Keith Mott writes about winning fanciers past and present
LES CARTER & SON OF BIRMINGHAM
We have a very special article this week! Maybe it is a bit out of season, the reason being because it has taken a while to set up and has been delayed with the stock pile in the ‘factory’, with a lot of current L&SECC and Three Borders Federation copy. This is one for the Show Racer fraternity and features the outstanding loft of Les Carter senior & son, Les junior, of Kingstanding, near Birmingham.
Les Carter senior first had some tumblers at the age of eight and then graduated to racing pigeons which he raced in Hockley, near Birmingham. Due to moving house the pigeons had to go and he restarted in the early 1980s, racing in the Pheasey Flying Club along side some ‘household’ name, including Albert Babington. He raced the Wildersmerch and Van De Bosche pigeons and being a heavy feeder had most of his best success from France, although he won the Tamworth Federation from Hullavington in 1996. When he was racing Les liked to compete from 80 miles through to 550 miles. Les junior had a great interest in the pigeons in his teenage years and when he became 21 years old in 1998, he decided to leave his full time job within the jewellery quarter, and set up his own business with his fiancée. This new venture demanded all the hours Les junior could physically manage to get the business up and running, so could not cope with the racing of the pigeons, which included his regular job of giving the birds 60 mile training tosses down the Motorway.
When I asked Les junior how he got in to the Show Racer side of the sport he told me, ‘Well I remember in 2000 reading the British Homing World and looking at some Cornish show reports written by Sandra Williams and these featured some stunning photographs of Show Racers, and thought that was for me. This was my new pigeon venture and needed to obtain some Show Racer breeding stock. I remember at that time the Show Racer side of the sport was not that well reported, but whilst looking at the BHW, I noticed that Kevin Hicks of Cornwall was doing very well, so I decided to contact him to obtain some Mosaics which seem to be doing all the winning at that time. The first time I contacted Kevin he came across to me as a genuine man who would do all he could to help a new comer to Show Racers. I arranged to meet him at the Midland Show Racer Society open show in 2001, where he supplied me with a lovely Mosaic cock bird, which carried terrific colour and a suitable Mosaic hen that could be mated to him’.
Les had to find a Show Racer club to compete in, so joined the Midland SR Society and the Nottingham Fancy Pigeon Club, which at that time was organized by Andy Lowe, and about a 50 miles drive from the Carters home. In the early days, Les obtained birds from good fanciers from all over the country, from Cornwall through to Scotland. He obtained a number of birds from Sandra Williams of Cornwall, who was doing well with her Reds and Mealies at that time and after speaking to Sandra, she sent the Carter’s a Red cock and Mealy hen, which was Les’ first major break through. This pair provided them with their first goal, winning a class at the mighty Midland SR Society show in 2002, when every thing was being dominated by the two premier show men, Les Petty and Phil Crawford. Les says the feeling of the victory was brilliant and that bird went on to win other top prizes, becoming a consistent card winner. More Show Racers were obtained and his father’s racing pigeons were gradually phased out to make room for the show team. Les junior told me, ‘I can remember at that time my dad saying what have you got these show birds for and didn’t seem interested in them, but as time went on he grew to love them and now is very competitive with them’. In 2004 the father and son partnership purchased birds from Ted Bramley, which originated from Jim Fitzpatrick of Glasgow in Scotland and then some direct from Jim himself, who they say is show man with a big heart and would do anything to help newcomers to the sport. In 2003 Les had the opportunity to meet his now good friend Colin Carter of Gloucester and he also was one of the most consistent show men at the National events every winter, and he sold him a Red cock and Mealy hen, which have proved to be a brilliant stock pair for the Birmingham loft. In 2006 Colin’s pair bred a lovely Mealy cock which has won well in good company and has proved to an exceptional breeder of several premier winners at the Midland SR Society. From 2005 onwards the two Les’ acquired some more quality stock birds from Colin and Jean Carter on several visits to their Cotswold show loft and say they are lovely people and always greet you with a warm welcome.
When I asked Les about one or two of his best Show Racers he said, ‘In 2004 we entered a fair quantity of birds in to different shows, including the Midland SR Society events, including our good Mosaic cock, ‘Hicksy’ and he was bred from Kevin Hick’s original pair. He was going in to the big open show as a two year old with some good form, having already won at the Midland’s club show and to my surprise ‘Hicksy’ had won his class his class and Best in Show from 523 birds. This champion Mosaic Show Racer won many premier prizes including six first at major shows. Well two very good performances of the 2008 season was at the National Young Bird Show held at Nottingham, with our good Mealy hen, now named ‘The Cotswold Hen, and she won her class, 1st Section and Best in Show with over 400 birds competing. A handsome Red cock, bred by Colin Carter won his class and 1st section at the same show in 2008. Then in December 2008 we entered the Midland SR Society open show and that same Red cock, being shown against some of the best show men in the UK today, won his class and Best in Show (573 birds), and qualified to compete for Supreme Champion of Great Britain at the BHW Blackpool Show. This wonderful young cock is now named after Colin Carter’s loft, ‘The Cotswold Cock’, and finished the 2008 season with four firsts and three times Best in Show. To date he is the best young bird we have had the privilege of owning. In my view my good friend, Colin Carter, has had an exceptional 2008 / 09 show season by breeding three big winners for other fanciers, in the form of ‘The Cotswold Hen’: Best in Show at the National Young Bird Show, ‘The Cotswold Cock’: Best in Show at the Midland SR Society open show and Champion ‘Colin’s Cracker’: Best in Show at the BHW Blackpool Show 2009 for the ‘master’ show man, Ron McCarthy of Wales’.
Until February 2008 all the show birds and stock birds were housed in Les senior’s six section loft, but some have now been moved in to a smart new 20ft x 8ft loft in Les junior’s garden. The loft has a corridor, four spacious sections and is very well ventilated along the roof and floor levels. This enables fresh air to be constantly moved around the sections. The Carter partners do have different views on management of the pigeons, including feeding, supplements and Les senior uses deep litter in his loft and Les junior likes to scrape the floor boards on a daily basis. The Carter partners have about 20 pairs of Show Racers between them and pair up two weeks after the BHW Blackpool Show each year, and breed about 60 young birds for showing. They breed mainly from the stock team, but don’t like to breed to close, with Grandsire to Granddaughter being a favourable mating and the youngsters get lots of pen training at Les senior address. They like the birds to be tame. The partner’s feeding systems differ, but both feed a heavy mixture in the form of Buckton’s ‘High Speed’ which consists of beans, peas and tares. A handful of condition seed is given now and again, and the birds get a bath twice a week during the show season. The bird’s bath is in a small flight which is on wheels and is pushed up to the open windows of the loft for the birds to get access.
Les junior told me, ‘I think the future of the British Show Racer stands in good stead for the future, with competition being very strong and over 2,000 birds aways at our number one show, the BHW Blackpool Show. There is no standard for British Show Racers and I agree with this policy, as I don’t think there is any need for one. All the top judges do a brilliant job and know what to look for in a Show Racer, and obviously there are certain aspects that should always be took in to account, including good bars, good tight chequering, good stance, strong head, well balanced in body, silky feathering and lice free. These are all common sense points! I like to see a dark eye on a Show Racer, especially a Red or Mealy pigeon. I would recommend the sport of showing pigeons to any newcomer or ex-racing fancier, as the competition is strong and the social side is brilliant. As regard to who is the top show man in sport, I think there are many good fancier in the UK, but for there vast knowledge within the sport I would include Kevin Hicks, John Robilliard, Jim Fitzpatrick and Ron McCarthy. I admire my good friend, Colin Carter, as one of the premier Show Racer fanciers in the UK at the present time, for his energy for success at all the leading shows whether it be in Scotland or at the other end of the country in Cornwall. Colin certainly gets his birds in the thick of the best competition and enjoys great success with them. I am grateful for all the advice and support I have received from Colin and Jean Carter over the last few years’.
Well done to the Carter partners for their recent outstanding success at big shows! That’s our article for this week and I can be contacted on telephone number: 01372 463480. See yer!
TEXT BY KEITH MOTT.