JIM EMERTON CHATS TO
JOHN TYERMAN
President of the British International Championship Club
John Tyerman - one of the UK's long distance stalwarts
What attracts you to the BICC John?
I joined the BICC around 1982 when we only had around 30 members in the club and at that time the main interest was solely in competing in International racing. Fanciers like Geoff Hunt, Mike Young, Lyden Bros, Ian Benstead, John Cecil and Brian Williams all competed successfully in races from Pau, Lourdes, Perpignan, Marseilles etc. It was this ultimate challenge that attracted me to the club, plus having an old established Scottish Carmichael/Kirkpatrick family of pigeons that did well at longer distance distances.
Please describe the main racing objectives of this great and singular organisation.
The main racing objectives of the BICC are to encourage distance-minded fanciers to compete against Europe's finest flyers in International racing. BICC members have indeed had outstanding success winning International races which no-one previously believed possible. Names like Brian Shepherd, Geoff and Catherine Cooper, Mark Gilbert, Dave Posey and Wicky and Kirk Bullen are now known worldwide in racing pigeon circles, putting the UK very firmly on the International map.
However, our shorter National and young bird races were introduced a few years ago to allow members to prepare candidates for the longer events and we have found these races to be very popular indeed. The introduction of these shorter National races saw a big increase in BICC membership (now just under 1200) and indeed many of our members prefer to fly only in these races, which is of course their choice. Being allowed to select and enter any number birds on the actual marking day is one of the main advantages of being a member of the BICC.
Does it please you that full recognition is being granted to UK International racing?
I believe that we have now gained full recognition in International racing thanks to the success of the above named fanciers and the many others in the club who have also performed well, gaining high positions in International results. When you attend any of the International presentations in Belgium the BICC members are always given great accolade and recognition with a "full standing ovation" for our International winners - something they will remember for the rest of their lives.
Do you think we can conquer the peerless Barcelona International John?
I do believe that Barcelona can be won in the UK, but clearly we need favourable weather conditions and that means an east wind keeping the birds to the west as they come up through France. We have some very capable fanciers with top quality pigeons and one day I am sure we will conquer the Barcelona International here in the UK.
Please illuminate your personal background and top results in pigeons.
I have been associated with pigeons since I was a boy in Scotland, and then on marriage took up racing at Earlston in the Scottish Borders, where many good distance positions were won in SNFC racing. I once sent a single pigeon to NFC Pau and she returned to Scotland on day 5, flying 884 miles, so that was my first attempt at real distance racing. I later raced from a loft at Dorking in Surrey and gained some very good distance positions both in the NFC, LSECC and BICC Internationals. I won't list them, but there were many in the top 25. Following a move to Bracklesham Bay, West Sussex, I put most of my top pigeons to stock. At present I have some very good birds that have scored in Internationals, one of my favourites being my old "Barcelona Cock" who won 7th open BICC, followed by 5th open BICC Barcelona (661 miles) and then four weeks later won 15th BICC Perpignan. More recently I won the 2011 CSCFC Tarbes Classic flying 522 miles, when there were only four birds home on a difficult day. Three weeks after this win a red cock of mine also won the 2011 "Barcelona Challenge" flying 625 miles to the lofts at Hernicourt in France.
My old family of Carmichael/Kirkpatrick's and Eric Cannon bloodlines are fairly reliable and if fit will "fly the clock round" to quote and old expression. I also bred the sire of Douglas Owen's SNFC Ypres winner and my good friends Crammond and Langstaff also race one of mine named "JT's Mealy" and this grand cock has won in the region of 7 top National/BICC positions in distance events. I derive much pleasure from hearing that other fanciers have done well with my birds.
What personality traits does a top BICC fancier need if competing in the long distance Internationals?
This is a difficult one Jim, but "patience" is a great virtue as the saying goes, and you certainly need plenty of that. Distance pigeons need time to mature, and my best birds have often made early mistakes and sometimes been away for several weeks, but many have then gone on to do well in distance events. Unlike sprint racing, building up a team of distance pigeons can take several years, and many fanciers just don't have the time or patience to persevere. Losses can be high when you get out to 500 and 600 mile events and you now need a fairly large team to compete in the full International programme.
In the light of a decline, how can we reassert the profile and status of UK pigeon racing?
Another question that is difficult to answer, but with all the video games and modern technology, youngsters just don't seem to have the outside interests anymore. I know the RPRA go out to various shows and many fanciers take time to visit and lecture schools, but it does not seem to have had much effect in attracting new members. Perhaps the appointment of a professional Public Relations Officer would make a difference, but I have reservations as to even how effective that might be. I don't know what the answer is.
Which is harder - NFC or International; does one require different pigeons?
Undoubtedly the International racing scene is more difficult, as many top fanciers have found out. The Channel crossing at the end of a long fly is not easy for a tired bird returning to the UK. Many good Classic and NFC distance pigeons have gone down when entered in International races and with the BICC sending only a small percentage of the total entry of birds, it takes a very special pigeon to pull out and perform well in such events. Many of my best performance pigeons have been singled up in France at some time in their racing careers. I also send them north and my good Tarbes hen "Brackbay Star" flew Wetherby and Leicester before winning the Tarbes Classic.
Please add any thoughts relevant to any pigeon aspect.
The raptor problem seems worse now than ever and I am aware of the new moves to persuade Government and the RSPB to allow us to protect our racing pigeons, but somehow this important issue has dragged on for several years and we have not moved forward. I applaud the efforts of those involved but am sceptical of the eventual outcome. The welfare of the pigeons is always a matter of concern, but with the modern purpose built transporters and some very good convoyers the birds are normally well catered for. I do not like to see overcrowding in crates and the BICC are very conscious of this. Our BICC Chief Convoyer Trevor Cracknell is in my opinion one of the best in the country. The BICC as a Club has gone from strength to strength in recent years, thanks to a very good Chairman and Management Committee.
