“On The Road” With Keith Mott

Three Borders Federation (Honiton Race)

The Malik & Khan partnership of Tolworth have started their 2017 racing campaign in great style by recording: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th Esher club, 1st, 5th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th,14th, 25th Federation Honiton. The Three Borders Federation sent 1,488 birds to Honiton (130 miles) for the third old bird race of the 2017 season, when the convoyer, Dom McCoy, liberated the birds at 11.30hrs in North / North West wind and a good steady race, with excellent returns was enjoyed by all! Well done to the Imran and the lads, a fantastic performance!

The first ten in the Honiton Federation result were: 1) Malik & Khan 1484: 2) G. Allison 1481: 3) T. Tingley & son 1479: 4) R. Tingley & son 1479: 5) Malik & Khan 1478: 6) A. Stoner & son 1478: 7) Malik & Khan 1477: 8) Malik & Khan 1477: 9) Malik & Khan 1476: 10) Malik & Khan 1475.

Malik & Khan have been one of the premier lofts in the South of England for several years now and have won many top positions in the Federation, Combine and National. In the 2015 season the Federation ‘Individual Points Trophy’ was won by a country mile by Malik & Khan, on 94 points and they won 27 positions, and topped the Federation five times in the 2015 season. The Federation’s 2015 young bird racing was pretty much dominated by the Esher & District RPC partnership of Malik & Khan. I keep writing that these young lads are up and coming stars in our sport, but after their recent performances it is safe to say there are now at the very top of the ratings. What can I say about the Malik & Khan partnership, their brilliant 2015 performances would fill most of this article, but the highlights are; many premier position won in old bird racing including: 1st, 2nd, 6th, 10th, 15th, 16th Federation Yeovil (1,444 birds) with their first four birds on the ETS being four game yearlings, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 9th Federation, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 11th SMT Combine Vire (1,355 birds). In the first five Federation young bird race Malik & Khan won four firsts including: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th 13th, 25th Federation  Blandford (1) (1,116 birds), 1st, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th Federation  Blandford (2) (1,802 birds), 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 19th Federation Blandford (3) (1,615 birds), 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 15th Federation Kingsdown (1,469 birds), plus top positions in the National Flying Club and British International Championship Club. Well done to the lads, on some fantastic pigeon racing!

The partner’s race cocks on the widowhood system and the old birds racers are paired up in January to rear a pair of youngsters and are trained on their second round of eggs, before going on the widowhood. The cocks are trained twice a day for eight day from 25 miles and are only sent to sprint races. Imran only likes short racing and has no interest what so ever in long distance pigeon racing. Whether it be the old bird or young bird widowhood system, the birds are broke down for several days each week and the hens are shown on marking night, but if it looks like being a very easy race, they might only be shown the nest bowls. The cocks get their mates for a couple of hours on their return from the race. The partners loft is a brick structure, which was converted from a brick garden shed already in Imran’s garden. The original floor was concrete, but the partners have fitted a new wooden floor over the concrete and all trapping is through the open window for both young and old birds. The loft has three sections, with an aviary on one end, which houses a few latebreds and the loft is cleaned out every day, with the floor and perches being burnt off. Imran tells me, they keep 12 pairs of stock birds and they are all Janssen, but different lines. The breeders are paired up on Boxing Day and any new introductions into the stock loft are selected on the pedigree, and never type. The youngsters are put on the ‘darkness’ system on the last weekend in March and they come off normally at the back end of June. The loft houses 50 young birds for racing each and they race the whole programme, although Imran says, he wished he had it in him to stop a few and save them for old birds racing, but he is to greedy and want to win everything he can with young birds. He maintains, he just loves young bird racing! Ten cocks are put on the widowhood system and the rest are raced to the perch, although they are allowed to pair up and have eggs and youngsters if they want. Training starts two weeks after they come off the ‘dark’ and this is worked up in stages to 25 miles and they get three 25 mile tosses ever week during the racing season. The widowhood cocks are treated like old birds and are not trained during the racing season.

Malik & Khan only joined the Esher club in the 2012 season and these young lads have been outstanding in the Federation for several years, including winning the SMT Combine for the first time with a youngster several years ago. Imran Malik started racing pigeons in the 2004 season with a team of young birds purchased from Louella Pigeon World and in the 2005 season Janssens were introduced from Imran’s uncles, Khan Brothers of Kingston.  The 2005 young bird season saw him smash his novice status and recorded 1st, 2nd, 9th, 10th Federation in that season. Malik & Khan finished the 2014 racing season in great style by winning 1st, 2nd Federation from Taunton and then two weeks later they won 1st Federation from the last and longest young bird race from Yelverton. These lads are really outstanding young bird specialists, winning the Federation every season with their babies. The Federation sent 1,471 birds to Taunton and Malik & Khan won the Federation by 9ypm clear. Two weeks later the membership entered 867 birds in to the last race from Yelverton and with the wind being a brisk east / north east, the birds had a hard push over the 180 miles home, with the winners taking over 4 hours 30 minutes to finish. The Tolworth lofts of Malik & Khan were well on the pace again, recorded 1st Federation for the second time in two weeks and this time winning 1st SMT Combine (1,516 birds). A really great performance, with the lads winning a fast short race and then the longest young bird race, which was hard and slow!

‘YouTube’ Channel up-date.

I think its common knowledge that I started my own ‘YouTube’ channel on the Internet in March 2016 and at the time of writing this article (20th May 2017) the channel has reached the magic one and quarter million (1,343,570) views worldwide stage, in only its first year since going live. To say, I’m blown away by its massive success in such a short time, would be an understatement! It now hosts 1,723 subscribers. Brilliant! My massive archive of films is the result of many years traveling around Europe visiting and filming hundreds of the very best fanciers and their lofts. I have mixed it up well on the channel, with loft visits to racing and show racer fanciers, visits to National Shows and loads of good pigeon race liberations. I have been going out from time to time recently; too visit premier lofts and shows, with the sole purpose of making new films for the YouTube channel and for new fancy press articles. We have made 30 new films in recent months and the channel now hosts 355 videos produced by myself. I’m not going away for weeks on end like I use too, to get films and articles, but will enjoy a 50 miles drive for a loft visit, or pick some up if I’m away for some reason. Although it is a ‘pigeon’ channel, I have one or two personal films in there and recently I made up three photo shows set to music featuring my ‘band’ days in the 1960’s and early 1970’s. It was great to dig out those old photos, which are nearly 50 years old and get them on the internet. I’m very proud of them! At the time of writing this article my top film on the channel is Video 38: Ron McCarthy of Wales and this Show Racer legend’s loft visit has had a massive 221,026 views. Just brilliant! If you want a look at the channel, just go on to YouTube and put my name in (lower case) or the name of the item you want to view, and it should all come up.

That’s our article for this week. I can be contacted with any pigeon ‘banter’ on telephone number: 01372 463480 or email me at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

TEXT & PHOTOS BY KEITH MOTT

(www.keithmott.com)