Keith Mott writes about winning fanciers past and present

Khan Brothers: 1st open L&SECC Tarbes Classic 2010

The Tarbes Classic was a hard race this time, with mostly light head winds and very high temperatures in France all over that weekend in June. In the week build up to the ‘main event’ every one was anticipating a hard race with the head winds promised by the weather men, but in my opinion the intense heat in France on the liberation day was the factor that slowed the birds down. We had a good run down to the south of France and with perfect weather conditions at Tarbes on the Friday, I liberated the 1,100 birds at 05.30hrs in a very light south wind, and they cleared the car park site well in a northerly direction. But hard race doesn’t mean bad race! I had several mobile phone calls with the two classic secretaries, Clare Norman and Terri Hoskin, while on the road home and while there were no day pigeons, they were very happy with second day verifications. In spite of it being a hard race, I think it is safe to say, it was a very good race!

On my return from France it was good to receive the list of brilliant performance put up by the members on such a testing race! None as good as hearing that Amin and Shabir Khan of New Malden had won the L&SECC from Tarbes, recording their third Classic win! Their winner is a very special blue hen, that has won the L&SECC Merit Award for winning three position in the first 50 open in the longest old bird classic and she has done it in great style by winning 1st open Tarbes (563 miles). This champion hen is named ‘The L Ring Hen’ and has won a list of premier prizes in the National and Classic including: 1st open L&SECC Tarbes, 4th open L&SECC Alencon, 6th open L&SECC Tarbes, 7th open L&SECC Pau and 14th open NFC Bordeaux. A fantastic hen! She was sent to Tarbes sitting ten day old eggs and had one inland training race with the Federation and a Tours race on her build up to her classic win. She is bred from the very best being out of ‘Twenty Two’, the brother’s 1st open L&SECC Bordeaux winner, which also won the section in the Classic Guernsey race as a young bird and is the dam of Federation and Classic winners. Her sire is a direct cock from Marcel Sangers from his champion pair, ‘Saun Licht’ and ‘Xantia’.

The London & South East Classic Club held its last old bird race of the 2009 season from Bergerac, in south west France and member enjoyed a good testing race. The 1,136 birds entry were liberated at 05.45hrs in a no wind situation and the leading pigeons coped well with the eleven hour fly home. Winners of 1st open from the Bergerac classic were Khan Brothers and the 2009 season had produced some good results for these New Malden lads, including 1st Three Borders Federation (1,703 birds) from Kingsdown. The partner’s Federation winner was their good two year old Janssen blue widowhood hen, ‘35’, and she flew the NFC Saintes race as a yearling in 2008. This wonderful hen was their first pigeon on the clock from the Bergerac classic to record Khan Brother’s second L&SECC win! With a brisk south wind in the Three Borders Federation Kingsdown (135 miles) race the brothers race enjoyed a ‘banger’ of a race, with ‘35’ making nearly a mile a minute and then from the Bergerac classic (455 miles) she made 1229ypm on a really testing day. A wonderful versatile hen! Khan Brothers won the Federation and no one was more surprised that the brothers them selves, as the team was only sent for a training fly in preparation for forth coming National and Classic races. Amin and Shabir got five birds on the day from the Bergerac classic, from a team of ten pigeons sent and clocked three to record 1st, 4th and 45th open, lifting over £1,300.

Khan Brothers recorded 2nd open London & South East Classic Club from the Alencon Classic race in 2008 and although they have won the Classic three times, they are a bit unlucky being 2nd open on several occasions. The brothers moved to New Malden from Kingston in 2003 and only taking a kit of young birds with them, this great performance marked the start of a new era for the Khans at their new loft. The new racing loft is 45ft long, with four sections, open door trapping and a tiled roof. There have flown on the natural system, but these days they mostly race 35 cocks and a few hens on the widowhood system, with the National and Classic races in mind. Amin told me the brother are only interested in the National and Classic races and train off the south coast three times a week, and also use the short Federation events to get the birds into shape. The racers are mated up on the old traditional date of 14th February and very few youngsters are taken off the race team to keep them fresh. The main feed for the racers is a good widowhood mixture and they are broken down for three days every week. They feed Natural Trend Mixtures and use TRS Peanuts when needed. The Khans have a team of 80 youngsters every year, with 50 of them being put on the ‘darkness’ system and are raced every weekend through to the Nationals. The other 30 are kept natural, being well trained up to 50 miles and have their first races as yearlings. The 18 pairs of stock birds are kept at the old loft in Kingston and the base family is Janssen.

I convoyed the London & South East Classic Club pigeons to Bordeaux in 1999 and after the morning mist had lifted I liberated the 959 birds at 07.35hrs, with sunshine on the baskets. Eleven game pigeons were recorded on the day of liberation, with Amin and Shabir Khan clocking their first arrival just before 20.00hrs. Khan Brothers won 1st open L&SECC from Bordeaux in 1999 and their winner, a two year old Janssen Meuleman blue hen, was a real class act, having won major positions previously, including 1st Section, 3rd Open L&SECC Guernsey as a young bird. The hen just called, ‘Twenty Two’, was a grand daughter of Herman Beverdam’s, ‘Real Deal’, and her dam was from Mike Fitzhugh of Redcar. Amin told me she was chipping off on the day of marking for the Bordeaux Classic and the lads waited for the egg to hatch before taking her off to the Sutton marking station. Amin and Shabir have enjoyed some quality success in recent seasons, including 2nd and 5th Open NFC Young Bird National (7,000 birds), 1st Section, 3rd Open L&SECC Guernsey, 2nd open L&SECC La Ferte Bernard, 1st and 2nd Open SMT Combine Alencon, 1st Open L&SECC Bordeaux, 1st open L&SECC Bergerac and now the main prize, 1st open L&SECC Tarbes. Fantastic pigeon racing!

That’s it for this week! Congratulations to Khan Brothers on their fantastic success in the Tarbes Classic. Their blue hen is a wonderful champion! I can be contacted with any pigeon comments on telephone number: 01372 463480. See yer!

TEXT & PHOTOS BY KEITH MOTT.