denney’s enjoyed a brilliant race of a lifetime! The 3,800 birds were liberated at 13.45hrs on the Friday in no wind situation and with adverse weather in northern France that evening, the convoy experienced a very difficult race, with many members not clocking in on the Saturday. Brian and Thelma sent a team of 20 birds and flying 748 miles in to Yorkshire, clocked seven of their entry on the Saturday, to record a fantastic 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th, 8th, 11th section K, 3rd, 4th, 12th, 19th, 30th, 56th,153rd open NFC and 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th, 7th, 9th open North East 700 Mile Club . The Denney’s first two birds were on the clock within three minutes, with the 1st section K, 3rd open winner being the five year old widowhood blue chequer hen, ‘Northern Lady’, and she has previously won 6th section K, 217th NFC Tarbes. She is a daughter of the sire of the Brian’s loft, Champion ‘Tuff Nut’, winner of 1st section K, 5th open NFC Pau, when mated to ‘Brian’s Prize’ winner of 4th open Northern Classic Saintes, being clocked at 573 miles on the day of liberation, and is a full sister to the champion breeding hen, ‘Dark Jan’. Those who were present on our visit to the Strensall loft in April will recall that I picked out ‘Northern Lady’ as my fancy and I’m happy to say she hit the jackpot in the very hard Tarbes Grand National! This champion hen has every thing being appled bodied and medium sized, with wonderful feather, eye and good balance in the hand. She was paired up on 10th February, being raced on total widowhood and had three inland races up to 180 miles, before going in to the NFC Fougeres and Alencon races for training, then went to the NFC Tarbes Grand National. A wonderful hen! The star of the Brian Denney loft in 2009 must be the champion dark pied cock, ‘Dark Dancer’, being clocked three minutes after ‘Northern Lady’ in the NFC Tarbes race to win 2nd section K, 4th open. A fantastic 750 mile racing widowhood cock and his full performance is: 2009: 1st section K, 4th open NFC Fougeres, 2nd section K, 4th open NFC Tarbes, and previously won 6th section K, 27th open NFC Tarbes, 4th section K, 208th open NFC Tarbes, 4th section K NFC Fougeres. An absolutely fantastic performance!
L&SECC Merit Award 2010
The L&SECC presents any pigeon that records three positions in the first fifty of the open result in the longest old bird race a Merit Award. These beautiful diplomas have the pigeon’s photo and full race details on, ready to be framed and hung on the wall at home. These wards are very hard to win and through the years only a small number pigeons have achieved it. The 2010 season has proved to be a ‘bumper’ time for the L&SECC Merit Award and I have heard of three pigeons that have won the award at Tarbes this time. Of course Amin and Shabir Khan’s champion blue hen, ‘The L Ring Hen’, has secured her diploma by winning our 2010 Tarbes race, but former Classic President, Alistair Muir of Abinger Hammer, has won the Merit Award with a grand daughter of his 1996 L&SECC Pau winner, ‘Andy’s Boy’, who also won the Merit Award. Alistair is enjoying a great 2010 season and I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate him on winning 1st open BICC Tarbes recently. Fred Emberson of Godmersham in Kent recently told me he had been waiting 25 years to win the Merit Award when he won it in 2009 with his Blue Chequer Pied ‘Links Show Girl’, winner of 2007: 23rd open L&SECC Pau, 2008: 22nd open L&SECC Tarbes, 2009: 28th open L&SECC Tarbes. Fred has enjoyed another great Tarbes Classic this season and won another Merit Award with his Blue Chequer WF hen ‘Links Confidence’, a fantastic long distance racer and winner of 2007: 43rd open L&SECC Pau, 2008: 15th open BICC Tarbes, 2009: 1st SE section, 13th open Tarbes: 2010: 17th open L&SECC Tarbes. He waits 25 years to win a Merit Award and then wins two in two years!
2010 L&SECC Brooker Gold Cup Winners.
1st: Gosling & Jarvis of Mountnessing: GB09H46049: 1207.812
2nd: Gosling & Jarvis of Mountnessing: GB09N92027: 1204.135
3rd: Skeete & Keen of Merton Park: GB09R22676: 1196.919
2010 L&SECC Tours Yearlings Derby Winners.
1st: Wilton & Orton of Chadwell St Mary: GB09N90218: 1277.889
2nd: Mr & Mrs Streatfield of Snodland: GB09N96658: 1273.050
3rd: H Miller of Tilbury: NWHU09E1434: 1272.772
4th: Wilton & Orton of Chadwell St Mary: GB09N90203: 1270.371
5th: H Miller of Tilbury: NWHU09E1396: 1265.492
6th: M Bulled of Harlow: GB09N28563: 1247.941
7th: D C Squire of Addlestone: GB09N87587: 1244.990
8th: Meg Murray of Burnham on Crouch: GB09T05792: 1241.329
9th: Chitty Brothers of Kings Langley: GB09A00666: 1241.197
10th: I. Malik & Partners of Tolworth: GB09N10036: 1239.677
That’s it for this week! I have included the L&SECC Tours Yearling Derby and ‘Gold Cup’ winners for your information. I can be contact with any pigeon comments on telephone number: 01372 463480. See yer!
TEXT & PHOTOS BY KEITH MOTT.