“ON THE ROAD” WITH KEITH MOTT.
Looking back at London & South East Classic Club winners (Part 8.)
Richard & Ken O’Connor of Croydon.
This week we are going to feature an up-date of one of the premier widowhood racing lofts in the Surrey Federation area, that of Richard and Ken O'Connor. The 2015 season has seen them record their ninth 1st open Combine winner! A fantastic record! The win was with the SMT Combine from Messac and although they are renowned for their fantastic team widowhood cocks the 2015 winner was a blue hen. She is from their new Van Loon family and her name is ‘Tramp’, so named because she disappeared for two weeks earlier in the season and came back home in a very dirty condition. She has had some good previous form, scoring well in the Combine results in the 2014 season. Richard and Ken keep a section in their loft for spare hens, which has produced some brilliant winners in past seasons for the brothers, and this game hen raced to that section, being paired to another hen. The O’Connor brothers had two hens come together from Messac to record 1314.47 and 1314.22 ypm and won the Combine by a massive 26 ypm, with 1,164 birds competing. The second bird on the ETS was another blue hen named ‘Lady’ and Ken tells me because they came together to win the Combine, he has called them ‘the Lady and the Tramp’. This spare hen is one of the brothers best racing hen, being a multiple first prize winner and has scored at the top of the Federation and Combine many times. ‘Lady’ had been flirting with a spare cock and is bred from the O’Connor’s very successful ‘Robin’ / Staf Van Reet bloodlines. Up to the time of writing this article Ken and Richard have won the Surrey Federation four times in the 2015 racing season.
Richard’s work now takes him abroad for most of the year, commuting a lot the USA, and Ken tells me he has a new loft manager in the form of young Jake Doherty, who is as keen as ‘mustard’. The 2009 season saw them record their eighth 1st open SMT Combine from Tours and this was yet another blue hen. She is a Staf Van Reet, being a granddaughter of their champion widowhood cock ‘Robin’ and he in turn was bred down from the legendary Tony Mardon stock cock, Champion ‘Toey’ and was sent to Tours sitting eggs. The O’Connor brothers previously won the Combine in the 2008 season when they recorded 1st, 2nd, 3rd open SMT Combine Poitier. Ken says the two Combine wins were on the same weekend at the same distance and at the time was hoping for the ‘hat trick’ in 2010, but had to wait until the 2015 racing season! Their record over the last few seasons must described as fantastic, winning over eighty times 1st Federation, eight times 1st open Combine, 1st open L&SECC Bergerac, 2nd open L&SECC Bordeaux, 2nd open L&SECC Bergerac and 2nd open L&SECC Tours. The Croydon loft has won many premier trophies and averages, plus runner up Vanrobaey’s Champion Loft of Great Britain, nine RPRA London Region Gold Awards and hundreds of club and open race first prizes. Richard and Ken’s best race in the London & South East Classic was from Bergerac (450 miles) a few seasons ago when 1,045 birds were liberated at 06.00hrs. The brothers clocked 21 birds on the day to record, 1st, 2nd, 10th, 23rd, 27th and 36th open, lifting £1,876. At the time Richard told me that they were going to have a good crack at the main National and Classic races and on their real first go at the National Flying Club Nantes event, they won 2nd sect E. 64th open.
The main families are Van Reets, Van Loon and Busschaert. The Busschaerts originate from their good friend, Phil Ball and the first pair came from his champion, ‘King Pin’, winner of 21 x 1sts. This pair bred their good blue chequer cock, winner of 15 x 1sts and 3 x 1sts federation. The great old cock is still in the 10ft today, although is not filling his eggs and was one of the birds that the brothers turned over to widowhood when they finished with the natural system. The Van Reets come from one of the premier Surrey lofts, Paul Arnold of North Cheam and the Van Loons were introduced a few years ago from Dennis Shepperd of Kingston. When Richard and Ken bring in new stock birds, they look for good balance, but the main factor is good eyesign.
The brothers started up in pigeon racing in 1975 and Richard maintains that winning is great, but the main thing is they have always enjoyed keeping pigeons. From the age of six or seven, they collected all types of animals and insects, but always wanted pigeons or birds they could let out and would come back. In 1975 a stray landed in their garden and within a short time they had several gift birds from local fanciers to go with it and from then they were hooked on our great sport. The brothers like any race, short, middle and long distance, as long as it involves racing pigeons. They have won 1st Federation many times through the years, including 1st and 2nd open combine in 1982, when flying on the natural system. To say Richard & Ken had a brilliant season in 1999 would be an understatement winning 13 x 1sts Federation and ending the old bird season by winning 1st open SMT Combine Bordeaux. Eight of their 1st Federations were won in the very strong Surrey Federation and in my 30 years association with the Federation I've never known a performance to beat the O'Connor brother’s 1999 blitz. Not only did they win the Surrey Federation eight times, they were also 2nd several times and in one race took the first six positions. Then to put the icing on the cake, they won 1st open SMT Combine from the longest old bird race, Bordeaux, 450 miles.
On a visit to the Croydon lofts a few years ago, the first pigeon that Richard and Ken showed me was their 1999 Bordeaux Combine winner, a handsome Van Reet blue cock which won the combine on the widowhood system. This was the cock's third win and he was a gift bird from the brothers' good friend, Roy Geoff. He was worked hard in the 1999 season flying the Channel five times before winning the combine. The brothers race the normal widowhood system with cocks and have two teams, one for sprinting and one for Channel racing. The distance birds are paired up on December 14th. the same time as the stock birds and their eggs are floated under the race birds. The sprint team are paired up on January 2nd, as the brothers get more time with the pigeons over the Christmas holiday. The hens are taken away at 17 days on the first pair of young birds and re-paired about three weeks later when training starts. The cocks get five training tosses before the first race and are never trained in the season, only flying out around the loft for one hour, twice a day. The sprint team are broken down, being built up from Wednesday each week and the Channel birds are never broken down, being fed on a heavy mixture. The long distance team get regular inland races to get them fit and ready for the Channel events. These birds are never re-paired for the long distance races and the brothers like to race 15 to 20 spare hens on the Channel and these are housed with the young bird team. Ken says these hens have been very successful and keep fit flying out with the youngsters. The inland racers are housed in a 12ft loft, with nine boxes in each section and the Channel birds race to a 12ft loft, with all trapping through open windows. The hens are shown to the racers on marking night and get their mates for about half an hour on their return from the race. Another top racer I looked at on my visit was the brothers' best Van Reet racer, Robin, a nice blue cock, which has raced brilliantly inland. Richard maintains that their best sprinters are never sent over the Channel for French races. The cock is a seven times winner, including 1st Federation in 1998 and twice 1st federation, plus 2nd Federation in the 1999 season. A brilliant pigeon!
The brothers race 80 young birds each year and these race on the natural system to the perch, but if one or two pair up they are allowed to carry on to make them keen for racing. The darkness system was tried out for the first time in 1999 and Richard says he was very happy with the birds' moult at the end of the season. All the young birds race through to Wadebridge, 230 miles and young cocks are not saved for the widowhood system because the old bird teams are full of quality at the ,present time. They get as much training as the brothers can manage with work commitments and are likely to have 25 chucks before the first young bird race. The youngsters are fed on a good young bird mixture, with the com being built up to marking night. On my visit the O’Connor’s showed me a handsome Van Reet mealy pied cock which was ‘Young Bird of the Year’ in 1997, racing in the very strong Woodside Club and he won 1st federation in the 1999 season. Richard says this outstanding widowhood cock has five brothers in the racing team, with all of them being winners and all could have been federation winners.
The O’Connor brothers have enjoyed some brilliant success in recent seasons racing in the London & South East Classic Club and have won: 2nd open L&SECC Bordeaux in 2002, with their dark hen, ‘Dark Princess’, 1st & 2nd open L&SECC Bergerac in 2003, with their champion red hen, ‘Classic Lady’, winning the Classic and in 2005 their game blue hen, ‘The Territorial Hen’, recorded 2nd open L&SECC Tours. As I previously stated Richard and Ken’s best race in the London & South East Classic was from Bergerac (450 miles) and the brothers clocked 21 birds on the day to record, 1st, 2nd, 10th, 23rd, 27th and 36th open, lifting £1,876. At the time Richard told me that they were going to have a good crack at the main National and Classic races and on their real first go at the NCF Nantes event, they won 2nd sect E. 64th open. Richard and Ken’s first two birds on the clock when they won the L&SECC from Bergerac were two natural hens and both came through the loft doors together. First on the clock, was their good red chequer Busschaert hen, ‘Classic Lady’, and in 2002 she won 18th open NFC Guernsey old hens race. This game hen was super in the hand, being medium in size, apple bodied, with wonderful feathering and her sire is the outstanding widowhood cock, ‘Lively’, and winner of 1st Federation three times. This really is a brilliant line of winning Busschaerts, as sire of ‘Lively’ was ‘Rambo’ winner of 15 times 1st and three times 1st Federation. The dam of ‘Classic Lady’ is a full sister to the O’Connor’s best ever pigeon, the dark Busschaert widowhood cock, Champion ‘Batman’, winner of 57 prizes including 17 times 1st club, 5 times 1st Federation and 4th open Combine. ‘Classic Lady’ was only paired up a few day days before the Bergerac Classic and raced to her new mate and nest box. In the 2002 season Richard and Ken recorded 2nd, 7th, 39th and 40th open L&SECC Bordeaux and first bird on the clock was their good dark Busschaert hen, ‘Dark Princess’, and like their Bergerac Classic winner, ‘Classic Lady’, this hen was bred out of a full sister to Champion ‘Batman’. The brothers won 2nd open L&SECC Tours in 2005 with their blue Staf Van Reet hen, ‘The Territorial Hen’, and this game pigeon was raced to a section with 34 spare hens in, a method of racing which has brought the O’Connor’s lots good success over the years. This hen was an outstanding young bird and her sire won seven firsts for the Croydon loft. Brilliant pigeon racing!
Philip & Maria Dunstall of Taplow.
With the pressure of running his successful haulage business, Philip Dunstall, had not had time to race his pigeons properly for about ten years, but made a comeback with his young birds with a big ‘bang’. Phil told me at the time, he had brought in eight pairs of the Leo Van Rijn of Holland pigeons through Brian Hawes and Adrian Duggins about three years prior and these birds had set his success story alight again. The Dunstall loft sent 25 young birds to the first London & South East Classic Club race from Vire (184 miles) and won the race with their good Van Rijn blue chequer hen, ‘Dorney View Summer’, which was raced on the partner’s own celibate system. The two sexes are kept apart all week and are allowed to run together for an hour on marking afternoon. Looking at her pedigree, I notice she is full of the very best of the Van Rijn champions and on her build up to her classic win had the first two Federation races, then two training tosses from Winchester before going to Vire. Phil and Maria clocked their birds on a T3 clock from Vire and recorded eight young birds in 150 seconds, to record 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 12th, 13th, 14th and 16th open. The partners second bird on the clock from Vire was their good blue chequer hen ‘Dorney View 961’ and she had previously won 8th BB&O Federation Seaton when they took the first ten positions in the open result. She is another Leo Van Rijn pigeon bred down from a long line of premier winners.
The husband and wife partnership had three young bird races with Berks, Buck & Oxon Federation prior to winning the L&SECC from Vire and recorded: 4th, 11th, 13th, 14th, 15th Federation Honiton (2634 birds), 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th 10th Federation Seaton (2366 birds), 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 15th, 17th, 18th Federation Exeter (1906 birds). The Seaton Federation winner was the partners good blue chequer hen, ‘Dorney View Dream Girl’ and she was also bred from the very best Leo Van Rijn bloodlines. This game young hen was also raced to the perch on Phil’s celibate system and after her Federation win was entered in the Dorset Federation ‘Madhatters’ Guernsey open race to record 6th open. Phil and Maria won several firsts in their local club with up to 500 birds competing and at the end of the 2011 season they sent a team of 15 young birds to the NFC Fougeres National, and recorded 9th, 192nd and 199th (4782 birds). Some of their young bird team were multi-prize winners and they were: ‘Dorney View 961’: 2nd open L&SECC Vire, 8th BB&O Federation Seaton, ‘Dorney View 098’: 14th open L&SECC Vire, 10th BB&O Federation Seaton, ‘Dorney View 108’: 13th open L&SECC Vire, 3rd BB&O Federation Seaton and probably the top performer, the beautiful blue pied hen, ‘Dorney View 022’, winner of 12th open L&SECC Vire, 4th BB&O Federation Honiton and 192nd open NFC Fougeres. Fantastic young bird racing!
The partnership of Philip and Maria Dunstall have enjoyed some wonderful success in past seasons, racing in National and Classic events, with their young birds. They had a brilliant season in Federation in 2000 and from the London & South East Classic Club young bird Guernsey race had ten drop on the loft together to record 2nd, 4th, 6th, 11th, 12th, 15th, 18th, 19th, 20th and 22nd open. A brilliant performance! I visited the Buckinghamshire loft in the winter of 1999 after the Dunstall’s had really set them alight that season with their youngsters, including winning 1st section E, 1st open National Flying Club Vire (5,850 birds); 1st open Berks, Bucks & Oxon Federation Weymouth (3.403 birds); 2nd section, 2nd open L&SECC Guernsey (1,723 birds), all with young birds. The partner’s 1999 Young Bird National winner is a Hartog blue hen named, Champion ‘Misty’. She is bred down from the ‘Green Ring’ lines, which have been very successful for the Dunstall loft. On her build up to her Vire National win, Champion ‘Misty’, was trained with the young bird team, put into Guernsey with the L&SECC, to record 80th open, then in to the National, after a few short training tosses. She was sent to the Vire National playing around with some young cock birds. This game hen was a darkness youngster and took 3 hours 40 minutes to fly the 185 miles from Vire in France, to win the premier young bird event in English pigeon racing. On the day of the Vire National, Philip was working and his wife, Maria, had the job of clocking the bids in. She says, Champion ‘Misty’ took for ever to trap on her arrival, flying backwards and forwards, from one loft to another, trying to get a drink of water off the roofs. Little did Maria know that she was clocking the National winner!
Philip’s father, Frank, was a fancier. Once, while on holiday at Selsea Bill, he caught a stray on top of the caravan and presented to Philip, who was only 4 years of age and since then, Philip has always had pigeons, flying in partnership with his father for many years, with outstanding success. The Dunstall’s are very much a pigeon family, with Philip and Maria’s children taking part in the hobby. Maria’s parents are Mr. & Mrs. Czaplewski, the highly successful Slough racing partnership. Philip likes to race sprint and middle distance, winning the Federation many times, although he has had good success in the long distance races including; 1981: 17th open N.F.C. Pau (6,066 birds), 1982: 61st open N.F.C. Pau (6,928 birds) and 1994: 140th open N.F.C. Pau (5,976 birds). The Dunstall’s races 24 cocks on the widowhood system and 20 pairs on the roundabout system, with all the old birds being paired up at the end of January, if the weather is good.
The partners keep 80 young birds each season and they are all put on the darkness system, when weaned, and off just before the first young bird race. Although Philip is very successful with youngsters, he says he is not a great lover of young bird racing, but likes to send them all the way to 190 miles. They are not paired up, but if they want to, they are allowed during the racing season. The babies are trained every day and fed twice a day on breakdown and widowhood mixtures. The main family kept is Leo Van Rijn, obtained from Brian Hawes of Hendon and Adrian Duggins of Derbyshire. Phil told me Leo Van Rijn is an up and coming fancier in Holland and his family are outstanding from 70 miles and right through the programme to 560 miles. The Buckinghamshire stock loft now houses 48 pairs of direct Leo Van Rijn pigeons and Maria tells me, Philip is now set up for many years good racing with his retirement from work coming up very soon. There you have it, the Philip and Maria Dunstall story, one of the best young bird racing partnerships in the U.K. today!
That’s our article for this week! I can be contacted on telephone number: 01372 463480 or email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
TEXT & PHOTOS BY KEITH MOTT (www.keithmott.com).