Scott Storie article

Scott Storie from Poole Scott has been one of the most consistent flyers on the south coast in National and Classic racing in the last 10 years. 2015 sees a new era for Scott as he forms a new partnership with John Gerard now flying as Storie and Gerard. Here is a little insight in to Scott’s suc Scott Storie from Poole Scott has been one of the most consistent flyers on the south coast in National and Classic racing in the last 10 years. 2015 sees a new era for Scott as he forms a new partnership with John Gerard now flying as Storie and Gerard. Here is a little insight in to Scott’s success. I am now 56 years old and my love of pigeons began in Scotland when I was 10 years old, helping my Granddad around the loft. We raced in partnership as Hallyburton & Storie until he passed away when I was 30. I then took a 10 year break from the sport moving from Scotland to the South of England, restarting with young birds in 2001 in Poole, Dorset. My loft set up before I had to downsize due my health was four Blake’s Lofts: the main tiled roof loft was 27ft x 8ft with 3 compartments for 36 widowhood cocks, an 8ft x 6ft tiled roof for 12 widowhood cocks, another tiled roof 22ft x 8ft with 4 compartments with 3 sections for the young birds (about 100) and one for the widowhood hens with an aviary. The 16 pairs of stock birds were housed in an 8ft x 6ft felt roof loft with an 8ft x 7ft aviary. All racing lofts were open door trapping. The strain of birds kept are Jim Biss and Robert Venus Super Cracks from Dave Carter. When Jim Biss was alive, I would buy a pair every year from him. I have tried other birds but nothing compared to the Biss x Super Cracks which scored from 100 miles – 650 miles in Classic and National racing. I only race cocks on widowhood, my Granddad had the idea in 1979 that we should try a few pigeons on the widowhood system. In 1987 I bought a house with a garden and moved the race team there and left the stock loft at my Granddad’s house and only raced widowhood at the new address. I was reading everything I could get on how to race widowhood. The best information I found was watching Tony Cowan’s video on Geoff Kirkland and Frank Tasker. Using Frank’s feeding system we had three good years, racing with the strong Scottish Central Federation. A couple of our best results being 1 st , 2 nd , 3 rd , 7 th , 8 th , 9 th , Fed Lancaster 130 miles 4,700 birds. 1 st , 4 th , 8 th Fed Open Exeter 371 miles with over 1,000 birds. Racing today, I still only race the cocks on widowhood. The hens are not raced at all. When I was working, time was limited. The birds were fed in the morning, let out only at night time for a fly and the young birds after the cocks. Exercise time was anywhere between 4.30pm – 6.00pm depending when I finished work and lasted for 75 minutes. As I no longer work, the cocks are out twice a day for about 45 minutes each time. Training for the old birds is about six short spins. I start racing the old birds in May which is the first CHANNEL RACE. THEY ARE THEN RACED WEEKLY FOR FOUR OR FIVE RACES TO GET THEM RACE FIT AND SET UP for their chosen races. I prefer middle and long distance racing where I think the class of pigeon and fancier count for more. They are never raced inland and the yearlings’ first race is across the channel as I do not race them as young birds, the young birds are just trained as many times as possible. Because I enjoyed National and Classic racing and young bird racing started before the old birds had finished racing, I never had the time to train them. I no longer use Frank Taskers system nor are the birds broken down between races. I do less with the birds now but they still race well. During the racing season the birds are fed on Verse Laga plus added mixtures, nothing is put on the corn. They are treated for canker and worms before breeding and for anything else I think is required. The stock birds are separated in August and the race team in September. Then they are fed a good moulting mixture once a day and then a winter mixture. Out once a week for a bath if the weather is good. During the winter months the racers are fed twice a day and the breeders as much as they want with pick pot and clay blocks. I will use Brand names for feeding and I am not bothered which ones. My best performances for 2014 were 59 th & 91 st OPEN BBC CARENTAN, 12 th & 95 th OPEN BBC Niort, 10 th , 29 th , 36 th & 109 th BBC Bordeaux only 20 timed on the day, clocking four in all with all seven home. Previous best performances would include 1 st SECTION 5 th OPEN NFC TARBES. I have timed from Tarbes eight years in a row and made the result. 1 st & 2 nd SECTION BBC Barcelona, 1 st SECTION BICC PERPIGNAN, 2 nd OPEN BBC BORDEAUX, 12 th OPEN CSCFC PAU, 5 th CSCFC Messac, 6 th CSCFC Bergerac, 1 st , 2 nd , 3 rd , & 4 th SECTION BICC ALENCON, 3 rd , 8 th & 9 th OPEN BICC FALAISE AND 12 th OPEN BBC NIORT. People I admire in the sport are the ones who give up their spare time to help out at Club or National level. Maybe for the future of the sport, as the Clubs are getting smaller with less members, it would be a good idea to do away with Club racing and split the federation in to three or four sections with a sections result and an open result. For any new fancier starting out my advice would be, decide what you want – short or middle to long distance racing, Club or National racing and go to two fanciers who are winning at the type of racing you want. Buy late breds from their best birds and also ask their advice on how to breed and race the birds and keep things simples. (good food and clean water). Finally, I would like to end by thanking my Grandfather who was also my best friend, two men who took me under their wing when I started in the sport again in Poole, Arty Baverstock (who passed away in 2014) and Tony Stephens and thank you also Tony for winning the 2014 BBC Barcelona race, allowing me to say I may never have won a National but at least I bred one.