Tom Corrie Jnr reports on
DAVIE DONALDSON
of Glassford, Lanarkshire, Scotland
I struck gold recently in the hills of South Lanarkshire. You may say Tom is rich, well I was in knowledge! The gold I discovered was the small village loft of Davie Donaldson, a truly outstanding long distance fancier who quietly goes about his hobby, winning top prizes. Glassford (locally known as Glessart) sits between Hamilton and the bigger village of Strathaven, with a population of 500. Davie has stayed their all his life, being married to Mima for over fifty years. I asked Davie how he met his wife and he laughed, stating she kept chasing him around at school. Mima was born in Strathaven.
Davie
Davie started racing around the early 1960s and eventually after a period of little success, obtained birds from the outstanding lofts of Gibson Brothers from Netherburn, Lanarkshire. These birds originated from Johnny Burrell of Douglas Water, South Lanarkshire. The Burrell foundation came from a fancier called Bone from a mining village called Glespin about 7 miles from Douglas Water. Johnny Burrell also introduced other birds from a very sucessful English fancier, J.O. Allan. Burrell Bros won the West Section 4 times - 1939, 1947 & 1955 from Rennes and 1959 from Nantes. Johnny died I think in 1962 and the pigeons were sold in Wolverhampton where I believe the Gibsons from Netherburn bought a few. Some other birds came back to Scotland from the sale. One notable one was bought by Gordon McCaw from Erroll which left many birds to score in the Nationals. John Burrell was the most meticulous and dedicated of fanciers and he has been described as the the best National fancier ever in Scotland by some of the all time greats. He won 4 x 1st sect SNFC from Rennes.
The small loft
Davie has spent a lifetime maintaining these lines of pigeons with the introduction of a blue cock from clubmate John Smith, inbred lines from the Larkhall legend Wullie Wilson who himself was a brilliant racer and breeder of long distance pigeons into Scotland. This cock had been won at the local show’s raffle (what a lucky ticket). He had one race as a youngster winning it by over twenty minutes and was then unfortunately injured in the local field losing the sight in one eye. He was paired to the best in the loft, the great racing hen Mima's Pride, a double winner from the channel. The crossing of two inbred families proved to be the catalyst for one of the most potent families of pigeons ever to fly and win in the West section of the Scottish National. All three YBs bred that year won from France in due course and one of these was Davida, a SNFC Gold Award winner (5 times a channel winner) for Davie including 12th Sect Rennes and 21st Sect Sartilly. The Gold Award is the National’s way of rewarding its champion pigeons, the ultimate athletes of the sky. Another was blue hen (sister to Davida), three times a Channel winner including 4th Sect & 21st Open Nantes, and the third was their brother a blue w/f cock which won from Rennes. A son of the latter as a 2yr old in 1981 flew the Lanarkshire Fed Sartilly smash homing on the third day, then three weeks later won from Rennes (540 miles) and then flew Sartilly 495 miles in mid July.
Originally it was D & M Donaldson which included his wife Mima who looked after the routine of the birds when Davie was working. Now 75 years of age, Davie continues to show us how to fly the distance. He is a very unassuming man who doesn't offer you his wins but reflects on his champions with great pride.
Side view of ventilation to YB section
The old bird team has been consistently around the 18 pair mark, with around 20-24 pigeons expected to race from the National programme. His yearlings are usually stopped at 250 miles and any late breds are trained as 2 year olds with the young birds and race the programme. His young bird team of around 24 usually race the programme but Davie stated they often are stopped after a few races. It makes no difference, they win when being lightly raced or completing the programme. In 2012 the loft sent 4 to the YB National winning 9th, 14th & 23rd Section, absolutely brilliant flying into this side of the country. Just ask anyone in the west how hard it is to get youngsters out of this race.
The 14ft x 8ft loft hasn't changed in structure in all the years since being built, remaining small in size but big in results. Tin sheeting covers the sides and back of the loft to protect from the constant rain and wind we experience in this side of the country. It has two sections, the left side for the old birds with 20 nest boxes, and YBS have old conventional box perches. I asked Davie what the insert in the middle of the perch was for and he stated it was the scraper that had eroded the wood over the years. Here's me thinking it was some special type of perch haha! The young bird section has a board that sits above the perches, around 18 inches off the floor stopping the droppings from hitting the floor.
He adopts the good old fashioned natural nest cycle for the old birds and races to the perch for the YBs. Davie likes to send his hens to the distance on chipping eggs but states you have to watch their performance on the nest cycle to get the best from them. He spends very little time in the loft, but when entering it has his scraper in hand. He spends most of his time observing the birds from the back window, stating you get more from watching them than you will ever get in the hand. He stated a very well respected National flyer once said that a hen he had entered into a local show had no attributes to win at the distance yet the hen had 3 channel diplomas. Davie takes no interest in type, size or colour, he just races them and breeds from those that perform.
Old bird section
The yearlings race to around 250 miles, racing most weeks in the club programme. This will give them enough education to race from the coast the following seasons. He likes pigeons to be individuals and enjoys seeing them homing after many hours on the wing; this builds character and success for the future. He doesn't tolerate persistent late attenders saying the birds that are being built up for the longer racers shouldn't be too off the pace if racing in the shorter races. Davie stated there is only a small percentage of winners in all lofts that keep you up with the winners every year, adding with a close knit family of birds you can help gauge their needs but the basket is always the true test.
His candidates for the Channel receive around 3 or 4 races up to 260 miles, looking for 8 hours’ flying time in the last race, then 6-8 training tosses from Dunbar on the east coast around the 60 mile mark before the race they have been selected for. He trains his birds because open loft exercise is impossible due to the ever present raptors and he has liked Dunbar for training as the returns are usually good and he gets around 1 1/2 hours on the wing, usually into a head wind. The birds are usually liberated at 9.30 am.
He stated he learned very quickly you can’t burn the candle at both ends, birds have to be relatively fresh for the job ahead when racing from the distance. This will "harden" them up for the task ahead. He made reference not to use comeback races for conditioning birds that have possibly already raced double that distance saying pigeons are not silly creatures. He said he learned the hard way, losing many good pigeons in these races. He also doesn't send them on short tosses of up to 20 miles, when conditioning them for the distance, better 50, 60, 70 miles.
Ventilation at front and side of old bird section
Davie is very keen in keeping the birds naturally healthy and doesn't tolerate any antibiotics, using natural products to help maintain good health and wellbeing. He treats for worms with Ivomec (the type they use for cattle) and provides the birds with Kilpatrick white grit and a handful each morning of the red stone grit, not too much. They also receive the pickstone, the type you crumble up, on a regular basis. Lofts are kept clean daily and sprayed at the end of season with Virkon-S disinfectant. He has tried a new menthol type product (white powder) on the floor which in his opinion is only good for drying up rain on the floor. The lofts are open at the front and sides with large louvers with mesh to protect from vermin. He was once told he would win nothing until he closed the louvers but he never listened to that advice. The rest is down to good pigeons that are raced and trained at the right time.
Regarding young bird health, Davie has never had the presence of the YB Sickness syndrome but if he felt they had something not right he would treat with Bicarbonate of Soda in the water and provide them later with honey. In his opinion, anything that contains antibiotics will only destroy their defence system. Common sense.
Feeding: They receive beans, peas and tares as their main diet. From January, beans and barley are fed until the birds are hatching and then they go back onto the beans, peas and tares. They are never hungry and are fed what he feels is enough twice daily. He never leaves food in the loft. When the birds get to the 250 mile mark they get Irish mixture that includes maize added to the beans, peas and tares. Young birds get breed and wean in the nest box the week before shifting and until settled, and get the Irish mix just before racing starts. He never gives his pigeons maize when rearing youngsters.
Racing hens
Clubs: He is presently a member of Larkhall South club and in the South Lanarkshire Federation where he enjoys the friendship. He is also a member of the Scottish National Flying Club. He used to like the channel race that took place in the second week of June and found this an excellent race. He sees no place for Inland National racing and feels that most can’t compete for averages due to the increased number of races in the programme. This should be part of the Federation programme. In his opinion National racing is from across the water. He would like to see all the west coast federations race together from the coast.
Changes: He always likes to bring in new families of birds to try against his own. These are usually provided by Billy or Wullie and often are crosses of his own family of birds. More recently the Dennis Dall of Ladybank, Fife (red cheq pigeons) are being tested. These were gifted by Wullie Semple
Others Thoughts:
He will never stop trying to win the Blue Riband race.
He said if it is not broken, don't try and fix it.
Pigeons are like us, if they are working they expect to be fed.
We change because we read about all these so called wonderful products that you think someone else is using.
Good birds and routine are essential, not changing things every other week.
The same line of birds are still winning major prizes at the distance.
Blue cock, winner of 2 National diploma. This cock lost an eye due to hawk attack (Like the W Wilson cock all those decades ago, will history repeat itself?)
Some of his results Scottish National Flying Club
Gold Award Winner - 5 times winner from the channel single pigeon
5 West Section wins from the channel
1984 1st sect 10th Open Sartilly, Blue cock, SU 81 L 13270
Results from 1997
1st sect 2nd Open Rennes, Blue hen SU 95 SL 4603 - Davie rates this his best performance
1st sect 11th Open Sartilly, Cheq cock SU 95 SL 4591
1998
1st sect 23rd Open Sartilly, Blue pied hen SU 96 SL 3935
7th sect 134th Open Sartilly, Blue cock SU96 SL 3924
20th sect Sartilly, Blue Cock SU 95 SL 4568
2005 results flying with the Scottish National Racing Pigeon Club
2nd sect 16th Open Falaise, Blue cock SU 02 L 485
16th sect 86th Open Falaise, Blue hen SU03 L 289
18th sect Alencon, SU00 L 2282
2006
9th sect 26th Open Lessay, Blue hen SU 03 L 289
26th sect 100th Open, Blue cock SU 01 L 1262
2007
22nd sect 157th Open, Blue hen SU 04 L24096
9th sect 142nd Open Wanstead Flats, Blue hen GB 05 S57582
10th sect 149th Open Wanstead Flats, Blue hen GB 05 S 57586
2008 Scottish National Flying Club
6th Sect 90th Open Alencon, Cheq hen GB 05 S 57582
25th Sect Alencon, Blue cock SU04 L 24095
16th Sect 63rd Open, Cheq hen GB 05 S 57582
2009
3rd Sect 62nd Open, Blue cock GB 07 S87831
2010
2nd Sect 17th Open Reims, Cheq hen GB 05 S 57582
9th Sect 53rd Open Reims, Blue hen GB 08 S 84196
2011
10th Sect 160th Open Clermont, Blue cock SU 09 L 10153
2012
27th Sect Maidstone, Cheq hen GB 10 S 66704
32nd Sect Maidstone, Blue hen SU 09 L 10143
29th Sect 109th Open Alencon, Blue hen GB 08 S 84196
17th Sect 99th Open Ypres, Cheq W/F cock GB 10 S 6685
22nd Sect 107 Open Ypres, Blue hen SU 09 3196
1st Sect 38th Open Clermont, Cheq hen GB 10 S 66704
17th Sect Clermont, Blue hen SU 09 L 10143
2013
1st Sect 6th Open Alencon, Blue hen SU 09 L 10143
38th Sect Ypres, Blue hen SU 09 3196
Davie Donaldson is truly a remarkable presence in the West Section of National flying, what you would call a legend. Pigeons are very much a way of life for him. He has always had them and with help from his very good friends Billy Graham and Wullie Semple he will continue to compete at the very top. Davie would like to thank Billy and Wullie for their friendship over many years.
Many thanks to Davie and Mima for their time and education in the sport of racing distance pigeons. Also to John McFall and John Alston for their help.
Tom Corrie
Lanarkshire Press Officer
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Elimar - January 2014
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