WINNING AT THE DISTANCE INTO THE FAR NORTH
A loft profile on Davie Pirie of Aberdeen
by Gareth Watkins
This article has come about as a result of one of my early articles on the past winners of BICC races in which I featured John Woodsford’s Black Velvet, winner of 1st Open BICC Perpignan in 1978 and Cyril Galyer’s La Oscura, winner of 1st Open Barcelona in the same year. In that article I mentioned that both Black Velvet and La Oscura were responsible for many winners at the distance for a number of fanciers and none more so than the late Jim Biss who actually bought Black Velvet along with his son, which was bred when Black Velvet was mated to La Oscura. This son became known as The International and he went on to breed many top class performers at the distance for the Biss loft and other fanciers throughout the UK. One of these fanciers was none other than Davie Pirie of Aberdeen, who wrote to me with details of the successful descendants of The International which had raced from France to his loft in the far north-east of Scotland. The following is a brief outline of the Pirie loft and its many long distance performers.
Davie Pirie with some of his National trophies
THE BEGINNING
Dave first became interested in the sport in 1959 when he competed as a junior partner with Tam Littlejohn. His first major influence was a fancier by the name of Jack Elphinstone who was a keen long distance enthusiast and Jack set the seeds for Dave’s long lasting interest in long distance pigeon racing. The first loft was a 12ft x 6ft structure with the old style “piano” trap affixed to the front with the birds being kept spotlessly clean as a result of daily cleaning 365 days a year. The present loft is a 23 ft x 6ft structure with five internal compartments plus a section for corn and baskets. A second loft with aviary, houses any new introductions which are allowed to settle and view the surrounding area before gaining their freedom as Davie does not like keeping prisoners.
Davie Pirie's racing loft
MANAGEMENT
At the height of the season the Pirie loft houses around 90 pigeons in total and that includes racers and stock birds. The birds are raced on the natural system and Davie likes to give the birds an open loft as much as possible. Stock birds and yearlings are mated at the same time which is usually the middle of February with the birds destined for the long distance races from France later in the season being mated a month later in the middle of March. If the weather is good and the birds are exercising well around home the yearlings may start their training in April but the older birds intended for the channel programme rarely see a training basket until the month of May. If the weather is good then the birds get 3 or 4 tosses a week at between 10 and 40 miles, this is in addition to their voluntary home exercise. Once the channel birds are in their selected nest condition ready for basketting for their target race they get no further training in the week leading up to basketting. Young birds are raced naturally with no darkening and Davie likes them to undergo a good training programme followed by a few races as far as the Firth of Forth which he likes them to cross a number of times before he thinks of putting some aside for the yearling stage of their education.
Davie Pirie's Ashleigh TK - 1st sect 7th Open SNFC Bourges 720 miles
FEEDING & MEDICATION
All birds at the Pirie loft are hand fed a good Irish type mixture and at all times are fed to appetite with the addition of peanuts as the long distance races approach. Hormoform is also incorporated into their diet at various times of the year. As far as medication is concerned the birds are treated for canker and vaccinated against Paramyxo before the season begins and that’s about it unless something untoward arises during the season.
Davie Pirie's Marlene's Girl - 1st SNFC 626 miles on day
THE PIGEONS
Davie likes to inbreed to certain lines for stock purposes and crosses out to breed his race team. Over the years Davie has found that most long distance winners into his area are true to type in as much as they are all perfectly balanced with outstanding feather quality and a “relaxed” wing. These long distance pathfinders also have strong backs and rumps with one feather width tails.
Two of Davie’s best stock hens were purchased at a Jim Biss sale in Scotland and these were granddaughters of Hillside Natrix and Hillside Moon, both of which had a strong influence of the Black Velvet x La Oscura bloodlines in their genetic make up. The granddaughter of Hillside Moon was a prolific breeder with one of her direct offspring winning 1st North section 81st Open Sartilly 582 miles on the day when there were only two birds into the north section by nightfall on the day of liberation. When paired to a son of Eddie Callaghan’s outstanding Stichelbaut x Van Hee National winner Fallahill Superstar she bred a cock which Davie paired back with its mother to produce The Moon Hen which also turned out to be a prolific breeder of winners. The Moon Hen was then paired to a Robert Venus cock inbred to Supercrack to breed a Dark Pied cock Alec’s Choice which went on to win 1st North section 12th Open SNFC Clermont 570 miles when there were only 22 birds timed on the day into Scotland. Alec’s Choice later went on to produce Marlene’s Girl, Davie’s winner of 1st Open SNFC from Andrezel at 626 miles [by 76 ypm] timed on the day.
Davie Pirie's loft used to house prisoners before they are settled
Only top class pigeons from proven long distance winning bloodlines are introduced to hopefully breed the next generation of long distance winners for the Pirie loft.
Some other top performers raced by Davie are:-
Ashleigh Again, winner of 1st North section Sartilly 582 miles clocked at 10.16 pm.
Ashleigh Bert, 1st North section 4th Open SNFC Appledore Yearling National at 440 miles finishing at 5th Open National overall.
Ashleigh TK, winner of 1st North section 7th Open SNFC Bourges 720 miles.
Davie Pirie's Alec's Choice - 3rd sect 12th Open Clermont
The photographs that accompany this article show the type of pigeon developed by Davie Pirie at his modest back garden set up, pigeons which are not afraid of the hard slog up into the far north of Scotland. Congratulations Davie on some truly remarkable performances and good luck for the future.
Black Velvet - 1st open BICC Perpignan for John Woodsford and later bought by Jim Biss for whom he was responsible for many winners
La Oscura. 1st Open BICC Barcelona for Cyril Galyer. She was later to have a strong influence on Jim Biss' long distance family.
The International, a son of Black Velvet & La Oscura, top stock cock for Jim Biss.
