Keith Mott's The Champions of Yesteryear (Part 53)

ERIC PEARSON OF FARNCOMBE

Eric Pearson has raced, with outstanding success, for many years in the very strong Godalming club. The 1994 season saw him win 1st Club, 1st Surrey Federation, 1st Open SMT Combine Wadebridge (6,000 birds). Eric's winner, a nice blue chequer hen, was a bad trapper as a young bird and was home to possibly win the Federation on another race but sat out. In 1988 Bob Scott of Sacriston bred Eric a youngster, which went on to win 3rd Club Bergerac (440 miles) only five birds home on the day, with 249 birds taking part. This hen was the dam of the Wadebridge Combine winner and Eric's good blue chequer hen, winner of 11th Sect E, 75th Open Pau (NFC) in 1995.

Eric has a nice neat 14ft x 6ft loft, with two sections and bob wire traps, it is all scraped out every day. He likes any race over 250 miles but thinks Pau (550 miles) is an ideal distance. He only races Natural and pairs up in March, with the Channel events in mind. He breeds 20 youngsters each year, which are made to fly the inland card, he nevers sends to young bird Channel races. The youngsters are always well trained down to the coast for their future as Channel racers. The birds are fed on 50% beans and 50% economy mixture.

Eric won a Spanish Diploma in BBC with his old blue chequer cock which won the section twice from Palamos (682 miles). This great old pigeon is grandsire of one of Eric's best distance hens and winner of 1995: ­124th Open Pau (NFC), 1994: 119th Open Pau (NFC), 1993: 275th Open Pau (NFC).

Eric had lost his mother and father by time he was 16 years of age and had to find lodgings. He was fortunate to be taken in by Eric Cannon's mother and stayed with the Cannon family until he was called up into the Army. When Eric Cannon went into the Army, Eric Pearson looked after and raced his pigeons for him.

Eric said he had the good fortune to obtain birds from Peter Laddle of Sacriston, which have crossed in well with his birds, producing several top class distance birds. Eric rates his old 1978 blue chequer cock 'Bottle', one of his all time best birds, winning 1st Sect, 7th Open Palamos (BBC), 1st Sect, 8th Open Palamos (BBC), 123rd Open Palamos (BBC), 124th Open Perpignan (BBC), lifting two Harkers Rose Bowls and the Spanish Diploma. He says all his best pigeons now are grandchildren of 'Bottle' when paired to pigeons down from Sacriston. Eric is a good club man, being President of the Godalming club for three years and has been a clocksetter since 1951. One of the sport's workers!

This week we have featured one of the very best fanciers in the Godalming area, not only a great pigeon racers but outstanding worker for the club. I can be contacted on telephone number: 01372 463480. See yer!

 TEXT & PHOTOS BY KEITH MOTT.  31/1/07