“ON THE ROAD” WITH KEITH MOTT.

Brian and Thelma Denney of Strensall.

Whenever I visit the Yorkshire home of Brian and Thelma Denney it is always a great occasion, I enjoy very much! Strensall is a 500 mile round trip from my home in Surrey and I made my latest trip up the M1 to Brian and Thelma’s home, with an exchange pair of youngsters, in late August. Whenever I go up to Brian’s I could take a coach load of fanciers with me, that’s how popular ‘Mr. Long Distance’ is! He is one of our all-time greats at racing pigeons with outstanding success on the long distance over many years. I first visited Brian and Thelma Denney in 1999 when I went to the Yorkshire loft to video them for my ‘Many Miles with Mott’ video series and since then we have met up at the BHW Blackpool Show most years, but I try and visit them once a year when possible.

Brian Denney is world famous for his wonderful performances racing 748 miles in the National Flying Club Tarbes Grand National and his Champion ‘Tuff Nut’ was the champion of the champions, being a wonderful long distance racer and then when he was retired to the stock loft he bred his like many time over. A once in a life time pigeon! This wonderful dark white flight cock was bred by David Harrison, in the North West of England, from the very best Brian Denney and Van Bruane blood lines. ‘Tuff Nut’ was the latest champion to bless the Yorkshire loft of Brian Denney, in the wake of a surge of wonderful long distance champions over the years, that have kept the loft at the top of the Pau / Tarbes National results since the 1960’s. ‘Tuff Nut’ recorded 1st section K, 5th open NFC Pau, flying 738 miles to his loft in York, which must be rated as one of the best performance in the Pau Grand National ever. There was only one game pigeon clocked on the south coast on the day, from the NFC Pau race and ‘Tuff Nut’ was clocked next day to record 5th open, flying 738 miles, with north in the wind. A brilliant performance! He also recorded 6th open Northern Classic Saintes, flying 573 miles on the day of liberation. A true long distance champion!

Some say that Brian Denney’s Pau Grand National performance in the 2002 season, when he recorded 1st section K. 5th open, was one of the best performances of all time in the National Flying Club. John Ayling had the only bird on the day of liberation, in the form of his fantastic champion, ‘Home Alone’, and Brian clocked his dark white flight cock, ‘Tuff Nut’, on the second day, flying 738 miles, with north in the wind, to record 5th open. When I asked Brian about his wonderful pigeon he smiled and said, ‘That was a great day when we saw him coming from the Pau National and I knew that only one bird had been clocked on the night flying 519 miles. It must have given John Ayling the thrill of a lifetime to clock the only bird on the day in the Pau Grand National. ‘Tuff Nut’ had been clocked from Saintes, 573 miles on the day, flying 15 hours, in the 2000 season and from Pau I hoped that he had made it into England on the night, but that’s one thing we will never know. After clocking him from Pau, he soon showed plenty of interest in his mate, so I knew he was right and when I phoned Sid Barkel to verify him I was told ‘Tuff Nut’ was the first bird clocked in Section K. Only four birds had beaten him with 4,085 birds competing and the fact that he had flown 738 miles on two hard days and still up with the leaders made me feel very proud of my pigeon. Not long after the race, Bill Harris, the N.F.C. president, phoned to congratulate me on ‘Tuff Nut’s’ performance, which was very nice and for days after the phone never stopped ringing from fanciers with good wishes, from all over the U.K. The icing on the cake was the N.F.C. prize presentation in Blackpool when my fellow fanciers acknowledged ‘Tuff Nut’s’ wonderful performance. Champion ‘Tuff Nut’ won 1st RPRA Region Long Distance Award and 2nd RPRA UK Long Distance Champion for his wonderful performance.

Champion ‘Tuff Nut’ was retired to the stock loft after a wonderful racing career and paired to the very best at Brian Denney’s loft, he became world famous for being the breeder of many long distance champions. The list of premier racers bred through this great pigeon is very long, but the main ones were: ‘Northern Lady’: The Denney’s first two birds were on the clock within three minutes from the 2009 NFC Tarbes National, with the 1st section K, 3rd open winner being the five year old widowhood blue chequer hen, ‘Northern Lady’, and she has previously won 6th section K, 217th open NFC Tarbes. She was a daughter of the sire of the Brian’s loft, when mated to ‘Brian’s Prize’ winner of 4th open Northern Classic Saintes, being clocked at 573 miles on the day of liberation, and  ‘Northern Lady’ is a full sister to the champion breeding hen, ‘Dark Jan’. Two champion grandsons of ‘Tuff Nut’, both being bred out of ‘Dark Jan’ were Champion ‘Dark Charm’, winner of 1st section K, 5th open NFC Tarbes (748 miles) in 2007 and Champion ‘Dark Dancer’ the winner of: 2009: 1st section K, 4th open NFC Fougeres, 2nd section K, 4th open NFC Tarbes, and previously won 6th section K, 27th open NFC Tarbes, 4th section K, 208th open NFC Tarbes, 4th section K NFC Fougeres. These two cocks were a nest pair and both won 1st section K in the National Flying Club. An absolutely fantastic performance!

One of Brian’s famous stock pairs was, ‘Dark Jan’, the daughter of ‘Tuff Nut’ and her partner, ‘Maxi’, who was bred from ‘Classic Lad’ when mated to a daughter of ‘Tuff Nut’. This pair was incredible, producing many 748 mile champion racers, with four of their sons of note being ‘Dark Charm’, ‘Dark Dancer’, ‘John’ and ‘Sasha’s Boy’. The handsome blue chequer cock, ‘John’, recorded: 4th section K, 17th open NFC Tarbes (748 miles), 5th section K, 216th open NFC Tarbes. Brian gifted ‘Sasha’s Boy’ to me as a squeaker and he bred Federation winners in our stock loft, and was also the grandsire of Bob and Anthony Besant’s Champion ‘Noble Dream’, winner of 1st open International Agen (10.500 birds) in the 2015 racing season. After my visit to the home of Brian and Thelma in the April, ‘Mr. Long Distance’ enjoyed a brilliant 2009 season racing in the National Flying Club. Their first success was from the Fougeres National in May when the convoyer released 9,686 birds at 06.30hrs into a light East wind. Brian, flying 394 miles, clocked two pigeons in under a minute and recorded 1st, 2nd section K (968 birds), 48th, 51st open. The first pigeon on the clock was the champion dark pied widowhood cock, ‘Dark Dancer’, and he set a bit of a record that day from Fougeres, as he is nest brother to Champion ‘Dark Charm’, winner of 1st section K, 5th open NFC Tarbes (748 miles) in 2007, making them two NFC section K winners bred in the same nest. Absolutely brilliant! The month of June saw Brian’s favourite race take place, the NFC Tarbes Grand National, and the Denney’s enjoyed a brilliant race of a lifetime! The 3,800 birds were liberated at 13.45hrs on the Friday in no wind situation and with adverse weather in northern France that evening, the convoy experienced a very difficult race, with many members not clocking in on the Saturday. Brian and Thelma sent a team of twenty birds and flying 748 miles in to Yorkshire, clocked seven of their entry on the Saturday, to record a fantastic 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th, 8th, 11th section K, 3rd, 4th, 12th, 19th, 30th, 56th,153rd open NFC and 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th, 7th, 9th open North East 700 Mile Club. The Denney’s first two birds were on the clock within three minutes, with the 1st section K, 3rd open winner being the five year old widowhood blue chequer hen, ‘Northern Lady’, the full sister to the champion breeding hen, ‘Dark Jan’. Those who were present on our visit to the Strensall loft in the April will recall that I picked out ‘Northern Lady’ as my fancy and I’m happy to say she hit the jackpot in the very hard Tarbes Grand National! This champion hen has everything being appled bodied and medium sized, with wonderful feather, eye and good balance in the hand. She was paired up on 10th February, being raced on total widowhood and had three inland races up to 180 miles, before going in to the NFC Fougeres and Alencon races for training, then went to the NFC Tarbes Grand National. A wonderful hen!

The star of the Brian Denney loft in 2009 must be the champion dark pied cock, ‘Dark Dancer’, being clocked three minutes after ‘Northern Lady’ in the NFC Tarbes race to win 2nd section K, 4th open. A fantastic 750 mile racing widowhood cock and his full performance is: 2009: 1st section K, 4th open NFC Fougeres, 2nd section K, 4th open NFC Tarbes, and previously won 6th section K, 27th open NFC Tarbes, 4th section K, 208th open NFC Tarbes, 4th section K NFC Fougeres. An absolutely fantastic performance! ‘Dark Dancer’ bred his like in the stock loft, producing several premier 750 mile racers and was a son of the champion stock pair, ‘Maxi, and ‘Dark Jan’.

The 2007 National Flying Club Tarbes Grand National race saw Brian Denney clock nine birds on the winning day, to record 1st, 4th, 6th, 9th, 20th, 22nd, 24th, 25th, 32nd Section K, 5th, 17th, 27th, 31st, 109th, 116th, 130th, 134th, 205th open (3,477 birds), flying 748 miles to his loft in York. The Denney’s 2007 NFC section winner is a handsome two year old dark pied cock, now named ‘Dark Charm’. For his wonderful performance in the Tarbes National ‘Dark Charm’ won 1st RPRA Region Long Distance Award and 3rd RPRA UK Long Distance Champion. Brian tells me he had another five bird’s home that day, that he didn’t clock and they also would have been well up in the open result. A wonderful performance by Brian, who is one of the greatest long distance fanciers this country has ever produced! The first three birds on the clock from Tarbes were full brother, racing on Brian own widowhood system and were bred direct off the champion stock pair, ‘Maxi’ and ‘Dark Jan’.

Brian and Thelma have won many premier positions in the NFC Grand National races over many year and in recent seasons have only sent very small teams to record: 2016: 44th, 54th open NFC Tarbes (748 miles), 2017: 70th, 335th open NFC Tarbes. The first bird on the clock from Tarbes in the 2017 season was a grandson of ‘Elton’ and ‘Dark Charm’. The 2005 bred blue chequer cock, ‘Elton’, was a very unlucky pigeon. After winning 6th section K, 30th open NFC Tarbes (748 miles), 3rd section K, 182nd open NFC Tarbes he was lined up to try and win a NFC ‘Merit Award’, but before the race was hit by a Sparrowhawk and was blinded in one eye. Great pigeons breeding great pigeons, with the 44th open Tarbes being won by a son of Champion ‘Brian’s Blue’ and a grandson of ‘Tuff Nut’ winning the 54th open Tarbes.

The loft at Strensall is ‘L’ shaped and faces south. It has two sections for widowhood racers, with 16 nest boxes in each, a section for the hens next door, two sections for the stock birds and a large section for young birds. Brian maintains that space and ventilation are the main factors in good loft design. He says deep litter is O.K. He used it for many years and it can get dusty, hence good ventilation in the loft is needed. His family of long distance pigeons are now his own and known throughout the pigeon racing world as the ‘Bry-Den’ 700 mile family. This season he has 13 pairs in the stock section, which were paired up in late January, and his stock team are all retired premier racers, or children of his best pigeons, such as ‘Dark Peron’ and ‘The Bordeaux Cock’. If he is trying new introductions, he prefers to race them first and if they stand up to the test on the road he will take a youngster off them. Through the years he has introduced some good crosses into the Derek Smith ‘Lolita’ bloodlines, the main one being Louella Van Hee pigeons. The main thing he looks for when bringing in new pigeons is that they have good 500 to 700 mile performances in their bloodlines.

Brian races cocks and hens on the widowhood system and normally keeps 25 pairs of racers, which are paired up in February. He likes the yearlings to fly from France a couple of times, which can be 350 to 400 miles, and the only time he would re-pair for Tarbes is if he had some good hens he wanted to send. Brian has raced hens and cocks on the widowhood with equal success, and says the disadvantage of re-pairing for Tarbes is they soon throw flights. The Denney pigeons are hopper Gerry Plus as a base, mixed with a good widowhood mixture and the birds get a lot of Hormoform. Sometimes the hens are let through to the cocks on basketing night and sometimes Brian just turns the nest bowl over. The short club races are used for training and on their return from a long distance race they sometimes stay with their mate overnight.

Brian says at one time he used to win at all distances, but he is now only interested in long, hard races where only the best come through. He likes the wait and as long as there is a chance of getting one home he is there ready to clock them in. Other principal pigeons in the Denney loft in recent years include: ‘The Pau Hen’ 1st section K, 118th open NFC Pau: ‘Whitetail’ 4th section K, 51st open NFC Pau, 5th section K, 234th open NFC Pau: ‘The Bordeaux Cock’ 7th section K, 109th open NFC Pau, 8th section K, 133rd open NFC Saintes, 3rd section K, 85th open NFC Nantes: ‘Dark Peron’ 3rd section K, 33rd open NFC Saintes and is the grandsire of ‘Tuff Nut’. A wonderful loft of 750 mile racers!

Brian has about 40 young birds to race each season and they race natural to the perch. They are trained in stages up to 55 miles and are raced to the south coast, about a 220 miles fly, and are hand fed twice a day on the same mixture as the old birds. Brian is now a long time retired from work and says his wife, Thelma, has always been interested in the pigeons. He told me that she is very capable of doing anything in the loft and has clocked in for him many times when he was working. Their two daughters, Susan and Lynn, have always taken an interest in Brian’s pigeons. Brian is not interested in the eyesign method, although he likes to see a nice bright eye with plenty of colour, and he maintains the basket is the true test if a pigeon is good or not. He had been secretary of the local club for 20 years and says he thinks the sport is going backwards, with clubs getting smaller. The future is with the National if it gets its house in order, with entry fees and prize money. He likes inbreeding and line breeding and practices it all the time, saying it is the only way to keep a good family going strong. Brian likes latebreds for stock and in the winter months increases the protein in the feeding for the heavy moult period.

The 2010 NFC Tarbes Grand National turned out to be a very hard race with only 481 birds on the final result, but it was particularly hard for the lofts in the north of England. Whether it is a hard or easy race, Brian Denney’s fantastic ‘Bri-Den’ 700 mile family of pigeons always hold their own and give a great account of them selves in any competition. Brian sent eight birds to the Tarbes National held in July and recorded 1st, 4th, 6th Section K, 80th, 241st, 317th open flying 748 miles to his loft in York. The first pigeon on the clock from Tarbes was a seven year old blue chequer hen named ‘Maxine’, raced on the widowhood system and this was her third time at Tarbes, previously recording 109th open in 2007. Brian’s latest Section K winner was a full sister to his champion stock cock ‘Maxi’ and he is a son of Campion ‘Classic Lad’, winner of 1st open Northern Classic Saintes, and ‘Lynnetta’ a daughter of Champion ‘Tuff Nut’.

It’s was a double congratulation in 2008 to my good friends, Brian and Thelma! Firstly, Brian had put up another fantastic performance in the 2008 NFC Tarbes Grand National and had clocked his blue widowhood cock, ‘Brian’s Blue’, on the day of liberation, flying 748 miles, and recording 1st sect K, 61st open (4045 birds). This champion pigeon was clocked just after 22.00 hrs on the day, flying 16 hours 15 minutes and I believe, at that time was the furthest flying pigeon clocked on the day ever in a NFC race. ‘Brian’s Blue’ won 1st RPRA Region Long Distance Award and 1st RPRA UK Long Distance Champion for his brilliant performance from Tarbes in the 2008 season. A wonderful performance, too follow Brian’s brilliant 2007 NFC Tarbes performance when he recorded several premier positions in the open result, including 1st sect. K, 5th open. Brian recorded 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th sect K. (240 birds) in the 2008 race. ‘Brian’s Blue’ was bred down on both sides of his pedigree from Brian’s champion Pau National hen, ‘Blue Pau’, who was also a wonderful breeder. Brian’s third pigeon home from the NFC Tarbes race in the 2009 season to record 3rd section K, 12th open was the four year old blue cock, ‘Blue Boy’, and he is a son of Champion ‘Brian’s Blue’, winner of 1st RPRA UK Long Distance Champion in 2008 when mated to a sister of ‘Elton’ named ‘Class Blue’, winner of 2nd section K NFC Fougeres (394 miles). ‘Brian’s Blue’ has since bred many premier long distance racers, including 44th open NFC Tarbes in the 2016 racing season. Champion ‘Brian’s Blue’, what a pigeon!

Secondly, it was congratulation to Brian and Thelma Denney who celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary on 26th July 2008. ‘Mr. Long Distance’ and Thelma were at school together at Yeddington in Yorkshire and started going out together in 1954. Brian went into the forces and he was posted to Malaya for three years, but the couple wrote to each other regularly. After the long period of just writing the young Brian returned and found his love for Thelma was stronger than ever. Six months later he was posted to Germany and after their marriage at Yeddington Village Church on 26th July 1958, Thelma move out to Germany to start her married life with Brian. They stayed at Osnabruck until Brian’s demob from the services in 1961. The couple moved into Strensall in 1962 and they have two daughters, Susan and Lynn, and beautiful grand children, Matthew and Amelia. Our Thelma is a very special lady, with her taking a big interested in Brian’s hobby and being an inspiration to him over the years. What can I say about my ol’ mate, Brian, that I haven’t said before? A great friend and one of our greatest long distance champions of all time, putting up brilliant performance in the major National races every year! Brian and Thelma are two of the nicest people we’ve ever met in our time in pigeon racing!

Brian Denney was born near Malton in Yorkshire and his father kept a few pigeons, but never raced them, although he enjoyed taking them for short flights on his bike. Brian first had pigeons when he was a school boy and used to visit two fanciers in the next village, who really got him into pigeon racing. He went into the army for nine years and started up racing pigeons in 1962, at his present home in Strensall, near York. Brian’s first birds were obtained from Albert Witty and Derek Smith and both these fanciers helped him with eggs from their best birds. The Derek Smith ‘Lolita’ family are still in Brian’s bloodlines today. He says he remembers his first winner, it was a little dark chequer which came like a rocket and won the first race he ever entered. In the 1960’s Brian admired the performances of Frank Cheetham who flew 709 miles from Pau and says he was on the front page of the pigeon papers every year after putting up brilliant performances from Pau. His first club was the Acomb MWC in York and he has the same loft that he started with in 1962, though he has made it bigger through the 55 years he has been in the sport.

What can I say about my ol’ mate, Brian, that I haven’t said before? A great friend and one of our greatest long distance champions of all time, putting up brilliant performance in the major National races every year! Brian and Thelma are two of the nicest people we’ve ever met in our time in pigeon racing! Brian and I have exchanged youngsters over the years and he has gifted me with some great pigeons! As I previously said I met him for the time when I went to film him at his loft in 1999 and we have been good friends ever since. At that  time I was traveling all over UK filming the very best for the ‘Many Miles With Mott’ video series and on my return from my many trips my late great friend, Eric Cannon, always asked me my opinion on the different long distance fanciers I had visited. On my return from Yorkshire, I told Eric with no uncertainty that Brian Denney of Strensall was one of the best lofts I had ever visited. Eric contacted Brian and ordered three youngsters to try as a cross. A few days before Brian shipped the babies down he phoned me and asked if I could use a youngster, and would put a fourth one in Eric’s box for me. Needless to say I said yes and Brian sent down a nest pair of blue chequers off his champion blue hen, ‘Blue Pau’, the cock for Eric and the hen for me. ‘Blue Pau’ was a champion racer and breeder, winning 3rd section K, 41st open NFC Pau (738 miles), 4th section K, 201st open NFC Pau. She was the dam of many outstanding racers including ‘Classic Lad’, winner of 1st open Northern Classic Saintes, clocked from 573 miles on the day of liberation.  I called my hen, ‘Pathfinder’ and as the years have gone by she has become a true ‘legend’! I lightly raced ‘Pathfinder’ before she was put to stock and in 2001 flew 900 miles in three weeks to record 91st open L&SECC Perth, 52nd open L&SECC Thurso (520 miles). She was the dam of many premier racers and breeders, including ‘Foxwarren Complete’, ‘Betty M’ and ‘Foxwarren Pretender’. ‘Pathfinder’ was the grand dam of Brian Denney’s Champion ‘Brian Blue’, ‘Elton’, ‘Class Blue’ and the great grand dam of Bob & Anthony Besant’s Champion ‘Noble Dream’, and two winners of 1st open Amalgamation Bourges (581 miles).

The great ‘Pathfinder’ was the dam of my best 550 mile racer ‘Foxwarren Complete’ and she in turn has now proved to be a champion breeder. ‘Foxwarren Complete’ was the winner of 2003: 32nd open L&SECC Dax (530 miles), 2nd East Grinstead CC Dax, 2004: 29th open L&SECC San Sebastian (560 miles), 2005: 116th open L&SECC Pau (552 miles), 2007: 109th open L&SECC Pau. A real class hen! Her sire was ‘The Cannon Cock’ bred by Eric Cannon and winner 331st open NFC Pau (552 miles), 77th open L&SECC Perth (370 miles). This cock was the original pigeon Eric bred for me on my restart in 1998 and was a grandson of ‘Culmer White Flight’ and Champion ‘Culmer Sam’, being a son of the great ‘Culmer 14 Hen’. The dam of ‘Foxwarren Complete’ was the brilliant blue cheque stock hen, ‘Pathfinder’, bred by Brian Denney and she was lightly raced, winning 52nd open L&SECC Thurso (520 miles). ‘Pathfinder’ was a champion breeder, producing many premier 550 mile racers, including ‘Foxwarren Complete’, ‘Betty M’, the dam of ‘Elton’ and ‘Class Blue’, and ‘Foxwarren Pretender’ dam of Champion ‘Brian’s Blue’ winner of : 2008: 1st section K, 61st open NFC Tarbes, being clocked on the day of liberation flying 748 miles,1st RPRA UK Long Distance Champion 2008.

‘Foxwarren Complete’ proved to be a ‘gold mine’ stock hen breeding many top 550 mile racers, including 37th open L&SECC Tarbes and a late bred from her was donated to the BHW Blackpool Show Charity Auction in 2010 and was sold for £740. When mated to the Brian Denney stock cock, ‘Sasha’s Boy’, ‘Foxwarren Complete’ is the dam of Bob and Anthony Besant’s champion stock hen, ‘Half Crown’, dam of Champion ‘Noble Dream’, winner of 1st open International Agen (10,510 birds) in the 2015 season. ‘Foxwarren Complete’ is also the dam of the fantastic stock hen, ‘Foxwarren Northern Complete’, dam of many premier 580 mile racers including: 2nd Federation Bourges (581 miles), 3rd Federation Bourges, 4th Federation Bourges, 5th Federation Bourges, 8th Federation and is grand dam of 1st, 1st, 3rd, 4th, 4th Federation, 1st, 1st Amalgamation, 8th open NEHU (2,355 birds) Bourges (581 miles) in recent seasons. She is the dam of Fred Dickson’s champion cock, ‘The Five Times Bourges Cock’, winner of 3rd, 5th, 8th Federation Bourges and sire of 1st, 1st, 3rd, 4th, 4th Federation, 1st, 1st Amalgamation Bourges (581 miles). Northern Ireland long distance ‘ace’, Ronnie Young has a full brother to ‘Foxwarren Northern Complete’ and he is the sire of many premier racers including: 2011: 191st open INFC St. Milo (OB) National (1597 birds), 2012: 215th open INFC St. Milo (OB) National (1408 birds) and grand sire of: 2012: 200th, 250th open INFC Yearling National (4319 birds). The wonderful record of ‘Foxwarren Complete’ the daughter of Brian Denney’s ‘Pathfinder’!

This article has given me extra special pleasure to write as I said previously, Brian and Thelma are good friends of mine and are two of the nicest people I have met in my time in the sport. That’s it for this week and I can be contacted with any pigeon ‘banter’ on telephone number: 01372 463480 or email me on: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

TEXT & PHOTOS BY KEITH MOTT (www.keithmott.com).