Keith Mott's
Champions of Yesteryear (Part 71)
FRANK PACE OF PUTNEY
Frank Pace's story began in his native country of Malta when he was nine years old and fed the local pigeons on his mother's balcony. One day a black pied hen appeared on the balcony and Frank said he and the hen took a fancy to each other. She used to land on his shoulder and let him handle her. He had nowhere to keep her so he kept her under his bed in a cardboard box, until his parents told him she must go. On release she disappeared for three days and on third day she flew in the French windows and straight under the bed looking for her box. On seeing this his parents were amazed and said he could keep 'the tame one'. This hen stayed with the young Frank for three years until one day she just disappeared. Frank was hooked and says his love and interest in pigeons started with that pied hen.
He had come a long way since those early days in Malta, winning many top positions in Club, Federation, Combine and National in his four short years in the sport. To say he had a fantastic season in 1981 would be an understatement, winning many top prizes including: 2nd Club, 2nd West Middlesex Federation Weymouth, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 6th Club, 4th, 5th, 6th, 12th London Federation Dorchester, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 6th Club, 14th, 15th, 16th London Federation Seaton, 2nd, 3rd Club, 9th West Middlesex Federation Exeter, 1st, 2nd Club Exmouth, 3rd Club, 23rd Federation Le Mans, 3rd Club Exeter, 2nd, 3rd, 4th Club, 11th, 17th, 18th London Federation Dorchester, 3rd Club Seaton, 3rd, 4th Club Exmouth, 1st, 3rd, 6th Club Angers, 2nd, 5th Club, 23rd Federation Poitiers, 1st, 2nd Club, 9th, 11th London Federation Exmouth, 1st Club, 9th W.M. Federation, 11th S.M.T. Combine Melle, 4th Club, 8th Federation Plymouth, 1st, 3rd Club, 1st, 3rd W.M. Federation, 1st, 4th S.M.T. Combine (3,342 birds) Bergerac; YB-2nd, 4th club, 2nd, 7th W.M. Federation Blandford, 1st, 4th, 5th Club, 1st, 16th, 17th London Federation, 4th Club, 5th W.M. Federation Blandford, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th Club, 13th, 14th, 16th London Federation Dorchester, 2nd, 3rd Club, 5th W.M. Federation Weymouth, 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th Club Seaton, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 6th Club, 6th, 12th, 18th London Federation Exmouth, 2nd, 4th, 5th Club Dorchester, 3rd, 5th, 6th Club Exeter, 1st, 2nd, 3rd Club Dorchester, 1st Club, 9th W.M. Federation, 14th S.M.T. Combine Plymouth, winning several trophies in the Putney and Wandsworth Clubs, and the S.M.T. Combine Channel Av, S.M.T. Combine Combined Av, and West Middlesex Federation Channel Av.
Frank moved to his present address in 1977 and at last had a garden in which he could build a loft. He says after nineteen years in England his wish had come true, to be able to keep racing pigeons. He started to build his loft in the spring of 1978 and purchased some youngsters and started to race them in the Wandsworth F.C. He broke his novice status at the third race he entered winning 1st Club Seaton. He used to breed and show Gloster canaries with outstanding success, winning many cups and diplomas. He said he kept canaries because he has never had a garden for a pigeon loft at his previous addresses. Frank said Mr. S. Francis gave him a lot of help when he started up in pigeons, but got most of his knowledge from reading anything he could find on the sport. Frank's family of Dordins were bred down from most of the French master's champions. The S.M.T. Combine Bergerac winner was a yearling blue cock called 'Dynamic Cass' and he was bred down from Champion 'Ramses'. He previously won 2nd Club, 23rd Federation Poitiers in 1981 and was sent to Bergerac driving several hens around the loft. Frank maintained the Dordins had raced for him with outstanding success right through to 536 miles. The 4th S.M.T. Combine Bergerac pigeon was Frank's good three year old Dordin blue hen 'Dynamic Lady' and she had previously won 1980-2nd Club, Seaton, 5th Federation (1,282 birds), 1981-1st club Angers, 5th Club, Melle.
Frank's wife, Liz, was very interested in the pigeons and he said it would have been impossible without her help to take proper care of the birds. She cleaned out twice a day in summer, changed the water twice daily and fed the birds. She clocked in on holdovers and saw the team in from training. Liz was the chief nurse looking after all the injured birds. Frank worked on the shift system and had to work every Sunday.
The Paces' very smart loft had open door trapping and the floors were laced with lime after the daily scrape. Frank said his motto was, feed them well, train them hard, and treat them with respect. He fed De Scheemaecker Natural Mixture, as he had found it sound corn and at a reasonable price. When the longer races were approaching he added extra beans and maize to the mixture. He raced the old birds and yearlings to the longest race in the programme and the same with the youngsters. He used Red Band for trapping and gave the birds honey in their drinking water once a week.
He said back in Malta they only race for trophies and diplomas, not for money, which he thought was a happier system. Frank's Dordins had raced with outstanding results on the natural system, but he said he was going to try a few cocks on widowhood to try to improve their trapping which had cost him a lot of races. He paired the stock birds up on Christmas Day and the racers up the second week in March, breeding about 30 youngsters each year. He said good pigeon racing is only patience and hard work and told novices to buy pigeons only from a successful fancier and remember that pigeon racing is a 365 days a year hobby. Frank rated Tommy Gumble of Wandsworth the local ‘ace’ and said he had had many successes year after year. Frank maintained that Tommy was as genuine as his pigeons and was a very helpful man. Frank also thanked Dave Pratt, the Putney R.S. secretary for all his help in the early days. When sorting out the birds for mating he said he liked to pair winner to winner. He had 'Dynamic Cass' and 'Dynamic Lady' down to be paired together in 1982. I must say this was a very enjoyable loft visit. Premier quality pigeons and an outstanding fancier. There you have it, Frank Pace of Putney.
TEXT & PHOTOS BY KEITH MOTT
24/9/07